Tripod height for sheep trip

[Remps17]

I posted this on optics but not much love for that thread. I was wondering how tall you guys run your tripods when on a sheep hunt.

I took out my bottom sections of my manfrotto tripod and at max height with centre bar up it is 45 inches. If I was to pull the second section of legs off it would be 34ish inches. To short at 34 inches?

Never glasses for sheep before so this will be new for me

Thanks

 

[Silvereagle50]

Watching

 

[Stid2677]

I never stand while glassing for sheep, so a short and stout carbon fiber tripod is what I use. Weight being important, being the main reason for the shorter one. Plus wind can cause motion blur, so another reason to use short and stout.

 

[recurveman]

I'm not sure the height on flat ground matters that much. Have a bit longer leg is nice for when you sit on the side of a hill and need a longer leg to go down the hill. Rarely do the legs all go out the same distance. It would also be important to me that I can get my legs under the legs of the tripod. A really long center post and one section of legs might not be very good out in the field.

I use the outdoorsman compact. It is 37" without the head and then I have the center post extension that bumps it up another foot or so. There are times where I have the legs going in all sorts of directions and the center post extended to get the height I need......while sitting.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I think this one extends close to 4’, but I’ve never used more than about half of it when sheep hunting.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ariettabob]

I’m following along to see the answers because I’m in need of one, but that 1st pic from AK just took my breath away. The detail, color, composition and scenery is absolutely stunning. Thanks Troutman.

 

[idig4au]

When I take a spotter, I use my outdoorsman's compact medium. I find it provides enough adjustment for glassing sitting down and fairly stable in windy conditions.

 

[Remps17]

I'm not sure the height on flat ground matters that much. Have a bit longer leg is nice for when you sit on the side of a hill and need a longer leg to go down the hill. Rarely do the legs all go out the same distance. It would also be important to me that I can get my legs under the legs of the tripod. A really long center post and one section of legs might not be very good out in the field.

I use the outdoorsman compact. It is 37" without the head and then I have the center post extension that bumps it up another foot or so. There are times where I have the legs going in all sorts of directions and the center post extended to get the height I need......while sitting.

Very good point. Leaving the second set of legs in. Appreciate the advice.

 

[Jimss]

I can't think of once that I've stood and glassed. A shorter tripod would be nice for packing if it's long enough for you to sit and glass. Around 80% of the time I sit while glassing with my tripod. I would expect a 6'6" guy may need a longer tripod than a 5'8" hunter. I may lay prone if trying to remain low and out of sight....or if the wind is howling. If I'm going to glass for hours upon hours I try to get in the most comfortable position possible, out of the wind, and where there is something relatively soft to sit on. I often switch back and forth between binos and spotter. It's nice to have a quick release on your tripod to quickly switch back and forth between spotter, binos, camera, etc. I often switch back and forth between a tripod and window mount when scouting or hunting from a truck so quick release is also great in that situation. It's also nice to have a quick release to remove your scope from tripod for packing and hauling.

 

[anshla]

Okay, so what's everyones favorite? Best blend of weight/stability/ease of use.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

as low profile and stable as possible. Agree with posts above rarely allow myself to profile myself higher than my sitting position. Wind stability is pretty critical so don't go cheap on tripod.

 

[anshla]

as low profile and stable as possible. Agree with posts above rarely allow myself to profile myself higher than my sitting position. Wind stability is pretty critical so don't go cheap on tripod.

What one are you using?

 

[justinspicher]

https://kramerdesignscorp.com/Granite_Peak_Tripod.html

We will be using one of these this year with a vortex 11-33x spotter. They are less than a pound and fit in a pocket. I’ve used it elk hunting a few times with no issues so now I’m going to try it on a sheep hunt.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

I hope you don't regret the nimbleness of that bad boy. Too light is real when the wind gets strong or when heat waves are building. Give us feedback with your final decision and how it went.

 

[Wingert]

I've been happy with the versatility, quick release and stability of the Outdoorsman Tripod.

Hunting Tripods

No matter how steady you think your hands are, nothing beats the view from a rock-solid platform.

outdoorsmans.com

Lots of tripod manufacturer options to choose from depending upon your preference and checkbook.

 

[ColeyG]

I was just talking tripods with one of my sheep hunting buddies last night and this same topic came up. We both carry full height tripods for sheep hunting, but almost never use them with more than a few inches of extension on any of the legs.

I have a Velbon Ultra Luxi 2 that I've used for years and I really like a lot of things about it. The twist lock system they use on some of their tripods is my favorite by far. Very quick and easy to deploy and break down. Unfortunately, after more than a decade of hard use, the head on the tripod has developed a little bit of wiggle that is super annoying and very problematic in the wind, especially when trying to judge horns or count rings or brow tines at distance. Being right at 2lbs, it is hard to find a suitable, similar replacement.

I picked up a Manfrotto Be Free Carbon as a replacement a few years ago but really don't like it. It is super solid and relatively light for the size, but I really dislike the twist lock system on the legs as compared to the Velbon.

I was just eyeing the Black Ovis carbon "sitting" tripod a few days back. Seems like it could be a good solution. 1.7lbs is very nice. I don't like pan heads though, which is the only thing holding me back from buying one of those.

In my opinion, you definitely don't need a full height tripod for sheep hunting. Removing sections of legs or getting a shorter/sitting tripod is the way to go to shed some weight from a critical piece of gear.

 

[ColeyG]

Oben makes a few tabletop tripods that could be good choices as well. They have one that goes up to 15.5" and another that is 24" that are both right at 1 lb.