kwp

Everyone knows someone with inside info.

One thing many eastern hunters don't realize is how difficult it is to be quiet in our desert mountains. Nothing is soft, everything crunches. Trying to get closer will likely result in many more blown stalks than successful ones.

Game and fish has changed the hunt structure since that book was written. Most units have 4 general Coues hunts, 1 juniors hunt, pre and post season archery, and mule deer hunt. This is a highly debated subject. G&f manages for hunter opportunity. They have a harvest objective for each unit and the more people they cram into each hunt the lower the success rate is. More people get the opportunity to hunt with the same rough # of deer harvested. Unfortunately hunt quality and animal quality tends to suffer. Also, more hunters equals more tag and license fees. I over simplified this but that's it in a nutshell.

Not sure too many people would consider a club team "National Champions". Pretty sure that is reserved for real NCAA teams.

This story starts last fall when I made the decision that I was going to buy the new Swarovski 15x56 SLC HD binoculars. I called Swarovski and Outdoorsmans to see how to go about getting them as early as possible. A good buddy of mine had an upcoming New Mexico Barbary Sheep hunt in February 2014 and I was hoping to have them for that hunt. I decided to pre-pay for them and the guys at Outdoorsmans told me that they thought it would be mid to late January at the earliest, even though Swaro was shooting for January 1st. Christmas passed and I was hoping Swaro would hit their mark for a late gift from Santa. The guys at Outdoorsmans kept me updated and Swaros date kept getting pushed back. Finally, 7 days before our departure, Cody from the Outdoorsmans called and said that he had talked one of the Swaro reps into sending me his pair that he takes to shows as a loaner, just for the hunt. Keep in mind, I don't know these guys, I am just another customer. I was amazed at the lengths that Cody (and Swaro) went to make me a happy customer. On to my review; There were three of us on the hunt, all using top of the line 15x56 binos. One buddy has the 15x56 Leica Geovid non HD and the other has the current 15x56 Swaro SLC non-HD. My initial observation was that the new HDs are quite a bit shorter than the current SLCs and that the ocular lenses are quite a bit bigger. When using them it was very clear that the pupilary(sp) distance had been reduced. The older SLCs are useable for me but I have them sqeezed together as far as they will go. With the HDs, there was plently of room to adjust them closer together. I also noted that the HD focus wheel was easier to adjust with gloves on. The eyecups on the HDs twist out and click into a few different positions, which I also like better. Looking through them the biggest difference is the brightness. The HD versions are noticebly brighter than their predecessor and significantly brighter than the Leicas. The difference in clarity is not as big but the HDs are definitely clearer than the non HD models. The brightness and clarity upgrades were most noticeable when glassing into the shade, during a bright sunny day. With the HDs the shady areas were much more crisp, making it alot easier to make out what it was in the shady area. I feel like Swaro upgraded every aspect of the binos that for so long have been the gold standard that all other binos are compared to. I know that I am very excited to get my permanent pair (hopefully very soon) and will never regret the purchase.

Seems like a good idea to logical thinkers like us but imagine the heyday that all the anti's and the watchdog reporters would have. I am sure they would spin it that G & F planted the sheep up there knowing it would fail so that a few hunters could then take out the rest. The further this goes the more of a public relations disaster it becomes. G & F is in way too deep to save face now. Unfortunately the hunting community gets drug through the mud too, even though many of us were quite skeptical of the project in the first place.

Azstarnet.com has an article on the last two sheep deaths (and the others too). If you really want to see how clueless the public is read the comments on the articles.

Sounds like a barrel burner.

Congrats to the Sun Devils on the win. This discussion shows how far apart the two programs are. ASU's season could end now and be a success because they beat UA. UA has much bigger and better goals both this year and many years to come.

Do you mean losing? Because putting loose and ASU in the same sentence I would think you were talking about the cheerleaders.

All I gotta say is that game was painful to watch. UA if full of top tier athletes who clearly practice their dunks more than jump shots. ASU offense was spread the floor and watch Jahii dribble around. Both teams had a chance to win at the end of regulation and couldn't even hit the rim. I can't believe there wasn't a Waltonism on that. Then there were the free throws...

We saw over 70 sheep on opening day, including a few good rams. The rams were either in cliffs that were not accessible or moved around so much that is was impossible to get a shot at them. The second day we found a group of sheep right away that had a good ram in it but once again the ram moved all over the country and by the time we were within range he had gone out of view. My buddy decided to take the second biggest sheep in the group.

Comparing the Leica Geovids with the old SLCs, the clarity was very similar but the SLCs were much better in brightness and color trueness. One of my biggest complaints with Leica has been the coating they put on that gives everything a yellow hue. I have not had the joy of looking through the 12x50 EL Swarovision but like SwarovskiCoues said it is not really comparing Apples to Apples. For me I have my 10x42 ELs (pre-Swarovision) so I didn't see a point in having 10s and 12s whereas 10s and 15s have different situations where I'll use both. As to your question about if the upgrade is worth it, only you can make that decision. I'd say it depends a lot on your hunting style. The HD SLCs will provide the biggest benefit in poor light situation. A little bit at first and last light but I think mostly mid-day, when the deer are bedded deep into the shadows. In the mornings and evenings while the deer are active and moving around, I doubt the HDs will help you find more game. So if you are the type of hunter that goes back to camp mid-day then I'd say no, probably not worth the extra $$$. But if you stay out in the field and glass all day then I think you'll have a little better chance of finding that bedded buck with the HDs.

Shooter is made by Sean Kennedy but does use some of Bryan litz ballistic coefficients. Shooter has a lot of features many of the others don't like measuring angle with your phone, getting elevation from gps, weather conditions from weather station (if cell service), and can connect to a Bluetooth capable wind meter if you have one.

Shooter!

Outdoorsman adapter is by far the best. Tell them the binos you have and they will make sure you get the correct stud.

Stand on the east side of alvernon, between speedway and Pima. Better than el guero and BKs. The bun makes the dog

Like others have said, the 56 mm objective is going to leave a lot to be desired at 20 power. I know u said not to bring up swaro but if you are considering spending $1400 on the vortex then find a used pair of swaro 15x56 or spend a couple hundred more for the closeout price on the current 15x56 SLC.

Why do people clutter coueswhitetail.com with worthless forum topics?

After that blowout ASU is changing the name of their mascot. SPARKLES

I paid for mine nearly 2 months ago, still waiting to get them. Will do a review beside the old 15x56 SLC and 15x geovid when I get them.

Good news for ASU basketball. Back in 1991 ASU scored 11 first-half points on 4 field goals in Tucson. Well Washington State just broke those records scoring 7 first-half points on 2 field goals.

Redding Big Boss II

Flatlander/RedRabbit, What are the odds that you two know more about how the draw works than the people who actually run the draw?

I had the stud put in my 10x42 ELs that I bought back in 2007. I have since sent them in to Swaro twice for repairs without any issues. Just paid shipping and handling, the repairs were covered, and they shipped them back. I know it is a little unnerving, but there is nothing to worry about.