Originally Posted by
JoshC
It's all practice, and obviously the more animals you see the easier it is. The more you use your binos the more animals you will see too. I am constantly looking for animals day to day, it's a habit, and I find that I'll pick them up pretty easily and much quicker than most other people I hunt with. I'm not sure exactly why, the only thing I can think of is the amount of animals I see while out and about provides good practice. But I am constantly looking.
Learn to identify the key spots the target animals like to be, clearings, bush edges, bluff systems, creek heads etc., and check them out more intensively rather than just quickly run the binos over them. Looks for parts of animals too, not "whole" animals, as sometimes they'll be hiding behind a bush, tree or rock. When hunting in the tops, always check the ridges and skylines first, and regularly after that. Often animals may be bedded down just off the top if a ridge only to stand up after you've looked it over. You'll spot animals on a ridge from literally miles away...vice versa for you too...when hunting keep off the ridge lines! It's amazing how many hunters don't think of that.
Movement is a big thing to, especially hunting chamois and tahr. Often in an alpine environment, especially during the changes of the seasons they can be almost invisible until they move. This is why glassing with good binos is so important, you need plenty of time behind the binos to allow the animals to make their move, or just become visible. But remember the same applies to you, find a good vantage spot at peak times of the day and glass lots. If you're not moving about the animals are less likely to see you and are more likely to move about into the open.