A spotting scope and tripod are one of the heaviest items in my pack next to water and I am wondering if it is really worth that extra weight. Just curious what opinions you guys have.
Do You Pack a Spotting Scope?
- Thread starter Backcountry
- Start date
Hilltop
Veteran member
I think there are guys on here that would sooner leave their sleeping bag rather than their spotter... I think it really depends on terrain and species you are hunting. In some areas your hunt would really suffer if you didn't have one.
RUTTIN
Veteran member
It depends on the terrain, where I hunt elk a spotter would do you no good, you can't see very far so it stays home. When hunting mule deer I can see for miles and the spotter is a must then.
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ssliger
Very Active Member
It all depends on terrain, open country with good vantage points, it's in my pack. Dark timber and such, it stays in the truck.
Musket Man
Veteran member
OregonJim
Very Active Member
Really depends on the terrain, the species, the objective, the weapon and quite honestly; how far I am into the season and how much tolerance I have for the extra weight.
I am trying something a little different during rifle elk this season. Spotter will get a bunch of "park & spot use but it will stay behind. If all works as planned I'll carry my 15x50 swaro slc binoculars with a small tripod that I can mount them on for spotting. They are a little bulky for around - the -neck but manageable, and they are close enough to my spotter that I may be able to keep it to one set of glass.
I am trying something a little different during rifle elk this season. Spotter will get a bunch of "park & spot use but it will stay behind. If all works as planned I'll carry my 15x50 swaro slc binoculars with a small tripod that I can mount them on for spotting. They are a little bulky for around - the -neck but manageable, and they are close enough to my spotter that I may be able to keep it to one set of glass.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
Spotter always for me. Yes it's bulky in my pack but it's a must. There are some light weight spotters out there that are affordable you may want to consider that.
dhershberger
Active Member
I agree with hilltop and I also think it depends on if you are after a trophy animal or not. Most times you will be able to tell a bull from a cow at long distances with 10x42 binos. You may not be able to tell how big the bull is but if you are meat hunting it wouldn't matter so there is much less need for a spotting scope. Now if you're trying to find a trophy bull and want to judge antler size I would say it is a must.
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
I'm gonna have to go with leaving the spotter home. The more guys that do, the more game left for me, my family and buddies 
RUTTIN
Veteran member
Ha ah that's pretty good Umpqua, if I can see long distances even if I'm meat hunting I still like my scope. Many times I've scanned the area over and over with my binocs and saw nothing, then I crank up the spotting scope looking at all the hidey holes and find animals I would have never saw with just my binocs
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tdcour
Veteran member
I almost always pack mine. Unless I know I'm going on a quick look at a short distance, but even then it is worth taking. Where I hunt in the plains, a spotting scope is essential, just like hunting in the mountains. We are looking at animals from miles rather than yards so I'll never leave home without it... at least not on purpose.
predator_master223
New Member
I'm with Hilltop also. Most of the time you can tell if an elk is a bull or not, even then if its a big enough bull to pursue. Moose would be more of a terrain issue. Wide open Alaska is a different game then Shiras moose in Colorado or Wyoming. Game like trophy mule deer and antelope where ever inch matters and you need to save your legs, then a spotter is a necessity.
My spotter is an 82mm objective and currently gets left back at camp on a fairly regular basis. I'm typically hunting pretty dark timber for elk when that happens, although I have left it behind on a deep backcountry solo hunt for elk that did have some open terrain simply because of the weight. I was loaded up pretty heavy.
For those of you that have a 65mm scope, does it make it in the pack more often than if you had a larger one?
For those of you that have a 65mm scope, does it make it in the pack more often than if you had a larger one?
ElkTrout
Veteran member
I always have my spotter. It is a little bulky but worth it in my opinion. I just bought a new leupold compact for my pack and I really like it. It fits nice and does not have as much weight as a regular spotter.
Spotter is always with me. Jumping up to 15x power to pick apart patches of trees and bedding areas is huge!
dhershberger
Active Member
I have slightly revised my opinion on this topic because of a new method I have been trying and has worked really well this hunting season. Instead of taking my heavy and bulky spotting scope (which stays in the truck just in case) I take my 10x42 binos with a tripod adapter (and tripod of course) and I have found that this is very effective method to glass far away game animals because the tripod holds the binos so steady, it takes care of most glassing needs, saves weight, and is effective.