anybody else use a rifle scope for a spotting scope!!

[echo]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

We all Carry bino's in our Family all the time while we hunt

,however for example,say i'm watchin a alphalpa field around noon hour,out walks a buck 450 yards away,I can tell Right away with my naked eye thats it's a whitetail buck.

The First thing I do is immediatley shoulder my rifle,put the cross hairs on him,and judge his Rack useing my Rifle scope,not My bino's because you cant kill a deer with Bino's.Sometimes you only have a few second chance to get a shot in whitetail hunting.

on another note,say i'm in that same field and see movement at 450 yards,or any other unidentified object,I wont check it out with my rifle scope,i'll use my bino's.

I hav'nt read this whole thread,so I 'm sure that there is Multiple opinions on the Subject.

Either way this is how I hunt ,that is how i'll always Hunt.I've never pointed a Rifle at a Human,and I know that I never Will!!

x 2 i could'nt agree with you more but some people on just can't seem to get the picture.

[redranger15]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

We all Carry bino's in our Family all the time while we hunt

,however for example,say i'm watchin a alphalpa field around noon hour,out walks a buck 450 yards away,I can tell Right away with my naked eye thats it's a whitetail buck.

The First thing I do is immediatley shoulder my rifle,put the cross hairs on him,and judge his Rack useing my Rifle scope,not My bino's because you cant kill a deer with Bino's.Sometimes you only have a few second chance to get a shot in whitetail hunting.

on another note,say i'm in that same field and see movement at 450 yards,or any other unidentified object,I wont check it out with my rifle scope,i'll use my bino's.

I hav'nt read this whole thread,so I 'm sure that there is Multiple opinions on the Subject.

Either way this is how I hunt ,that is how i'll always Hunt.I've never pointed a Rifle at a Human,and I know that I never Will!!

Pretty much said the same thing a little earlier. But I agree.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by echo

x 2 i could'nt agree with you more but some people on just can't seem to get the picture.

Cool!!! & I've seen your Pictures,So it's good to know that a succesful hunter like yourself operates the same as My Family!!

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by redranger15

Pretty much said the same thing a little earlier. But I agree.

LOL Guess I should have Read more of the Thread,Right on Man!

[adaras]

everyone who hunt and cary a rifle must be responsible of what will happent after he pull the triger. now all this carap about safty is an idiot subject. safty is your knowlege your experiense and your time you spend in the bush.i have seen people following safty rules step by stem and causing accidents cause of their exitment to kill the animal! defently you can use your scope when you dont have binos.

[yamaha 1]

Originally Posted by adaras

everyone who hunt and cary a rifle must be responsible of what will happent after he pull the triger. now all this carap about safty is an idiot subject. safty is your knowlege your experiense and your time you spend in the bush.i have seen people following safty rules step by stem and causing accidents cause of their exitment to kill the animal! defently you can use your scope when you dont have binos.

And dude if you ever scoped me....not knowing what I was, I would come over to you and knock you lights out.

[maxpower2506]

Originally Posted by lclund1946

thought for a minute i was on forum sponsored by a coalition of toronto liberals, the anti-gun lobby and peta.

I can find no law against using a rifle scope to identify a target under the wilflife act. It is illegal, however, to assault someone as suggested by one loud mouth idiot.

For those of you who choose to sneak along the side of cutlines, etc., in full cammo i guess you will ultimately get scoped. If you are so paranoid about this possibility i suggest you either get full blaze orange clothing or stay out of the bush during rifle season.

f%&#@n eh!!!!!!!!!

[canadagrown]

I don't know about some of you guys. I do agree that when a deer comes out by all means take a look at it through your scope. Sometimes you do only have a second or two. But scoping people? I've never seen a hunter wearing full camo, or a brown jacket for that matter, who looked like a deer. Pretty obvious difference between the two. Pointing a loaded gun at person is how accidents happen. Why make room for an accident to happen? Just my oppinion. Safe hunting out there guys.

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by yamaha 1

And dude if you ever scoped me....not knowing what I was, I would come over to you and knock you lights out.

Wow! Another person who is willing to attempt to assault someone with a rifle in his hands. I would far sooner be accidently scoped by someone trying to identify his target, before shooting, than be in the bush with somone of this mentality. I am quite sure that if I was in the open, or wearing blaze orange, that the person would not have scoped me in the first place. I am not so sure that the macho hothead would even take the time to identify his target. As I said before if you are so paranoid about being scoped make yourself visible or stay home. If there are people out there who are intentionally scoping other hunters I would suggest that they stay home as well.

[echo]

Originally Posted by lclund1946

Wow! Another person who is willing to attempt to assault someone with a rifle in his hands. I would far sooner be accidently scoped by someone trying to identify his target, before shooting, than be in the bush with somone of this mentality. I am quite sure that if I was in the open, or wearing blaze orange, that the person would not have scoped me in the first place. I am not so sure that the macho hothead would even take the time to identify his target. As I said before if you are so paranoid about being scoped make yourself visible or stay home. If there are people out there who are intentionally scoping other hunters I would suggest that they stay home as well.

You are a prize!!

[hunt_and_fish]

Originally Posted by lclund1946

Wow! Another person who is willing to attempt to assault someone with a rifle in his hands. I would far sooner be accidently scoped by someone trying to identify his target, before shooting, than be in the bush with somone of this mentality. I am quite sure that if I was in the open, or wearing blaze orange, that the person would not have scoped me in the first place. I am not so sure that the macho hothead would even take the time to identify his target. As I said before if you are so paranoid about being scoped make yourself visible or stay home. If there are people out there who are intentionally scoping other hunters I would suggest that they stay home as well.

You talk as though it's okay to be scoped or that it's just part of hunting. You're wrong. It is unacceptable to use your rifle scope to glass a cutline for game or to identify a moving target. Period. That viewpoint does not make me a "Toronto liberal" as you described in an earlier post. It makes me a responsible gun owner. I'm not accusing you of ever doing it but arguing that accidentally scoping someone is okay or just something that's going to happen is akin to saying "if you're so paranoid about drunk drivers, just stay off the road" or "listen girly, if you're so paranoid about getting raped you shouldn't go out to a bar". If someone has a rifle pointed at them, it is the fault of the person holding the rifle 100% of the time.

Originally Posted by lclund1946

I can find no law against using a rifle scope to identify a target under the wilflife act.

No it's not in the wildlife act but it is illegal to point a gun at a human being, whether it was accidental or not. It's not all of a sudden legal because the person being pointed at wasn't wearing blaze orange.

This thread got brought back up last week because a couple guys were harping on a young guy who had used his scope to make sure that a doe didn't have small antlers. I didn't think that situation in specific was a big deal and I disagreed with the guys calling him out because in my opinion the young man didn't do anything dangerous....he pointed his gun at a target that he already knew was a deer. That is completely different than what the OP and you are talking about. Pointing your rifle all over the place, using your scope to glass an area for game or to identify something that moved in the bush is absolutely unacceptable. I'm not accusing you of ever being guilty of that but your two posts showed an acceptance and nonchalance toward that type of behavior that is impossible for me to understand.

[pdfish]

Originally Posted by hunt_and_fish

You talk as though it's okay to be scoped or that it's just part of hunting. You're wrong. It is unacceptable to use your rifle scope to glass a cutline for game or to identify a moving target. Period. That viewpoint does not make me a "Toronto liberal" as you described in an earlier post. It makes me a responsible gun owner. I'm not accusing you of ever doing it but arguing that accidentally scoping someone is okay or just something that's going to happen is akin to saying "if you're so paranoid about drunk drivers, just stay off the road" or "listen girly, if you're so paranoid about getting raped you shouldn't go out to a bar". If someone has a rifle pointed at them, it is the fault of the person holding the rifle 100% of the time.



No it's not in the wildlife act but it is illegal to point a gun at a human being, whether it was accidental or not. It's not all of a sudden legal because the person being pointed at wasn't wearing blaze orange.

This thread got brought back up last week because a couple guys were harping on a young guy who had used his scope to make sure that a doe didn't have small antlers. I didn't think that situation in specific was a big deal and I disagreed with the guys calling him out because in my opinion the young man didn't do anything dangerous....he pointed his gun at a target that he already knew was a deer. That is completely different than what the OP and you are talking about. Pointing your rifle all over the place, using your scope to glass an area for game or to identify something that moved in the bush is absolutely unacceptable. I'm not accusing you of ever being guilty of that but your two posts showed an acceptance and nonchalance toward that type of behavior that is impossible for me to understand.

x2, exactly what he said!!

[KegRiver]

It seems that on this site, it is okay to threaten a person with physical violence, a criminal code offense. And to defame an individual based on a misinterpretation of one statement I made. All because I admitted to using a scope on a rifle to double check the horns on an animal I was hunting. Which is not against the law.

I didn't say I do it all the time. I didn't say I think it's a good idea. I didn't get a chance to. I was kicked to the curb in two seconds flat.

Well guess what, here's another statement you all can use to attack me.
I never carry Binoculars when I'm hunting. I never have and I never will.

Yup, now you got me. Proof positive that I am a danger to every hunter out there.

That's the price I pay for hunting with open sights. And worse still, in an area no one else ever hunts.

Yeah I'm ticked. This site has a code of conduct. What good is it?

I thought I left this sort of thing behind. In the schoolyard.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

It seems that on this site, it is okay to threaten a person with physical violence, a criminal code offense. And to defame an individual based on a misinterpretation of one statement I made. All because I admitted to using a scope on a rifle to double check the horns on an animal I was hunting. Which is not against the law.

I didn't say I do it all the time. I didn't say I think it's a good idea. I didn't get a chance to. I was kicked to the curb in two seconds flat.

Well guess what, here's another statement you all can use to attack me.
I never carry Binoculars when I'm hunting. I never have and I never will.

Yup, now you got me. Proof positive that I am a danger to every hunter out there.

That's the price I pay for hunting with open sights. And worse still, in an area no one else ever hunts.

Yeah I'm ticked. This site has a code of conduct. What good is it?

I thought I left this sort of thing behind. In the schoolyard.

This thread got derailed pretty quick because some people mis understood the original question maybe?
IMO knowing that your are positively looking at an animal then putting a scope on it is a lot different from knowingly looking at someone through a scoped rifle!

If I am hunting with irons ( I do most of my hunting that way ) , I carry binoculars , even a small set sometimes, to check stuff out, but for the most
part know exactly what I am looking at before I put the glasses on them.
Cat

[Duramaximos]

At the risk of being berated, I'll add my opinion.

When I see a critter in the feild - I scope it, as long as I'm 100% sure that critter is not human.

If said critter walks out of the trees and instead of being mule, it's a white, or visa versa and it's not what I'm after, then I lower my rifle. If and Elk walks out from the scrub and only has 2 points instead of the 3 I was hoping for, then I lower my rifle. The rifle, all the while is on safe.

If I'm not 100% certain a critter is not human then I glass with binoculars.
I also glass with binoculars when I'm examining an area.

I'm not going to defend my actions, and I'm not about to change what I do. I'm prepared to take responsibility for my actions should something unfortunate happen.


Good luck all.

[Grizzly Adams]

Mary Beth Harshbarger did and look what happened.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...25-504083.html

Grizz

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Mary Beth Harshbarger did and look what happened.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...25-504083.html

Grizz

Too many suspect circumstances and (past legal for one) and other stuff to make a blanket statement like that comparing it to this thread.
Cat

[sheepguide]

To "ME" if you have time to count points, determin sex etc. you have time to use bino's.
If you point a rifle at a mule deer and only have a whitetail tag then that to me that is pointing a gun at something you arent alowed to shoot and there for is not a target. If your not sure if its a whitetail or mule deer then you havent posativly identified your target before pointing your firearm.
Counting points to determin legality with a rifle scope? Well that is really a joke people that say these are safe actions and are a good way to do things are not at all understanding what people are saying and should maybe worry more about pointing guns and a little less about whether or not jumping right to the rifle scope rather than using bino's because it saves them a couple seconds and they would rather just hurry and point the rifle just in case its something they want to shoot.
We are saying that a rifle scope shouldnt be used before proper identification is confirmed so you guys that keep saying that if you see a decent buck and first put up your rifle well if that buck is posativly identified then I guess we are in agreement that its ok right... so quit bringing that scenerio up please.
SG

[omega50]

I believe in my heart that anyone who thinks that it is ok to scope movement(another hunter) has never known the feeling of being on the receiving end of that.

Let me put my crosshairs on your chest and see if you agree.

If it is good for the goose, then it has to be good for the gander.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Too many suspect circumstances and (past legal for one) and other stuff to make a blanket statement like that comparing it to this thread.
Cat

Not really, if you consider her story based on facts and not what the family and the Media have conjectured.

Grizz

[180+]

The original question should have said that once I had Identified the animal like a sheep on mountain across a valley. I just wondered If instead of carrying 3 pairs of optics up the mountain, somebody might want to save some weight and just grab the binos and there rifle and head into shooting position. Surely not using my rifle to precariusly scan the mountains in search of game. A high powered scope although not a spotting scope in my eye can just trophies upto certain shooting distances. Not once did the question say replace a spotting scope just as mere alternative.

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by hunt_and_fish

You talk as though it's okay to be scoped or that it's just part of hunting. You're wrong. It is unacceptable to use your rifle scope to glass a cutline for game or to identify a moving target. Period. That viewpoint does not make me a "Toronto liberal" as you described in an earlier post.
Guess it don't make you a Toronto Liberal or Anti gun Lobyiest but you surely are thinking like one. They think that it totaly unnacceptable for anyone to have a firearm even though it is owned legally. Of course then, in their mind, there will be no more shootings, armed robberies or asaults and they will be totally safe no matter how careless they are.
It makes me a responsible gun owner. I'm not accusing you of ever doing it but arguing that accidentally scoping someone is okay or just something that's going to happen is akin to saying "if you're so paranoid about drunk drivers, just stay off the road" or "listen girly, if you're so paranoid about getting raped you shouldn't go out to a bar". If someone has a rifle pointed at them, it is the fault of the person holding the rifle 100% of the time.
So if you snuck within bow range of a known elk crossing, before daylight, in full camo and hid behind some deadfall waiting to ambush an elk it would be my fault if you stepped out to make the shot just as I was about to pull the trigger from 200 yards down the line. In the real world this is what sometimes happens. And just because you think I am 100% wrong dosen't make it so.


No it's not in the wildlife act but it is illegal to point a gun at a human being, whether it was accidental or not. It's not all of a sudden legal because the person being pointed at wasn't wearing blaze orange.
I am not a lawyer but I do think that there would have to be some threat or "intent to do harm" before this law would apply. As well you would have a much harder time proving that I scoped you from a distance than I would have in proving that you assaulted me. Even if you got your wish and a law was passed making it illegal to spot or identify an animal with a riflescope, you would be foolish to think that there would be 100% compliance and not take some precutions of your own.

This thread got brought back up last week because a couple guys were harping on a young guy who had used his scope to make sure that a doe didn't have small antlers. I didn't think that situation in specific was a big deal and I disagreed with the guys calling him out because in my opinion the young man didn't do anything dangerous....he pointed his gun at a target that he already knew was a deer. That is completely different than what the OP and you are talking about. Pointing your rifle all over the place, using your scope to glass an area for game or to identify something that moved in the bush is absolutely unacceptable. I'm not accusing you of ever being guilty of that but your two posts showed an acceptance and nonchalance toward that type of behavior that is impossible for me to understand.

If you want to think unkindly of me for trying to point this out to you then by all means you are free to do so. To the young OP. That is the same way I judged my trophy ram and the same way I would do it again.

[303carbine]

Originally Posted by 180+

Got some flack on this sight for using a high power scope on my rifle for a spotting scope!! I hunt lots in the mountais and carry a good pair of binos!! just do not see the need to carry 3 optics on my back humping mountains all day does anybody else do the same! My schmidt and bender 4-16x 50 on my rifle is the best optics I have ever seen!! just asking if anybody else does the same!!

Ask yourself this question,

"Do I want some bozo pointing a loaded firearm at me while looking for game"????.....that's what I thought.

[Scotty P.]

At the risk of throwing gas on a fire here I have to ask. I can understand the argument that if you can accurately identify and animal with your bare eyes there is no need to look through the binos at it first but what do you do when you THINK you see something in a field or on a cut line, whatever, but it's too far away to see with the naked eye? Not being able to check would drive me nuts! Just as an example, I forgot my binos in the truck one morning last weekend (the first and last time I do that I hope) and while sitting in my spot I noticed a large black "thing" lumbering down the game trail I was on, towards me. The first thing that I thought was this is a black bear or wolf or something but I couldn't confirm because I didn't have my eyes with me, so I just had to sit there waiting for this thing to get closer and closer getting a little more anxious with each step. Now I could have seen it clearly with my scope but as it turned out it was another hunter dressed head to toe in black. I don't want to even think about what could have happened if I scoped him or how choaked I would be if someone did it to me. If I had my binos with me I would have been able to identify him long before he got close to me and wouldn't have been on high alert thinking I had a bear coming in.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by 180+

The original question should have said that once I had Identified the animal like a sheep on mountain across a valley. I just wondered If instead of carrying 3 pairs of optics up the mountain, somebody might want to save some weight and just grab the binos and there rifle and head into shooting position. Surely not using my rifle to precariusly scan the mountains in search of game. A high powered scope although not a spotting scope in my eye can just trophies upto certain shooting distances. Not once did the question say replace a spotting scope just as mere alternative.

Your clarification changes the issue. If you have used the binos for your general scanning of the environment and you have positively "100% certain" identified a game animal and you know no one is behind or around it, then I have no problem with you looking at that animal through your more powerful scope to determine size of antlers, curl, etc. I just don't want to see guys looking at "something, not sure what yet" down the barrel of a gun.

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by lclund1946

If you want to think unkindly of me for trying to point this out to you then by all means you are free to do so. To the young OP. That is the same way I judged my trophy ram and the same way I would do it again.

Well there you have it. He did it so that makes it 100% A OK!!

What if someone was opposite you looking at the same sheep? What if you pointed your gun to judge the rams and noticed your cross hairs on another person? Like I said id rather miss the oppertunity at an animal than risk pointing my fire arm at someone.
Ive seen on many occasions where multiple guys are on a ram. Without proper scanning you wont see them. And sure even then sometimes you wont but at least you done everything you can and have scanned for other people, other animals in the line of fire and that you are shooting a safe direction. If your looking with only a rifle scope you obviously either arent doing this or doing it in an unsafe manner!
SG

[Cal]

I dont use my scope as a spotting scope but ONCE I HAVE IDENTIFYED THE TARGET the animal always gets evaluated through the scope. I dont realy care if anyone dissagrees with me, sitting there watching a group of does cross a cutline with your bino's and missing a split second chance at a nice buck following them is plain stupid IMO. But let me stress that only once the target has been identifyed do I use my rifle scope to watch it.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Cal

I dont use my scope as a spotting scope but ONCE I HAVE IDENTIFYED THE TARGET the animal always gets evaluated through the scope. I dont realy care if anyone dissagrees with me, sitting there watching a group of does cross a cutline with your bino's and missing a split second chance at a nice buck following them is plain stupid IMO. But let me stress that only once the target has been identifyed do I use my rifle scope to watch it.

Holy crap! I think I actualy almost agree with you Cal, thats gotta be a first.

[hunt_and_fish]

Originally Posted by lclund1946

Guess it don't make you a Toronto Liberal or Anti gun Lobyiest but you surely are thinking like one. They think that it totaly unnacceptable for anyone to have a firearm even though it is owned legally. Of course then, in their mind, there will be no more shootings, armed robberies or asaults and they will be totally safe no matter how careless they are.

I can guarantee you I do not think like an anti-gun lobbyist. I never said anything even remotely close to it being unacceptable for anyone to have a firearm. I'm not sure how you're making that connection. I'm also not trying to preach to anyone, there's plenty of that on here already.

I took exception when you said this

Originally Posted by lclund1946

if you are so paranoid about being scoped make yourself visible or stay home.

Here's a real life example of why:
My friend was sitting on the edge of a field last year and a guy driving by in a truck skidded to a stop, rolled down the window, poked his gun out and pointed it right at my buddy so he could see what he was with his scope. My buddy waived his arms and the guy sped away. I'd hope you'd agree that the guy in the truck was 100% at fault. It wasn't my friend's fault for not staying home or for not wearing orange.

I'm not paranoid about getting scoped - I rarely give it any thought while I'm hunting - but there's no way in hell I'm going to stay home just so somebody can point their rifle at whatever they want and not feel bad about it.

[Duramaximos]

Originally Posted by Cal

I dont use my scope as a spotting scope but ONCE I HAVE IDENTIFYED THE TARGET the animal always gets evaluated through the scope. I dont realy care if anyone dissagrees with me, sitting there watching a group of does cross a cutline with your bino's and missing a split second chance at a nice buck following them is plain stupid IMO. But let me stress that only once the target has been identifyed do I use my rifle scope to watch it.

x2

Just to be clear you first identifiy the target is not human, then you scope it? This is what I do. I will also ready my rifle if I see deer in the bushes about to break into the opening even if I don't know what species they are until they break into the opening. As long as I know for sure they are deer they get scoped.