Who chooses to hunt with only binocs - no spotting scope?

[Big33]

I always hunt with a spotter, 48x Nikon. But then I don't carry it, my horse does.

 

[Sasquatch]

I have a pair of brunton 15x51's that I use a lot here in Wyoming for deer and elk hunting and plan to use on speed goats if I can draw a buck tag. These binoculars are comfortable to pack all day and work excellent for viewing across a canyon. I keep them in my pack during any long hike and keep some 10 powers on my chest. I find there is much less eye strain to scan the brush with the lower power then switch once I see something that needs a closer look. As stated earlier, shooting sticks can be very handy when working high powered bino's especially when the wind is blowing and it's well below freezing. The biggiest reason I pack the bruntons is eye relief. I am blind without glasses and the cold tends to freeze my contacts when I start studying deer, so the bino's tend to work better for me than my spotter. This may change if I ever find a spotter that isn't such a pain for me to see through.

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

I have a Pentax 20x60 PCF, I carry them all day long in my chest, I have been able to find bedded whitetails at 800 yards, couldnt tell what they were, but found them!!!
The only reason why I dont carry all day long a spotting scope is because I dont have one!!!
I truly believe that one of the most important things about hunting is been able to find your prey (and binoculars and spotting scopes help you with that), after game is found you can plan anything you like: stalk them, prepare for a long range shot or whatever, but if I cant find them, then that is where it all ends!!!

To stabilize my binoculars, I sit down, put my rifle but down between my legs, with the barrel aiming at the sky, in the middle of the binoculars, and stabilize my hands in my knees, and against the barrel, it works for me pretty well, thats is what I have. Looking forward to get a spotting scope and a tripod, that sure looks more comfortable and more stable.
Just my two cents!!!

 

[sambo3006]

For my hunts in Colorado and Utah I bring along my Burris 20-60x 80mm spotting scope but like a couple of other guys have posted, it stays in the truck unless I'm really trying to look over a huge area at long range i.e. 1 mile plus. Most of the time, my Vortex Diamondback 10x42's do the trick. Of course, I am usually just trying to fill a cow tag or find a legal bull. When I draw my limited entry bull tag, I'll want the extra magnification to verify antler size before I pull the trigger. I did get fooled one time thinking I was looking at a cow elk through 10x binocs only to find out when I got on it with my 14x rifle scope that it was a spike bull. I easily identified it as an elk, though, or I never would have aimed the rifle at it. Just glad I had the extra magnification before I sent a round into the critter.