Western hunting- glass or hike?

[desidog]

As a further note on fitness, I have a rule about not shooting anything big and heavy over a mile from the road.

...and preferably uphill too.

 

[oneounceload]

^^^ friend of mine drew one of NV's sheep tags. Got a great one at only 300 yards. Only one problem - it was 1500' down one side, and 1500' up the other to get to the animal and then he had to reverse that little jaunt. That took him all day..............

 

[bad_aim_billy]

So are you just passing up a bunch of game or are you using your rifle scope for glassing?

#1. I hunt in thicker terrain than many do out here in the mountains.

#2. I'm not 70 years old yet. My 2 eyes work just fine for spotting game. If I miss something once in awhile, so be it. I don't catch every fish in the river when I go fishing either.

#3. Glassing sounds as fun as watching golf on tv. Last I checked hunting is a physical activity, not a board game. YMMV.

 

[Robert]

Even in dense dark timber a decent set of binos are far better than the best human eyes. But hey that cow you miss will be in my freezer, so thanks!

 

[H&Hhunter]

#1. I hunt in thicker terrain than many do out here in the mountains.

So do I

#2. I'm not 70 years old yet. My 2 eyes work just fine for spotting game. If I miss something once in awhile, so be it. I don't catch every fish in the river when I go fishing either.

Neither am I. You are kidding yourself if you think your eyes are that good. If you aren't glassing you are missing more than the occasional critter you are missing out on seeing most of them. Especially if you are hunting deer or elk in the thick stuff.

PS

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this one and it's just simply ridiculous glassing allows you to see stuff that is impossible to see with the naked eye.

#3. Glassing sounds as fun as watching golf on tv. Last I checked hunting is a physical activity, not a board game. YMMV.

Glassing isn't the total game but it's a part of it and you are talking to one of the most physical hunters out there. The main thing glassing does is INCREASE your distance traveled because you see so much more stuff to go and check out/get after.

But to each their own.

 

[sage5907]

I made 10 trips to Colorado to hunt and I will give you some tips. First, there is just as much game in the not so rugged foothill country and there is in the steep rugged mountains. Second, animals have to have something to eat, hunt in areas with food sources and available water. Third, try to pick areas with not so many hunters because there is a lot of competition for the animals. Forth, the locals use all kinds of tricks such as putting no hunting signs on public lands and pushing animals from public land to private land so be ready for anything to happen. I spend as much time glassing as I do moving. In the world of big game hunting money counts and those who have money are the most successful.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Forth, the locals use all kinds of tricks such as putting no hunting signs on public lands and pushing animals from public land to private land so be ready for anything to happen. I spend as much time glassing as I do moving. In the world of big game hunting money counts and those who have money are the most successful.

Interesting, what unit are you hunting in?

 

[X-Rap]

If he is referring to land owners "posting" in excess that probably has happened but if you see it the CPW would love to hear from you. If it is due to access being blocked by a small strip of private then yes it happens and is totally legal though very aggravating.
I would rather see easements bought for these 1/4 mile parcels than the millions spent for no access conservation easements in upscale ski towns.

 

[grubbylabs]

Glassing isn't the total game but it's a part of it and you are talking to one of the most physical hunters out there. The main thing glassing does is INCREASE your distance traveled because you see so much more stuff to go and check out/get after.

But to each their own.

I don't know how you can hunt elk without field glasses. Who wants to hike thousands of feet in elevation all for nothing during hunting season. My goal is not to cover as much ground as possible, but to find elk to hunt.

If I can't see them, here them, or see fresh sign I am moving on. And without glassing, I don't know how a person knows what is going on.

People have all these grand ideas about where elk are, but I can tell you that they are exactly where they want to be. Where the pressure is the least. If all the hunters are in the dark timber, few if any elk will be there, they will be somewhere else. I have even seen them out on the open desert when it is over 90 degrees.

 

[X-Rap]

Funny you should mention the desert since on my last trip through Eastern Utah on I 70 I saw a roadkill cow around Cisco exit in early June. You have to have seen the place to understand but it is not typical elk habitat.
The I 70 corridor through Western Colorado has a year around elk hazard and it to is quite low in elevation as well.

 

[splattergun]

It's not 'either/or'

It is hike AND glass.

Hunting "out here" in Utah and Idaho all my adult life has always involved some hiking, some glassing. Be prepared for both. I have killed deer at 20 yards while still hunting and I have killed deer at 450 yards after glassing , and different ranges betwixt 'em. You might hike and glass for days without seeing anything worth the effort, then get lucky and spot a nice set of antlers crossing the road while you're driving to your camp.

 

[Pilot]

I was stationed in Colo. Hunted there as well. One tip..................make sure your in good physical shape.

^^^^^This. I lived in Colorado for several years, and you will need to hike a lot at altitude. If you are a flatlander, and not used to being at 8,000 ft. and higher, (CO mountains go a bit over 14K ft.) you will be surprised out how quickly you'll become winded. It is not a joke, and some have trouble with it depending on age, physical condition, etc.

 

[Bush Pilot]

It is hike AND glass.

Hunting "out here" in Utah and Idaho all my adult life has always involved some hiking, some glassing. Be prepared for both. I have killed deer at 20 yards while still hunting and I have killed deer at 450 yards after glassing , and different ranges betwixt 'em. You might hike and glass for days without seeing anything worth the effort, then get lucky and spot a nice set of antlers crossing the road while you're driving to your camp.

This, you NEVER know when or where something will "pop up". I've hunted Wa, Id, Wy and Mt for years and can't imagine not having a good set of binoculars with me at all times. Try using your naked eye to judge a buck in a 3 pt or better area at 300+ yards. FWIW, I've glassed pockets of brush for an hour waiting for mule deer that decided to imitate statues.

 

[olliver]

Back to boots. I am down to Lowa, Meindl and Kenetrek in my selection. Any opinions?

 

[H&Hhunter]

I've got a pair of Kenetrek Mountain Extremes. As I write this I getting ready to hop in the jeep and drive up to climb Mt Castle a 14er here in Co. My kentreks are in the closet. Nice boots other than the fact that blow they blisters in my heels.

I've heard great stuff about Lowa boots. But man oh man you need to put some miles on a pair of boot before heading to the high country to make sure they are what you need.

 

[grubbylabs]

If you are serious about hunting on your feet you owe it to yourself to look into Nicks and Whites. Yes they are expensive, ($300-$400+ depending on what boot you get) but they will last you a life time. Think about it, would wild land fire fighters who's live depend on their ability to hike in all conditions buy them if they were not a good boot? And like I said they literally last a life time.

 

[Robert]

It also depends on the season and weather. In snow nothing beats gators and a good set of pack boots. The Schnee Hunter II is a fabulous pack boot and absolutely up to the task of late season mountain hunts.

 

[nickn10]

I've hunted for 40 yrs living in Colorado, The army taught me take care of your feet! I've hunted in Sorel snow pacs. heavy leather Brownings (not made anymore) and combo ballistic/leather Danners. It all depended on the weather and terrain. AVOID the so called light weight hikers. I always wore boots that had 8 inch tops. Scree, rocks and steep incline and decline will tire your ankles and that leads to sprains and clumsiness. Gore tex is a big plus, North facing could be in deep snow, South facing bone dry and in-between wet and muddy. Cold, wet, blistered feet just plain suck and could ruin a hunt, same goes for proper clothing. I've hunted Elk at 20 below at 10k feet NW of Gunnison and Antelope at 90+deg at 5k feet in Punkin Center. To me appropriate apparel was more important than caliber.
I wish you all good hunting, at 71 yrs. those mountains are just too steep for me , honestly I believe I've taken more than my fair share of Deer and Elk, not to mention all the damn regulations and crowds.

 

[nmlongbow]

Lot's of different info here. I'm not the most experienced elk hunter around but I'm looking forward to my archery elk/muley hunt next month. It will be my 16th elk hunt, unguided on public land. I'm not in the best shape but have lived at 7k most of my life and altitude has never bothered me much. I've spent a lot of time hunting, fishing and backpacking in areas up to 13.5k altitude and never had a problem but everyone deals with higher elevation differently.

I like light to mid weight hiking boots for the early archery season. My last elk I packed out solo, boned and quartered in 4 trips plus 1 trip back to dump my hunting gear and get the freighter pack. Definitely a long and hard day but rewarding

I spent a week elk hunting with a group of friends in CO a few years ago. Most were from sea level and had a hard time adjusting to the elevation. One hunter was an extremely fit military SF guy and he had constant headaches, sickness and lethargy. One of the least fit guys did really well climbing the mountains and we spent most of the time together chasing elk.

I mostly hunt solo and cover a lot of ground, always have bino harness and glass constantly. Glassing DECREASES the distance traveled for me. No need to stalk that bedded bull that is really a downed ponderosa pine. It also allows me to see what I'm looking for in a herd at 200 yards or a mile away. I have Zeiss 7 x 50's and Steiner
8 x 30's. They're both sufficient but not great. Leica's and Swaro's are nice but not worth it to me. I've killed several elk and muledeer but none have been over 30 yards. Most under 20.

I've never hunted elk with any firearm.

 

[montanaoffroader]

Splattergun has it right - Equal amounts of hiking and glassing. For glassing, I use a pair of Leupold Cascades 8x42, work just fine for me.

For hiking, I wear different boots at different times. Early season I usually wear my White's, later in the season either my Redwings or Sorel pacs. Just depends how much snow is down and how cold it is.