Late-season elk hunting often means hours of glassing for distant herds feeding on barren winter hillsides. High magnification and steady tripods are needed for that game. But hunting in September and early October, when the aspens are pretty and the bulls are bugling, is a different sport altogether. Rutting bulls can respond quickly to good calling, and the action often takes place in the timber. Hunters need to be able to move quickly and travel light — while also maintaining the ability to size up a potential shooter bull from a distance. Carrying the right optics is critical.

A lightweight 8x42 binocular, such as the Vortex Viper HD, is ideal for elk hunting during the rut, and the choice of Realtree’s David Blanton, a veteran of the elk woods. These rugged binos are compact and weigh less than 25 ounces, yet provide a 409-foot linear field of view at 1,000 yards and outstanding low-light performance. They’re also waterproof, fog-proof, and shock-proof, and they come with Vortex’s unmatched Lifetime Warranty. With a suggested retail price of well under $750, it’s difficult to find a better value, too.

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