Mountain Blacktail in CA: Binocular Question

[Old Ornery]

I have been hunting for numerous years in CA and AZ for deer and elk. I have a question pertaining to what size type of binoculars you would use for more open areas (without a large amount of thick scrubs like manzanita) for spot and stalk. There is generally lots of grade to haul up gear. Generally I have hunted in Big Bear and Trinity.

Does anyone use the larger binoculars (50 or 56 mm) for this type of hunting? I generally use my 8 x 42's, but sometimes I hear activity on a facing hillside just after sunset, and I can rarely pick anything out.

 

[Labaherd]

I started with 8x 42's but now I carry 10x42's. And my 8x are my back ups

 

[Cstop]

I agree with Labaherd. I use 10x42's exclusively now. I was able to locate this buck with my 10x42's at 505 yards. The view is through my Vortex Razor spotter at 60x.