Skip to content
DO YOU REALLY NEED A TRIPOD?

DO YOU REALLY NEED A TRIPOD?

If you spend much time hunting in the backcountry, you know that when you are packing a backpack, every ounce counts. I have been known to cut off the end of my toothbrush, only bring a fork and leave the spoon at home, and bring five granola bars when I really needed seven.  If this sounds like you, my guess is you struggle with the idea of bringing a tripod into the backcountry.  Last year, I drew a great elk tag in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico.  As I was packing my Outdoorsmans backpack, I loaded and unloaded my tripod three different times.  As I held the tripod in my hands for the final time, I decided to leave it at home.  I didn’t want to carry the extra weight.  That was a mistake! 

A friend and I drove to New Mexico a week before our season opened so we could scout.  The very first day we spent scouting, we were trying to glass a bull and determine if he was a shooter.  We couldn’t figure out if he was big enough or not.  If I would have brought my tripod, I would have had my spotting scope.  I left both at home.  I regretted it for the next two weeks.  

Cody Nelson from the Outdoorsmans says this is a mistake many hunters make. “Many hunters worry about how much a tripod weighs and don’t think enough about the benefits of a tripod.  The bottom line is using a tripod guarantees hunters will see more game. A tripod does this because hunters keep their glass steady so they can clearly see the side of a mountain and what is going on on that mountain.  Hunters can see smaller details when the binoculars or better yet a spotting scope, that is secured to a tripod.  Because hunters aren’t shaking around when using a tripod, they end up with less eye strain, which allows them to comfortably glass for a longer time, allowing you to clearly see game at a distance,” Nelson explained.

Another reason glassing with a tripod helps hunters see more game is because when using a tripod, hunters sit down and commit to the task. “Very rarely does someone go through the effort of setting up a tripod and only glass for five or ten minutes.  When I set up a tripod and decide to glass, I get comfortable and glass for a long time. The more time I spend glassing with a tripod, the better odds I have of spotting game. Glassing for long periods of time from a tripod takes time and patience, but in the end carrying the extra weight and taking the time to glass properly will result in more filled tags. Finding a high point on a mountain and glassing for long periods of time often results in a hunter finding more animals to hunt. That makes carrying the tripod and glassing for a half hour or even hours worth it,” Nelson added.

We all want to see more game regardless if we are hunting deer, elk or sheep. Do yourself a favor this fall: bring your tripod with you when you head into the backcountry.

 

About the author: Tracy Breen is a full time outdoor writer, consultant and game dinner speaker who often discuss how he overcomes cerebral palsy. Learn more about him at www.tracybreen.com

Previous article Western Hunter Sleeping Bag

Added to your cart:

  • (-)
Cart subtotal

Net Orders Checkout

Item Price Qty Total
Subtotal $ 0.00
Shipping
Total

Shipping Address

Shipping Methods

x