Spotter or Not

[labman]

Do I need to take a spotter for my first backcountry bow elk hunt or not? Thx!!

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Manitory! Tou will hate yourself for not taking it.

 

[nvarcher]

It depends what you want to kill. If you want to really judge a bull and make sure it's large enough then yes. If you just want to shoot a bull and size does not really matter then you really don't need to take it.

 

[BKC]

if you are hunting in timber you won't need one.

 

[Bitterroot Bulls]

Archery elk?

If you bring one it will be dead weight.

If you don't, you will wish you did.

Murphy loves this question.

 

[Drelk]

Archery elk, I dont even put the spotter in a panyard. Antelope I always have it. Deer I always have it. Archery elk is so physical I just use the leica binos.

 

[In God We Trust]

I bring my spotter on every hunt. The one exception is when I hunt Eastern Iowa.

 

[backstraps]

Useless where I hunt, to much timber. Just need a good set of 10 X binos

 

[wolftalonID]

As most have mentioned....its not the animal you hunt but the area you hunt. If its wide open country, then by all means if you own one bring the thing. Lets just make a logical thought here vs post this question. Is 10x or 60x the image going to help you more?

Next is the area your hunting. If you are in timber so dence you cant see more than 30 yards. (like where I hunt elk). Now the use of spotter is rather retarded and will be dead weight as said by BB. Your 10x binos will do just fine. Then again...they may be too much.
I use my binos when I can get up on a ridge and want to pick apart the timber below me. In the woods I have used them from time to time, but they often are too much and not worth the effort of raising them to my eyes.

When I elk hunt, I usually have a day pack on me. I have tried and tried to reduce weight while out hunting. I always return to my camp at night. The more weight you pack, the harder your hiking will be.

 

[mthuntress]

Dont need it IMO it's dead weight. My binos work just fine.