Am I stupid not to take a spotting scope on an early season high country buck hunt?

[abbrown]

I have an early season high country mule buck hunt in Colorado in a few weeks time. 11k' elevation and up, big basin country. I currently carry pretty good 10x42's on a tripod, and a superzoom canon camera (65x optical, 260x digital zoom) on same tripod. Am I going to seriously limit myself by not having a spotter? I don't want to spend the money, but it's not impossible.

 

[Dioni A]

The only thing you need is spotting scope for is identifying whether or not a bucks a shooter. If you have low standards or not that particular you can judge a deer well enough with binoculars to tell if it's legal or has a good frame. I personally would never go anywhere without one but I also want to know whether or not a deer is big enough to pursue for my standards.

 

[realunlucky]

You can see a lot further into the shadows with a high quality spotter. I find bedded bucks like that in the heat of the day, of course you gotta have an idea where they like to bed first

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[TheGDog]

If it's at 11K elevation... and it's your first time there.... I'd consider just taking the good Binos and tripod, and decide this trip out.. whether or not on the next trip out if you still think it's worth it to bring spotter.

Any extra weight, in that thinner air? That'd be expensive, energy wise. I'd think, unless you're used to it.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Take the spotter. Them mid days get booooring…

 

[30338]

Everybody needs to hit their budget. I'd keep your costs down and make it work with the binos a year or two. Budget loosens up and you feel you need one, grab a used high end one and rock on.

 

[dtrkyman]

How good is the clarity on that camera?

I would prefer 15x binos for looking around.

 

[Wacko]

I would skip a spotter...and get some 15x's to go along. I've been doing the debate about a spotter myself. I have 15's and a spotter now....that spotter is less attractive all the time. It has a a great zoom, good resolution, hard to replace the X's. It is harder to "glass" with. It has a small field of view. It is a little harder to pack around.

The 15's help you find and identify game easier at ranges you can actually get to. They can help you find game miles away too. They work great on a tripod.

Jusy MHO....

 

[jofes]

I regretted not having one, glassing into the castle rock shade midday at over a mile is going to be rough with 10X.

 

[Mt Al]

If you want it to rain, you wash your car. If you want to shoot a massive mulie at 30 yards, you bring a spotter. Simple logic.

IMHO:
If you don't have the cash, use what you have with confidence. Plenty of people tip over great bucks w/o a spotter and you have binos on a tripod plus your camera. It's not like you're not equipped! You may have to burn some boot leather getting closer to see details, there's your tradeoff. Saving money on a spotter is a false economy, I did it for years and regret the waste.

If you can borrow, rent or "buy once, cry once" on great glass- do bring a spotter and you'll be glad you did.

You can't go wrong, you got a great tag and you're going hunting. Make a choice and don't look back!

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I'd sell my fancy camera and use an iphone, then take that money and buy a spotter.

 

[Hondo0925]

I really regretted not taking mine last year but I wasn’t going to shoot just any buck. I really wanted to save wait but binos just didn’t cut it. Never again for me, I’ll make room and deal with the weight from now on.

 

[fatrascal]

I would not ever be without a spotter. I absolutely love spotting with bino's on a tripod but it cannot do the job of a spotter. No way no how. I find lots of critters with binos but after i've looked at everything, i then take out the spotter and find more critters. Thats why i'm there. To find critters and find the biggest critter i can find. He might be 5 miles away but i can drive around the mountain and then hike to him.
If you are not a trophy hunter and just want to fill your tag then forget the spotter.
When someone tells me they are only hunting with binos with no spotter in the mountains, its comparable to hunting with a pistol instead of a rifle. Sure we bowhunt, muzzy hunt etc., but when it comes to finding trphies then you need the right tools. And this is my humble opinion. Fatrascal.

 

[willfrye027]

Totally depends on the places you plan to hunt. Yesterday I could tell I was looking at a solid buck from 2 miles away with my 12x binos. He was also in the perfect morning sunshine but still.

If you are not picky on whether your buck is a 3x4 or a 4x4, 130 vs 140inches etc then I would be saving the weight in a backpacking situation and not bring a spotter.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Take the spotter you will wish you had it.

 

[coyoteman]

Yes, that would be stupid

 

[Blackdog317]

Definitely take a spotter. Borrow or rent one, if possible.

 

[LJ Buck]

Total waste of time if u ask me.
Buy one from a place you can return it to or borrow.

Can’t imagine how many miles of hiking a spotter has saved me.

 

[mcseal2]

I'd take one personally for the reasons listed.

I got by for several years with a Nikon ED50 spotter. It's not very heavy and while it's not optically a Swaro 65, it did what I needed from a spotter most times. I was generally finding game in my binos and using the spotter to evaluate it. I now use a Kowa 554 and have a Swaro STC on order for the same job. At mid-day glassing shadows the small spotter did well enough for me. At first and last light it gave up some light gathering capability to the larger spotters I used.

It depends on how you use a spotter what is best. For just evaluating game already spotted a compact one can work. For doing a lot of glassing through the spotter a bigger one with better field of view and eye relief is better. I'm hoping the Swaro STC I have on order will have enough more of those two things than my Nikon or Kowa that it's more comfortable for longer glassing sessions.

If money is tight though, a decent compact spotter like the ED50 can be a lot less expensive than a good 65mm or bigger spotter. It can still have a place in your glassing arsenal later where a cheap bigger spotter would be sold to buy a better one. Some hunts it is really nice to have the small spotter in my pack with a bigger one on a window mount in the vehicle.

Everything has it's drawbacks, just throwing out another idea.

 

[Felix40]

I’m leaving mine at home this year and bringing nothing but 15s. I used it some last year but I could tell how big every buck was with 15s. The spotter was basically for fun and it’s way too heavy for that.

I wouldn’t want to do a high country mule deer hunt with only 10s though. That’s way underpowered in my opinion.

About the only value I see in a spotter these days is counting points on antler restricted hunts.