This might be a stupid question, from an absolute newbie.

[tailUPorDOWN]

People kill stuff every year with 200$ vortex diamondbacks around there neck...

 

[stitchesdraw]

Ive picked apart ALOT of timber with my 12's and a tripod... i run the 12x50 and to me its the perfect combo/trade off and a whole lot less weight Now if youre talk sheep in the rockies.... my spotter is never left behind ... thats a whole different ball game tho.

 

[TheGDog]

15's on tripod (in my case Vortex Vultures 15x56) with a good small Outdoorsman's Pan Head, and Bino Quick Change Adapter. It's downright magical what you can see sometimes!

 

[LaHunter]

The (dumb) question : Assuming you were solo hunting deer and your spotting scope spontaneously combusted, could a person hunt with only a pair of strong, high quality binoculars like Swarovski, using the gridding method on a tripod? Of course there'd be a huge disadvantage... but can it be done? Asking for rifle hunting in a hilly area.

Absolutely. Aside from my boots and back pack, my binos get used more than any other piece of gear while I'm hunting or scouting for elk or mule deer. A spotter is a big help in my opinion and I always pack my 65mm spotter ( I am a rifle hunter), but you can be effective without one, especially with high quality binos and young eyes.

 

[BluMtn]

A spotter is one of those items that I relegate to the pickup or my SxS. Once on the trail I have a pair of 12x50's that go everywhere with me. I have used the primos shooting sticks in the past and use them to rest the bino's on, now I use my trekking poles to do the same thing. Easier to pack up when you have to make quick moves. Tripods are nice but extra weight you don't really need to lug around at least for deer and elk hunting.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

You don't need a spotter to hunt deer. Binos for sure.

If you are very picky about bucks, you would use your spotter, to determine if you want to go after it. Or, if you're not picky, you would use your spotter to find any decent buck, then go after it. Of course, you can do the same w/o a spotter, you just have to get closer when using binos.

If I were to take a spotter in the field I would use my 1-33x50 Razor. Small, compact, gets the job done. However, I rarely do. FWIW