I carry a spotter during the deer hunt and often find myself doing a quick glassing of a basin with the binoculars and then spending a couple of hours just using the spotting scope. It really shines on picking bucks out in the shadows. I have found tons of deer with a spotter that I wouldn't with the binoculars. My binocs are swarovskis as well, so quality isn't in question. It is the magnification in low light areas that pick up the single tine, an ear, or a front leg extended out...
For the elk hunt, I just use binoculars. I am only meat hunting elk and they are easier to pick out--even at a real distance--with binoculars. I always hunt any-elk areas, so antlers are irrelevant.