Are spotting scopes necessary for elk rifle seasons in open terrain?

[ida homer]

You don't need binoculars or a spotting scope. I'm a minimalist.

Just use your riflescope to glass.

 

[matechakeric]

Just use your riflescope to glass.

lol and use your bullets to get an accurate measurement of the antler score. jk

yea I hear what you're saying

 

[Bambistew]

How open? Are we looking at hillsides 2-3+ miles or less than 1 mile? Unless you have really good bino's you're limited to how far you can see animals. Most of the elk hunting I have done/do I'll use a spotter at the truck, but leave it there. Usually can't see more than a mile or two, and I can pick them out pretty easy with bino's. I usually don't pack one when elk hunting, but just depends on how far you can see.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Good Binos! Dont be one of those Aholes looking at everything thru there rifle scope. Spotters are nice and helpful but not "needed" in most rifle situations.

I'm sorry I'm one of those.......☹#failure. I promised to do better in 21.

 

[Hammsolo]

not the ranges I go to. They say don't check your groups through your scope. use binos. at least where I'm from, it's a good way to get kicked off the range if you don't learn from your 1st warning.

I figured it was the rule everywhere. you can follow through after your shot by looking through the scope but can't use your scope as the only optics for grouping checks. t

Why is it a rule through? Just curious what the rationale is. What do you do with your rifle after shooting? Do you have to point it up?

 

[nontyp]

really depends on how far you want to glass. i glassed up some critters in UT this Fall with my 10x42 binos. all i could tell is that they were 4 legged animals. through the spotter we could see that they were 2 nice bull elk.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

Short answer no, a lot of elk die every year without the use of them.

 

[jeff_gibbons]

Buy the spotter and a good pair of binos. Use them both and find what works for you. Sell the spotter if it doesn't and keep trucking.

 

[BucksnDucks]

It was said earlier but you don't realize how much better binos on a tripod are until you use it.