Maybe it goes without saying, but a good pair of binoculars is a well-rounded hunter’s best friend. Whether you’re sitting in a shooting house overlooking a lush food plot, a turkey blind waiting for an eager gobbler to appear or from a comfortable duck blind, extending your vision is key.
Recently, I took a trip to Venice, La., deep into the Mississippi River Delta, and enjoyed some fantastic duck hunting with the guys at Cajun Unlimited Outfitters. I’ve gotten into the habit of toting binoculars with me on every hunt, regardless of the genre. It paid off pretty impressively this time.
The guides would drop a few of us off at a blind, no dog, no boat, just two of us in a blind with our Franchi Affinities within arm’s reach. We’d be responsible for knowing what we shot, and how many. But as the wind blows and the tides go out or come in, the ducks you’ve downed will move.
We were only allowed six ducks per man, and limited numbers of pintail and other species. So, we needed to know exactly what we had down. With my Burris Droptine binocs strapped to my chest, knowing exactly what we had was much easier. I used a 10x42, but a Signature HD in a 12x50 would also work well in a duck-hunting scenario.
Take your binoculars with you on every hunt, I promise you’ll find a good use for them each time. ~ Thomas
Thomas Allen has spent over two decades pursing whitetails, turkeys and ducks across 10 states and two Canadian provinces. He currently works full time as Senior Editor for Bassmaster publications, but freelances on the side as a hunting videographer, photographer, editor and writer. His work has been featured in some of the nation's leading hunting and fishing magazines spanning nearly a 13-year content generating career in the outdoor market.
.png)
.png)
.png)
