Tips & Tactics

Photo: A sheep hunter’s tip for taking long-range photos helped Tim H. Martin photograph this wide 10-pointer from a distance.

While muzzleloader hunting in Ohio in 2010, I watched an extremely wide 10-pointer bedding down in the rain. It plopped down about 70 yards behind and to the side of my ground blind, well outside of my shooting lane.

I tried to position my blackpowder rifle for a shot, but it was a no-go due to the awkward angle and a tiny screened window. But the good news was I could unzip the window and take photos of the huge buck as it hunkered down beneath a tree, trying to stay dry.

After snapping a few distant shots with my small, limited-zoom camera, an idea struck me. I'd seen photos of Dall sheep that a hunter had taken through a spotting scope in Alaska. I wondered if I could use my binoculars to do something similar.

I propped my Nikons on the shooting sticks, focused on the buck and held the little camera up to one of the sight apertures.

Much to my surprise, the buck’s image appeared a great deal bigger and better in the viewfinder, and I was pleased that the photos actually worked.

After snapping a few pictures, the buck rose from the bed and I got ready for a shot. Unfortunately, it decided to go elsewhere and disappeared into the thick woods.

That night, I scrolled through my viewfinder and could tell a big difference in the photos. The pictures I took by camera alone were simply too far away to tell much about the buck. The ones I took with the help of the binoculars enhanced the details of the antlers and allowed me to show the guides exactly which buck I had encountered. They'd seen it before and knew how to pattern this particular deer.

The next afternoon, we relocated to an area frequented by the wide buck, and I was able to take it with my muzzleloader when it appeared at the edge of a clover field.

If you decide to try this, make sure to focus the binoculars before taking the photos, and try to center the camera's lens directly behind the binocular's eyepiece.

You'll also need a good rest to prop your binos and camera on, just as you would with a riflescope.

And if you are using a smartphone, sometimes the camera hole is hard to find. Figure that out before you head to the field.

Email us your tips. If selected, you will receive a cap signed by Jackie Bushman, as well as a hunting knife.

We especially love receiving tips that are unique and original. If you have a tactic or idea that makes your hunting better, we’d love to hear about it — even the simple, strange or unusual stuff!

Send your tips to: huntingtips@buckmasters.com

– Photo Courtesy of Tim H. Martin