What does glass mean in the context of hunting?

Question

I have read several blogs and watched videos on hunting where I have heard people use the term glass. I have no idea what it means and I have found very little on Google about what it could mean.

So, what does the term glass mean?

We are going to glass here tonight and see if there is a bull around.

Answer 1

Glass generally means using your binoculars or scope to look for game.

Answer 2

Some people refer to binoculars as spyglasses, or 'glass' for short.

Answer 3

The term is very old, and goes back to when people would carry simple telescopes - known colloquially as "spyglasses" - to their hunting areas to search for game. I've seen the term used by a British officer looking for the French Army formations on the Iberian Peninsula in the early 1800s, and I have no doubt it goes back farther than that.