gselkhunter---Very well put my friend!! I couldn't agree more. Timber Rat huh!!! I like that! <grin>

Now gselkhunter gets what I was getting at. There are many areas of every Western State that has semi open to semi thick timbered elk country. This is the type of country I focus on in Sept. and first couple weeks of Oct. And NO binos are needed to hunt and harvest elk in these boggy, swampy, wet, cool, shaded, elky areas that elk seek out to stay out of the heat!! It's really that simple! Don't think for a second I haven't taken optics with me in the past, I HAVE!!! I've come to realize that they are not important in the terrain I've selected to hunt. (man it's fun stirring things up!!)

Now for you guys that hunt the more open, see forever type country, sorry!!! And yes, you would need the aid of binos at this time. Seems like a waste of time if you ask me. I'd head for areas I knew elk were heading to or where elk would want to be in Sept. Cool benchy areas or whatever the area allowed.

Remember we're talking about elk hunting with a bow in Sept. They're vocal, take advantage of that, it's huge!!! If you say that the animals are bugle shy & won't answer any kind of your calls or won't respond to your "blind setups" then you must really suck, (no offense) you need to put more hard work into practicing realistic elk sounds, be an ELK!!!!!

Guys, elk don't have to be vocal & you don't have to get a visual on them to know they're there and hunt them effectively. (sign) For instance, my son and I called in 16 bulls in 5 days in the first two weeks of Sept. we never heard one bugle in doing so. But they showed up to our blind setups to check out the commotion and looking for other elk. Of course we hunt nothing but OTC public land, and yes these elk get tons of hunting pressure, but good calling, persistence, and patients can pay off. I know Elkcrazy8 & idahoelkinstructor hunt similar ways as I do, ask them about the close encounters they get into everyear, with type setups?

So don't be to quick to scoff at our ways of hunting elk before you see how effective it can be!!!

If I were hunting mule deer, antelope & such critters, then yes I would use optics in those situations. They're non vocal critters though!! And I'm half blind!!! <grin> ElkNut1