I was introduced to Phone Skope a few years ago; on several occasions. I remember being impressed and thinking about how I really needed to add it to my hunting arsenal. I never acted on it though. This was during an era when I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed regarding technology. In retrospect, I didn’t need to be. The Phone Skope-aided photos and video taken from ranch house porches and ATV-driven scouting sessions were intriguing, to say the least. I’ve since gotten a couple of the Phone Skope adaptor kits and now can’t go afield without at least one of them. In fact, during one of my last hunts of the 2018 deer season, I headed to South Texas and actively field tested it.
The South Texas Brush Country is an ideal place for such a handy instrument. It’s filled with a bevy of wildlife, including whitetail deer, hogs, and javalinas, just to name a few. Heck, the inherent long clear-cut lanes (senderos), sunrises, and sunsets are alone worth the price of admission. It’s a visual wonderland for the sportsman. Below I’ll describe how it went. But first, let’s go over some of the basics of digiscoping and the Phone Skope tool.
Phone Skope and Digiscoping
Digiscoping is simply the process of taking magnified digital photos with the aid of common optics. Paired with an optic device, Phone Skope adapter kits can be used for a variety of photography and videography applications. Types of optics include spotting scopes, binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, and even GoPros. This means a lot of functionality, including hunting, outdoor photography, birding, and astronomy.
All Needed Components to be Paired with Optics of Choice
In the hunting world, this, of course, entails an emphasis on the use of spotting scopes, binoculars, and rifle scopes. Magnifying wild game animals at a distance is a common need for hunters and digiscoping takes it a step further by allowing the images to be recorded – in both photos and video. Enter Phone Skope.
In short, Phone Skope digitizing adapter kits center smartphone cameras over your optic of choice. As such, they include a custom smartphone case and adapter to fit your particular optic. Phone Skope offers kits for all popular smartphone devices and most any optic brand and model. There are many benefits of Phone Skope’s innovative offerings including portability and ease of use. As part of a hunting blog and community, this article will be focused on its hunting and scouting benefits.
With Phone Skope on a Deer Hunt
Back in mid-December, I headed to one of my favorite South Texas ranches with a rifle, bow, and Phone Skope kit in tow. After all, as a die-hard whitetail hunter, this is one of the best places on earth to be. Even better, this trip coincided with the rut in this section of deer heaven. Bucks were sure to be on their feet and moving as part of their annual mating ritual. With no need for venison, I was largely on a scouting mission for the ranch owner; a common and beloved role for me. On this particular hunt, I paired the following optics with my Phone Skope kits; Leupold Cascade BX2 10×42 Binoculars, Vortex Solo 8×25 Monocular.
Low-Light Sunrise Buck – Optic; Leupold Cascade BX2 Binoculars
Observations Afield
As expected, this hunt didn’t disappoint. The first morning, I sat high in an elevated boxed blind overlooking four vast senderos cut out of the thick south Texas brush. It was a foggy morning, with sunshine desperately trying to fight its way through. I sat in the dark waiting for the brush country to come alive. At sunrise, I was able to see movement and quickly attached my binoculars to my phone and adapter. I was immediately astounded at the quality photos I was able to take in the low light at approximately 150-yards. This was only the beginning. The sky eventually cleared, resulting in a cold, clear, and shadowy morning. A variety of deer started to make their way down and across the openings. I not only got quality photos of a hit-list buck at over 200-yards but several others; with great clarity. I even captured an incredibly clear image of a buck tucked in the brush at over 100 yards.
Hidden Whitetail Buck – Optic; Vortex Solo Monocular
Trophy South Texas Whitetail – Optic; Leupold Cascade BX2 Binoculars
As usual, I couldn’t help but notice how easy and seamless this system was to use. Covered in whitetails in almost every direction, I was continually able to attach my iPhone 7+ into the unit and attach it to my binoculars in mere seconds. This allowed for binocular-only glassing in between. I continued to put it to use that afternoon and the next day one of the ranch guides took it out for a spin. Once again, many quality images were gathered. This included the first sighting of the season of a young buck with long brow tines – a bonus buck that had obviously survived the season to date; valuable information. Perhaps one of the coolest benefits was the ability to literally capture detailed whitetail behavior from a distance in many of the images. As sportsmen and women, we enjoy not only game sightings, but nature in general. Again, Phone Skope didn’t disappoint, as I was able to also capture some pretty awesome shots of the vast Texas landscape that surrounded me; Even at sunrise and sundown. Needless to say, the kit and resulting images were the talk of deer camp. In fact, one guy promptly got online and ordered one for his Samsung smartphone on the first evening. Another guy followed his lead. It’s only fitting that the company tagline is “Capture. Record. Share”.
Foggy South Texas Sunrise – Optic; Leupold Cascade BX2 Binoculars
Conclusion
Phone Skope adapter kits are not only great hunting tools, but they provide effectively provide helpful scouting information. Best of all, as an avid hunter, I’ve found that they expand my season. Consequently, I now use them year-around for everything from off-season scouting to family vacations. An aspect that can’t be overlooked is that using this tool is downright fun. It’s gratifying to capture quality photos, once an impossible feat with a phone camera alone. We’ve all had the disappointing experience of capturing images at 30-yards or more that resulted in tiny images of the main subject. Hunters like hunting tales and Phone Skope helps to vividly tell their stories visually.
The affordability of the kits means that I don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on cameras and lenses. To the contrary, I can use items I already own; my various optics and smartphone. I may enjoy photography, but I am far from being a skilled photographer. However, Phone Skope begs to differ; and I know many people, including a few hunters in South Texas that will agree.
Phone Skope continues to grow and be a pioneer and leader in the digiscoping industry. Though you can find these kits in outdoor stores such as Cabelas, perhaps the best way to obtain them is to build and order your kit at PhoneSkope.com. Their website offers a very seamless way to purchase kits and individual components. I strongly encourage any big game hunter to make room in their pack for one. It will truly improve your hunting and scouting game and you won’t regret it.
