Anything worthwhile takes time and work. In my experience, this axiom usually holds up. Fine-tuning your digiscoping game is no different. While starting your digiscoping journey is easy, reaping the benefits it adds to your hunting pursuits is cumulative. It only improves by applying it; practicing it.
As hunters, we cherish the opportunities to capture game animals in images and video. As part of my hunting and scouting routine, digiscoping is a priority year-round. Like with target practice with my rifle and bow, each digiscoping session brings improvement. The good part is, unlike maintaining a good exercise regimen or a healthy diet, digiscoping practice isn’t a chore at all – and if done in the right setting, it’s both fun and productive.
Practice Digiscoping At Home
I get most of my digiscoping practice done in the field. However, with a little discipline, I even pull out my kit and practice in the yard. I set up and record images of birds and other distant objects. I’m lucky to live on semi-rural property but even in the confines of the city, practice is a righteous activity. Of course, you want to be careful not to look like the creepy neighbor…
At a minimum, practicing at home makes you faster and nimbler at connecting your adapter kit to your optics and smartphone. This is especially true when attaching your apparatus to a tripod or other stabilization aid. While setting up to digiscope is easy, minutes count in the field when hunting or scouting for your next buck or bull. Speed and stealth matter. Digiscoping repetition at home during the offseason is a great way to stay acclimated.
What about your leisure time in new places with family and friends?
Vacation Time and Digiscoping
Most hunters perennially have an offseason where they have a break from their typical hunting routine. And when they do, like anyone else, they enjoy spending time with friends and family in new places and spaces. Photography is already a huge part of the vacation experience. After all, we love sharing pictures of the things we encounter and people we share them with.
Outdoorsmen and women often choose outdoor retreats for their offseason adventures. From western mountain settings to beaches and lakes, the outdoors is a therapeutic venture. Even driving two-hours down the road to the nearest state park offers outdoor adventure and beauty.
What do all these places (and everywhere in between) have in common?
It’s simple, they offer an opportunity to break out your digiscoping kit. I can remember seeing a distant fight between two bull moose on a vacation in Alaska. Oh, how I would have loved to know more about digiscoping back then. Today, I’m known for pulling over on the side of the road to capture and record a deer or other animal, not to mention grand views and sunsets.
Smartphones are equipped with great cameras today. Nonetheless, how many times have you taken vacation pictures of subjects 50-yards out only to be disappointed? Digiscope these moments and your memories are magnified and vividly set-in-time.
Yes, the Phone Skope tagline, “Capture, Record, Share” undoubtedly applies to vacation time.
A binocular chest pack will easily store your digiscoping gear,
as well as phone chargers and other small accessories.
Digiscoping Basic Needs and Methods
Phone Skope kits are lightweight and easy to pack. Whether on foot or in your vehicle, there is a simple way to digiscope while traveling. Free-hand scoping means you only need your adapter, optics, and smartphone. You know darn well, the latter will already be packed. By the way, being smaller and lighter, digiscoping with a monocular is a great choice. Phone Skope offers kits for them as well. For capturing images from the car, use a window mount for your spotting scope or binoculars.
Adding a tripod to your set is great for binoculars and spotting scopes. Remember, they’re typically fitted to connect to cameras as well. They are lightweight and can be packed and fully deployed in seconds. This means you can pack all your digiscoping gear in a backpack for hikes and photo tours. If you don’t care to tote a full backpack, most chest packs have space for your optics, adapter kit, and other small accessories.
Conclusion
If capturing images on your vacation is a priority, consider adding a Phone Skope adapter kit to the mix. If you already employ digiscoping for hunting and other life pursuits, remember to pack your digiscoping gear; all of it. Even with a tripod, these items are lightweight and will take up little space in your bag. It will not only add a fun element to your vacation but will improve your digiscoping game. Practicing your glassing and image-recording regimen means you’ll be maximizing your precious time in the woods on your next hunt.
