Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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seazofcheeze
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Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:28 am

I was out last weekend for another evening of glassing. Even though it was 90 degrees when I headed out, there were critters everywhere! This was one of the best trips yet.

https://youtu.be/sEFmNBkPzD0


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Re: Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby may21581 » Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:10 am

What do you use for glassing?
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Re: Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:27 am

I digiscope. I use my Samsung S9 cell phone in a phone skope case. Use the phone camera and phone skope case on a Vortex 20-60x85mm spotting scope (first gen green/gray). You can do anything you can do with the with the phone camera (pictures, video, slow motion, filters, etc). I also have a cheap window mount, but I will be upgrading that soon. The one I have only has one handle to adjust tilt and pan. I plan to get one with separate tilt/pan adjustments in the near future.
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Re: Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby may21581 » Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:36 am

Are you happy with the vortex? Are they the best bang for the buck? I've been looking for awhile and the idea of using your phone along with it sounds awesome. Do you ever get shot opportunities at bucks glassed in the summer? I like to summer scout to get an idea of the herd health and see what's around but in my neck of the woods they shift come September.
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Re: Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:47 am

may21581 wrote:Are you happy with the vortex? Are they the best bang for the buck? I've been looking for awhile and the idea of using your phone along with it sounds awesome. Do you ever get shot opportunities at bucks glassed in the summer? I like to summer scout to get an idea of the herd health and see what's around but in my neck of the woods they shift come September.


I think Vortex is usually the best value (optics clarity, customer service, warranty). For the same price point, I think you can get a little better glass (e.g. Zeiss), but you lose out on warranty and customer service. Overall, I can't complain about Vortex. I have several products from them, and I have been happy with them for the money.

I like glassing for inventory. I'd say I rarely get a shot at a buck in the exact area I glassed it, but all my previous experience with that is in Michigan and Oct 1 bow openers. I have seen several bucks from the stand in Michigan that I have glassed within 1-2 miles of where I glassed them though. With Montana archery opening the first week of September, I think glassing could directly correlate to an early season shot opportunity when bucks are still on summer patterns.
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Re: Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby may21581 » Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:30 pm

I appreciate the feedback on the vortex gear. Before you spend 1k on a piece of equipment it's nice to talk to others for an honest review. I currently use leupold binos but once you get out 500 yds in low light it gets tough. When glassing at distances beyond this a spotting scope becomes critical.
And I totally agree with your spotting observations. It's amazing what a few weeks in september can do to a buck. That's a huge difference from Michigan to Montana. The public I hunt in ohio ranges from 1500 acres to 5000 acres, the average farm here is 250 acres. Some private land usually the same size or smaller. I would love to hunt Montana someday, a mule deer is on my bucket list.
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Re: Latest Glassing Trip From Montana: Whitetails, Mule deer, and...?

Unread postby hunter_mike » Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:35 pm

:clap:
Awesome
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