Optics' Place in Turkey Hunting

[JW@TRACT]

How do optics play a role for you guys when turkey hunting? While many turkey hunters opt to leave their binos with their big-game gear, what difference do you think they could make while hunting turkeys?

 

[bnsafe]

I hunt the mo woods so cant see far, and still never leave home without them. Ive turkey hunted for over 40 years and use them on almost every hunt. I cant count the times Ive got close to a field and start scanning with my binocs and see turkeys I can see with just my eyes.
I have also switched over to a prism sight for my shotgun. Gamechanger for me.

 

[rideold]

I use my binos all the time. Those darn turkeys are hard to see in the tall grass and glassing has turned them up more than once!

 

[Billy Goat]

I carry binos all the time basically. They ride in the truck, if I'm out walking around its not uncommon for me to have them.

I don't hunt without them, turkeys included.

I have used them in early light to find birds in the trees, helps in picking them out in fields, gives me entertainment watching other things while I'm waiting on a pea-brained bird.

 

[Carr5vols]

I never turkey hunt without binos...I use them to scan fields deeper in cover, scan for roosted birds. They have especially come beneficial in past few years as birds are becoming more call sensitive. At this point if i had to choose i would rather have binos than calls...I love stalking a flock of birds and getting within range...also added red dot to gun this year. That has been a significant upgrade.

 

[Wolf13]

I do spot/stalk turkey hunting so definitely use my binoculars. As mentioned they can be tough to see in the tall grass. Very little calling, and more opportunistic - not “traditional” turkey hunting. Even when I’ve used a blind still want the binos for searching fields and planning for a spot to set up. 8x32s are perfect, but I’m currently using 10x42s because that’s what I have.

 

[Crusader]

I hunt the mo woods so cant see far, and still never leave home without them. Ive turkey hunted for over 40 years and use them on almost every hunt. I cant count the times Ive got close to a field and start scanning with my binocs and see turkeys I can see with just my eyes.
I have also switched over to a prism sight for my shotgun. Gamechanger for me.

My response is basically identical to this ^^^^^, I hunt in MO and have always used binocs--6x30 Leupold Yosemites for me are great, good enough glass and not too big or heavy.

I also use a reflex optic, Burris FF 3.

 

[axeforce6]

depends on where I’m hunting. But I mainly pack 6x30’s with me. If not I’ll pack 10x50’s. I never want to be without them. A single hen at a distance is hard to tell apart from a Jake. Specially in the overshadow of the woods. Great glass helps a lot. Even something as small as my 6x30’s.

 

[Timberline001]

Binos are vital to me. I like to get as close as I can to gobbling bird before I begin to call so binos help level the playing field against their eyes. I use them a lot watching birds come in. Being able to see their body reactions to my call help a lot when bringing them in from a long distance.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Typically carry my 8x versus my 12x Turkey hunting, but I’m out west. So basically anytime I’m out I’ll have binos on me

 

[Long Cut]

I’m in Georgia where we have dense foliage, especially come April-May when “green-up” has already happened.

I’ll still bring my Maven B1 8x42’s to scan power-lines, gas lines, fields or logging roads. I was able to spot & stalk 2 different Tom’s so for this season. One bird hung up at 65 yards and the other I tagged at 25 yards.

I could not have done it without my binoculars.

 

[Grace859]

I’ve been carrying my 10x42 all week while turkey hunting. They probably don’t increase my success rate, but I enjoy being able to see things up close. If I had a nice 8 power pair I would carry them instead.

 

[JW@TRACT]

I never turkey hunt without binos...I use them to scan fields deeper in cover, scan for roosted birds. They have especially come beneficial in past few years as birds are becoming more call sensitive. At this point if i had to choose i would rather have binos than calls...I love stalking a flock of birds and getting within range...also added red dot to gun this year. That has been a significant upgrade.View attachment 703242View attachment 703245

Interesting!

 

[JW@TRACT]

I’m in Georgia where we have dense foliage, especially come April-May when “green-up” has already happened.

I’ll still bring my Maven B1 8x42’s to scan power-lines, gas lines, fields or logging roads. I was able to spot & stalk 2 different Tom’s so for this season. One bird hung up at 65 yards and the other I tagged at 25 yards.

I could not have done it without my binoculars.

Nice!

 

[WSMHNTR]

I used to be in the camp of I'm hunting a bird that I want under 40 yards why do I need binos. Over the last several years though I've transitioned to always having them on me. Just for size verification and determining what birds are worth pursuing it has helped a lot. I've also spotted birds in distant fields that I never would have known were there had it not been for the binos. As others have said being able to see body language and how they are responding the calls several hundred yards out has been a learning experience.