Sportsmans guide has 3 different Stiener 8X30 for around $250

Nikon Monarchs 10X36 !! Best for that money i have found!!

Bushnell Elite Custom Compacts, 7x26. You can get them for about $275.00. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Check'em out! Pretty sure they were marketed under the Bausch&Lomb name years ago. They are fantastic optics for the money.

I do the same kind of spot and stalk hunting in dense bush as you do. I am very happy with the Leopold Katmai 6x32. You can find them online for under 300.00.

You've got conditions such as low light, dense growth, heat waves, and humidity to deal with.
Any of the top brands--maximum of 7X with as large an exit pupil as you can get.
My $.02 worth

I agree with John Nail 100%. Leupold Katmai 6X32. In fact, I was suprised to see someone else who uses them, since 6x isn't a "popular" power. If you use the light gathering formula, there isn't a better binoc for light gathering.
For shorter range bowhunting, they are simply the best. And I have a 9x Leupold binoc too. The 6x32's are best for 150 yards and under.

I bought a pair of Alpen pro 10X42 this past summer and they work great.  Clear and crisp.

Nikon Monarchs.  Great buy for the money.

Nikon Monarchs  

I like the Zeiss glasses. I have a pair of 10x25 compacts that I have used for the last 25 years and never had any problems with them. Small enough that they will fit in my pocket. The draw back to the compacts are that they do not gather light like the larger ones.

Another vote for the Leupold Katmai 6x32's. The cheapest place I have seen them was at optics planet but that was a couple months ago.

CS

Quotewish you had shelled out the cash for the good stuff.

The truth spoken. Given the rather huge optical difference, even from Nikon Monarchs to the Zeiss/Leica Binos im surprised so few mention them.
I have an old Leica Trinovid, still better than anyting short of the newest Leica or Zeiss FL line. Insanely expensive when i bought them (to me) but every look through them are worth it.

The new FLs from Zeiss are not clear or sharp - they are a revelation... And will last 30 years, at least.
More economical are the Nikon HGs, they are FAR sharper than the Monarchs, and half the price of the german stuff.
Maybe consider used German optics?

K

I'll tell you I bought Minox fixed 8X30s they are awesome. Instant focus means the second you put them up you see the game. I have a pair of Swarovski EL 8.5X42s that collect dust most of the time. Binoculars.com have good prices.

I'll second the Alpen's...lot of bang for the $$$
Tons of good glass out there but these are hard to beat for the money.

I'd do a "google" search reviews/x-binocular. You'll pull up a lot of birdwatching sites/reviews but that is a crowd that REALLY cares about optical differences and, as in any review, price vs value. The Monarchs receive a very good rating generally. No one will say that they equal the quality of the binoculars that cost twice as much. Many will say that you would have to pay twice as much to get a binocular that isn't twice as sharp etc. Some reviews put them ahead of more expensive binoculars. You said what you wanted to pay. You can spend a great deal of money on visual aids, some of a quality that will exceed their purpose. I'd rather spend the money on a hunting trip than pay $$$ for "deer woods binoculars" but that is just me. If I become an orthonologist or an astronomer-different story.

Thanks alot guys.

I'm going to cabelas wednsday. I'll let you know what I come home with.

Cornell (school of orthinology) does reviews. on the  www.thejoyofbirdwatching.com  or something like that you'll find: "Cornell was disappointed with what was out there in this category. They noted that the binoculars for bird watching tested in this group did not rate any higher than the top-ranked, less expensive models.

You're better off with the Nikon Monarch ATB Binoculars 8x42 than the Nikon 8x32 HG DCF which was at the top in this class. The HGs have a slightly wider field of view and closer focus, but image quality is not any better than the Monarch's."

Good site as an example.

I am with the others on the Nikon Moarchs 10X42.  I have had a pair for four years now and love um.  I hunt in some swamps in the MS delta and carry mine everytime i go hunting.  I had an eyecup mess up on me once and i called nikon and they told me to send them in.  When the package came back from nikon, they  gave me a new pair at no cost.  I am sold on nikon products from binos, rangefinders, scopes, digital cameras and my video camera.

It is a good idea to shop for binoculars at dusk.They all look good on a bright day.Compare some in dim light.I have been carrying the Zeiss 10X25's but they are a bit much in the woods and don't gather light like a pair with bigger objectives.A think the 6-7 power advice is right on.The larger the objective(up to a point)the more light gathering capability but also more weight.You may have to compomise between weight and light gathering,depending on what you want to carry.I like to shorten up the strap so they lay on my chest,then connect a piece of 3/8 wide elastic where the strap connects to the binos.This strap goes around my back,holding them against my chest so there is no swinging or flopping and I can still raise them to my eyes easily.It works great on lighter binoculars.

I'd give a long hard look at Vortex; they are not a new company so to speak. They've been making high end bird watching glass for 20+ years.