Binoculars while bird hunting…?

[hunting_with_bailey]

Wondering if anyone hunting behind point dogs carry binoculars with you? Especially when chasing grouse and chukar out west….if so, what magnification/objective?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Montana Slim]

I had a shorthair that it was handy to have binos with... sometimes i couldn't quite make out the flushing birds at that distance without them

 

[Montana Slim]

In all seriousness though - I usually carry a pair of 8x30s in a shell pocket on the belt of my vest (Q5). The longer the hike, the less likely I am to take them though - usually opting for more weight in water

 

[Idhunter777]

Wondering if anyone hunting behind point dogs carry binoculars with you? Especially when chasing grouse and chukar out west….if so, what magnification/objective?

Thanks in advance!

I always carry them when grouse hunting in Idaho with my pointer but do not for any other kind of upland game

 

[digger]

My thought is if you need em carry them. Next for me is a stick

 

[Irish Miner]

Never here. I dont have a small enough pair or I might. My Swaros stay in the truck and I want to go as light as possible. I have enough stuff in the vest as it is. Just my preference.

 

[Speaks]

Nope. I do carry a camera though.

 

[kcm2]

After reading this, I could see where the old 8x23 Nikons may be a good option. (You can buy them used on Ebay for $30 or so, and they are optically pretty darn good.)

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Maven 8X30s. Just handy. Final Rise Summit. Attached a Kifaru small belt pouch. They go with me everywhere. Just for neat shit and nature you run across after miles with a dog. Badgers, big bucks, sheds, etc.

 

[mills0713]

Idaho chukar here. If I carry them, it's because I want a closer look at the mulies and elk I run into. I have never used them for birds (I can't see them 20ft in front of me) or for the dog.

As a side note: I found that the piece of gear that has made the most difference for me is a gps collar. That has been a game changer in Hells Canyon.

 

[Bearlodge10]

Yes, I run a pair of 10x42 binos, especially in areas that I might hunt of big game and to spot coveys of Sharptails further out. I do like the idea of having a pair of 8x30s or even a monocular to save a bit of weight and make it more practical.

 

[RockAndSage]

I have, and do in some situations. Experimented with them a bunch, just normal 8x chest binos.

With upland birds, they're a big help with sage grouse. But, I haven't seen much utility for chukar, quail, or dove at all, though I'm still open to them being useful in some chukar situations.

With waterfowl there are a couple of ways the come in handy. The biggest is in the short sage or other brush/fields when jump-shooting ducks from mudholes and small creeks. They give you a chance to spot birds and plan out a stalk when the sage is low, and they'll fly if they see you within a few hundred yards. They're also particularly useful in scouting waterfowl a few days before a hunt when the weather's not moving the birds much, and they're just flying to feed and sleep, back and forth between bigger bodies of water or fields. Pattern them and figure out how to get into those places to set up your spread, and it can be a great day calling them in.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

^ all these things. Kinda feel naked without them. Not totally pimping my Mavens...BUT...they're so good I bought a second bino for my Mrs who keeps them in her Subie.

I've often said that I would not be terribly hamstrung if I forgot my full size bino on a hunt and only had my 8X30s. They're that impressive for $550.

Think we are all out there to put birds in the dirt and watch the dogs rip. But I am also out there for the country and explorations and cool schitt you see along the way. The binos greatly fill that desire for me at least.