Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Binos for thick woods???

Does anyone use binoculars in thicker woods settings? If so what size do you find works well? I’m thinking about getting a pair and was thinking 8x but maybe 6x fits the bill better. Thoughts?

I have a pair of Leupold Yosemite 6x that I use WAY more than my expensive stuff

i really like my steiner safari in 8x

I'd say the lower power the better. In the woods you're going to have real problems with depth of field. At some point binos in a wooded area will be counter productive.

I think lower power is better too. Might look for excellent results in low light conditions too.

I have these as well. I can't see more than 60 or 70 yds tops where I hunt in northern MI. IMO anything with more power are difficult to use when distances are minimal. YMMV

A thread about actual outdoor activates? Not politics?

Forsooth!

I use a small pair of 4X no name binoculars in heavy woods here in Florida. Very light weight and focus fast. Anything stronger would be useless though. Distances you can actually see between the trees and brush is often no more than a few yards.

I used to use a couple different pairs of small pocket binos when hunting or guiding. I sometimes overwalked my territory, and I spooked a ton of game that way. I would try to discipline myself to sit or kneel next to a tree or in a copse of trees and use the binos before I walked any further, say once every hundred yards or so. Finding that ear or tail twitch paid off on more than one occasion. Low power worked best!

6X or 8X.

There are a lot more quality 8X's out there than 6X's.

I have no problem using 8X Leupold Olympic, from the coast to the desert! They let you look through the small openings in thick vegetation! So yes binoculars for thick woods! You just need to decide what power works best for yourself!

I think they're a must for thick woods. We have 8x for 99% or our hunting.

Based on your extensive experience hunting FL lizards with an air gun?

LOL

eastern tenderfeet are funny.

You want lower power and wider field of view. 8X would be tops for magnification, and lower is better, as noted by many posters above. There are many good 7x35 binos out there. Any smaller objective than about 35mm will limit the brightness of the image; larger objectives "gather" more light. Larger objectives, however, do NOT equate to larger field of view. That's a common misbelief. It's actually the diameter of the eyepiece lens that affects field of view. (Think about looking through a knothole in a fence.)

Thanks for the replies. Any favorites for objective? Seems like 6 or 8 x 30 or 35 might be the ticket

I have 6x30's and 8x42's sitting by the window. Both are what would be considered "economical" in price. I almost always grab the 8's even if looking at a bird 20 feet away. 7X or 8X with 30ish or more objective would be my pick. Like said above, lots of choices with 8X. I hunt thick and open and 8X is my main squeeze there too, but a much better optic than my window binos.

+1

+2

OP never stated whether he's still hunting or stand hunting. I've still hunted "thick woods" my entire life - never used bino's for that. Average shot on a deer is under 50 yds - don't need bino's for that. All that moving around with your arms is going to give you away.

If you're sitting in one place, then 6 or 7x should do the trick.

Do you ever overlook openings?
I want you to save some money. If it's just close range and your not a bird watcher, I would get a cheaper pair. 7x35 is the old standard. Everyone made them for generations for a reason.
However, if you are overlooking a valley like much of eastern woodlands, consider a low cost zoom. They have fair quality zooms for under $200 that help with antler ID, hunter ID, and "where did that buck go? "

The small lightweight bushnell (?) 7x15 go with me everywhere.
The reason is that they are light, handy and versatile. I think these are Japanese and not the Chinese toy junk.
They lasted over twenty years of actual use. More use than better fixed brands that are higher quality, but heavy.

Drawbacks are light. You lose time at early dawn and late dusk.
I don't think there's as much benefit at great glass at low power for dense brush, but that's debatable by others. If you are glassing near and far, a fair quality zoom is a nice option.