Update: our opener was today and the your tips and the binocs were very helpful.

i didn't connect, but the worth of the binoculars was obvious. Just before legal shooting light, I happened to see a white spot in the trees and realized i was looking at a deer's tail and the barely visible profile of the rump and hind legs.

It would have been impossible to see otherwise.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much chance for a better look as the deer was moving away from me and got over a rise.

On a side note, I also saw an owl in a tree (cool birds) and the biggest woodpecker I've ever seen. It was the size of a football.