My spotter stays in the truck - when I even bother to take it. Instead I have upsized my binocs, which still aren't all that large.

But I'm a public land/RFW meat hunter and will take the first legal, healthy-looking, mature animal I find. The extra weight and nuisance of carrying a spotting scope isn't something I want to put up with and not something I've needed.

That said, I've been hunting the same areas for 34 years and have a good idea where the elk will be.


Coyote Hunter - NRA Patriot Life, NRA Whittington Center Life, GOA, DAD - and I VOTE!

No, I'm not a Ruger bigot - just an unabashed fan of their revolvers, M77's and #1's.

A good .30-06 is a 99% solution.