Finding the Correct Scope for your Next Hunting Expedition

Before heading out into the wilderness for your next hunting expedition it may be time to find the correct rifle scope that suits your individual needs. Whether you are replacing and old scope that has become outdated or broken, upgrading to a more feature packed scope, or just trying to match a new scope to a new rifle; many choices and options are available and sometimes figuring out what you need can be a daunting task. While owning a scope is not absolutely necessary, it will definitely make your hunting trips more productive and can mean the difference between going home with a trophy and going home with another 'could have been' story. Following a few simple guidelines and rules can make matching yourself to the right scope much easier and can actually save you time and money. At Big T Sports we want to provide you with the best products for your individual adventures and the following steps will assist any hunter with making an informed choice.

The first thing to consider is the magnification of the scope, which determines how far your target can be from you and still be accurately sighted. Magnification can be the most important factor to consider when purchasing a new scope and can affect the price, the size, and the usefulness of the scope. A scope can either carry a fixed magnification (non-adjustable) or it can have a variable magnification (adjustable) level that works like a zoom feature on a camera. A variable power scope is superior since it can be used for a variety of different game and can be quickly changed depending on the situation or terrain. While a 9x scope can be useful for whitetail deer, a 4x scope is much more suited for small game such as rabbits and squirrel, and sometimes a scope magnification of up to 12x is needed for mule deer or antelope. Having a variable power scope is equivalent to owning several fixed magnification scopes. While a variable power scope will be more expensive initially, its benefits can quickly pay off for a multi-season hunter. If you only hunt one type of game a fixed magnification scope could be an ideal and economic choice and can help you avoid having to change magnifications at the crucial moment in the field. The best way to choose a magnification is to match your scope to your intended game and if you hunt various game a variable power scope is essential.

After deciding on a fixed or variable scope the next task is determining the right size lenses for your new scope. Choosing the correct lens size (in millimeters) can determine the size of the scope, the clarity of the scope, and the price of the scope. Finding the right size of the lens will give you a scope that is transportable, provides a clear view, and fits into your budget. The larger the scope lens, the brighter the image and the clearer the resolution of the image. A large lens can provide a clear, sharp image that can provide a more accurate shot; however a lens size that is too large can become cumbersome to carry, difficult to conceal, and hard to protect from damage in close quarters or rough terrain. A 40mm lens is the most popular choice for all around hunting (especially deer), though a larger lens may be utilized for those with poor vision or those who are hunting at greater distances. A larger lens size can also add to the price of the scope and going too large may not be cost effective.

A good cross hair guide can greatly improve the accuracy and usability of your new scope. The guide in a scope can also be referred to as a plex or as a reticle and all of these terms refer to the guide lines that appear when looking through a scope. While variations do exist on the cross hairs, the best choice for the widest range of hunters remains the standard cross lines that are thicker on the outside of the site and narrow as they approach the center cross point. This type of cross hair guide makes for quick and accurate sighting of most game and is particularly useful for deer hunting. Other considerations to make, though not essential, are the finish of the scope and the optic options of the scope. Most scopes are finished in black and can be purchased in either a matte or gloss finish. Also camouflage patterns are available on some models. The finish of the scope is generally a personal choice; however a gloss scope may become reflective in high-light situations and could become visible to some game. Some scopes now have optional lens finishes that can reflect light for better visibility and light exposure or come with anti-reflective coatings or can be anti-fog. These options are generally upgrades and are a personal choice that does not affect the overall usefulness of a scope.

Following these simple steps will help anyone to choose the right scope for their personal hunting style, whether it be for small game, deer, or larger game. Having the right scope attached to your hunting rifle can easily make or break your next hunting trip. We here at Big T Sports provide a great selection of scopes for hunting or target shooting and have the best prices around on many of the latest products from a wide selection of manufacturers.

Also view our related product reviews, 'The Perfect Deer Hunting Scope'.

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Scent Elimination

Hunters cannot seem to agree on scent elimination. Some hunters believe it works while others are skeptical. Some only trust certain products, but naysayers claim none of them work. But when it comes to the successful hunters who are truly serious about it, they all take into consideration every aspect of scent elimination. A hunter's opinion of it can be easily swayed by success or failure, but failures are often the result of using a product incorrectly or not completely eliminating as much human scent as possible.   There is more to consider than just using the products themselves -- application and product care are important, too, as is removing the odor on all your hunting items.

When hunting, eliminating human scent is essential for catching that trophy buck. All hunters avoid being upwind because human scent spooks deer, letting them know of their presence before hunters can even see their prey. A whitetail deer's nose is especially hard to fool. By making yourself as scent-free as possible, you are fooling a deer's nose to think danger is further away than it really is. The less noticeable your scent is, the more likely you can make that trophy kill. And there are many products that can bring you many steps closer to success.

One of those items is the activated carbon suit that allows hunters to get closer than ever. The suit eliminates human scent by trapping the odor within the clothing for up to forty hours of field use-when used correctly. Many tests have been performed, and they do exactly what they say they do, so knowing how to use a carbon suit is the next step towards success. An activated carbon suit can be activated in a household dryer in usually forty minutes. After activating the carbon-lined suit, it should immediately be placed in a scent-free container or bag for best results. Many hunters make the mistake of wearing it as they drive to the woods, allowing it to soak up the human smell within your car. The carbon suit absorbs the odors around you, and your car is full of them. Once the suit reaches its capacity, it can no longer absorb anymore odor, so storing it until you are ready to use it is pivotal for optimal success. Make sure to use the hood and the gloves to greatly increase your chances of getting closer to deer because every part of the human body gives off odor. With a properly used activated carbon suit, you can even fool a whitetail's nose upwind.

Also, eliminating all unnatural scents on hunting attire, bags, and equipment is crucial to aid any other scent elimination. The activated carbon suit won't solve all your problems; leaving your gun or tree stand scented could ruin your other preparation work. One whiff of human scent from the soles of your shoes or the bag you're carrying could spook that trophy kill, so why risk it?

Every part of the human body gives off a distinct odor, especially human breath. Chlorophyll chewing gum helps a hunter's breath and aids in the prevention of spooking the deer. Products like scent-free body soaps, shampoos, and deodorants also need to be used to complete the scent elimination process. You need to wash your hunting attire separately from other laundry with a non-scented detergent and without fabric softener. If it's a nice day outside, letting the clothing air dry on a rack or line can work best. If not, just use some woods-scented dryer sheets. Then you should store the fully dried clothes in a scent-free, airtight container to prevent them from absorbing foreign smells. This goes for all hunting apparel. When hunting, wear a pair of rubber boots if you can because rubber doesn't absorb other odors. For the colder months, use scent-free soaps to wash your winter boots and store them in a scent-free container. There are also scent-covering sprays that work well for shoes and equipment.

So now your body might be scent-free, but what about everything else you're carrying? All your equipment needs to be free of odors as well. Any bags, guns, or tree stands will have human scent on them. A neutralizing or scent-free spray works best for equipment like guns and tree stands, but there are many great scent-free bags and containers sold specifically for hunting items also.

Scent elimination is not always an easy task, but the benefits of it can easily be seen by the quality of the deer and other big game you bring home. As long as you follow through with product directions and become as scent-free as possible, success is just at your fingertips -- as is that trophy buck.

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Choosing Binoculars
As your most important piece of hunting or birding equipment, binoculars should be chosen carefully. When buying a pair of binoculars, the following features should be considered:

Magnification

All binoculars feature a set of numbers such as 7 x 40. The first number denotes the power of the binoculars: a 7x pair of binoculars will make a bird look seven times larger than it appears to the naked eye, a 10x pair will make the bird look 10 times larger, and so on.

Anything less than 7x is of little benefit. 10x binoculars will give you a great view, but you may have trouble keeping the image steady -- the greater the magnification, the more any hand tremor is accentuated. So, depending on how steady a hand you have, you should select a pair between 7x and 10x.

Brightness and Weight

The second number that appears on your binoculars -- 40 in the above example -- denotes the diameter of the objective (front) lenses. The larger these are, the more light will enter the binoculars and the brighter the image will be. However, the larger the objective lenses are, the heavier the binoculars will be.

Construction and Weight

There are two types of binoculars - porro prisms and roof prisms - and their designs have a bearing on their weight and price. Until the 1980s, the best binoculars were porro prisms. Porro designs are still popular and, in general, dominate the lower end of the price range ($40 to $400). Many provide bright, clear viewing and, in some cases, good close focus.

Recently, however, new technology has allowed manufacturers to create roof prisms that provide the same power and clarity in a more compact design. Roof prisms are therefore lighter but tend to be more expensive.

Durability

Porro designs tend to be frailer than roof prisms. Even with average usage, some part of the frame may eventually break, or a prism may slip out of alignment. Many binoculars now feature rubber armoring for protection. However, there is a tendency for some rubber eyecups to crack and break and for bubbles to form in armored panels.

Close Focus

A good pair of birding binoculars should focus on objects that are as close as 14 feet (4.2m), and the closer they can focus, the better. Some roof prism models, designed for birding, will focus to 12 feet (3.7m), but some binoculars have a minimum viewing distance of 23 feet (7m) or more, which is totally impractical.

Price

There are good, robust binoculars available at the lower end of the price range, but, as with most equipment of this kind, you get what you pay for, and top-quality binoculars are a joy to use. On the other hand, as binoculars are easily damaged, you should buy only what you can afford to replace.

Comfort

Before buying binoculars, talk to someone who owns the model you have in mind, or try to find a salesperson who is a binocular specialist and ask them for guidance. Hang the binoculars around your neck to check their weight; if they feel heavy, they'll feel a good deal heavier at the end of the day in the field. Look through them and roll the focus wheel to be sure all parts are running smoothly. Check how well they focus on objects close by. Comfort and ease of use are as important as power.

Maintenance

Binoculars must be properly aligned and kept clean. Use a soft cloth to wipe oily dust and lunch crumbs from the lenses. Q-tips are good for small, hard-to-reach places.


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Top 10 Reasons to Use a Hunting GPS:

1. Most GPS units weigh only 6-10 ounces, so they won't slow you down.

2. They come with compasses, and some are even camouflaged and waterproof.
3. You can have up to twelve satellites calculating your exact position on the hunting grounds.
4. It calculates the sunrise and sunset times. It also calculates speeds, distances, and a great deal more.
5. You can store between 500 and 2,000 "waypoint" locations to which you can navigate to at a later time. If you want to make a note of a sighting, you can save and label the location of it. The track logs can save between ten and fifty retraceable paths.
6. You can wander off designated paths without worry and still find your way back to your vehicle or base with the GPS's directional or compass screen, even in bad weather conditions.
7. If you have hunting dogs, some popular GPS hunting units include several receivers that can track the dogs' location, average distance and speed, and if they are running or on point. With different colors representing each dog, multiple dogs can be easily tracked.
8. If you do not have access to private hunting grounds, you can upload public hunting area maps and topographical maps. You can get personalized software to create your own maps to use as well.
9. You can use the GPS as a two-way radio to communicate your location to fellow hunters.
10. Safety comes first. If you get into serious trouble, you can use the GPS unit to communicate your exact position to rescue teams.

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Bowhunting

Unlike the image of typical hunters aiming a rifle from more than 200 yards away from their prey, bowhunters must get up close and personal with their game, forging an intimacy with it that many hunters opt to forgo. Because of this proximity, many bowhunters claim bowhunting generates an excitement unlike anything else. Depending on individual ability, performance, and preference, a bowhunter must fool the animal's keen senses of sight and smell to get within close range. While there are many difficulties in bowhunting, there are steps to follow to greatly increase your chance of success.

Certainly the most obvious answer for any bowhunter to achieve a greater success rate is practice. By practicing your aim and shot daily, you can become more comfortable with the bow and the bow's characteristics. Once you become comfortable with the draw weight of the bow and the arrow type, as well as hooking the arrow quickly and quietly, you will increase your confidence and leave less room for error during the actual hunt. You should try to master aiming a good twenty yards from targets at least, and then gradually increase that yardage to increase your chances of success. After all, practice makes perfect.

Knowing which equipment to use is important also. Certain arrows fly in different ways. Aluminum arrows are often heavier than carbon arrows, but this will provide a consistent speed and a more stable trajectory. However, the lighter and more durable carbon arrows provide a straighter trajectory. Practicing with both arrows will give you an edge over any type of game. Knowing which type of arrow would work best in different situations is crucial knowledge. Also, use a quality broadhead for a clean, fatal penetration. Since the difference between success and failure is often measured by mere yards, a good aim with different types of arrows is essential for a successful and clean penetration.

Once you have mastered the bow, the next step is scouting long and often. Since getting close to the game is critical for success, even more so than rifle hunting, you must predict and be aware of the game's habits. Instead of just days or weeks before the opening day, you should scout months in advance. By following this piece of advice, you are far more likely to achieve success because you know where the game hides, eats, and sleeps, as well as its routine patterns. Not only will you down your prey quicker, but you'll likely be able to get more than a few game within the hunting season.

Another thing to consider is the tree stand. Tree stands give a bowhunter an angle advantage, but the placement of the tree stand can be the difference between a successful kill and a complete failure. Scouting early and often will help you know exactly where to place the stand, but also consider the wind patterns on the day of the hunt. Unless you completely hide your human scent with scent eliminating products, your smell will spook your game and send them well out of your bow's range. So reflect on the tree stand's placement based on the wind direction. Scout out different places as well. Don't just settle on one spot. Once you have your areas, clear the brush in the way of your arrow. Do this well in advance to your hunt, however, since game --whitetail deer especially-- are likely to notice the change immediately.

Another form of bowhunting is bowfishing. Bowfishing is very similar to bowhunting, but with fish as the prey. Unlike regular fishing with a pole, line, and hook, bowfishing involves shooting a specifically designed barbed arrow with a reel or spool attached to reel in the fish. The arrows for bowfishing are heavier and stronger than those used for bowhunting, and you must consider the refractory angle of the water in respect to the actual location of the fish. Because of this angle, bowfishing can be very difficult.

All things considered, the best weapon you have on your side is your patience, as any experienced hunter knows. To get that trophy kill, patience is key.

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Eight Deer Hunting Myths Debunked

1. Big bucks roam freely. Actually, like most deer, they stay within their territory for safety in order to avoid unfamiliar territories and flee predators easily.
2. Bucks bed in the thickest cover. While bucks do prefer thick covering, they also bed elsewhere where it is easiest to view approaching predators and flee from them.
3. Rain ruins deer hunting. Deer still roam as long as it's not an extremely heavy rain.
4. Hunting during a full moon can affect hunting. According to scientific research, the second full moon after the fall equinox starts the rutting season, so naturally the deer are out and about.
5. Deer will flee for miles when they are spooked. Actually, because deer do not like to leave their territory, they will only run a couple hundred yards. If they are pressured into new areas, they will be far more vulnerable.
6. Antler size alone determines a deer's age. Genetics, diet, and nutrition also factor into the size of a deer's antlers.
7. Deer always travel against the wind. This has been proven incorrect countless of times. The wind direction does not really affect deer movement, unless they get a whiff of your scent!
8. Northern deer taste gamey because of their cedar diet. This is untrue. The position of the bullet wound, the gutting, and the packaging affect the taste of deer meat more than their diets.

Other Fun Facts About Deer

• There are about 100 different types of deer.
• The term "buck" came from the early American Frontier days when the skin of a male deer was worth only a dollar.
• Saskatchewan, Canada is known for having some of the largest whitetail deer.
• Antlers have the fastest growing living tissue on Earth.
• Deer are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica.
• Does, or female deer, generally give birth to twins.
• Some deer will starve before leaving their own domain.
• Deer can run around 40 mph and jump about 10 feet high.
• The muscles in their ears allow them to turn them without moving their heads.
• Deer are considered adults and ready to breed when they lose their spots, usually around September.
• Fawns have a lack of scent to protect them from enemies.
• Deer have good night vision and an excellent sense of smell.
• Deer shed their coats biannually: their reddish-brown coats during late August and their thick, gray coats during the spring months of March and April.
• Deer have a 310 degree view because their eyes are on the side of their head.
• Tame deer will show affection by licking your hand.

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