{"id":508,"date":"2019-10-31T16:59:03","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T16:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tma65.com\/blog\/?p=508"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","slug":"quest-for-aoudad-bring-enough-glass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/quest-for-aoudad-bring-enough-glass\/","title":{"rendered":"Quest for Aoudad &#8211; Bring Enough Glass!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/quest-for-aoudad-bring-enough-glass\/#One_Thing_is_For_Certain\" >One Thing is For Certain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/quest-for-aoudad-bring-enough-glass\/#Spot_Stalk_with_an_Emphasis_on_%22Spot%22\" >Spot & Stalk with an Emphasis on \"Spot\"<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/quest-for-aoudad-bring-enough-glass\/#TRACT_Was_a_Significant_Upgrade\" >TRACT Was a Significant Upgrade<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/quest-for-aoudad-bring-enough-glass\/#Great_Lessons_Learned\" >Great Lessons Learned<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_Thing_is_For_Certain\"><\/span>One Thing is For Certain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p>When you have good glass life is easier. I don\u2019t care if you\u2019re trying to sight in your daughter\u2019s Ruger 10\/22, or competing in a PRS Match. When you look at the role <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/\">optics<\/a> play in backcountry, western or any open-country hunting\u2014you should understand the need to prioritize what you\u2019re looking through.<\/p><p>On a recent hunt in western <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/a-beginners-guide-to-nilgai-hunting\/\">Texas<\/a> with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.millerbrothersoutfitters.com\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/www.millerbrothersoutfitters.com\/\" data-cke-saved- target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miller Brothers Outfitters<\/a>, I took the <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\/tekoa\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/products\/riflescopes\/tekoa-4-16x44-t-plex\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TEKOA 4-16&#215;44<\/a> on our quest for aoudad. First off, if you haven\u2019t done this hunt\u2014or it\u2019s not on your radar, consider it now! These animals are free range, challenging, majestic, incredibly tough\u2014and live in amazing country to hunt and explore. Plus it extends the big game season and is a heck of a way to spend a few days in February.<\/p><p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-510\" src=\"https:\/\/tma65.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters-300x147.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"661\" height=\"324\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters-1024x502.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters-768x376.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters-600x294.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters-150x73.png 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Miller-Brothers-Outfitters.png 1082w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" \/><\/p><p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.millerbrothersoutfitters.com\/aoudad\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/www.millerbrothersoutfitters.com\/aoudad\/\" data-cke-saved- target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miller Ranch<\/a> has great numbers of aoudad but to maintain the trophy numbers they offer only a limited number of hunts a year.<\/p><h4>Spot &#038; Stalk with an Emphasis on &#8220;Spot&#8221;<\/h4><p>This hunt is not unlike others, meaning you are in the field all day, and most of that time is spent (or should be) looking through your <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/binoculars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"binoculars\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"143\">binoculars<\/a>. It\u2019s the classic spot and stalk hunt. With an emphasis on spot. These rather larger animals are a challenge to pick out of the sage\/scrub and rimrock of western Texas. And seeing them before they see you is even more challenging.<\/p><p>So optic selection and capability quickly becomes paramount. We\u2019re always quick to talk about our rifle (I had an excellent Savage 110 in 300 Win Mag), the ammunition we carry (in this case a brand new, all-world long range option from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.norma-ammunition.com\/us\/Our-Products\/Hunting\/300-Remington-Ultra-Magnum\/norma-bondstrike-extreme-180-gr\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.norma-ammunition.com\/us\/Our-Products\/Hunting\/300-Remington-Ultra-Magnum\/norma-bondstrike-extreme-180-gr\/\" data-cke-saved- target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Norma\u2014BONDSTRIKE Extreme<\/a>) and these are very important. But look at the percentage of time these come into play vs. <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tract-toric-2-5-15x44-review1\/\">binoculars<\/a>! And that\u2019s why I was happy to have the <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/all-products\/8x42-binoculars\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/products\/binoculars\/toric-binoculars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TORIC 8&#215;42 binos<\/a>. And these made a very impressive impression in camp as well.<\/p><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TRACT_Was_a_Significant_Upgrade\"><\/span>TRACT Was a Significant Upgrade<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p>The guides were unbelievable hunters and passionate outdoorsman. Their excitement and commitment to the hunt were second to none. I gave them a chance to look through my binoculars in a diverse set of conditions (low light, bright sunshine, fighting glare\/shadows\/etc.) and they really liked the clarity and sharpness. On multiple occasions they asked what power I had (I had an 8&#215;42 set) because they were carrying 10x50s from some of the larger, well-known brands and my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/\" data-cke-saved- target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRACTs <\/a>were a significant upgrade!<\/p><div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\"><div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\"><div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_4nmhjq2jyf videoFoam=true\"><div class=\"wistia_swatch\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p><strong>David Draper of Petersen&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/binoculars-for-turkey-hunting\/\">Hunting<\/a> Quest For Trophy Aoudad<\/strong><\/p><p>My two other friends in camp were also <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/5-reasons-to-own-a-spotting-scope\/\" title=\"5 Reasons to Own a Spotting Scope\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1187\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting with TRACT binos and scopes<\/a> and came away also singing praises. And it was hard not to. We each took beautiful animals. Both of them connected on day one at a range of about 250 yards. Mine? Well I ended up <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/shooting-22lr-rifle-in-a-whole-new-way\/\" title=\"Shooting a 22LR Rifle in a Whole New Way\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"527\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shooting<\/a> my ram at a range of 32 yards! Very cool, but you\u2019re probably wondering why I am raving about optics with a shot like that. Any tin\/steel tube on a semi-capable <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/videosview\/versatility-of-the-tract-bino-chest-pak\/\" title=\"Versatility of the TRACT Bino Chest Pak\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1611\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle would have sufficed\u2014and some gas station binos<\/a> would have confirmed the animal was there and worth the harvest. Well remember, it\u2019s not all about the destination in hunting\u2014it\u2019s how, why and when we get there.<\/p><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Great_Lessons_Learned\"><\/span>Great Lessons Learned<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p>In this case, I literally glassed hundreds of animals, learned <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/videos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"how to\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"371\">how to<\/a> generally judge size, age and sex\u2014and also <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-maximize-deer-hunting-season\/\">how to<\/a> pick them out of a rockslide or dense vegetation. Without top-notch glass, these lessons would have been lost\u2014or certainly not as sharp and memorable. Plus, I actually identified my animal as one we\u2019d like to take (the guides confirmed of course) given its size and age\u2014again because I had seen so many animals so clearly at so many ranges.<\/p><p>So remember, as you get ready for fall\u2014don\u2019t pass over the glass decision. Rifle, caliber and preparation are still big factors, but don\u2019t forget to bring enough glass. And when it comes to the amount of features, capabilities and real-world usefulness for the dollar, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/\" data-cke-saved- target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRACT<\/a> is clearly at the top.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quest for Aoudad &#8211; Bring Enough Glass! | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2257,1,2274],"tags":[3351],"class_list":["post-508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-fix-adjust","category-uncategorized","category-video","tag-wistia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11468,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508\/revisions\/11468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}