You would probably be amazed at what you can see in timber at close range with binoculars. mtmuley
Who caries binos while rifle hunting
- Thread starter Majja
- Start date
I am 38 years old and I have been hunting for 26 years and I can honestly say I have never put my gun up on someone else while I was hunting. I am not hunting big areas I can see pretty dam good.
Come hunt WI rifle season. You will not see a single person with a pair of bino's while hunting. In the 26 years of hunting WI rifle season I have never seen a person out in the woods not deer hunting and not wearing orange. I wouldn't leave my truck to piss without orange on during WI rifle season at a gas station in town.
In Iowa I hunt early muzzy season. There isn't a lot of people out in the woods at the time. Also I am hunting small tracts where I cannot see very far. Under 100 yards I can tell if there is a person or a deer standing there.
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I get having optics and hunting out west. When I go out west I bring them also. You are hunting huge areas, places that you cant see animals without optics. When I head out west I bring them also. Hell I have been shooting my bow with my bino's on the last few weeks because I like to practice with how I am going to do it in the field.
If I am hunting tight timber I would much prefer to trust my natural eyes. I feel more comfortable this way.
Ya I hear you I am not saying people shouldn't carry them I just don't. I took them with me on every hunt one year and just found I wasn't using them much. Ya if I saw a deer far enough off I would grab them and get a better look.
It is hard to explain without being here and seeing the areas we hunt. I have 3-4 stands where you really cant see a deer until you can kill it. I have a few others that are more open.
When I take my boys out hunting I have them with me all the time.
It is hard to explain without being here and seeing the areas we hunt. I have 3-4 stands where you really cant see a deer until you can kill it. I have a few others that are more open.
When I take my boys out hunting I have them with me all the time.
Bambistew
Well-known member
I just carry two scoped rifles... instant binos. just make sure they're on the same power, or you get a headache. Open sights don't work as well, obviously.
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
Eastern tenderfoots are funny! 
PS I lived in Iowa for a bit and still always had binos in my deer stand with me.
PS I lived in Iowa for a bit and still always had binos in my deer stand with me.
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
What happens when you look through them backwards?
HighDesertSage
Well-known member
Using your rifle scope to look at anything other than something you intend to shoot is a horrible idea. That's how accidents happen. What is someone's life worth to you? Go buy a pair of good binos, it's well worth the investment.
D
Deleted member 20812
Guest
Quite simple. Never point your firearm at something you do not intend to shoot.
I'm not going to argue, it's piss poor practice no matter how you justify it in your mind. If you feel justified in doing so, then carry on.
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
You need to be 100% sure of what you point your gun at. If you are 100% sure of what it is you don't need to "scope" it unless you plan to shoot it.
Not 100% sure? DON'T POINT YOUR GUN AT IT THEN!
Arguing this is just ignorance.
Not 100% sure? DON'T POINT YOUR GUN AT IT THEN!
Arguing this is just ignorance.
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
Just remember to tell Doyle to duck first or he gets all huffy.
I figured that is what you were going to come back with. I think you are reading into this on a literal sense.
Don't ever point your rifle and something that has consequences if you were to pull the trigger than never point your rifle at something that you don't intend to shoot.
You have never put your rifle to your shoulder and picked out a tree to look at? Learning how to pick something out in the field and getting it in a scope is a skill that needs to be learned in the field.
If I get into a bow stand for the first time I will pull my bow back to make sure I can maneuver in the stand and everything is right. I believe on Randy's show the bow hunt this year Corey pulled his bow back and aimed at an elk and then didn't shoot. Did you email Randy and tell him how un safe of a practice this was?
I can ensure you anytime I am around a firearm, bow, knife safety is the number one most important thing on my mind. Those are not types of mistakes I am willing to make.
Khunter
Well-known member
You are missing so much to the great benefit of other hunters who are killing what you can't be bothered to even attempt to see. Nothing wrong with that! Hunters who are adamant binos are not useful are either not such great hunters, simply do not care if they maximize what they see or might just be lazy. We all hit the woods for personal reasons and with individual goals so all these scenarios are hunky dory. But it takes NOTHING to have binos on a harness on at all times when hunting.
Heck I wear binos even when road hunting even though I obviously do not "need" them to see what I am hitting with my deer guard.
Relax dude. You can have all the excuses you want, but carrying the extra weight of a pair of binoculars to your tree stand is laughable. carry on...
JoseCuervo
New member
As long as you are able to distinguish between Iowa and Idaho, I really don't care what you point your scope at in Iowa.
In Idaho, we will have a problem with you.
This will help you. Look at it. Memorize it. Learn it. Live it.
In Idaho, we will have a problem with you.
This will help you. Look at it. Memorize it. Learn it. Live it.
Im betting < 1% of hunters go without binoculars. I can see no advantage to leaving them at home. No offense but 30 pounds in a pack is nothing. Im betting a lot of people are packing 25-30 pounds in their day packs. Most guys are toting 45-60 on bivy hunts for miles and miles. Finally....pointing your gun at any unsure target is a violation of basic gun rules.... and pointing at a person is a violation of the law. Please take them.
VAspeedgoat
Well-known member
As a former non bino user, I was amazed at what I couldn't see without my binos. I think the point about binos besides safety is that you can find things before your eyes would normaly see things in timber. I call it looking through the grey wall. I agree that binos are not usefull if all you do is to look at something you can already see in timber. The benefit is bein able to look between trees at a hunded yards and see a leg, or ear etc. I use them every time I pause while still hunting and spook far less game than without them.
For safetys sake don't rely on a scope!
For safetys sake don't rely on a scope!
Hunting Wife
Well-known member
I don't think you can hammer on this point enough. Another vote for please don't use your rifle scope as a spotter. I've also had the experience of looking down a rifle barrel as someone without binos "looked" to see what I was doing. He got a not very polite hand gesture and an earful from me. It doesn't matter if everyone is *supposed* to be wearing orange, or no one is *supposed* to be in the area, or you *think* you know what's in front of you. It takes exactly ONE time doing something stupid to ruin somebody's life. No one is immune to accidents.
I don't go anywhere without my binos, and I just wear a simple harness. They are comfortable and I don't notice the weight at all.
I don't go anywhere without my binos, and I just wear a simple harness. They are comfortable and I don't notice the weight at all.
This says it all.
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