Using thermal for stalking

[jimbo1984]

If they break the contract put them out of the syndicate that's how a contract works you see? Just take your head outta the sand and admit you sir are too greedy to share ur ground

Ah but by then the damage is done isn’t it ? Sometimes irreparably with landowners ,
You see I’ve no desire to be one of the expert deer managers and syndicate bosses on here , that’s why I cut work down to 3 days a week to cover the ground I have rather than rely on unreliable amateurs and the Dsc collectors

 

[mchughcb]

You are comparing methods used in

You are comparing methods used in a Country 32 times bigger than the UK that has a third of the population (people that is)
Hunting is banned here. If teams or 'clubs' of 20 fellas went out with dogs and killed hundreds of foxes and deer a day I dont think it would work somehow. Anits and sabs would be all over it. Over here deer stalking/control in most scenarios is largely undertaken as a solitary role, on pieces of land that in comparison to your country are tiny acreage's. Discression is paramount, wild west tactics wouldn't fit the bill in this sensitive world we live in, on our small over populated little island.

Exactly right which is why hunting foxes and deer with hounds during daylight happens here and could never happen in the UK because its too small and we could never have people riding around on horses in 5he countryside like the wild west in the UK. Pfffft.

 

[Primate]

It's a sad truth, and those that still do get out with the hounds and the horses face constant attack from sabs even when trail hunting. Different worlds we live in. You guys are lucky to live in a country which has wilderness to enjoy.

 

[glasshalffull]

Would you recommend mounting a Blaser r8 on to the drone with a Lawrence Precision moderator fitted and using ballistic tipped ammunition for best effect?

No need for a tin can at that height and great job for poachers

 

[glasshalffull]

No need for the tin can at that height
Great for poachers...

 

[Matt Roberts]

Never paid a stalking lease myself and accumulated plenty of ground by word of mouth. How? Being honest and doing what the landowner wants. Sometimes it’s brutal, other times it’s more palatable and you can try and ‘manage’ them (so they can be hit by cars, get hung in a fence, poached, or shot by the neighbouring stalker when the stray from your boundary). Thermal helps with both and personally I’d rather know what was where than make it up when the landowner asks me ‘how’s it going’.

 

[jimbo1984]

Never paid a stalking lease myself and accumulated plenty of ground by word of mouth. How? Being honest and doing what the landowner wants. Sometimes it’s brutal, other times it’s more palatable and you can try and ‘manage’ them (so they can be hit by cars, get hung in a fence, poached, or shot by the neighbouring stalker when the stray from your boundary). Thermal helps with both and personally I’d rather know what was where than make it up when the landowner asks me ‘how’s it going’.

Exactly the landowners want results not a bunch of amateurs tramping over their ground

 

[rem284]

I have plenty ground because i think i am either useless and very lucky or my ability to put deer in the larder was recognised even before thermal sporters were invented or even before range finders. 0

For the preachers and anti thermal lot. Do you happen to use binos because that may be unsporting. I know a guy who doesnt take binos. He certainly has a lot of failed outings and the deer get a education rather than getting killed

Also why is it deer stalking not just shooting deer. Why do we not go fox stalking, rabbit stalking or even rat stalking.

 

[LuckyEddie]

I have plenty ground because i think i am either useless and very lucky or my ability to put deer in the larder was recognised even before thermal sporters were invented or even before range finders. 0

For the preachers and anti thermal lot. Do you happen to use binos because that may be unsporting. I know a guy who doesnt take binos. He certainly has a lot of failed outings and the deer get a education rather than getting killed

Also why is it deer stalking not just shooting deer. Why do we not go fox stalking, rabbit stalking or even rat stalking.

When I was well enough and had stalking, I made it a point that every time I went out I co-ordinated as much of the landscape as I could. Over 1500acres it took a while but I got to know every feature of the land and know distances to within 10yds, over which the bullet drop didn’t matter; therefore no need for rangefinders.
I knew most if not all main trails and quite a number of lesser used ones as well.
For the same reason I didn’t use bino’s, I knew where the deer were likely to be and at what time.

The reason for deer “stalking” is probably partly to do with tradition and being regarded as a sport for lords and nobles. I’m probably wrong with that but I’m sure someone will correct it.

 

[plonker]

I'm not sure if the anti thermal guys have ever used one or looked through one?
You still have to use field craft when stalking,you still have to stalk into position to take a shot and you can still be seen by the deer as having a thermal spotter does not make you invisible or fire bullets that bend around trees or brambles!
What it allows you to do is spot a heat source plain and simple and the rest is upto yourself.
ATB dave

 

[foxdropper]

So to conclude ,the yes’s have it .

 

[mchughcb]

I have plenty ground because i think i am either useless and very lucky or my ability to put deer in the larder was recognised even before thermal sporters were invented or even before range finders. 0

For the preachers and anti thermal lot. Do you happen to use binos because that may be unsporting. I know a guy who doesnt take binos. He certainly has a lot of failed outings and the deer get a education rather than getting killed

Also why is it deer stalking not just shooting deer. Why do we not go fox stalking, rabbit stalking or even rat stalking.

Stalk rabbits and foxes all the time. Sometimes i even film it.

 

[glasshalffull]

Plus another for stalking rabbit, and I don't shoot more than we can eat which goes for pigeon duck pheasant and grouse too. But it wasn't always this way. As you get older most realize your quarry is not infinite and earns your respect.

 

[Ronin]

I have used thermal for the last three years.

I control deer on a couple of pieces of ground and was quite successful prior to purchasing a thermal spotter

I don’t stalk deer recreationally I carry out a service for the landowner protecting their crop / investment etcetc

Thermal had given me a far better appreciation of deer activity and numbers on my areas and also allowed me to be far more selective and efficient

It’s a tool to use nothing more

It does not detract from any skills one requires to actually get into a position where the deer are unaware to take a killing shot or series of killing shots

 

[glasshalffull]

I agree NV/thermal is a useful tool in regards to the deer numbers and activities on a permission. But it should not be a tool used to stalk deer wether sport or cull. So I personally think leave your rifle at home when it's being used. If not it's akin to shooting fish in a barrel of water.

 

[sikamalc]

Lazy stalkers use them.
They are fine for certain times, maybe for tracking wounded beast, but to use them just to spot deer is lazy in my opinion. Cant use them on Level 2 to spot deer. Use your knowledge and binoculars. I have even had one numpty ask to bring a drone out to spot deer about 2 years ago. I told him he could bring it out to stalk no problem. But I would bring my 12 bore, and blow it out of the sky! Needless to say he hung up the phone

 

[Deermanagement]

Lazy stalkers use them.
They are fine for certain times, maybe for tracking wounded beast, but to use them just to spot deer is lazy in my opinion. Cant use them on Level 2 to spot deer. Use your knowledge and binoculars. I have even had one numpty ask to bring a drone out to spot deer about 2 years ago. I told him he could bring it out to stalk no problem. But I would bring my 12 bore, and blow it out of the sky! Needless to say he hung up the phone

It is lazy..... it is easy to spot deer..... it also makes it easier to stalk deer, especially if there are a number of deer....... fact. Yes you still need to use a bit of common sense but it takes a large amount of the skill factor out of stalking. Those that have stalked for a good number of years will know this, those that have done very little before the thermal will not appreciate how much easier it is until the day they forget it, fail to charge it, forget spare batteries or breaks down on them. In this case, they may as well return home.

If cover/terrain makes it impossible to approach deer without a thermal, you can always use the odd high seat...... but maybe that will mean taking up too much time. The only genuine case for Mr. Average is to be more selective, but even then, a decent stalker could do the same without one.

 

[Overlay]

I have used thermal for the last three years.

I control deer on a couple of pieces of ground and was quite successful prior to purchasing a thermal spotter

I don’t stalk deer recreationally I carry out a service for the landowner protecting their crop / investment etcetc

Thermal had given me a far better appreciation of deer activity and numbers on my areas and also allowed me to be far more selective and efficient

It’s a tool to use nothing more

It does not detract from any skills one requires to actually get into a position where the deer are unaware to take a killing shot or series of killing shots

I use a thermal 3-4 nights a week on foxes and rabbits and also finding a grassed deer in the event I haven’t got Mr Teckel with me
Swaro Binos I‘ve had for years and they have always found enough deer and being out there looking is always rewarding and every day is a learning day, very easy to by pass all that with a thermal

if you’ve put in the man hours using binos, field craft etc, I guess TI you could move onto, but to anyone new to hunting you really need to do the basics and learn as you go, otherwise you miss out on all the good things, learning and finding the small shape through the trees which says deer is a reward on its own

using TI you lose all that, if it’s a job then fair enough, if it’s your time - enjoy the time out and learn as you go - Thermal images will not allow you to learn at your pace, bumping deer everyone has done it, and it sharpens up the way you look into a wood, trying to find the deer before it finds you

in a nutshell using TI before the field craft is you missing out big time on a cracking stalk not being able to read the signs you won’t get with TI is a downward spiral. Enjoy the time, at your pace

TI makes you a walker not a stalker

 

[Paul 600]

Thermals are here to stay, they are a tool and you use it as you see fit. I must reiterate they are not an X Ray machine and may not find your dead or injured deer. Please please do not go storming in after an injured deer with your thermal. Wait a suitable time or you will push it on. Check the shot site and analyse your findings before proceeding. I've had to track plenty of deer that couldn't be found with thermal.

 

[Ronin]

I use a thermal 3-4 nights a week on foxes and rabbits and also finding a grassed deer in the event I haven’t got Mr Teckel with me
Swaro Binos I‘ve had for years and they have always found enough deer and being out there looking is always rewarding and every day is a learning day, very easy to by pass all that with a thermal

if you’ve put in the man hours using binos, field craft etc, I guess TI you could move onto, but to anyone new to hunting you really need to do the basics and learn as you go, otherwise you miss out on all the good things, learning and finding the small shape through the trees which says deer is a reward on its own

using TI you lose all that, if it’s a job then fair enough, if it’s your time - enjoy the time out and learn as you go - Thermal images will not allow you to learn at your pace, bumping deer everyone has done it, and it sharpens up the way you look into a wood, trying to find the deer before it finds you

in a nutshell using TI before the field craft is you missing out big time on a cracking stalk not being able to read the signs you won’t get with TI is a downward spiral. Enjoy the time, at your pace

TI makes you a walker not a stalker

That is your opinion.

Wandering around a wood having a nice morning out, maybe spotting a deer and killing it, if in season and safe to do so isnt doing the landowner any kind of service whatsoever.

You pass very little to nothing by using thermal for spotting.

The sole purpose of attaining deer stalking is to kill deer, reduce numbers or manage them on an acceptable level.

Thermal is, as I said, a valuable tool, which enables the user to be more selective when choosing which animals to kill.

You wish to do things traditionally, thats fine, take out a pair of jena bios, with a parker hale 270 and 6x42 scope and fill your boots.

Oh, hang on, werent the same discussions taking place in the 50's when chaps using open sights, saw an influx of "telescopes" on rifles, that made the game "unfair", the same argument over fixed power scopes vs variable , the same argument over the need for training and practice.

This is the same argument / discussion.

Times move on, deer numbers are at the highest ever, use the tools available to manage deer effectively.