Aug 13, 2021 4 min read

I was thinking about the importance of binoculars today. I am used to people borrowing my binoculars by now, so I didn’t even comment when Jim said let me use your binoculars to scan that cave above us on that hillside.

I have never understood how a hunter can justify spending a thousand dollars or more for a big game rifle and balk at spending money on binoculars. I would rather take to the woods without my pants than without my binoculars. Of all the equipment I possess, the binoculars are my most useful. This is why I stress that any outdoorsperson should own a good set of binoculars. They are useful for many, many things; not just hunting.

There are many high-quality binoculars on the market. One never goes wrong with Zeiss, Meopta, Leupold and Swarovski. These four are well respected in the field of optics. Deciding what power and size also enter the picture when deciding what to buy. The hunter in western Montana looking for a record antelope might be happier with the 8×30 than the much heavier 10×40. The 10×40 with its larger objective lens will allow light to enter but the weight of the binoculars might be a pain to carry around. For those unaware, the first digit is the power of the binocular and the second number is the size in millimeters of the objective lens. Like all things, we compromise clarity with the ability to carry around the binoculars on a hunt.

There are a couple of rules that the owner of a pair of high-quality binoculars need to follow. All binoculars will fog. To prevent fogging, it is the same as your scope. Keep them dry. Also, if binoculars are advertised as not having to focus, they are not good glass. They are a compromise. Never clean them off with your shirttail unless its an emergency. Think scratch. Use something very soft with nothing on it. When cleaning a lens, use products designed for lens cleaning, use cotton balls, micro-fiber that has never had a cleaning product on it or lens cleaning wipes.

But what happened to Jim borrowing my binoculars. We were on a pig hunt in the fall in South Carolina. Dave and John were hunting with me. As Jim scanned the cave, we were standing in one of those ravines covered in saplings. Jim was in front of me and I was worried about not being able to shoot safely. Luckily, there was no pig in this cave and Jim handed me back my favorite pair of Swarovski binoculars. I say luckily, as I couldn’t have had a shot.

I thought later about Jim not having binoculars of his own. Then we decided to turn, and work our way back to the Jeep as it was 85 degrees. I was still worried about not shooting my pig hunt binocular as we walked back toward the Jeep. I moved about 10 yards away from Jim to scan with my binoculars something that had attracted my attention. Out popped the pig running toward me. I dropped those binoculars back around my neck. Up came the Model 70 as smooth as a 20 gauge shotgun. At the shot, I barely aimed the gun and the pig rolled and fell. Then the pig got his front legs under him and started to get up again. I shot a second shot that finished him off right in front of me.

Jim then helped me field dress that big red boar and hang it in a tree. This pig was big and field dressed at 275 pounds. We then went to get that Jeep. On the way back, I scanned the area before we got back to the viscera pile. There were four pigs feeding that fast in a frenzy. Jim said that’s why we hang them before going for the Jeep. I used the rifle to scare away these pigs but not easily. The whole time we loaded up I was on the tense lookout as these pigs were mean. For a person who hunted mainly deer, the wild boar made an interesting game animal hunted under the rules of fair chase. Boar are crabby by nature and don’t like being disturbed. They make for a good hunt with a touch of adventure.

I look back at that hunt and my useful binoculars came to mind. The reason being was the guide didn’t have any. Strange to me and he was a great guide.