Thermal scopes on deer
- Thread starter straightpull6547
- Start date
the one I have is enough. Too busy enjoying life shooting than to worry about being unsporting.Getting back to your original post... regardless of opinions... it is only illegal to use nv/thermal scopes on deer in daylight in Scotland, due to the Scotish deer act.
The English deer acts do not mention the same things.
There isn't a link to tell you its not illegal in England but the lack of law/legal link to refer you to means it legal.
Below are screens shots from BASCs deer officer. Verifying the day use of nv and thermal on deer is legal In England.
I hope that helps with what you are looking for.
Personally, i use it. Especially handy if you want to take the one rifle out with you, to highseat shoot and follow up with foxing and not want to leave another rifle unaccompanied in the car. I would recommend, if you are going to do it, a few pieces of advice....
1. Buy the best scope you can afford with best definition available. This could be more affordable than you think, with the Thermion range around the corner.
2. For using in broad daylight, ID the sex with clear binos before moving to the thermal topped rifle.
3. If using in the last hour you have or in the hour before sunrise and it is dark. Make sure you are within 100-150 yards of the animals you are shooting...so perhaps a particular spot or highseat is better than another for the thermal scope. But, if in doubt, don't shoot.... some times of year, you wont tell a roe buck from a roe doe with thermal.
Kind regards
Declan
Attachments
Last edited:
I have a thermal spotter and it is a very useful aid to me as it helps to achieve a high level of protection of a forest crop. The last time I was told the cost of replanting a hectare of sitka spruce was a few years ago and that was £3600. Now I dont know how accurate that was and how much it would be now. I do know if I was paying that kind of money out I certainly would not be happy if bambi and his mates was eating them there trees. So for those in the tree growing culture the use of these aids is about making things more cost effective with the manpower that is on the ground and achieving their objectives. I think the way the thermal scope technology is advancing it may well ask questions about changing the deer act in Scotland. Some people may not like it and may think it's not "cricket". However other people might think it's another tool to help them do the job. Those who dont like it then just dont do it
Erik Hamburger
Well-Known Member
I think the use of a RIFLE is very unsporting as well!
Hi All,
My thoughts are...
If you are a recreational hunter, then the 'kill' is only a very small part of the process and quite probably not the 'be all and end all' and all the latest gadgetry probably isn't necessary especially if you analyse exactly what's important to you in your hunting. However if you are controlling wildlife as a profession or in conjunction with another business (forestry / farming) then it's a different story and you will want to get the job done as efficiently as possible.
This is why we have products like this CL42 Thermal Clip On
It's being used as an accessory thermal monocular for spotting, alongside normal optics on the rifle. It's also being used as a clip on to the scope itself in woodland situations where even within legal times, the light is too poor for normal optics. At night it's also being used for controlling other species. Almost idiot proof tool once it's set up.
The analogy would be a hobbyist carpenter using only hand tools and just enjoying the process compared to a commercial joiner using every power tool and machine available to get the job done quickly to a very high standard.
Cheers
Clive
My thoughts are...
If you are a recreational hunter, then the 'kill' is only a very small part of the process and quite probably not the 'be all and end all' and all the latest gadgetry probably isn't necessary especially if you analyse exactly what's important to you in your hunting. However if you are controlling wildlife as a profession or in conjunction with another business (forestry / farming) then it's a different story and you will want to get the job done as efficiently as possible.
This is why we have products like this CL42 Thermal Clip On
It's being used as an accessory thermal monocular for spotting, alongside normal optics on the rifle. It's also being used as a clip on to the scope itself in woodland situations where even within legal times, the light is too poor for normal optics. At night it's also being used for controlling other species. Almost idiot proof tool once it's set up.
The analogy would be a hobbyist carpenter using only hand tools and just enjoying the process compared to a commercial joiner using every power tool and machine available to get the job done quickly to a very high standard.
Cheers
Clive
Harry mac
Well-Known Member
If I play devil's advocate, I think he just mis-read your user name. I know I did the first time I saw it.so What's " Stalker BOY then anyways it's there for ALL to see
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
I've found that deer would rather starve than eat Sitka spruce, but of course will turn their attention to anything else.
howa243
Well-Known Member
Most ludicrous thing I have heard today. Maybe longer.
landkeeper
Well-Known Member
Deer rabbit fox hare ,whats the ethical difference ? None !!!, one mans sport another mans vermin
If any of them are either causing damage or need numbers contolled then it should be perfectly acceptable to do so with any legal means ,without any untoward comments , i have never understood this elitism thats attatched to deer by some they are not mythical beasts
If any of them are either causing damage or need numbers contolled then it should be perfectly acceptable to do so with any legal means ,without any untoward comments , i have never understood this elitism thats attatched to deer by some they are not mythical beasts
landkeeper
Well-Known Member
EG The attitude that comes from some folk who put deer on a pedastal for whatever reason
Dan Newcombe
Well-Known Member
I'm quite curious, why is it that people want to use thermal scopes on deer?
Yes they are lethal, just look at foxing but how many of the guys who shoot foxes with NV/Thermal then use the same scope in the daytime - I would venture very few indeed.
I can see them being allowed under license (in the same way as night licenses currently work) and there will be a great deal of deer killed in this way but as a general rule i don't see the benefit to the normal stalker. I would be in support of this change because it can be tough to meet forestry culls in some places and every little helps. Spotters - yes, again they are deadly but as an aid more than anything. In the daytime a thermal spotter and good scope are a great combination but id go with that rather than a thermal / nv scope in the daytime.
Yes they are lethal, just look at foxing but how many of the guys who shoot foxes with NV/Thermal then use the same scope in the daytime - I would venture very few indeed.
I can see them being allowed under license (in the same way as night licenses currently work) and there will be a great deal of deer killed in this way but as a general rule i don't see the benefit to the normal stalker. I would be in support of this change because it can be tough to meet forestry culls in some places and every little helps. Spotters - yes, again they are deadly but as an aid more than anything. In the daytime a thermal spotter and good scope are a great combination but id go with that rather than a thermal / nv scope in the daytime.
I met a couple of chaps a few weeks ago who were invited to shoot fallow. Each had a thermal spotter. I had never looked through one before and it was very impressive at night. I did try it during daylight, but to be honest, I just liked the more traditional method more.
Listening to these guys on how they used them was interesting. They would go out before first light, spot deer in the cover, then position themselves in a suitable high seat/vantage point and wait for enough light to shoot. A similar exercise was repeated at dawn.
I'm not going to get into the ethics of it (everyone to their own) but I had one concern. The thermal allowed a very clear image of the animal which often could not be seen clearly in the scope. I did feel that this could lead to shots being taken before normal circumstances dictated.
Listening to these guys on how they used them was interesting. They would go out before first light, spot deer in the cover, then position themselves in a suitable high seat/vantage point and wait for enough light to shoot. A similar exercise was repeated at dawn.
I'm not going to get into the ethics of it (everyone to their own) but I had one concern. The thermal allowed a very clear image of the animal which often could not be seen clearly in the scope. I did feel that this could lead to shots being taken before normal circumstances dictated.
If for example you were going stalking followed straight up by foxing and didn't want another firearm locked in the vehicle.
You can always use clear binos in daytime to clearly ID sex but thermal will tell you species within shootable range and even sex... that being said, it depends on time of year. When Roe bucks don't have antlers; it is very very difficult with thermal to see if its different to doe. However with fallow, even when they have shed, you can still usually see the penile sheif.
You can always use clear binos in daytime to clearly ID sex but thermal will tell you species within shootable range and even sex... that being said, it depends on time of year. When Roe bucks don't have antlers; it is very very difficult with thermal to see if its different to doe. However with fallow, even when they have shed, you can still usually see the penile sheif.
Sorry to say but what we do is killing, straight and simple. Whatever way you go about it, you are taking life...killing. Provided it is done humanely, legally and sustainably/to landowners wishes, it doesn't really matter what method a person uses. It means bugger all to the deer that died instantly, they don't know what scope you used and in most cases they didn't know you were even there.
Dan Newcombe
Well-Known Member
My point is that the people having to ask are probably not the people who need it.
Is it really worth using a thermal in the day just in case you want to go straight out fixing after stalking.
Just buy a front mounted unit
Is it really worth using a thermal in the day just in case you want to go straight out fixing after stalking.
Just buy a front mounted unit
Reminds me of a conversation I had with a game keeper. I told him that I didn't want to shoot any more big (pregnant) does that week. He simply replied, "death is death".
mchughcb
Well-Known Member
I can honestly say I have shot hundreds of foxes in the last 6 years during the day without any lures, baits or callers. I can count the number of foxes I've shot at night in the last decade on one hand.
Similar threads
