What actually separates a professional guide from a good hunter?
Cliff and Jay Scott break down how real experience changes judgment. Calm under pressure, controlling variables, and why most missed shots are process failures. Not shooter failures.

The Tricer micro-panning device we discuss at the end of the video, Use CLIFFG for 10% off: https://tricer.com/products/tricer-360

From there, the discussion moves into distance, animal awareness, and the concept of the “bubble.” Cliff and Jay explain why getting closer is not always better, especially for wary species like Coues deer. Staying outside an animal’s awareness buys time, reduces mistakes, and creates higher-probability shots. This is not about extreme distance. It is about efficiency and control.

The back half of the episode shifts into gear and optics. They break down real use cases for image-stabilized binoculars and spotting scopes, where they help, where they don’t, and why tripods are not going anywhere. The conversation stays grounded in actual field application, not marketing claims.

The episode closes on perspective. Experience, restraint, and patience are skills built over decades, not seasons.

00:02:00 – Guiding Experience and Perspective
00:06:20 – Booking Hunts and Downside Protection
00:09:20 – What Makes a Professional Guide
00:17:20 – Staying Outside the Animal's Bubble
00:38:10 – Managing Age Class Over Antlers
00:40:55 – Harvest Limits and Real Results
00:49:40 – Tag Filling and Modern Pressure
00:52:00 – Social Media and Validation
00:59:20 – Judging Animals With Confidence
01:04:20 – Underrated Hunts and Value
01:07:40 – Image Stabilized Optics Use Cases
01:14:30 – Tripods, Glassing, and Field Judgment

Resources from Jay Scott
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayscottoutdoors/?hl=en
Website: http://jayscottoutdoorspodcast.com/
Scoring App: https://hornscore.com/

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

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Trends and gear relevant to hunters from SHOT Show 2026.

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

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FOLLOW CLIFF
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Pursuit With Cliff Podcast
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/interviews-and-podcasts/

Cliff's Hunt Planning and Strategy Membership
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/membership/

Hunt. Fish. Spear. (Experiences, Courses and Seminars)
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Tim Sundles and I rip through member-submitted questions, then go deep when it matters. The back half turns into a dark-timber masterclass: tracking old bulls in snow, reading intent from tracks, avoiding back-trail traps, and making a high-percentage shot in tight timber.

Tim and Kim Sundles run a great YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@buffaloboreammo

The Fastest Way to Get Good at Elk Hunting. Period. Cliff's In-Person Elk Masterclass - https://pursuitwithcliff.com/ElkCourse

---
FOLLOW CLIFF
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/CliffGray
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Facebook - https://facebook.com/PursuitWithCliff

Pursuit With Cliff Podcast
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/interviews-and-podcasts/

Cliff's Hunt Planning and Strategy Membership
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/membership/

Hunt. Fish. Spear. (Experiences, Courses and Seminars)
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/Experiences

Merch
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/shop/

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