Binos question.....
 

My thread about BB's made me ponder this.....

Ohter than the "cost" issue....can anyone give me ONE good reason why you WOULDN'T want to have binos on every hunt?

RE: Binos question.....
 

I dont think there is another reason. I never go into the woods without them.

RE: Binos question.....
 

IF cost were an issue, I'd do without something else in my kit to ensure that I had binos. Not sure that I've ever hunted without them.

RE: Binos question.....
 

If I dont have the intentions of shooting a doe, I really have little to no need for them whatsoever. In the woods, I can see fine at the distances available without the use of glass....plus we almost always film our hunts, and camcorders have 20x zoom.

The only reason I see needing them is, like you said distinguishing bbs from slickheads.

That being said, I plan on picking up a decent but somewhat compact set of glass this winter.

RE: Binos question.....
 

Even still, T....wouldn't you find it an advantage if you could glass an approaching buck to see if he was something you needed to get ready for? I suppose you could easily say that you get ready for each approaching buck......but then I'd ask if you wouldn't find them useful to determine the sex of an approaching deer, earlier.

For the life of me....I can't figure out a reason NOT to use them....other than the cost issue, for many.

RE: Binos question.....
 

For me, the best time for the binosis when a deer comes in right there at dark. How many people have shot a BB or a small spike right at dark because they couldn't distinguish in the low light?

That being said, mine always come with me.

RE: Binos question.....
 

I don't know what the terrain you guys hunt is like, but I can't tell you how many times I have been in thick stuff and seen deer through the binocs at less than 50 yards. These are deer that I would have never known were there otherwise. Happens to me all the time.

RE: Binos question.....
 

When I hunt.....I use my "down" time to do all sorts of things. The spot I'm going to tonight.....I spotted a buck trail there from stand Saturday.....through my binos. I noticed a line of rubbed trees that wasn't clear with the naked eye (well....not my almost 44 yr old eyes;)).

I also was glassing the fence line last night.....looking for places in the fence where they might be crossing. Sorta scouting from stand.

Also....heck...I loof for sheds when I'm on stand....FROM stand....lol.

I hear ya RJ.....I have spotted deer through the binos that I wouldn't have seen, otherwise. I also use them to identify animals from afar....that maybe aren't even deer.

RE: Binos question.....
 

definently use mine a lot more than i thought i would...spot movement across the ditch 100yds away..what is it?? squirrel? turkey? deer? yote?

theres a deer coming...buck? doe? legal buck? buck i am interested in??

also keeps me busy and awake and alert...i find it entertaining to watch squirrels and chipmunks in the binocs...just neat little creatures....

i need to invest in a nice more compact pair....something with a good FOV, but nothing HUGE either...

RE: Binos question.....
 

There are people out there that simply don't care if they shoot a BB or not......They see deer, they shoot deer. For them, there is no reason to carry them. Well, at least not THAT reason anyway. They are of course good just for glassing....

RE: Binos question.....
 

Most all the spots I hunt are sothick, I can't seepast 50 yards or even get a shot past 20 yards.

I douse then shed hunting, saves me alot of walking.

RE: Binos question.....
 

Best $200 "going out of buisness, reduced!" money I ever spent

RE: Binos question.....
 

I do take them with me bow hunting, just not often enough. The only thing I hate about bringing them with Is "where do I hang these or put these". Reason being- I don't like to move, I like things In reach. I don't want them hanging around my neck either, drives me nuts. I'm not a fan of bringing a day pack In the woods with me, just another thing to give away scent.

What I normally do Is put them In my pants pocket, there small enough but I hate the feeling of them against my leg. I'm too picky some times.[8D]

RE: Binos question.....
 

I own several pair and very seldom take them to the stand with me. More of a weight issue than anything else. Most of my stands are set up in thick bedding areas, I don't need them often.

RE: Binos question.....
 

I feel absolutely naked without them in a treestand........I mean just completely lost. :(
I use them for everything from scanning for approaching animals, to checking quality of animals , to looking at other wildlife, to evaluating hit game as it runs offor even an arrow on the ground. I use them the whole time while trailing shot animals too.
They are EASILY and I mean EASILY the most used piece of equipment I have.

I've forgotten them once or twice on stand and was beside myself without them.

Once you have a really good pair on a harness on your body you start to realize just how much you really do use them.

RE: Binos question.....
 

get the crooked creek harness, they invented it for your dillema schultz. I think they are 20 bucks, but are a dream for wearin binocs, the times that i do.

I agree with your points, they cant be a hinderance...but a neccessity? Idk. Ill likely wear em on every trip out once I snag a decent set, but i dont think they could be that much help in a woods setting. I can tell at first glimpse whether a buck is a shooter or not, well maybe not by this year's standards:D, if it is even close i will stand early like you said.

RE: Binos question.....
 

Use them often. Whether it's to get a better look at a buck at a distance, positive ID, count points, watch birds, low light situations, check on other hunters moving through my woods, whatever. I'm just not pleased with my latest pair: Luepold Mesa sub compacts - the optics are just too small to gather light and I can see better with my naked eye the last 30min of light. I'm thinking about some Nikon Monarchs 10x32, or Leupold equivalents, when I get the money.

RE: Binos question.....
 

Don't waste your money.........the objectives are just too small to transmit enough light. ESPECIALLY in a 10X32. You won't see CRAP in low light, trust me.

The perfect whitetail binos IMO are a full sized roof prism pair, with 42-43mm objectives in an 8X.
If you get a good pair with phase corrected prisms and good fully coated optics they will allow you to see things in low light that you would NO PRAYER of seeing with the naked eye and with a nice wide field of view.

If you're going with Monarchs don't waste your money on small objectives.......get the 42's and put em on a harness.

RE: Binos question.....
 

I just got a set of Vortex binos (thanks to Matt / PA's suggestion..thanks again) and now I realize how much they matter. I think most people don't understand the importance of them until they have a good quality pair. That can make a WORLD of difference.

RE: Binos question.....
 

Exactly.

I cannot fathom bowhunters who do not take binos. I cannot tell ya'll how many times I spotted bucks while glassing, moving through that I would have never have seen otherwise. Yes they were out of range and a few grunts later, on the ground. Success because of binos. Or if you catch a flint of movement but not the whole deer, ever wonder what it was? Buck or doe? I want to know, I don't want to sit there guessing. I've already mentioned how priceless they are after the shot. I've glassed animals bedding down after being hit that I wouldn't have otherwise seen as well.

Schultzy, I wear my binos over one shoulder on a long strap. They hang to my waste, no weight on my neck nor shoulders. I wear my range finder on a Crooked Horn Outfitters bino strap on my chest. Both are very hand and used hard.

I have them on here shooting Matt's Black Widow.

RE: Binos question.....
 

I don't use them. Maybe I should. The less I bring in the woods the better. One of the reasons I started bowhunting was to get away from the guns, the scopes, etc. I just like to hunt with my own eyes.

RE: Binos question.....
 

I use mine all of the time, i cannot think of a negative.....they are one of my personnal necessities.. speaking of which I need a pair in my pack, one pair is in the truck and one in the car! Thanks for posting this!;)

RE: Binos question.....
 

Always have them with me, but hardly ever use them. Have come in handy a couple times though.

RE: Binos question.....
 

Here ya go, Schultzy. Crooked creek (I think) harness

RE: Binos question.....
 

I just got my first pair of binos for my belated birthday present this year. I plan on bringing them every time I hit the stand this year. They are the Nikon Action 8 x 40. They are very clear. They don't have too bad of a price tag on them either.

RE: Binos question.....
 

I could not agree more. Binoculars are as important to me as my bow. Actually those two pieces of equipment are what I obsess more about than anything else I own. You can call them my "hobbies" if you like but they are much more than that.

Truthfully, I cannot think why anyone would not take a good set of binoculars out with them hunting. Back "in the day" I packed those useless little Bushnell/Tasco/Simmons 8x21s that were always on sale at x-mart for $10. I packed them just because folks said I needed to have a pair of binos with me for hunting. But I never used them. About six or seven years ago I bought a set of the Nikon Monarchs and saw what a huge difference a decent pair of binoculars can provide. I have since spent more money on a more expensive pair as I find that I use them for more than just looking at game. Best money I have ever spent.

Like the rest of the guys I use one of those binocular harnesses most of the time but, depending on the weight of the binocular, I might also use just the neckstrap. As Matt made reference to I would still go with a binocular in the 5 mm exit pupil range (8x42, 7x35, 10x50) though some folks feel very comfortable witha slightly smaller exit 4 mm exit pupil(8x32 or 10x42). Whatever you do don't be afraid to buy the best you can afford. Up to about $400 or $500 the average person will really see improvements in optical quality based on how much you spend. Once you start spending more than that the optical improvements (or durability) are still there but they are not as noticeable.

Good thread GMMAT. ;)