Optics for Western Big Game Hunting

THE BEST OPTICS, BINOCULARS, AND TRIPODS FOR WESTERN BIG GAME HUNTING

You can’t kill what you can’t see. Period. It’s not going to happen.

 You must be able to efficiently glass up and locate Big Game quickly and at extremely long distances if you plan on being a successful trophy hunter in the wide open spaces of the American West. 

I think that most of us hunters can remember getting started in hunting using optics that were “humble” to say the least. Also, using optics tripods for your binoculars was virtually unheard of not too many years ago.

 I can vividly remember receiving my first pair of cheap 10 power binos that I proudly dangled from my neck with their stiff vinyl strap. A pain in the neck was a certainty after a full day of use along with prolonged spells of dizziness and blurred vision caused by squinting through them trying to get a clear view.

 Rain, fog, or any kind of moisture effectively ended any attempts at glassing and wiping the lenses clean with a denim shirt or jacket was the norm. Looking back I almost wonder if some optics weren’t designed by optometrists looking to cash in on all the damaged eyes caused by squinting and staining through inferior optics designs.

 Remember the binocular company that was producing the “Self Adjusting” binoculars? The vertigo is only now starting to go away after trying to glass with a pair of those ghastly optics years ago.

 What never ceases to amaze me though is that a vast majority of Big Game hunters are still using outdated optics today.

 Many hunters today will proudly spend loads of money on brand new quads, dozens of game cameras, giant lifted diesel trucks with hunting stickers, winches, and all the bells and whistles, new camp trailers, new camouflage clothing, new bows, fancy rifles, and side by side utility vehicles with blaring sound systems, but will balk at spending any kind of money on top quality optics. WHY?

You are effectively handicapping and severely limiting your trophy hunting success by not using the finest optics, tripods, and binoculars money can buy. There are two areas that trophy hunters should never scrimp on when it comes to spending money on hunting equipment: Optics and boots. You can’t kill it if you can’t see it and you can’t kill it if your feet won’t take you over there.

Thanks to huge improvements by binocular companies, we now have optics that are designed specifically for trophy big game hunting that are truly world class long range glassing instruments. Sure, they might be pricey but when you really look at what your investment will bring you (a few more giants on the wall) the choice to spend the extra money on a world class pair of binoculars is easy.

  Today’s optics coupled with a sturdy, high quality tripod have opened up a whole new world to trophy big game hunters and have drastically improved our results out in the field. Upon using my first pair of high quality 15 x 56 Swarovski Binocualrs coupled with a Bogen tripod I felt as if someone had removed a blindfold from my eyes and I could finally see the world.

 The results I immediately experienced  in using this new optics system on my hunts were absolutely astounding. I could now glass all day long without a hint of headache or eye fatigue. Gone was the blurriness at the edges of the lenses. No more straining and shaking. When big game was spotted I could now make very accurate field judging estimates due to the stability provided by the tripod and the clarity of the incredibly fine glass.

 Adding a top quality spotting scope to my optics arsenal took it even one step further. Scrambling over ridges and risking spooked game to get a closer look at Big Game was rarely an issue anymore when looking through a Zeiss 20 x 60 power by 85mm objective spotting scope with perfect razor sharp clarity. Locating and evaluating Big Game at long ranges was now very enjoyable and very efficient.

I use a 3 step or 3 pronged approach to my glassing when I am guiding hunters on trophy big game hunts. Let’s take a look at my 3 step glassing approach and my personal battery of Big Game Hunting optics, binoculars, tripods and why I choose them.

 My personal choice for the best hunting binoculars in the world is Swarovski. I have tried products from every optics company under the sun and Swarovski optics still remain number one on my list for binoculars. Their sleek, lightweight design, clarity, light gathering capabilities, and extreme durability is what make them my favorites.

 I have used Swarovski binoculars in the absolute worst of conditions and have yet to encounter any type of problems with them. From freezing rain and snow, to blowing sand and 115 degree heat, these fantastic optics have continued to perform flawlessly for me over the years. The model that I use for my “handheld” pair is the 8 x 30 Sawrovski SLC binoculars. I couple this pair of binoculars with a Crooked Horn Bino Harness system which keeps the binoculars firmly against my chest without any of the neck pain and swinging around associated with neck straps.

FIRST STEP

 The 8 power binoculars allow me to hand hold them steadier than 10′s or 12′s yet still offer me a great field of view. My 8′s are my first step in my glassing and are used to initially sweep and look over an area that I intend to glass before setting up the big optics to really dissect and take apart my glassing area. I never hike up to a glassing location and sit down before thoroughly covering the area with the Swarovski 8 x 30 binoculars first. After glassing the area with my handhelds I will set up for my second step to slowly take the area apart with my tripod and big glass.

SECOND STEP

 For my tripod mounted pair I rely on the Swarovski 15 x 56 SLC binoculars. The big 15′s have an amazing field of view, razor sharp clarity from edge to edge, and are packaged up in a sleek lightweight design that allows you to pack them anywhere without being too cumbersome. I attach these binoculars to a Bogen 3001 BD Tripod with a Bogen 3130 fluid pan head attachment. This particular tripod is heavier to pack than some other models but the extra weight pays off immensely by adding stability when glassing in windy conditions. The fluid pan head is smooth as silk and allows for slow and precise movements when glassing. This setup is my bread and butter system for all of my hunts and is far and away the finest combination of optics and tripod I have ever used. I use this binocular and tripod setup to locate 90% or more of the trophy game we harvest on our western hunts.

 I really can’t say enough about this system and I always get a big grin when my clients ask to look through my tripod mounted Swarovski binoculars. The response is always the same:  “Holy $#+!, these things are awesome, no wonder you’re spotting all of ’em. I gotta get me a pair of these….” 

THIRD STEP

On to spotting scopes and the third step in my Big Game glassing approach. Now as much as I am a died in the wool Swarovski Binocular junky you may be surprised to find out that Swarovski is not my top choice in spotting scopes.

 That’s right, as you may be able to tell from the photo on the left, Zeiss is my number one choice when it comes to spotting scopes. Why? After glassing with all the top spotting scope brands Zeiss scopes have far and away the biggest field of view of any brand of spotting scope I have tried to date.

 It can be difficult locating your quarry through a spotting scope and the bigger the field of view, the faster you acquire your intended target. Zeiss scopes really stand out from the competition in this area and also have the razor sharp clarity and durability I demand in my hunting optics.  My model of choice is the Zeiss 20 x 60 power Diascope 85 T* FL. I also mount this spotting scope on my previously mentioned Bogen tripod setup.

 Now, I don’t ever use a spotting scope to locate or find Big Game. My spotting scope only comes out as my third step after I have spotted something that is a bit out of reach of my binoculars and needs a closer look. I also rely on my spotting scope to make careful and detailed evaluations of trophy game. My Zeiss spotting scope really allows me to see trophy detail up close and allows you to field judge game at long distances without any fear of getting too close and spooking anything. The farther you can stay away from game when scouting, the better.

You can really improve your success this fall by wisely using all of the incredible optics and equipment we have at our disposal today. The odds of bagging a world class animal are always slim at best and everything we can do to tip the odds in our favor can lead to you eventually harvesting the buck or bull of your dreams.

 Spare no expense when it comes to optics. The clarity and light gathering capabilities of world class optics such as Swarovski and Zeiss can add an extra 30 minutes of visibility to your day in low light conditions during the early morning and late evening periods when most game is moving. This visibility difference will improve your hunting success by leaps and bounds.

 Remember, you can’t kill what you can’t see……….

EMAIL US: DAVEYRANCH@YAHOO.COM