"I want BIGGER binoculars, so I can look FARTHER!"
While this is the newest craze among many hunters and guides in the Southwest, bigger optics or binoculars are not always the right tool for the job, especially when glassing for mule deer or coues deer. These animals are extremely wary creatures and also tend to have much smaller home ranges than their cousin the elk. By nature, they spend less time out in the open as compared to pronghorn or bighorn sheep, thus they are typically harder to locate.
Recently, while scouting, we found ourselves over powered and looking for too many species. Because of this, we had neglected to glass an area 400 yards to our right. As dusk approached, we had to talk ourselves into taking off the BIG eyes (x30 power) and putting our x10 power binoculars on the tripod.
BINGO, they were laying within 300 yards from us and we never knew it.
Why?
It's important to understand, glassing for specific species can be extremely different from a strategy perspective. Deer, no matter what sub-species, tend to be much more difficult to locate than other game animals. Understanding animal behaviors is a critical part of hunting, even when you are glassing. Be specific in your glassing, not every piece of glass is suited for the topography or animals you are hunting.
It's a lot like golfing, if you are in the sand trap, sure you can use your driver, but it doesn't mean you are going to get the best results.
