Who actually spots game regularly with a spotting scope?

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Hi All,

We know that the most common reply in discussions on spotting scopes is "I find game with my binos and confirm sex/size with my spotting scope". So we don't need to hear that again on this thread, thanks.

There are some folks who actively glass or pick apart timber, etc, with their spotting scopes so I'd like to ask their specific experience of how often it happens when you actually find the game with your spotting scope?

This has value for the hunters who are not focused on size/score, due to preferences or lack of hunting experience.

Thanks,

s

 

[sndmn11]

I do it. I run through the space with my binoculars and then use the spotting scope on what seems the most likely. I then use the noculars on what I just went through the spotter with before moving to my second choice for a detailed look. I do this because I have had two occasions where something stood up or became visible within what I just looked over, but outside the spotter's FOV, before I moved on.

 

[Seeknelk]

I don't know how often I get em with spotter vs bino per hour on each or anything. But yeah, I definitely find game with the spotter. A lot of basins I hunt are thick with alder and F-brush and are also very large so spotter is huge for me for actually glassing. I'd like 15s also but I won't pack 3 sets of optics. Screw that. Not that mad at the deer.

 

[Seeknelk]

It seems there.is always this distant ridge tops where a guys can actually spot elk miles away also , especially with snow it can be 4-6 miles away and give you a plan for tomorrow.

 

[sndmn11]

These are good examples, I think between 600-700 yards. The bedded buck on the shadow I probably looked at multiple times through the binoculars. Only when the spotter came out and the sun rotated around could I pick him out. The does standing are 50-70 yards away and an easy find with the noculars.

 

[Hoodie]

I always found vastly more animals with binoculars than my spotter, for a variety of reasons.

After a lot of back and forth I think I'm finally done with spotters. I'm using a set of 18x56 currently and they're about perfect for me. I carry a 10x50 on my chest to pair them with. I'm able to size up deer out to about a mile, elk a little further (not counting inches or anything, just able to recognize a mature animal). For me, that is sufficient.

I find the field of view and reduced eye strain make up for the extra magnification. If you carry a PhoneSkope for big binoculars you can get a little extra zoom, which is nice.

 

[mtnwrunner]

I prefer binos and find a ton of animals so my hunting partners can shoot them. seems to always work out that way......
My brother pretty much exclusively uses a spotter and he locates the animals with it. Doesn't really use binos much.

Randy

 

[WRO]

I use both equally it seems..

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[S.Clancy]

I will scan with the spotter fairly often. I'm usually with another person, so usually 1 guy is on binos off a tripod while the other is scanning with the spotter. A high quality spotter makes it bearable.

 

[Blue72]

Might want to try it before committing to it…one eyed glassing is not comfortable

plus look at the range, anything two miles or in can easily be done with binoculars mounted on a tripod

 

[WittyUsername]

I glass with a spotter a good amount. Basically I use my binos much more during times of day when I expect the animals to be up and moving more and then my spotter more when I know I'm looking for bedded animals. I don't have an issue glassing with one eye but I guess I have a weird face or something because my eyes are so close together that with many binos I can't close them enough to use both eyes. So I have always been accustomed to glassing with one eye closed.

 

[MeatMissile]

I hunt canyons and basins for mule deer and blacktails. I glass an area with binoculars and then pick it apart with the spotting scope. I’ve found a lot of deer bedded in thicker stuff that I scanned over with binoculars. I actually spotted a buck through a small hole in the trees where all I could see was his eyeball until he moved his head.

 

[MeatMissile]

I don't have an issue glassing with one eye but I guess I have a weird face or something because my eyes are so close together that with many binos I can't close them enough to use both eyes.

Pics?


Haha, j/k

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I hunt with a guy who only uses a Razor 11-33 for all of his optics needs. He does pretty well with it. It’s even more impressive in that he only hunts two days a year for Coues and this will be his fourth year hunting.

I’ve tried to use a spotter for extended glassing and it’s not my cup of tea; I’ve not actually used an eye patch to see if that’ll help.

In my expanded circle of hunting partners, none of the serious glassers use a spotting scope (excluding the BTX). It’s all alpha 15s and BTX. But give the Razor guy I mentioned a few more years experience and that’ll likely change.

Always take distance mentioned with a grain of salt. Rarely is target species, light conditions, vegetation, animal position, etc included. Have glassed up black bears 2+ miles away with SLC 10s. Yeah! But that was with “black” bears in the open, moving, on bright green grass. But change that to brown color phase black bears in the manzanita eating and not moving and there’s no way you’re going to see them at the same distance with the same binoculars. Context matters but rarely provided.

 

[Sadler]

I glass with my spotter regularly but it’s a BTX95 so I’m not sure if that counts. That thing is amazing in big country.

 

[WittyUsername]

Pics?


Haha, j/k

Haha...oddly enough I don't think it's something that is noticeable when looking at me because no one ever makes fun of me or anything. Usually when I tell a hunting buddy they don't believe me until I hold the binos up to show them. I have one hunting buddy who has the same issue but I would have never guessed looking at him. Depends on the brand of binos too, some are fine.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I do it. I run through the space with my binoculars and then use the spotting scope on what seems the most likely. I then use the noculars on what I just went through the spotter with before moving to my second choice for a detailed look. I do this because I have had two occasions where something stood up or became visible within what I just looked over, but outside the spotter's FOV, before I moved on.

Squirrels in your back yard don’t count!

 

[HaydenB]

I too don’t like looking through a spotter for an extended period of time. If I find a target species with my binos I will usually pull out the spotter and see what’s going on or if I know there are critters in a certain area and I can’t find them with the binos. Other than that I’m glassing with binos for the most part.

 

[Seeknelk]

So it can actually be a unique combination of both.
Example: a lot of my muley areas here are 3hrs of sweating and cursing up to the prime area. With lots of short breaks to glass just standing there panting.
I spotted critter ears on a weird angle slope, 3/4 mile out , but that was all I could make out.
So, i set up spotter, it was a doe. But bedded behind her , under tree was the biggest 4 point I've ever seen. Turned out to be my biggest yet. 195 with some trash.
Without a legit spotter it wouldn't have happened. But a guy can use what-ifs till the cows come home. It's all about what you actually enjoy and works for you and your willing to pack. I now changed to NL pure 12x and kowa 88 spotter. Glass from near to far with both.

 

[11bar]

It’s not a fair statement but hunting western Oklahoma and eastern Colorado is so wide open a person just about has to have a spotter or be willing to walk to see what you actually have in your sights. I have a vortex razor hd 60x80 not swaro but it’s good enough for this country boy.