I always have binoculars handy on my chest in a handy Rick Young harness but don't use them as much as I should when either still hunting or moving to/from stand sites because of extra movement dealing with the bow. What do you do with your bow when using binoculars?

In my tree stand my bow hangs on a hanger until I feel a need to pick it up. I stand 90% of the time as I feel I am more ready for the shot. Occasionally I sit and lay my bow across my lap. Binos on a long strap that hang down to my hip and out of the way.

Use it as a monopod to steady the binos.

I just put arm thru string and leave hang by elbow to use binos. Slow movement and not much from chest to eyes.

I ground/stillhunt and I wear a Bino Buddy harness. When I glass (which is A LOT...) I either lean my bow up against a tree if handy and close, or if not I just lay it up against me under where the harness/binos are. I don't use a bow quiver (Catquiver mini slung over shoulder), so the bow isn't heavier on one side and therefore is more stable.

hold bow straight up w string against your chest rest binos on limb top. acts as support

In a tree stand, the bow is across my lap or between my knees with an arrow nocked. I can easily grab the binos hanging from a strap around my neck without any other movement.

On the ground, i often stand my longbow vertically and use the top limb tip as a rest for my hand with the binos. When I'm hunting with a shorter recurve, I just lean it against my body and use two hands on the binos.

I carry either bow horizontally under my bow arm, so most often I just use the binos with my other hand without moving the bow from under my arm.

Not exactly what Krag asked, but what about when you shoot? Have your binos on your chest ever interfered with your shot? That has been my bother about buying a chest carrier. Seems like the string could touch on the case.

Like Sasquatch73, I use a neck strap and put my draw arm through it so binos hang on my side and I can shoot with them there. It keeps them out of the way and not dangling, but it can be slow to get them to my eyes.

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shooting-gear/quivers-accessories/bow-carriers.html

I use one of these on my belt or pack.

zog, Check out the Rick Young bino harness. It holds them close to your chest but still easy to pull up to use. It can be used in other configurations also and is so lightweight you don't know its there. Binos just seem to be held by a magical power. They also have a lightweight waterproof nylon cover almost like a shower cap that clips to the harness in its own pouch so you can't drop or lose it. I have a compact bino so large ones may be a different fit and feel.

I am thinking of making a belt holder from a piece of old leather belt. Form a belt loop with about 8" hanging down a large button on the loop and a slit 2" or so at the bottom. Figure it would be easy on and off with one hand to pull up around the handle of a bow and attach with slit over the button to let it hang horizontally at belt height.

I use a monocular. It is slung over my shoulder on a strap. Need only one hand.

perhaps maybe over thinking a little bit.. I fully understand still hunting but if your going at such a slow pace that your concerned about the movement made by useing your binos well ? perhaps use the binos after youv scanned for movement & curved or out of place objects then lastly move a few steps

I’d complain about the optical quality of a mono, but I can’t argue with your results...

Of course, you have SNOW, which is a huge deal....

Don't know how you can get binoculars behind the string if you have them in a bino buddy or like restraint. I can shoot my bows easily when I wear binos and I just have a sewn patch, or stick them in a shirt pocket. We pretty much figured that out for ourselves...back before bino restraints.

You can also just put them under your drawing arm where it's easy withdrawal the arm to look through binos and they're out of the way. Anyway, where you put your bow while you do that kinda depends on where you're hunting. Lean against a tree, or just against your body, etc.

Brilliant - the Rick Young Harness on youtube. Now I gotta get one.

I regularly use my longbow as a monopod, but at 5'6" what works for me may not for taller folks. I have used full size binos for years using a chest harness without shot interference. The elastic has worn out on my harness so I asked for and received a Vortex carrier this Xmas. It is a full-cover pouch that rides on the chest. I have not tried shooting with it yet but am hopeful it will work. If not, it's back to a harness.

When not actually using them, the binos are tucked inside the neck of my top layer of clothing. Never used a harness and have no trouble shooting this way.

MP

I carry by binoculars swung around on my back.

When using them, I swing them forward, then I usually just stand my bow on my left foot/boot, and use it to steady me as I scope things out with the binoculars.

Once I'm done, I swing the binos back to my back, and carry on.

Rick

This is the monocular I use. It is a Vortex Solo,

One of the reasons why I like a bino harness for stillhunting is that the movement required to use them is minimal, as they are right there in front of you on your chest. If you hold your elbows on your sides you can raise them up with a very little movement and what movement you do have is no silhouetted. As long as you move S L O W , it's not an issue.

Here it is. It screwed up.

I just shorten the binoculars strap up so when I shoot it doesn't swing out and interfere with my bowstring and my bowstring hand. Works for me.

I just shorten the binoculars strap up so when I shoot it doesn't swing out and interfere with my bowstring and my bowstring hand. Works for me.

I have the vortex solo and clip it on my belt. I’m not real crazy about it but it’s alright.

I shorten strap and it hangs tight and bow lays across my stand or knees with arrow nocked.

i used to lay them down but dropped them off to many times when an animal came in to shoot so stopped doing that.

I use the best Rick Young harness and use it in all of it's multiple ways. Any bino harness has a tendency to pull the bino's together. Or close the gap between the eye pupil distance. BUT I bought and use the bino locks from Vortex. I have no clue why other binoculars don't offer this option. I can pull up with one hand and the tension of my Rick young harness's or any harness for that matter they are already adjusted to my eye pupil distance. One finger on the focus knob and I'm good to go. If not steady enough with one hand then object is far enough away to lean bow on a tree, myself etc to use both hands supporting the binoculars.

I have a regular bow hook that has a belt loop and my binoculars are around my neck ,bino buddy's, so when I stop to glass ahead I just hook my bow I don't even need to look down. Really limits the amount of movement.

Hmmm....I like that hook idea. My problem is that I wear a Rancho Safari Shaggie suit, and while I could wear my fanny pack around the outside of the suit....and therefore have a "belt" to hang it on....I wear it under the suit to help decrease my human outline.

If unable to lean the bow against a tree then I hook the bowstring over the top of my folding-knife sheath (carried slightly to the rear on the bow-arm side of my belt). When I remember to pack it I'll use a 'Third Hand Hip Clip' in that location on my belt and move my knife to the other side of my body. - John

You could always ditch the shaggy wear and make sure the wind is right if they don't smell you they won't see you if you see them first. Blue geans and a jacket or t shirt in hot weather works for me. Killed a lot of critters without camo. Could be worth a try. What the heck. Have fun main thing for me.

Ya I know I had camo on that day. Coolest t shirt I had that day. Lol

If I'm standing up then I us it as a monopod to support Binos same as UpNorth. If I'm sitting on the ground glassing then I put the bow down on the ground next to me.

My binoculars stay under my left arm until I need them. When I need them I just put them up to my eyes. Either hold the bow, lean the bow against a tree, or lean the bow against my body.

Frank, are you a lefty? When I carry binos they're on a fairly long neck strap, at my right side.

I have a pair of Leica a 7/42s that I can look through while I'm walking with my right hand. It's worked great for me for the past 30 years.

I either use the bow as a support for the binos or lean it against my chest. Sometimes, because I always try to stop next to a tree, just in case, I can lean it against the tree.

As far as bino chest pack, the string doesn't touch the pack, unless you have one of the huge ones I see a lot of guys carrying. I use the Muley Freak system, it completely protects my binos, but are easy to get out with very lil effort.

I use the Rick Young harness on my Lietz 10X40 and just set my bow on the ground when I glass. Hunting open country like I do you spend a lot of time sitting on your but glassing.

Pair of Zeiss 10x minis, short strap, no problem. Also use a 8x monocular when still hunting.

Riverwolf has it right.

And so does UpNorth.

Exactly what I do.

A couple of lifetimes ago, when I was in an archery club, the binoculars of choice were Bushnell Custom Compact 7x26. A lot of the club members had a pocket sewn on the front of a t-shirt. The binocular strap was around your neck and all you had to do was reach into your pocket for the binoculars. It was no big deal to unzip or unbutton your jacket and or shirt to get access. The pocket kept the binoculars from moving around while walking.

Bushnell Custom Compact 7x26 is what I use. Got them 40 years ago from Cabela's for $129 which seemed like a lot to me back then. One of the best purchases I ever made. After I got them I noticed in pictures of M R James in Bowhunter Magazine he almost always had a pair hanging from his neck.

There's a pair of those Bushnells on e-bay right now.

I'm not crazy about 'mini' binoculars but I've never owned a really good pair. I carry a pair of Pentax DCF 8x42's that I've had for 30 years, heavy but still crystal clear. Broke down and bought a long strap a few years ago.

I have a good pair of little Bushnells, I wear them on my belt. I have a very expensive 50mm that never get past the car. Bushnell makes good binos and not so good binos in small sizes. The $100 difference is quite obvious on a cloudy day.

Oh yes, my little binoculars are the Nitro model. ED glass and coated, I don't really know what the Nitro part means.

been thinking & this may be the solution to the op's original question

timex, Yes even though most seem to get by using their bow for support or holding on to it I'm going with a belt hanger but will try making one as described above. A solid hook on a belt is something else to get hung up on brush.

Riverwolf, Got the Yosemite 6X for my grandson a few years ago. Don't think you can get better performance for the price and then some and the 6X is about perfect for our NE woods

DanaC....no I'm right handed. It's more natural for me to reach under my left arm with my right hand. Old habit.

One of the best pair of small glassed you can get for the money are made by Pentax.

I wear my binos on a chest harness and have a bow hook on my belt. I just slip my bow on the hook when I use the binos, which I do a lot as i slip along still hunting. I can even leave my bow on the hook as i slip along if I want to.

As mentioned...BowLimbMonoPod...:)...4 finger

When walking I use the bow to steady the binoculars. On every backpack waist belt I have a rubber bow holder as mentioned above. Inexpensive and very handy.

One of the best I have ever used was Leupold Gold Ring compact binoculars that I bought new in about 1985. They had a narrow leather strap and were never in the way. Foolishly I sold them.

I also use full size Leupold binoculars under my arm like other guys when walking. In a stand on a wide neoprene strap around my neck. They never get in the way.

I use a pair of Maven 6 x 30. Use one handed with no shake. Super high quality pair of binocs.

I carry my camera with me under my shooting arm just like Riverwolf shows above. Simple and effective for binos too. It ain't rocket surgery, as Yogi may say. I'm not sure how we ever got away from ourselves before the internet forums.

" GDS... I'm not sure how we ever got away from ourselves before the internet forums."

Before Internet forums people actually just did things for the sake and reward of just doing it. Now if there aren't pictures posted across multiple media formats it didn't happen and you don't know who is telling the truth and who is F.O.S.

Before Calculators students in school actually did long division, Algebra, and Calculus and were capable of showing all their work on paper. Try and get that out of a classroom full of students now.

Before GPS people knew where they were, where they were going and how they were going to get there. GPS turns people into directional Zombies, better to pay attention to your surroundings, know how to read a compass and topo map.

These are just some of the most recent lost skills, think about all of the original survival skills that are lost forever for the majority of humanity. Are we really progressing as a race?

Now where do you want to carry and prop your binoculars? ;)

You know I posted earlier in this thread what I'd do which was stupid of me because it shouldn't be necessary, and the above post is pretty much how we are dumbing down as a society. But if you can't figure out what to do with a bow while you look through binoculars then you need to go home and saw that sucker in half and throw it away because you don't need to be throwing sharp objects.

I'm surprised this thread came back up again. The original post had quite a few posts...seemed many were interested in it. But don't ever ask how others do something related to their bowhunting - just go home and saw your bow in half and throw it away....jeeeezzz!

when i'm hunting with a bow i sure don't need binoculars on me , i'm not shootin 300yds.. people see to much of that make believe crap on the hunting shows.. that's my take on it .

Binoculars have always been useful when stillhunting with any weapon and thicker the cover even more so. After all the idea is to see the animal before it knows you are around, isn't it?

Who watches those hunting shows...anyone?

& while you're doin all that lookin you missing out on the periferal view, watched a hunter spend to much time with binocs during gun season that he didn't see the herd off to his side at 75 yds, but i did & dropped two nice bucks out of the bunch. he never saw them.

He probably learned that technique watching those hunting shows...no wonder. Binos are used to look beyond what can be seen unaided. So because that guy didn't know how to use them effectively makes them a bad choice for all other hunters under all other conditions?

What Thumper said.

I use a loooong strap, they hang under my right (draw) arm. Using the same pair of Pentax 8x42 DCF's I bought 30 + years ago.

Good binoculars are a game changer IF you use them. Back when I was young I'd walk a lot more to see what was 'over there'. With good glass I can stand still more often and see just as much - minus the bouncing white flags ;-)

I recommend the Rick Young harness as well.I love the way they feel.Every bino harness i have used will bug my neck after awhile and they dangle off the body.The Young harness goes over your shoulders and does not dangle.Thats why u can draw and shoot.

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