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1. Good binoculars enhance wildlife viewing
2. Welcoming geese can be a mistake
3. Disabled hunters invited to stalk Mark Twain Turkeys
4. Missourians win honors at wild turkey event
5. Outdoor Calendar
"I run no risk of overpraising a well-fed trout stream; every drop of water in it as bright and pure as if nymphs had brought it in crystal goblets." --John Burroughs, "Speckled Trout"
1. Good binoculars enhance wildlife viewing
JEFFERSON CITY = Outdoor gear. It's an American obsession. Daniel Boone would be dismayed at the huge array of guns, ammo and high-tech accouterments available to modern hunters. Izaak Walton would be amazed to find today's "compleat angler" awash in a flood of equipment so specialized that trout purists and bass anglers are practically islands unto themselves. But one outdoor sport remains relatively pure and uncomplicated by the technological welter. Nature watchers' basic tool - the binocular - is still pretty much the same as it has been for 100 years.
Many first-time buyers squander money on inadequate binoculars. Others pay top dollar for good binoculars that are wrong for their needs. With a little information and care in shopping, you can find a binocular that fits your hobby and your budget.
Binoculars come in two basic styles, roof prism and porro prism. The optical tubes of roof-prism binoculars are straight, permitting them to fold up into a small package when not in use. This makes roof-prism binoculars the favorite with people who need lightweight, compact binoculars.
The front or "objective" lenses of porro-prism binoculars are set farther apart than the rear or "ocular" lenses, making them heavier and more bulky. This disadvantage is offset by the fact that they do a better job of what binoculars do best - providing "binocular" vision.
Humans have depth perception because we have two eyes are set fairly wide apart. By processing visual information from two different perspectives, we get a better idea of how far away objects are. That's why the images we see through single-tube telescopes look one-dimensional. Binoculars allow us to see more naturally, and porro-prism binoculars enhance that effect by placing our artificial "eyes" far apart in relation to distant objects. If you don't mind the extra weight and bulk, porro is the way to go.
The most basic information is given in a pair of numbers printed right on most binoculars. The first number describes the binocular's ability to magnify distant objects. A 7X35 binocular has a magnification factor of seven times. This means that objects will appear seven times closer than they do to the naked eye.
Magnification is great, but it has a price. Many novices buy the most powerful binocular they can afford, assuming that making objects appear larger is the same as making them easier to see. They don't realize that a 20X binocular shows an area only about a third as wide as what you would see through a 7X binocular. This makes it harder to locate objects.
Besides, a high-quality seven-power binocular gives the user a remarkably clear view of most objects, making 20X magnification unnecessary except at very long distances. In those situations, you're better off with a telescope.
Furthermore, high-powered binoculars cost more, in more ways than one. Besides paying more money, you pay for magnification in extra weight. A 20-power binocular is great to have occasionally. But the rest of the time you're just carrying a small millstone around your neck.
Big binoculars saddle you with even more than their own considerable weight. With any binocular over about 10X, you have to carry a tripod to hold your big-Bertha binocular steady enough to see anything without distracting jiggling every time you breath.
Binoculars in the 6X to 8X range are best for most uses.
The second number printed on a binocular refers to the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. The objective lens replaces your eye in gathering light. Bigger objective lenses gather more light, providing brighter images that are easier to see.
Many binoculars also bear an inscription that describes their "field of view." In most cases, this will be shown as so many feet or yards at a given distance. This is called "linear" field of view. Some binoculars may be marked with "angular" field of view. A binocular that has an angular field of view of 6 degrees has a linear field of view of 314 feet at 1,000 yards.
The wider the field of view, the easier it is to locate an object with binoculars. So, in general, the wider the field of view, the better.
Brightness is the characteristic of binoculars that provides the most fertile ground for misconceptions and advertising malarkey. To put overblown claims in perspective, take the cardboard tubes from two rolls of toilet tissue and tape them side by side. You are now holding the brightest optical instrument on Earth. Look through them and you will see all the light that went in the front end coming out the back end. No binocular on the market can equal that performance.
But if bigger lenses gather more light, can't you make the objective lenses big enough to produce an image brighter than what you see with your naked eye?
Nope. A 50mm objective lens gathers 100 times more light than the 5mm lens in your eye. But binoculars don't deliver all that light to your eye. Where does the extra light go? Most of it goes to magnification.
To produce a magnified image, binoculars must spread out the light they gather. It's just like the beam of light from a movie projector. The beam is much brighter at the lens, where it is small, than on the screen, where it is magnified.
Some light is lost to optical imperfections in the glass of the lenses and mirrors in the binocular. No optical system transmits 100 percent of light that enters it. Very good binoculars manage only about 90-percent efficiency. Some binoculars are brighter than others, and the differences are apparent when you check them side-by-side.
Another important characteristic of any binocular is its "exit pupil." The exit pupil is the column of light leaving the ocular lens, measured at the point where the light enters the eye. To see the exit pupils, hold a binocular at arm's length, pointing the objective lenses at a bright object. The small, round spots visible in the rear or ocular lenses are the exit pupils.
In general a big exit pupil is better than a smaller one. Any binocular that produces an exit pupil at least as big as the pupil of the user's eye will give the full benefit of the objective lens' light-gathering ability, as long as the user's eye is positioned precisely behind the center of the ocular lens. However, larger exit pupils allow the user's eye to stray slightly from the center of optical alignment without losing part of the image.
If you plan to use your binocular in low light, it's best to choose a binocular with an exit pupil of at least 5mm. To calculate the size of the exit pupil for a binocular, divide the objective lens's diameter by the power of the binocular. For example, a 10X50 binocular has an exit pupil of 5 mm.
The most common focusing system is the center focusing, with a wheel or lever at the center that focuses both eye pieces at the same time. Usually one eye piece, (almost always the right) can be adjusted to compensate for differences in acuity between the user's eyes. Binoculars made for people who wear eyeglasses usually don't have this adjustment on one ocular. They assume that both eyes are corrected to 20-20 vision.
Some binoculars have individual focusing for each eye. Others are permanently focused at a preset distance that allows the user to see a fairly sharp image from that distance to infinity. Permanently focused binoculars are made for people who don't want to bother with focusing binoculars and who are willing to put up with third-rate sharpness. Such binoculars are useless inside their minimum focal distance. They are unsuitable for birders, who need to see fine details on birds at close distance.
Center-focus binoculars with a separate focus adjustment on one ocular are the best compromise. You have to take time to focus both sides each time you use them, but after that, all you have to do is adjust the center-focus wheel for changes in distance of your subject.
Eye relief is another characteristic of every binocular. It measures the distance from the ocular lens to the user's eye. People who wear eyeglasses need binoculars with greater eye relief than those with perfect vision. As mentioned earlier, some binoculars are made especially with eyeglass wearers' needs in mind.
No one binocular is a perfect fit for everyone. Some people's eyes are placed very close together, while others' are widely spaced. Almost every binocular allows users to move the two sides closer together or farther apart. But the ocular lenses of some binoculars won't move close enough together or far enough apart for all people to see clearly through both ocular lenses. When choosing a binocular, make sure the ocular adjustment is adequate for your eye spacing.
Similarly, some binoculars are too heavy for everyone to use comfortably. Big binoculars have advantages, but can your hands comfortably reach the focusing controls? Before you put down your money, make sure the weight and dimensions are workable for you.
When you find a binocular you think you would like to own, get two or three others, focus them all on a particular object and then look at it with each binocular in turn. Does your chosen binocular look as clear as the others?
Look especially for a rainbow edge on objects. This reveals poor chromatic correction.
Optical glass works by bending light. But glass bends different wavelengths (colors) of light different amounts. When viewed through a plain glass lens, the different colors of light are split apart like the light coming through a prism. Because the lens splits the colors of light apart, the various colors of light coming from a particular spot strike your eye at slightly different locations. The resulting rainbow effect can be pretty, but it reduces sharpness of the visual image.
Virtually all binoculars have optical coatings that correct this problem. Cheap ones don't correct it very well. Reject binoculars that show the rainbow effect.
Next, focus your candidate binocular on a flat vertical area at a moderate distance -= say the side of a house at 100 yards. When you have it in sharp focus, hold the binocular still and move your eyes to look at the edges of the field of view. Are objects there as sharply focused as those at the center?
Reject any binocular that doesn't give sharp focus throughout the field of view. Otherwise, when an object appears large in your binocular you won't be able to see it all in focus. Also, blurry peripheral images tell your brain that something is wrong with your eye's focus and your eyes work to correct a problem they can't fix. The result is eye strain and headaches.
Don't waste money on a binocular that always makes you feel as if you're looking through a haze. This will be apparent when you compare the images of several binoculars side by side. Permanent haze makes an image look unsharp, causing the eye strain problems mentioned earlier.
A separate problem = but one that can look like haze = is internal fogging. If a binocular gets water vapor inside, the moisture can condense on the inside surface of lenses when the binocular gets cold. This should not be confused with external fogging, which can happen to any binocular when the cold glass encounters warm, moist air.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to check for this flaw in a department store. What you can do, however, is check to see if the manufacturer has taken measures to prevent fogging. Binoculars sold as "waterproof" usually have all their openings to the outside sealed with flexible O-rings. That provides insurance that water won't get inside to cause fogging. Binoculars sold as "fogproof" usually have been filled with dry nitrogen or other dry gas and then sealed to ensure there is no water vapor inside to cause fogging.
With reasonable care, waterproof, fogproof binoculars will stay that way. But unusually hard nocks can break their seals, leaving them vulnerable to fogging in severe weather. Rubber armored models are more resistant to this hazard.
Some binoculars, especially those with permanent focus, make your eyes do the work of focusing. This and a host of optical imperfections can cause your eyes to strain. Sometimes this strain is subtle, but it is cumulative. After a full day of looking through your binocular, a headache will tell you if you made a bad choice. If you find yourself squinting through a binoculars, chances are they aren't for you.
Try this test. Focus the binoculars on an object within 30 feet of you. Make sure that both oculars are in sharp focus. Now close one eye and, using the center-focusing mechanism only, shift the focus to an object near the horizon. Then switch eyes and = without refocusing = check the sharpness of the distant object in the other eyepiece. Both oculars should still be sharp.
Now shift the focus back to the near object. If the binocular has to be readjusted to restore the left-right balance of focus after shifting distances, it means the mechanism that moves the two sides of the binocular aren't sturdy and precise enough to keep them both aligned at the same focal point. It means you will have to fuss with refocusing both eye pieces every time your subject moves. You will waste time messing with your equipment instead of watching your subject.
Another mechanical item worth checking is how loose or tight the right-hand focus adjustment ring fits. If it is too loose, you will ruin the left-right focus alignment every time you brush the ocular. Better too tight than too loose.
Armoring protects binoculars from impact when dropped. Loss-proof lens caps are tethered to the binoculars as an insurance policy for absentminded users. Other special features abound. You can get binoculars in bright colors that make them easy to find, or in camouflage that helps you be invisible to wildlife. Straps and cases are available to make binoculars easier to carry. Filters can help with special lighting situations.
All these extras have their place, but none of them will make up for basic deficiencies in the areas mentioned above. And if you pay attention to all the basics, you're not likely to miss frills.
How much should you pay for a binocular? The short answer is "As much as you can afford." You can get sturdy, serviceable binoculars for not much more than $100. But if you are willing to spend more, you will get more . . . more durability, more precision, more clarity, and more brightness.
Whether you're a world-class "birder" or a casual weekend hiker, well-chosen binoculars will do more than any other piece of equipment to enhance your enjoyment of the outdoors.
-jim low-
2. Welcoming geese can be a mistake
By the time giant Canada geese wear out their welcome, it's too late to take in the welcome mat.
JEFFERSON CITY = Feeding geese can leave you with a big mess on your hands . . . feet, lawn, you name it. And dodging droppings is just one consequence for humans when hand-feeding of geese encourages the birds to take up residence near backyard or neighborhood ponds. The birds can take over and destroy a green area. They may also approach humans aggressively for handouts, sometimes almost accosting people.
"They are big birds, and they have an impact on the areas where they are concentrated," says Mike Arduser, an urban wildlife specialist who works out of Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood. "They leave lots of droppings and can clear a site of vegetation by trampling on it and eating it. You end up with a muddy, messy place when you start feeding."
The potential for pond damage from goose feces is increased when concentrated feeding encourages the animals to live in an area year-round. A flock of 20 geese produces about 5 pounds of feces per day. If nutrients from those droppings wash into a pond without flowing water, they can eventually disrupt aquatic life in the pond, decreasing opportunities for fishing and other recreation.
Well-meaning people who look to help the geese by feeding the animals only harm the geese. The animals become beggars, depending on humans for food. Inconsistent feeding and the failure of human foods to meet geese's nutritional needs can lead to malnutrition. The loss of wild habits also makes it harder for the animals to survive on their own.
"These animals are vegetarians. They shouldn't eat junk food," says Arduser. "Junk food isn't good for us, so think of what damage it can do to geese. In the worst-case scenario it can cause physical deformities. The habitat provides all these animals need to survive. When they can't find enough food in an area they adapt by moving on."
Although it rarely happens, according to Arduser, concentrated feeding increases the risk of disease transmission among geese. If an infected bird migrates to a feeding area its survival instinct causes it to take advantage of the readily available food source for as long as possible. The more geese attracted to an area, the greater the chance of disease transmission.
"The best advice I can give is just don't start feeding wildlife," Arduser says. "When you feed them you don't have wildlife anymore; you have some hybrid between a pet and wildlife. Survival is what geese do best. People can help them survive by providing habitat instead of handouts."
-arleasha mays-
3. Disabled hunters invited to hunt turkeys on Corps land
The Corps of Engineers offers a hunt for Missourians with disabilities at Mark Twain Lake.
MONROE CITY, Mo. = Mobility-impaired hunters can apply for a special turkey hunt at Mark Twain Lake south of Monroe City. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is offering the hunt for persons who are confined to wheelchairs.
To be eligible, applicants must be permanently disabled (non-ambulatory or semi-ambulatory), have valid hunter safety certification cards and valid spring turkey tags.
The hunt will take place May 3 and 4. The Corps will select participants by random drawing April 1. Blinds are provided, but hunters are required to stay in the blinds and provide their own shotguns 20 gauge or larger. This year participants also will be allowed to use longbows or crossbows.
Hunters are encouraged to bring hunting partners, since the number of guides provided for the hunt will be limited. Applications must be received by March 28. For applications and information, contact: Corps of Engineers, Mark Twain Lake, Rt. 2, Box 20-A, Monroe City, MO 63456. Phone: (314) 735-4097.
-jim-
4. Missourians win honors at wild turkey event
Missouri's top turkey management professional and several of the Show-me State's turkey callers came home from the Grand National Wild Turkey Gobbling Competition.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. = The National Wild Turkey Federation has named Dr. Larry Vangilder its outstanding professional wildlife biologist of the year, recognizing research that helped make Missouri's wild turkey management program a model for turkey management nationwide.
Vangilder, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wildlife research biologist, received the Henry S. Mosby Award at the NWTF 21st annual convention March 1. The award is given to biologists who have made significant contributions to the research and management of the wild turkey.
Vangilder's research on turkey population dynamics has equipped biologists with the information needed to manage turkey populations. His long-term studies on mortality, survival and predation rates of turkeys provide scientific and mathematical formulas for adjusting harvest rates to meet goals for stabilizing or improving turkey populations.
"I was really honored to receive the award, because the first one was given to John Lewis, who was Missouri's turkey biologist before I was. He was my mentor. He hired me in 1985 and helped with my studies. I was really honored to have him there when I received the award and to join a group that includes him."
Vangilder says the MDC and the NWTF are due credit for the advances that have come from his research. He says his findings were possible because of financial support from the MDC and NWTF for long-term research projects.
Several other Missourians received recognition from the NWTF for their abilities to talk turkey, so to speak. Walter Parrott of Fredericktown took first place honors in the NWTF Calling Championship. Parrott, who was also last year's Grand National Turkey Calling Champion, has won the competition an unprecedented five times. He received $5,000 along with the title.
Chris Parrish of Mexico, Mo., took second place honors in the calling competition. Ralph Duren, Jefferson City, placed second in the Wild Turkey Gobbling Division. Larry Shockey of Willow Springs combined his skills with those of Arkansan Don Shipp to take third place in the team challenge division.
-arleasha mays-
Contact Jim Low News Services Coordinator (314) 751-4115, ext. 243
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