Sharing information regarding hunting in California is something that give hunters more tools in which to be successful in the field. This past Saturday, I gave a seminar at Bass Pro Shops in Rancho Cucamonga, CA on Scouting and Optics in Southern California. I focused on SoCal because California is such a large state that different techniques can be used depending on where you hunt. I won’t cover everything I talked about (you’ll have to attend a seminar to get the full impact), but I’ll give you the short version.
The majority of the seminar was focused on utilizing binoculars with a minimum of a 10×42 power mounted to a tripod. I don’t think everyone in SoCal really needs a spotting scope if they plan to simply hunt the foothills. They are handy, no doubt, but two eyes on a subject are better than one.
I covered different binoculars for hunters on a budget and why using the Pursuit X1 binoculars from BPS mounted to a tripod was better than some high–end binos being handheld over time. Hand holding them is great for short approaches, but for long-term scouting, mounting them to a tripod allows you to focus on the movement on the hillside and not the movement caused by your hands shaking.
We briefly discussed scouting with trail cameras, what ones to buy, and how to set them up properly.
When it comes to scouting, like many other hunters, I recommend using a grid pattern. Imagine a grid covering the area you want to glass and then take a square at a time to focus on. Look it over for at least five minutes before moving to another square. If there are two of you this can work even better.
Overall, I think the seminar was a success. I enjoyed the questions, the participation, and meeting the attendees after. You guys were great to talk with! I wish you all the best success this year with your scouting. I look forward to getting some stories of your scouting trips and your hunts. Good luck out there!
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