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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [eb] [ In reply to ]
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eb wrote:
owen. wrote:
There is some true trophy hunting in North America... bear and sheep/goats... some bears simply are inedible because they eat rotten fish and sheep/goats aren't all that tasty.


Owen, my friend, it's late on Friday so I'm going to give you a pass on your maligning of sheep meat. I'll just say that many Alaskans consider Dall sheep the finest of wild game meat, and I'm one of them. And if I ever have the chance, I'll fry up a bit of backstrap for you. You'll sample that sheep, and perhaps a bit of whiskey to loosen your tongue, and I'm sure you'll agree that sheep is mighty fine. Cheers!


Interesting... my uncle was a guide in the Yukon when he was younger so I had a fair bit of sheep growing up. I never found nearly as good as the typical cow moose that we also ate lots of. It's been close to 15 years since I've had any though.

I gotta agree with Culley that the best deer is a pre-rut Blacktail... young spike/forks being tastier than the bigger animals.

My absolute favourite meat is still a berry/grass bear in the spring. Three months before the season starts!
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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While not as high on my list, Spring Black bear isn't bad. But I've had some late fall black bears when JUST eating blueberries...and that was unreal. However, that has been only 1 out of 50 that I've tried that has been like that.

I'm going to go fire up some Musk Ox Jalepeno dogs now....GREAT thread. Lol
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
My absolute favourite meat is still a berry/grass bear in the spring. Three months before the season starts!

I've had fall berry-fed black bear that was wonderful - I'd rank it right up there with sheep. I was really sad when there was no more in the freezer. The only thing not to like is that it has to be well-cooked.

We eat a lot of caribou and moose and love those, too. I'm grateful that we have these opportunities and almost never buy meat at the grocery store.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [eb] [ In reply to ]
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Hey... so I'm looking at a for a spotter and have settled on a Minox MD50... talk me out of it considering I dont really have any spots where I'm more than a mile of view and it's a $500 spotting scope or no spotting scope.... or go $500 binos?

Also considered a Prostaff 5 (more cash), Leupy GR 10-30 (no angled body), Leupy SX1 (glass not as nice), Vortex HD 11-33 (stupid expensive and glass not as nice).
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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What are you looking at?
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [Culley22] [ In reply to ]
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Without an lottery tag... black bears and blacktail. Mostly black bears.

Do a moose and elk lottery every year, never get lucky.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
Without an lottery tag... black bears and blacktail. Mostly black bears.

Do a moose and elk lottery every year, never get lucky.
I think a good pair of binos would be abetted buy. But you've listed a few spotters that wouldn't suck for that. Personally I don't buy glass that is "just good enough". I know it's expensive, but long term you'll be happier to upgrade to premium optics (Swarovski, Zeiss or Luepold)
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
Hey... so I'm looking at a for a spotter and have settled on a Minox MD50... talk me out of it considering I dont really have any spots where I'm more than a mile of view and it's a $500 spotting scope or no spotting scope.... or go $500 binos?

Also considered a Prostaff 5 (more cash), Leupy GR 10-30 (no angled body), Leupy SX1 (glass not as nice), Vortex HD 11-33 (stupid expensive and glass not as nice).

First: what kind of binos do you have? Let's discuss more after that.

But if you're really set on a 50mm spotter, don't get the Minox. Either save for the Vortex (~$700), or find a Nikon ED50. Optically, they are both much better than the Minox. I have a Nikon ED50 and recommend it highly. It only weighs 20 oz., has very good optics, and you can find one on ebay for $300-500 depending on how long you're willing to wait. The Vortex is slightly heavier, and has slightly better optics from what I've read.

We need to discuss how you decided on a 50mm spotter, and whether a larger scope would be more appropriate.

I did a bunch of research and optics upgrades last year (new binos, 2 new spotters). The best websites I found were birdforum.net for optics overall, and rokslide.com for hunting-specific info.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [eb] [ In reply to ]
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I currently have 10x42 Bushnell Trophys which are just okay optically but a bit of a pain adjustment wise and a Canadian Tire 60mm (good for looking at 30 cal holes in paper at 200 yards and thats about it).

Ended up wanting a 50 to keep pack size small so it'll actually come with me and not stay in the truck.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
I currently have 10x42 Bushnell Trophys which are just okay optically but a bit of a pain adjustment wise and a Canadian Tire 60mm (good for looking at 30 cal holes in paper at 200 yards and thats about it).

Ended up wanting a 50 to keep pack size small so it'll actually come with me and not stay in the truck.

In that case I'll second culley's recommendation that you upgrade your binos. I don't have a specific recommendation in that price range but you'll certainly be able to find something that provides a much better image, and better ergonomics. Everybody has different personal preferences, so there's no substitute for a visit to the store to try out different binos. It's a highly competitive market these days and there are a lot of deals to be had, so don't pay full retail for anything.

Why do you think you need the spotter? Is it to judge antlers? I definitely understand the portability issue; one of the reasons I got the little Nikon is because it's so insanely small and light, so it comes along on a lot of backpack hunts. On the other hand, when the lighting is poor the small objective's limitations become apparent. My other scope is a ED82 that weighs more than 4 lbs. and is quite bulky. I'm a fanatic about reducing weight on my sheep hunts, but I still take that big scope, because when you're trying to judge distant sheep there's simply no substitute for light-gathering ability.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [eb] [ In reply to ]
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Mainly considering a spotter over binos due to comfort, a supported spotter is simply easier to use for a long period of time than binos. I'm going to focus all of my bear hunting in a few specific cuts in one 30km long drainage.. the biggest of which is maybe a square mile.


I have terrible eyes... last exam was 40/20 and 80/20 and actually wearing glasses gives me a headache (strongly considering lasek this year with this years $2000 heath trust)... so the only time I wear glasses is driving at night when my eyes are tired or when hunting.

Also, the Minox is cheap... $199 at BH Camera. Which could mean $200-300 for new binos... if it'll buy better binos than what I have and then Trophy's can become boat binos.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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Binos on a tripod will change your life.


...in a very good way.

Check out Maven optics for alpha quality at half the price.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [307trout] [ In reply to ]
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Brand/type?
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [307trout] [ In reply to ]
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307trout wrote:
Binos on a tripod will change your life.

I've been hearing this a lot, but haven't tried it out yet. Can you describe your setup? My binoculars (Conquest HD 10x42) don't have a stud for direct mounting, so I'd need some kind of adapter, right? I'm a little skeptical that this would work for me as most of my glassing is in big, wide-open country and I tend to glass quickly and then follow up with the spotter which is on the tripod. But on occasion I've hunted moose in thick cover, where you sit and glass for hours trying to pick out an antler in the brush. For that, I could see where binos on a tripod would save your eyes a lot of strain (and your back, too).
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
Mainly considering a spotter over binos due to comfort, a supported spotter is simply easier to use for a long period of time than binos. I'm going to focus all of my bear hunting in a few specific cuts in one 30km long drainage.. the biggest of which is maybe a square mile.


I have terrible eyes... last exam was 40/20 and 80/20 and actually wearing glasses gives me a headache (strongly considering lasek this year with this years $2000 heath trust)... so the only time I wear glasses is driving at night when my eyes are tired or when hunting.

Also, the Minox is cheap... $199 at BH Camera. Which could mean $200-300 for new binos... if it'll buy better binos than what I have and then Trophy's can become boat binos.

So ... I'm just guessing here, but have you thought about whether your eyestrain is due to your binos? Have you ever glassed all day with a good pair?

In my experience I get a lot more eyestrain looking through a spotting scope than through binos, probably because it's one eye at a time, lots of squinting, and usually there's heat shimmer or low light involved. With a quality pair of binos you should be able to glass all day without too much eyestrain. I have pretty bad eyes too; they were 20/15 when I was younger, but now I have lots of floaties, and cataracts, and I'm more like 20/40. But I can still glass a lot before I get tired - which is why I suspect your binos may be the culprit. Binos on a tripod (like 307trout suggested) may help too.

You can get into decent binos for 300. I upgraded substantially this year, but before that I used Nikon Monarch ATBs for years. They call those Monarch 5 now and they run around 300 retail. IMO 250-300 retail is what you need to spend to get into binos that have good ergonomics, collimation, and resolution. From there on up you pay a lot of money to get better transmission, better sharpness over a larger field of view, and better rendition of colors with less chromatic aberration.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [eb] [ In reply to ]
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My setup is a bit red neck at the moment. I have the bog pod shooting tripod and I use my hands to grip the binos on the cradle. Even this system makes cladding incredibly more pleasant and effective. You don't realize how much your eyes and brain are stressed by a shaky image until you experience stillness while glassing.

There are adaptor studs or strap on platforms for attaching bino s to tripod. The attached stud system is lighter and more refined but either system will hold things steady.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [307trout] [ In reply to ]
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307trout wrote:
My setup is a bit red neck at the moment. I have the bog pod shooting tripod and I use my hands to grip the binos on the cradle. Even this system makes cladding incredibly more pleasant and effective. You don't realize how much your eyes and brain are stressed by a shaky image until you experience stillness while glassing.

There are adaptor studs or strap on platforms for attaching bino s to tripod. The attached stud system is lighter and more refined but either system will hold things steady.


I'm going to cobble something up. Zeiss makes some adapters, but they seem horribly expensive. Unfortunately I don't think my binos can have a stud attached, or at least I can't find anyone who has done it.

Edited to add: maybe something like this. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=231916
Last edited by: eb: Jan 16, 17 14:40
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [Skipjack] [ In reply to ]
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https://www.outsideonline.com/...s-about-bear-attacks

“Read the transcript.”
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [sslothrop] [ In reply to ]
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That's a truly terrible article by Outside. Embarassing.

That's not a criticism of sslothrop for posting it, but wow. So many dumb statements.

That guy was well known for provoking bears to try to have some sort of conflict. He has quite a reputation.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [eb] [ In reply to ]
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Talk to these guys:

https://outdoorsmans.com/

They can install a stud on a Swarovski bino and maintain the warranty. Maybe they have a solution for other brands also. I have Maven Optics, there is a simple screw-in adapter for a tripod. Great optics, incredible quality for the $$$.



I know the Bog Pod has an adaptor where the binos strap onto a flat plate on the tripod. Not as nice, but quite functional.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [307trout] [ In reply to ]
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307trout wrote:
That's a truly terrible article by Outside. Embarassing.

That's not a criticism of sslothrop for posting it, but wow. So many dumb statements.

That guy was well known for provoking bears to try to have some sort of conflict. He has quite a reputation.

Had no idea this guy was a knucklehead. Any good articles or otherwise out there to learn more?
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [307trout] [ In reply to ]
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Well, I'll be. You got me to poke around the web a bit, and it turns out my binos (Conquest HD) have a threaded hinge. Just have to pop a little cap off and then unscrew a plastic nut. Woo hoo!
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [307trout] [ In reply to ]
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307trout wrote:
That guy was well known for provoking bears to try to have some sort of conflict. He has quite a reputation.

I thought that story sounded a bit odd - would like to know more, if you have links.

And BTW, if you think that guy's face looked bad, DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK:
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/...ali_Hwy_bear_mauling

Even Duffy and Forgie would be appalled at what happened to that poor guy. I haven't heard the full story on what happened; but he is one tough old dude for sure.
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [TheForge] [ In reply to ]
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TheForge wrote:
Guns are for wolves, pigs, coyote and mountain lions. You want bear spray for bears. While you can certainly kill a black bear with any of the calibers mentioned, you will piss a brown bear off.

I thought of this thread as I read story of Wyoming guide killed by grizzly.

Here is link to local news story which likely is best source. Says that the Florida hunter could not use pistol to shoot at bear because bear was on top of the guide. Also said the Florida hunter threw the gun to the guide before he retreated and went for help.

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev
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Re: Hunters of the LR..give me your thoughts on good side arms [Skipjack] [ In reply to ]
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For just hiking in the woods, it's hard to beat bear spray for protection. It's lighter, easier to use under duress, doesn't needlessly kill an animal, and instills a sprayed animal with a healthy respect for humans.

For bowhunting, the criteria are a bit different. As others have mentioned, you'll be field dressing game and packing it out. The risk from bears, wolves, and mountain lions is considerable in these circumstances. (I'd add moose to the list of hazards, though they're just big, mean, and unpredictable, not necessarily interested in your game.)

A .357 is sufficient to repel any of the threats above. Even a 9mm, with "woods" ammo (e.g. Buffalo Bore or Underwood) is likely Ok here.

Grizzlies, however, are a different matter. They're generally bigger and more aggressive than Black bears. They are less likely to be deterred by being shot at, and need to be stopped when attacking. [period.] The general consensus is that a .44 magnum or more powerful handgun is called for. But, these are either extremely loud, difficult to shoot accurately, have slow followup shots, and have wicked recoil in lighter variants, or are too big, bulky, and heavy in larger variants to carry comfortably just as an insurance policy against Grizzlies.

Another consideration when bowhunting deer or elk, is that it may be "any weapon" season for bears, wolves, mountain lions, etc. So, think about a weapon that would serve as both protection, and as a hunting tool if you are interested in hunting those other animals.

FWIW, the "Go To" bow-season sidearm in these parts is a 10mm Glock G20, with "outdoorsman" or "woods" ammo from Buffalo Bore or Underwood. Compared to a .357 revolver, this holds 15 rounds vs 6 or 7, is lighter, and allows faster followup shots.

The "woods" ammo I mentioned are heavy-for-caliber, hardcast, non-expanding bullets with a large meplat. This results in deeper penetration than "defense" hollow point ammo, and the large meplat helps keep the bullet penetrating straighter than round nose or hollowpoint bullets. (The mechanism here is pretty interesting, but that's a subject for another post...) Realize that for defense against a charging animal, it will likely be coming straight at you, so penetration of 36" or more is called for. In contrast, for hunting, you have the luxury of slowing picking your optimum shot, and you are typically trying to shoot the animal broadside, where penetration less than 24" is desirable.


"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."
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