Stalkers using Thermal Imagers.

Munty_Hunter

Well-Known Member
I am just interested to know how many people use a thermal imager for their daytime stalking. I have come across one who does. I don't want to open a can of worms over is it fair etc, etc.

Is it common?

Anyone considering it?
 
Is it necessary? Depends on the needs of the ground! For woodland management, does it assist, without a doubt both day stalking and night shooting. Not only for locating a living deer but a carcass or a wounded deer.

Having been out with a very competent stalker, he has one and it has assisted in locating on clear fell which is just a nightmare especially with a shoot on site policy on it. For night shooting/lamping, it benefits as you rely on eyes for locating under the lamp, this just depends on seeing a heat source, so if the head is behind a tree, you will still locate then bring the lamp onto the deer and wait for a clear humane shot to follow once it's clear of the obstruction.

TJ
 
I can see a real advantage in this kind of kit in young badly designed plantations where there are few "deer lawns" ect to allow effective management and tall standing crops. If it lets you see whats where and how many, thats a great advantage.
I think it may be more used in foxing or checking for vermin of the two legged sticky fingered variety though.
The price tags a bit rich for our game dept budget , we still have to get several red hinds, heads to line up so one bullet can account for the fist 5 or 6 and the last is buried under the pile and we can then beat that one to death with the thermos!
 
I can see a real advantage in this kind of kit in young badly designed plantations where there are few "deer lawns" ect to allow effective management and tall standing crops. If it lets you see whats where and how many, thats a great advantage.
I think it may be more used in foxing or checking for vermin of the two legged sticky fingered variety though.
The price tags a bit rich for our game dept budget , we still have to get several red hinds, heads to line up so one bullet can account for the fist 5 or 6 and the last is buried under the pile and we can then beat that one to death with the thermos!

Hope you have drunk all the coffee first lol......

Had to chuckle, WB
 
We use one from time to time, it can be excellent, but has limitations. Basically it will let you see heat in line of sight - day or night. So whatever it sees can be seen with Binnys or a scope. It is excellent at seeing animals sulking in undergrowth or forest, but you will not be able to shoot them until they actually come into the open.

It is excellent for tracking, blood shows well as does an animal lying down, but you need to be able to physically see it, it overcomes natural cover and colouration.

It is a tool in the box, and for us it is best at showing what is not there, if we scan a field at night and there is no heat trace then there are no foxes, we dont need them looking into the light to see them. If we scan the hill before first light, we know if the deer are out and can get into a shooting position, just like someone who can get to the hill every day. To date we have not shot a single thing extra that we would not have before, but it has shown us where wildlife is moving, and this has surprised us, we have found both deer and foxes in areas we would not have expected them to be.

I am sure some will think it is cheating, in the same way that in the past rifles, scopes, night vision, glasses and lazer eye surgery and the like were seen as cheating. i dont have one, but if the price was right i am sure i would, it also is great for checking for dodgy wheel bearings, blown exhausts, sticking breaks, leaking pipes, electronic problems, poachers, lost pheasants and where your grouse are hiding!
 
Clearly thermal imagers have their greatest use at night where they can be a huge asset. If you have one then certainly there can be times when they could be used in daylight however this would be far more occasional.
Whilst not in full daylight and not either in the dark, I have found mine very useful indeed first thing in the morning before it really light. Both foxes and deer are well nigh on invisible at this time even with a good set of binos. If it's there the thernal will pick it up.
 
ONe is on my shopping list. To stop the over lamping of ground for foxing. And population observation useing the fog for cover.

As I am without a dog it would be useful for finding deer in the evenings. I tend to stalk in the morning so I have daytime on my side. A TI would allow me to go stalking in the evening with out a dog. But a dog would be more company. So both are on the shopping list. And both would be used.
 
I have personally been using one also, although not for stalking I have to add.

A government wildlife agency has been researching badger movements in particular areas and I have demo'd some kit to them so being using it extensively myself.

I think as well as deer management/stalking on your own at dusk/failing light it is also an invaluable tool for foxing, as have personally "glassed" a field through the Digisight, with no tell tale eye shine, to boot up the thermal and see wildlife I never knew was there.

For locating a wounded animal, or a fallen cull, i would imagine them to be an invaluable tool.

We shot a little demo video also if you are interested using the Pulsar Quantum HD38

We have a demo unit (9hz export model, the HD38 are 30hz controlled for export) should anyone wish to try one.

This footage was filmed by the wildlife agency during research NOT hunting/stalking etc hence the night time deer observation.

They used their GIS mapping to determine that the cattle in the long range shots was 2km away......

There is also some awesome footage of a Chinook.

Please bear in mind the device quality of image is considerably better than the You Tube rendered video which compresses the hell out of the video file.

Best Regards

Paul

 
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I have personally been using one also, although not for stalking I have to add.

A government wildlife agency has been researching badger movements in particular areas and I have demo'd some kit to them so being using it extensively myself.

I think as well as deer management/stalking on your own at dusk/failing light it is also an invaluable tool for foxing, as have personally "glassed" a field through the Digisight, with no tell tale eye shine, to boot up the thermal and see wildlife I never knew was there.

For locating a wounded animal, or a fallen cull, i would imagine them to be an invaluable tool.

We shot a little demo video also if you are interested using the Pulsar Quantum HD38

We have a demo unit (9hz export model, the HD38 are 30hz controlled for export) should anyone wish to try one.

This footage was filmed by the wildlife agency during research NOT hunting/stalking etc hence the night time deer observation.

They used their GIS mapping to determine that the cattle in the long range shots was 2km away......

There is also some awesome footage of a Chinook.

Please bear in mind the device quality of image is considerably better than the You Tube rendered video which compresses the hell out of the video file.

Best Regards

Paul



Will this be at the show Paul? If it is I would like to take a look!
 
Looks good bit of kit that pulsar. I think depends on if your wanting to eradicate them completely. For counting numbers of deer, vermin control and poacher control its priceless.
 
we are about to do a cull in a very senstive area for roe and a thermal imaging survey was carried out over several nights recently , the result hightlighed 13 animals to cull, so from our point of view it was an excellent piece of kit to establish what was where and how many and saved many cold hours spent out and about.
In the right hands for the right reasons:thumb:
 
My original post was aimed a the fact that i know a chap who uses TI in stead or as well as binos when stalking. He has said to me that he shot so and so deer having spotted the heat source then ID'ed with binos then shot it. Anyone else use one like this?
 
My original post was aimed a the fact that i know a chap who uses TI in stead or as well as binos when stalking. He has said to me that he shot so and so deer having spotted the heat source then ID'ed with binos then shot it. Anyone else use one like this?

In certain circumstances, yes. Tracking an injured deer (RTA, or fence or whatever), then it speeds the process and my justification is the welfare of the animal. If I am culling in a park and am timebound, then locating them using this technique is efficient. Tracking of a wounded animal etc on the shot - absolutely.

For me though one of the joys of stalking is pitting my wit against the animals - and sometimes they win - but I am always learning. I think to use it all the time would take something away from the experience that I would not want to lose - but for some (poor souls), the joy is in the killing - whereas I think that's the sad part - just the culmination of the preceding actions and a consequence of a successful stalk. There's little dignity when the odds are stacked that highly against the animal.

Using just TI? No. How do you ID and sex an animal successfully (the more obvious signs aside) at all times of year. Can you successfully assess behaviour - I think there's a dimension missing. And I am not aware of a TI unit with an 8-10x mag commercially available yet, so there's definitely a level of detail missing for me.
 
My original post was aimed a the fact that i know a chap who uses TI in stead or as well as binos when stalking. He has said to me that he shot so and so deer having spotted the heat source then ID'ed with binos then shot it. Anyone else use one like this?

....I have TI, but could I be bothered to carry it as well as carrying my rifle, binos and my sticks...the answer is no. Unless you are a professional stalker I reckon you won't use it as much as you originally thought and to be honest I would have rather spent my £4k+ on something else looking back.
 
I am just interested to know how many people use a thermal imager for their daytime stalking. I have come across one who does. I don't want to open a can of worms over is it fair etc, etc.

Is it common?

Anyone considering it?

rifle scope used to kill or just an imager?
 
nice,

used it in the forces many times,and its good kit, even better now,

happy to say that that is no landrover, both the engine and wheels are warm :rofl:


bob.
 
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