Tripods

[sillyghillie]

I love my Vortex Summit ss.

[Frank grimes]

What are you guys hunting and how far are you looking? I hunt the EK deer and elk,never saw the need for a spotting scope or a shooting rest. All my shots are within 250 yards, most half that or less. I got a spotting scope for Christmas a while back, re-gifted it. By the time I got it set up the critter was moving. Pain in the ass.I don`t spot game 2 drainages away so I don`t ever use one.Or a shooting stick(that I also got for Christmas) Pain in the ass packing more stupid things when I`m walking. Anybody wants one let me know. Its gathering dust and it`s free. Too much store bought hunting aids.
Me, 2 sharp knives, a well sighted rifle and a first aid kit.And a clean bag for the heart and liver.
Oh, P.S. I don`t wear camo either. Critters are colour blind. CarHart works just fine and I don`t look stupid camo`d to the nuts if I have to go in a store. You know who you are. Lose the Face paint too, that`s just creepy.

I don’t really bring my spotter hunting that much. My tripod is mainly for my binos. It’s a real hame changer, and makes glassing much more enjoyable for me, especially bigger cuts and what not.
No camo here either, surplus and thrift store wool and fleece. I look like a homeless guy when I’m in the bush.

[SR80]

Id buy a good middle road spotter, or if your using it a lot with binos and spotter i would get a good one and be done with it. Or you'll be wasting time and money dicking with a cheap shaky thing.

[northof49]

Oh, P.S. I don`t wear camo either. Critters are colour blind. CarHart works just fine and I don`t look stupid camo`d to the nuts if I have to go in a store. You know who you are. Lose the Face paint too, that`s just creepy.

It’s not the colour of the camo that matters its the pattern. Regular solid colour clothing is blocky and makes it easier for game to detect your movement...”large blob moving over there” so to speak. Camo helps break up the blob effect. Anything blue is your enemy for deer unless a long ways off or a truck hunter. Camo also helps conceal you from other hunters.....no fun being scoped by asshats plus stealth mode is my thing. Also if you get the right stuff it is nice and quiet and waterproof as well. Agree with you on the face paint. Also never hurts to fly the colours so to speak. Helps get positive ID on all the snowflakes and antis around town. Seldom catch me without a camo hat on.

[twoSevenO]

I use.my swaro 65 at 25 power and i see 70 percent of the animals in my hunting group...25 power binos on a tripod would be better....

A proper set of 25x binoculars is going to weigh a lot more than a 65mm spotting scope and probably be more expensive too.

Popular in the states. Must have an awesome field of view compared to a spotter.

Kowa makes a good one, called the highlander .... 32x82mm. Cost: $5,000 USD

[Bugle M In]

It’s not the colour of the camo that matters its the pattern. Regular solid colour clothing is blocky and makes it easier for game to detect your movement...”large blob moving over there” so to speak. Camo helps break up the blob effect. Anything blue is your enemy for deer unless a long ways off or a truck hunter. Camo also helps conceal you from other hunters.....no fun being scoped by asshats plus stealth mode is my thing. Also if you get the right stuff it is nice and quiet and waterproof as well. Agree with you on the face paint. Also never hurts to fly the colours so to speak. Helps get positive ID on all the snowflakes and antis around town. Seldom catch me without a camo hat on.

I have guys walk by me all the time.
Also, of the 18 deer I was watching 150 yards away from me, 8 of them came towards me and bedded not even 15 yards away from me (yes, I had the wind in my favour), and laid there for 40 minutes (while I waited for a larger buck to hopefully show up) until I got some damn so and cold, I finally stood up. I had 3 does that had bedded, facing
straight at me, as if they were keeping their eye on me, yet, when I stood up, they were in utter shock, so the whole time, they had never noticed me and my camo.
I'll stick to camo for a number of reasons, in part due to I am allergic to wool products, the camo I own is Goretex, so
I stay warm and dry all day, and the stuff dries out quick, so no more wet crap first thing in the morning!
(I don't have the luxury of going home each night to dry it out, or a big cozy wall tent with stove, so it needs to dry out quick)

[twoSevenO]

^ you hike around in gore-tex? I find that stuff makes me soaking wet regardless...... from the inside. Maybe you just dont sweat as much but that stuff isnt very breathable for a person on the move. The sweat generated is just too much for a membrane to keep up with.

I usually only put it on once I'm done with my elevation gain or for the wind.

As for camo ... dont care for it. Dont believe in it. Stalking blacktails at 50 yards they are much more likely to hear me than see me anyways.

[northof49]

Frequently call elk in to under 15ft and less.....5 times within 5ft and once could have grabbed the front ankle of nice big 5x5 with head right above me. There is a reason the military use camo...it works!!

Anyhow.....back to tripods.

[Bugle M In]

Back tripods exactly, sorry guys.
There is some good advice on what to get in these posts.
Don't get those cheap 15$ ones, unless you are just planning for quick ID to see if the bugger has enough points.
( I do carry a cheap one cause it is super light)
But for sheep hunting, where you sit there for hours, and slowly moving the pod/scope a fraction at a time, nothing
beats some of the fancier, more expensive pods, and lowers the frustration level big time.
A cheap one will frustrate you within minutes, and sometimes you need hours.

[porthunter]

Currently have the Manfotto Befree aluminum with video head, think I paid about $250 and it has been pretty good for the price, 2 of my friends have Vortex high country and 1 with a vortex summit and all are planning to switch over.

BUT with that being said, I used a friends outdoorsman tripod with a pistol grip head and WOW, I am definitely saving to make the upgrade. Worth every penny and I only used it for 2 days.