Frank Church Elk-Optics?

[awcopeland]

I quit taking binos for long stay trips and use my rifle scope if necessary. Every time I go, I try and figure a way to make my pack lighter. I usually only pack enough water because to drink on the pack in because I usually know there will be water where I'm going. I take my lightest rifle also. I usually try to keep my pack around 40 to 45 pounds, but I only hunt 5 to 7 days and usually have a partner to share some items with i.e stove, tent, ground cloth, gas and dromedary bag. Good luck.

IMO, this is a great way to flirt with felony charges, loaded chamber or not. Perception isn’t always reality, but it’s someone’s reality.

 

[Marble]

This seems like a dangerous approach to pointing your rifle (unloaded it may be) at unintended targets as you glass, really pushing the dont point your gun at anything you don’t want to shoot mentality

Just coming from somebody who has looked at other hunters through binos staring back at me with their “rifle” binos, uncomfortable to say the least

At what point does shaving ounces become a serious safety issue

Totally agree!!

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[Indian Summer]

You won’t need any optics. There’s nothing to look at in the Frank. Lol

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I hunt that unit almost every year. Take either the 15s or the spotter. You don’t need both.

 

[midwestcowboy]

Was in there last year and didn't use the spotter once

 

[Truck24hr]

T

Thread 'Frank Church Late September LighterPack'

May 31, 2025

Here's my list minus food and water. Let me know what you think?

At this point I'm planning on only taking one optic. Either the RF 8x binos or 15x50's and handheld RF.

BTW, My inreach is included in pack weight.

https://lighterpack.com/r/lj1fkv

• Truck24hr
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Elk

 

[Roor]

T

Thread 'Frank Church Late September LighterPack'

May 31, 2025

Here's my list minus food and water. Let me know what you think?

At this point I'm planning on only taking one optic. Either the RF 8x binos or 15x50's and handheld RF.

BTW, My inreach is included in pack weight.

https://lighterpack.com/r/lj1fkv

• Truck24hr
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Elk

How do you like the GPO 15x?

 

[Truck24hr]

How do you like the GPO 15x?

I love em, love the weight of them, but I haven't looked through what you call alpha glass either. They were recommended by Doug as a very good alternative to SLC's.

 

[Marine4life]

If you’re just elk hunting and not looking for a trophy then take just 1 pair of binos with a tripod.

This is what I would do. Elk are big and not that hard to see especially when they are up and feeding. Spotter would be nice if you were in a trophy unit and trying to score a bull on the hoof. In your case if you see horns go shoot it.


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[TheHammer]

Where I elk hunt, I sleep at 10k and hunt up to 12k, I hunt travel corridors and don’t move much which at 72 is fine for me. I lose my appetite at those altitudes and typically lose 10 lbs every year. I find myself eating one meal a day while maintaining fluid intake. My hunting partners are much more mobile and younger and eat normal amounts. My point is that I would tend to save some weight on the food side if you can tolerate the reduction in caloric intake. For me it makes no difference in my exercise tolerance. Cant imagine hauling a 62 lb pack.

Elevation also does strange things to people. I have a tendency to loose appetite by day 3/4. I come from 800’, typically end up in that 11-12,500’ range archery elk. My pack is usually 60-61lbs for 10-13 days. But I also like to get up in a spot a few miles in, setup my tent dump a bunch of gear, then go figure an area out, moving camp as needed, been quite successful this way. OP: take whatever you are going to be most confident with!

 

[DeePow]

Where I elk hunt, I sleep at 10k and hunt up to 12k, I hunt travel corridors and don’t move much which at 72 is fine for me. I lose my appetite at those altitudes and typically lose 10 lbs every year. I find myself eating one meal a day while maintaining fluid intake. My hunting partners are much more mobile and younger and eat normal amounts. My point is that I would tend to save some weight on the food side if you can tolerate the reduction in caloric intake. For me it makes no difference in my exercise tolerance. Cant imagine hauling a 62 lb pack.

Not to high jack this thread but I’d love to hear some of your stories over the years. Still backpack hunting at 72 is damn impressive

 

[Wrench]

I have a lot of options in optics and I would feel totally handicapped with just 15x. Heart pumping, heavy breathing and trying to pick a quick route on a bull with 15s sounds like me barfing and god forbid having them around my neck or chest.

8x all day for me. I love good 8x bins.

 

[yfarm]

Nothing special, ran 3 miles a day, 300+ days a year at 7 min pace for 30 yrs. Had to stop after being placed on alpha blocker for prostate, replaced with 12 miles a day on bike. At 66 was pissed about my exercise tolerance climbing mointains and had a stress echo. Had a rate pressure product over 40,000( heart rate 200,systolic blood pressure 210) with an ejection fraction of 65%. Had a Rezum procedure and got off the alpha blocker, did a half marathon in January. My 3 sons do ironmans, at an international(shorter) last year in Ft Lauderdale there were a couple of men + 80 still completing the event. Keep at it, keep your weight normal, eat right and keep living. Good genetics helps alot. Climbing mountains on an alpha blocker is hell, was hunting in the Florida Mountains in NM, took me 30 min longer to get to the top compared with one of my sons, hated being on the drug. There are old marathoners that stop the drug and risk kidney damage rather than stop running, now with newer procedures with very low complication rates you don’t have to give up maintaining your condition.
The guy I want to emulate is mtwarden, am beyond impressed.Light and fast.

 

[WVELK]

Im sure this isn't popular, but I hunted Frank 3 times now. Never took spotter and never felt like I wish I had it. I would leave it home and just take your best binos.

What he said x 100

 

[db208]

i've got a September rifle tag, and will be hunting the last 9 days. Tag is for a brow tine bull. I'd be happy with any legal bull.

My pack weight with rifle is around 62lbs IIRC.

I've got 8x RF bino's @ 44oz
My spotter @ 68oz
And 15x bino's @ 34oz

I''m not willing to invest in any other optics, and I have a few handheld RF's I could use.

Would I be hurting my chances by leaving the spotter, RF bino's, or both at home? The lighter pack has obvious advantages.

I knew someone who killed a bull a couple years ago and only had binoculars. Saw 50 elk a day and never felt like they needed anything more.

 

[midwestcowboy]

I knew someone who killed a bull a couple years ago and only had binoculars. Saw 50 elk a day and never felt like they needed anything more.

50 elk per day in the frank???

 

[db208]

50 elk per day in the frank???

Yep!

 

[IowaNative]

50 elk per day in the frank???

Was he in a helicopter flying the entire unit? Lol