Glassing

[Chopit]

How many of you just bring binos and no spotting scope? Does everyone hunt with both?

 

[elkguide]

I bring both but the spotter usually just rides in the truck.

 

[LandYacht]

Binos only for me. Tried both, prefer binos on a tripod by a large margin.


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[amassi]

Switched to 15s on a tripod and wont be going back any time soon. Less eye fatigue by about 30fold, easier to pack around too.

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[Chopit]

Thats where i am at. I have a good set of binos with a tripod attachment.

 

[HookUp]

Just got back from an Idaho elk hunt brought 12x binos and spotter. Never used the spotter packed it back to my truck after a few days. Elk are big critters and I had no problem seeing them from miles away with the binos.

 

[OG DramaLlama]

Both. Go lightweight on spotter with the Kramer tripod. Flexibility without too much weight penalty.


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[idahohikker]

10x42 and 65mm spotter. I consider the spotter to be a must in big country I hunt.

 

[justinspicher]

15x50’s on a tripod.

 

[jmez]

Just binos for me. Not a trophy hunter so all I need to see are the elk. If I were looking at horns then I'd take a spotter as well.

 

[dangerousD]

15x56 on tripod for me but I haven’t hunted many areas where I spent a lot of time glassing or needed the extra power of a spotter.

 

[tttoadman]

10x42 Binos and a tripod. Note I have never had a spotter, so I may not know what I am missing.

 

[KeatonMullenix]

10x42s on a tripod. I typically spot more quantity than the 15-60x just because that’s what I’ve been trained on forever. Once you find em though, you CANNOT beat 60x on a stable base


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[IdahoHntr]

It just depends on what kind of hunting you’re doin. If you are looking for any bull just take the binos. If you are really wanting to see a bulls antlers well before deciding to go after him then I think the spotting scope is real useful.


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[Jimss]

I hunt relative open to super open country. I always bring a spotter plus binos. It's nearly impossible to field judge bulls from long range without a spotter. It's also possible to pick apart the landscape searching for an antler tip, ear, rump patch etc from long range with spotter. I would have to be a mile or so closer to do the same thing with my binos. A spotter has saved me miles upon miles of hiking! The only time I likely wouldn't carry my spotter would be if I was hunting thick trees.....which I hate hunting!

 

[Newtosavage]

Just binos for me. Not a trophy hunter so all I need to see are the elk. If I were looking at horns then I'd take a spotter as well.

This. I can see elk with my bin's on a tripod far enough away that it would take me literally all day to get to them. I sure as heck don't need to see elk that would take me 2 days to get to. LOL

 

[FURMAN]

10x42s on a tripod for finding game. 20-60 swaro for judging quality. I can't stand looking though a spotter any longer than I have to but they will save you a lot of boot leather once you find game. After game has stopped moving for the day a spotter is almost necassary for picking out bedded game at 2 plus miles away.

 

[HighVoltageHunter]

My hunting partner says “bino’s only” until he ask me to pull out my spotter to confirm what he thinks he see’s in the tree line.

 

[Thess87]

10x42s only for me and my partner. Maybe I’m in the wrong spot but no need for a spotter where I hunt.

 

[Newtosavage]

I really think a lot of this has to do with whether you're a horn hunter or a meat hunter. I can easily see where a horn hunter would want the best spotter they can afford and are willing to pack, in order to save them precious miles chasing an animal they don't really want.

I picked up a Nikon 50ED recently - mostly for birding - but I will take it with me in the backcountry for glassing because I have an extremely wide angle 14x eyepiece for it that will allow me to dissect a hillside very efficiently. However I agree that looking through a spotter for very long leaves me pretty disoriented, so I try to avoid that if I can.