Spotted another in a series of interesting concepts on Deer Hunting. Very interested in your alls thoughts.

Question:
Is climbing to a Natural Vantage Point and glassing for Deer different than climbing in a Deer Stand and glassing for Deer?

Choices:
1. Yes, definitely a significant difference.
2. No, it is the exact same thing.
3. Other(???)

 

I had read somewhere that a study done by a reputable organization found that one would see at least 30% more deer by sitting in an elevated treestand vs sitting on the ground. I think an elevated natual viewing spot would increase the amount of deer seen, but I believe that a tree stand along a travel route would still yield more sightings. That said, I generally hunt from sitting on the ground (I do not like heights and small tree stands) and I realize it handicaps me to some extent but makes me a more deliberate hunter. Hunting from the ground generally yields to game taken at ranges in feet vs yards.

Other

You have to consider the terrain you are hunting in. Mountains, hills, farm fields, river bottoms, big woods, swamps, etc. In some places the tree stand does equate to a natural vantage point. In places that I hunt (big woods and cedar swamps) there are no natural vantage points so the tree stand gives you a unique perspective.

That said I quit carrying any glass for my deep woods deer hunting a few years ago(other than rife scope) because I got tired of never using them. In the very think brush where I hunt I have never seen a deer before I have heard him. Never. Everything is in close usually under 25 yards.

We tried this year placing a stand on a high natural vantage point with a long view of open woods. Nobody got anything from it.

People did get deer from close shots from well placed stands, ground blinds or while stalking.

We don't have many other spots with high natural (non-stand) vantage points. There's one possible, but it's a long view of a timber cut-over. You can see a long way but shooting would be tough. Once the trees are removed lots of high vegetation, weeds and brush spring up that obscure all but a deer's neck and head.

So I vote YES on there being a difference.

Btw, what "glassing" we do is usually with only the rifle scope and isn't done to actually find deer. It's usually more to study deer or other things that are already clearly visible and to make a shooting decision. Or sometimes just to enjoy watching deer, even though clearly out of range.

I think that they are the same.If you create the vantage point of it is natural,yuo are doing the same thing,Looking for game.
You are not supposed to use your scope to look at something you see.

How do you shoot it if you can't look at it with your scope??? Let's not get too carried away with this politically correct stuff.

If I see a deer, I'm gonna put the scope on him and evaluate him. If he ain't up to snuff in the horn or ham department, he gets a pass; if he's what I'm looking for, I kill him. My binoc's are hanging, unused, around my neck. If I see something I can't identify, I whip up my binocs and take a look. If it's a deer, I switch to my scope for the evaluation as the opportunity to shoot may be small.
Everyone doesn't hunt in the wide open spaces.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:

Everyone doesn't hunt in the wide open spaces.

wasbeeman makes a great point.

Like I said in my original post you really have to consider the terrain you are hunting in.

My scope is used to shoot but I really don't need one where I hunt. It might be hard for someone who hunts in big sky county to imagine and it doesn't make very good video for hunting shows but I am hunting really really thick stuff. Our hunting camp has a saying that you know when you finally found thick enough cover because the only way to get into it is to back in slowly. Safety glasses are really the only glass needed.

Binos are used for looking ,scopes are used for shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by MN Hunter:
Other

You have to consider the terrain you are hunting in. Mountains, hills, farm fields, river bottoms, big woods, swamps, etc. In some places the tree stand does equate to a natural vantage point. In places that I hunt (big woods and cedar swamps) there are no natural vantage points so the tree stand gives you a unique perspective.

That said I quit carrying any glass for my deep woods deer hunting a few years ago(other than rife scope) because I got tired of never using them. In the very think brush where I hunt I have never seen a deer before I have heard him. Never. Everything is in close usually under 25 yards.

My expirence matches yours pretty much,probably because we hunt fairly close,but I disagree with the glass.

I have a pair of mini leupolds and use them alot,and have spotted several deer bedded, by seeing movement of some kind,not being able to identify it,and easing the binos out and watching.
I keep them around my neck,inside my orange cotton windbreaker.I can ease them out without a sound,and they have eye relief so I can see the entire field of view with glasses on.