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C.J. Davis
5/22/2008
Details, Details, Details…
Getting ready for a big hunt this fall? I bet you’ve spent your time thinking about which Hoyt you’ll be carrying and probably the broadhead you’ll be shooting. But have you considered your optics or camo? Overlook this and you could find yourself at a severe disadvantage.
On my first California pig hunt I showed up ready to go wearing the same camo and carrying the same bino that worked perfectly in an eastern deer stand. I quickly realized that even dim sighted pigs could pick out my dark blob crawling into bow range. And I learned it’s a lot easier to determine if that black spec was a pig if I used a higher power bino. My next tripWest saw my camo better matched to the terrain and my bino was a 10-power.
Pattern Options
“It’s our job to take the guesswork out of buying camo and to educate hunters on what pattern to wear in certain terrain,” said Jake Fagan, Realtree’s PR coordinator. “Our new AP pattern is designed to work with any terrain or situation but we also have niche patterns like Advantage MAX-1 that are specifically designed for Western hunting.”
Realtree’s AP and APG are some of the best patterns for coast-to-coast hunting. The detail is amazing when you’re close and the light background and muted colors help you fade away on distant hillsides. But don’t get lazy. If you’re heading south, remember foliage will be much thicker and usually darker than other places, so a pattern like Realtree Hardwoods HD may work better.
There are almost as many camo companies as there are arrow sizes, but don’t let that deter you. Mixing and matching patterns has long been a way to break up the human outline.
Camo That’s Not Camo?
Another factor to consider is whether you plan on bowhunting out of a ground blind. Thanks to today’s blind makers, more and more archers are chasing turkeys in the spring and doing it from the comfort of a portable blind. In your blind an all-black outfit seems to work better than camo. You just seem to become a part of the shadows inside the blind. As long as you don’t get too close to a window, movement can go completely unnoticed. The same logic applies to waterhole hunting.
Cover the Bases
Check with your outfitter or research your hunting area and the foliage types well before your hunt. That way you can make an effort to blend in once you get there. Also, check the weather patterns – as an unusually hot and dry year can mean everything is brown, but a lot of rain could mean you better plan on more green in your background. And are you hunting in heavy timber where a darker pattern might be better? Asking those kinds of questions help you make the best decisions.
Follow the Light
Your optics require a little more thought as they usually take more of your hunting budget to buy. For treestand hunting, light is king and the more your bino can transfer or “gather” the better. An 8X42 is a great Eastern bino; the lower power and full size objectives give you the best light gathering possible without making it awkward to carry or use. If you really want the best, an 8.5x56 Monarch would be the ticket. The trade off is the weight and size of the larger unit.
Remember, with a binocular the higher the power the less light you transfer if all else is equal. A larger objective can offset the loss.
“For long distance and low light scouting, I opt for any of the 56mm Monarchs. These are tripod-adaptable and allow for long hours of glassing,” said Jon LaCorte, Nikon’s senior product marketing manager. “For stand hunting, I typically use a 10X42 like the Monarch or new EDG. I usually hang my bow on a hanger so I can use both hands to glass.”
When you’re glassing long range to find an animal to go after – rather than waiting on the animal come to you – a 10- or 12-power might be the best option. If you’re spot and stalk hunting on foot a 10X42 carries well and can reach out for scanning distant hillsides. If you’re using your truck to cover ground, consider a 12X56, as it can be mounted on a tripod or left behind for the stalk.
What About Spotting Scopes
In the right situation a spotting scope is well worth the extra weight and cost. It allows you to fill in the gap if your binocular is not powerful enough. You can find an animal with your bino and then check it out in detail with your spotter. If you’re hunting from a vehicle, the extra weight is not worth thinking about. If you’re hunting far from the road, take a look at smaller models like Nikon’s ED 50. You will lose a small amount of light but the weight savings will be worth it.
Thoughts to Buy With
Picking the right optic will mean a lifetime of happy hunting; picking the wrong one can mean you’re never satisfied no matter what you hunt. If you can only get one binocular and the majority of your hunting does not involve long range glassing, go with an 8X42.
If a lot of your hunting is out West or in places where you do glass long distances, a 10X42 will serve you best. If you are a minimalist, exchange the 42mm objective for a 32mm and hunt on.
In Closing …
It may seem a bit like overkill to put this much thought into your camo and optics, but pick the wrong item in either category and your hunt can flop. Pick the right ones and you’ll never look back. When I’m hunting I want to focus on the hunt and not worry about details I can fix from home. Bowhunting is a short-range game and the more details you manage the better off you are.
SIDEBAR: Rangefinders are optics too!
It always amazes me how many bowhunters don’t own a rangefinder. If you’re hunting new or strange terrain, a rangefinder will be your best friend and it will make you a better shot and a more consistent archer. There will be shots when you don’t have time to use it but those are few and far between. You can even use it as a training aid by checking your guesswork during slow times.
Two thoughts that always come to mind when talking about rangefnders are accuracy and speed. I really don’t want anything else from a rangefinder. If it’s not accurate it’s useless so check that while you’re shopping. Also, it should give you the range quickly and consistently. I don’t want to waste time waiting on the yardage. And the display should be simple without a lot of useless numbers to distract me from the one I need. Angle compensation or Incline/Decline technology is also important if you hunt really high stands or in steep country.