• Aprill Brandon •
• Originally published January 8, 2009 at 3:28 p.m., updated January 8, 2009 at 3:28 p.m.

Several years ago when I started guiding whitetails at Legends Ranch, I asked what type of equipment would I need to get started? I figured Skipper Bettis would tell me I had to wear mossy oak, get a cowboy hat, boots and grow a handle bar mustache (like him).

He said "first things first." He led me over to a counter in the main lodge full of extremely pricey Zeiss binoculars, spotting scopes and rifle scopes. He pulled out a pair of 10 x 40, Zeiss, Conquest Binoculars and said this will be the most important tool you will need for professionally guiding or becoming a successful hunter. I had to think for a minute as I stared at the little hand written price tag, $1,100.

Seeing that I never relied on a pair of binoculars in all of my personal hunting experiences before, there was no way this guy is going to talk me into buying these things. Especially from his store, the first day. Well, needless to say, I still have them. I have since retired them after eight incredible seasons of guiding wild game from Northern Michigan to South Texas.

I am amazed at how many hunters go in the field without good binoculars (Bino's). You don't have to break the bank and spend a thousand dollars to see deer, but I can promise you a well known brand in the proper magnification can make the difference between back strap in the freezer or going to a meat market.

Saved from a ticket, fine

The other night while sitting on a deer stand in Cuero, my binoculars saved me a mistake that could have cost me a fine and Lord knows how much money. A group of deer came into view, through the glasses I saw they were all bucks.

One appeared to be a shooter, an "unbranched antler deer." What I thought was a spike on one side and two points on the other actually it turned out he had both brow tines making him a 4-pointer. My optics saved both the deer and my hide.

As I said before, my Zeiss are tucked away somewhere with old hunting gear but I still rely on quality optics for all my hunts.

I currently use Alpen, Apex binoculars. Alpen Owner, Vickie Gardner visited the ranch I was managing in South Texas. All of us at the ranch were impressed with the quality of glass, light gathering quality and durability.

The Apex model in my opinion is an above average glass with a moderate price range. Alpen sells a product to fit any budget. It is important to use good optics.

Cheap or low power binoculars can actually interfere with your hunt due to the poor image quality. You want to choose a pair of bino's with the proper magnification for most of your hunting situations. You also want bino's that allows light to come in during low light conditions.

This is what actually saved me from making a mistake the other night. Lighting was getting low but thankfully the quality of my bino's helped me distinguish the extra point making him a non-legal animal.

I currently use my binoculars on all hunts, deer, exotics, turkey even duck hunting hasn't been the same. After grabbing my lanyard full of duck calls the binoculars go on right afterwards. Use your glasses to spot birds coming in from a distance or tell what species they are to choose proper calls. They are also great for watching for other hunters in the area or perhaps other wildlife you may encounter.

The largest deer I've ever taken was the result of glassing. Most every big buck taken during my guiding career was credited to my binoculars as well. You can age animals, judge size and identify game much more effective with proper optics.

The next time you go into the field take along a pair of quality optics and you will never hunt without them again.

Visit your local sporting goods store and ask to look at different makes and models to ensure the binoculars you choose are right for you. You can also contact the fine people at www.Alpenoptics.com and get all the info you need to make your next hunt more enjoyable and successful.

Jim Angott writes an outdoors column for the Advocate. For any question or comments contact him at jangott@vicad.com.

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