Having binoculars is a handy way to check on a cow from a distance that’s calving but we never used to use binoculars much at calving time because we were too cheap to get a good pair.
We had several cheapie ones but every time we tried to use them they just frustrated us. They didn’t have much power and we could never read the number on an eartag so they usually ended up in the kids’ toybox.
It wasn’t until we found a pair after a heavy rainstorm one summer while out checking stock tanks that we owned a good pair of binoculars. They had washed down a hill and landed in the middle of the road we used for checking. It was our lucky day, but after finding out what they cost, I felt sorry for the guy—most likely a hunter—who lost them. They were waterproof and expensive.
We have since used them regularly for glassing over the cow herd for signs of any potential calvers, or to monitor a cow’s calving progress without disturbing her. When my husband and I check at night, we take the binoculars with us. Now that we’re getting older and use reading glasses more, it’s harder for us to read ear tags with a naked eye. Our free binoculars have come in really handy to read a cow’s number we want to make note of to watch or to be able to tell from a distance if the black spot we see is a calf or cow turd (a mistake we’ve made before). I’ve even used the binoculars to determine if a new calf has sucked a teat by glassing the cow’s udders.
We can see the springer bunch (cows showing signs of getting close to calving time for those unfamiliar with the term) that’s up by the barn at the hay rack from our house. We can also see cows at the nearby dam, lick tubs, salt, and watertank, from our living room window.
From the kitchen window we can see any cows hanging at the popular calving spot at the corner fence east of our house.
Most of the time, we keep the binoculars handy by the window until we need to take them with us to check from the four-wheeler or ranch pickup.
 
I’ve come to rely on them so much that I’m not sure what we did before. Anymore, I just can’t see without them.
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