Tools play a great role in , along with strategy and patience. The right equipment can help you on a successful outing, and among the equipment, binoculars are indispensable. They help the hunter by observing their environment before hunting. Binoculars help quickly analyze whether a specific area has animals for hunting or not.
If you are a regular or seasoned hunter, you must have ample knowledge of the importance of best hunting binoculars. But what size of binocular models is required for hunting? A single answer to this question won’t be possible, as the size of the hunting binocular varies with the animals you want to hunt.
This article will cover the sizes of the binoculars required for each type of animal species hunting. Let’s look deeper at various species and the time of the day for hunting.
WHAT SIZE OF BINOCULARS IS REQUIRED FOR HUNTING DIFFERENT ANIMAL SPECIES?
Right binocular magnification will give you an edge in favor of successfully hunting your desired species. Let’s start!
Sheep And Mountain Goat
Both sheep and mountain goats are found in similar territory, and the binocular criteria work the same for both so that they will be covered together.
You will probably be hiking a lot to find the mountain goat species to hunt because they are likely to be found high on cliffs. So, the weight you will be carrying with you matters.
You should also consider the horn size of the species, such as the Dallas Dall sheep. But even for other species found in desert areas, as a rule of thumb, you should be concerned, as you will be hunting at most one sheep. So, it would be hard to kill any sheep without properly knowing its species and age. If you aim for a sheep hunt, you must consider having a spotting scope. Whether it is a once-in-a-lifetime tagyou have obtained or hunting a Dall sheep in the Alaska area, you should know the horn size before hunting the species. The right spotting scope can help you get an idea of horn size per the local government’s legal requirements.
Looking at all the above considerations, what size of hunting binoculars is required for hunting sheep and mountain goats? It is recommended to use a 10×42 for sheep or mountain goat . It comes in a nice objective lens size and weight, making it good for carrying along long hikes. Use it on a tripod and then the spotting scope to know the horn size.
Now, you might think there would be places where you would need a high magnification, but do not ignore the weight you’d have to bear while hiking.
Elk
The Elk or Wapiti is the second largest species within the deer family. It is also one of the largest terrestrial animals found in North America. With royal antlers and screams, they are hunters’ favorite.
Getting Elks in the bow range during September is of great attention. A quality pair of hunting binoculars will be handy as the screams of these species keep people awake during the night.
Before recommending binoculars, we will recommend you focus on where the elk is getting these things from:
Water
Food
Bedding area
Cow Elk
When a good idea of where the elk drinks water from or which area it uses as its bedding area, you will have brighter chances to hunt the Elk successfully.
It is recommended to use 8×42 as it will be a great fit in most situations. For quick targets, it helps with a wider view of the area. 8x magnification will help the hunter glass through the timber to notice any signs of elk. Whether it’s ear or antler end, hunting binoculars with higher magnification won’t do the job.
When the temperatures change after September, it is recommended to bring the next 10x binocular pair. But now, why would we need higher magnification?
This is because the elks are bigger animals and are not difficult to spot, so 10×42 would work best for months after September.
Don’t worry about the weight, they are not too heavy to carry, so you can carry them with you easily. Alternatively, you can have a spotting scope in your hunting equipment to help you with the glassing system. So, overall, what magnification of hunting binoculars is required for hunting elks? 8x with a good spotting scope would work the best!
Mule Deer
This species of deer is indigenous to Western North America. It has been named a ‘Mule deer’ due to its ears, which resemble mule ears.
Whether you dream of hunting a mule deer in the low desert lands or high on cliffs, it will be a great experience. In many situations, the hunter can modify their hunt according to their preferences and liking.
Let’s get through what objective lens size of hunting binoculars is required for hunting in the low deserts and high mountains.
If you aim to spot a mule deer in the plain deserts, your glassing system must be superb! Scanning the flat desert for help you spot a mule deer. So, 15x to 20x magnification binoculars will be the best, as you wouldn’t be pairing it up with a spotting scope.
If you aim to stay long in the desert for hunting, 12x to 15x+ magnification will work fine. But, if you are backpack hunting, do not carry 15x or higher magnification binoculars due to weight-carrying problems. 12x will help you with glassing.
On the other hand, if you plan to climb above the trees with the dream of spotting velvet mule deer, you should reconsider your binoculars. Spotting the species from higher altitudes will require you to hike a lot, so weight matters.
Taking weight into consideration, a good 10×42 binocular pair works fine. Use it after mounting it on a tripod stand, and bring a spotting scope along with you.
Whitetail Deer
Whitetail deer, or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized animal found in North, Central, and South America on high mountains. From east to west, all the hunters are entranced by its beauty.
Ambush hunting style mostly spots and attacks these species, but binoculars will still greatly help. The hunter waits for hours sitting behind the timber patches. So, to spot the whitetail deer, bino will help get a wide, clear view of the area.
But what size of binoculars is required to hunt them? Well, 8x or 10x will work fine, but 10x is recommended due to its versatility.
Binoculars will help pursue the deer, looking for a doe or a button buck. You would not want to target something wrong, so keeping a pair of binoculars will be wise.
Another situation where binoculars will play a great role is while spotting these big species before the season. The whitetail deers often hang out in the crop fields and open areas. So, a pair of high magnification bino will work the best as weight won’t be an issue, and glassing will be done by road.
Using 12x or 15x bino is recommended to spot the deer from a roadside.
Coues Deer
Coues Deer or Coues white-tailed deer are the subspecies of the Whitetail/Virginia deer. They have become trendy in recent years. As they are found in a limited area, hunters from all around love to give them a try every year.
Fun fact: Coues deer species are considered to be masters at disappearing and reappearing in their habitual areas.
So, having reliable visionary equipment is necessary for a successful story.
As far as the question is concerned: what magnification of binoculars is required for hunting coues deer? Using binoculars with higher magnification, such as 15×56, is highly recommended. Such a big bino will help you get a clear wide view while mounting it on a tripod stand. Or if you opt for 18x20x, it would also do a great job. If you have a 10x bino already, there is nothing bad about wearing it on your chest while carrying the bigger one in your backpack.
It will take you a focused search to spot a Coues deer, so be patient and have a keen eye on the area through your binoculars. Spotting Coues deer is the same as finding a needle in a haystack, so be mindful.
Remember: Always mount your binoculars on a tripod while hunting Coues deer.
Pronghorn
Pronghorn, also known as speed goat, is an animal found in interior western and central North America. Hunting pronghorn can be tricky as well as straightforward. Let me explain.
They are found in fairly flat, wide deserts, so glassing, stalking, and ambush hunting would help.
So, what size of binoculars is required for hunting pronghorn? High-magnification binos will work the best. Compared to coues deer, pronghorns are not the most difficult animals to be spotted. If you roam around and keep an eye, they can be spotted.
If you already have 10x or 12x binoculars, they will work fine.
The best is to use 10×42 for relatively smaller areas, while for long distances, using 12×50 would be the best.
For trophy hunting, you can also use antelope. Spotting them is easy as they will mostly be spotted in open wide areas. But if you wait to stalk any in two days, change your spot and try again.
Another situation in which 10x binoculars will work fine is using pop-up blinds. The bling will not only conceal you but also prevent the spreading of the odor. You should at max be 50 yards away from the water hole for successful ambush hunting. Be patient and wait by sitting behind the blind the whole day, and stalk the pronghorn when it comes to the water spot.
WHAT SIZE OF BINOCULARS ARE BEST FOR HUNTING AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY?
Now, let’s look at the sizes of the desirable binoculars according to the times of the day.
In Full Daylight
If you are hunting for animal species in the mountains in full daylight, using small and compact binoculars such as 8x is best.
They are perfect for long hikes on cliffs.
In Twilight
When hunting in twilight, it’s important to adjust your equipment according to the light conditions. For the best results, consider using 8×56 night binoculars, as they are designed to capture more light. You may also opt for 8×42, as it is universally considered the fit due to its wide field view and good twilight performance.
WRAP UP!
This article provides a detailed answer to what size of binoculars are required for hunting. If you aim for a sheep or mountain goat hunt, 10×42 would work the best. For elks, 8x with a good spotting scope.
For mule deer, 10×42; for whitetail deer, 12x or 15x. For coues deer, 15×56. For pronghorns, 10x or 12x is recommended. So, overall, if you only had to buy the one that is universally the best, it would be 10×42 binoculars.
You can hunt all the species mentioned above using 10x bino either without a spotting scope or with a spotting scope.
The best part? The 10x bino is easy to carry, whether hanging it on your chest or keeping it in the backpack.
Do you have more questions about what size of binoculars are required for hunting? Refer to the frequently asked questions below:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which 12×50 or 10×42 binoculars are better?
It depends, but generally, 10×42 is the best universal binocular you can carry while hunting.
What are the best binoculars for hunting long-range?
12×50 is the best for tracking long ranges.
What size of binoculars is required for hunting Elk?
For elks, 8x with a good spotting scope works just fine.
