Cat shot with thermal scope

[Bowland blades]

Last thing we need is BASC starting yet another side hustle and yet more jobs for Mates ! Fact is and will always be " The Nut behind the Butt" Dont shoot unless your certain and never use the rifle for spotting to Observe anything! USE THE HAND HELD OPTICS

 

[wytonpjs]

Best start a campaign now to "Keep Thermal Off Ticket".

Anyone for a BASC sponsored Night Shooting Certificate L1?

K

Too late:

Night Shooting Certificate

Gain a nationally recognised DMQ Night Shooting Certificate with this one-day BDS course. For experienced deer managers with DSC1. Book now.

bds.org.uk

 

[Sinistral]

£520 poorer, which seems fair.

Charles Bolton, of Bishops Frome, appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' court accused of criminal damage in relation to killing the cat.
Bolton, pleaded guilty to the single charge at the court on Monday afternoon, August 26.
Camila Toscano, of the Crown Prosecution Service, told the court that the incident happened on May 30.
Bolton was fined £224, ordered to pay £120 compensation, £85 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

 

[enfieldspares]

Reminds me of the old joke.

The Lord has told his gamekeeper to take his guest out before dinner for a walk around with his gun before the following morrow's big driven day he come up for. To get a bit of practice on a few pigeons or maybe few rabbits but also, mainly, to walk in one of the boundaries. So off they go.

After a while in one hedgerows that borders a village on the edge of the estate the gamekeeper spies a cat.

"A cat, Sir, shoot it."

"No I will not. It's somebody's pet from the village."

"No, Sir, it's not Sir, it's feral Sir."

"Well in that case it's doing bloody well for itself as it's wearing a diamante collar."

 

[tarponhead]

That's why I stick to NV. Love cats me

Me too and NV is more than enough, for me. I can imagine thermal is a game changer for deer managers shooting hundreds a year, but for recreational, if you can’t identify your quarry accurately, you need to learn before pulling the trigger. Cats in the UK are not AOLQ, so I would report anyone who shot mine or any other cats, if I saw them.

 

[shakey jake]

Im amazed anyone with even the slightest intrest in the country side is a cat fan.
Free roaming cats should be banned, if you want a pet keep it under control.

 

[tarponhead]

Im amazed anyone with even the slightest intrest in the country side is a cat fan.
Free roaming cats should be banned, if you want a pet keep it under control.

Like most dogs I see.

 

[shakey jake]

Like most dogs I see.

I dont get stray/feral/unkown dogs in my garden killing song birds and spreading pregnancy harmful pathogens.
If peolle.want cats, keep them in doors or give people the abillity to protect their property from a pest

 

[Liveonce]

Im amazed anyone with even the slightest intrest in the country side is a cat fan.
Free roaming cats should be banned, if you want a pet keep it under control.

just an observation, many claim the need to shoot every fox on sight yet domestic cats kill more garden birds then likely all the foxes ever will. I would never shoot a cat but they are not a pet i would ever want to own.

As for thermal rifle sights, again often see videos posted of a shot at a quarry at long range where it’s just a few pixels on the image and you have to think is that really a fox, but have to accept the person behind the trigger has positively identified it before pulling the trigger.

 

[tarponhead]

I take your point - I was referring to dogs in the countryside, off the lead and out of control. I suspect that habitat loss and predators kill more songbirds than fat and lazy well fed cats but they are predators and you can’t stop them from hunting if that’s their nature, so control of feral cats is necessary, however much I wouldn’t do so, myself.

 

[David Barker]

SADLY THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS AND SOME UNITS ARE SO POUR THEY SHOULD NOT BE ON A RIFLE.COULD HAVE BEEN A SCOTTISH W3ILD CAT THEY SEEM TO BE SCARCE EVEN W3ITH A MASSIVE EFFORT TO GET THEM GOING AGAIN.

 

[shakey jake]

I take your point - I was referring to dogs in the countryside, off the lead and out of control. I suspect that habitat loss and predators kill more songbirds than fat and lazy well fed cats but they are predators and you can’t stop them from hunting if that’s their nature, so control of feral cats is necessary, however much I wouldn’t do so, myself.

You can stop them hunting outside, keep them inside

 

[Mike1979]

just an observation, many claim the need to shoot every fox on sight yet domestic cats kill more garden birds then likely all the foxes ever will. I would never shoot a cat but they are not a pet i would ever want to own.

As for thermal rifle sights, again often see videos posted of a shot at a quarry at long range where it’s just a few pixels on the image and you have to think is that really a fox, but have to accept the person behind the trigger has positively identified it before pulling the trigger.

Not just reserved for thermal. There are plenty of horror stories with NV or lamps so I don't feel thermal should be singled out.

I have a thermal rifle scope for fox shooting and have no issues with ID. Its easy to tell the difference between fox, cat, badger, otter etc and as has been said unless 100% sure dont pull the trigger.

I have no issues with the shooting of feral cats ... the biggest issue is the fact that there are domestic cats about and there is a risk of shooting someones pet. I see vids in Australia where there is no chance its domestic and in those situations crack on...not feasible in most of the UK and not at night.

 

[old keeper]

You can stop them hunting outside, keep them inside

I believe Australia has a curfew on cats going out at night? Perhaps our Australian correspondent could comment; I think he has some views on cats!

 

[tarponhead]

You can stop them hunting outside, keep them inside

I’d rather not have them, than imprison them.

 

[Liveonce]

Not just reserved for thermal. There are plenty of horror stories with NV or lamps so I don't feel thermal should be singled out.

I have a thermal rifle scope for fox shooting and have no issues with ID. Its easy to tell the difference between fox, cat, badger, otter etc and as has been said unless 100% sure dont pull the trigger.

I have no issues with the shooting of feral cats ... the biggest issue is the fact that there are domestic cats about and there is a risk of shooting someones pet. I see vids in Australia where there is no chance its domestic and in those situations crack on...not feasible in most of the UK and not at night.

agreed, however you have to spend considerably more money to get a thermal that is the equal in picture quality to all of todays digital scopes. If buying a “cheap” thermal then target identification at long range should never be taken for granted.

 

[shakey jake]

I’d rather not have them, than imprison them.

See thats a simple solution

 

[Mike1979]

agreed, however you have to spend considerably more money to get a thermal that is the equal in picture quality to all of todays digital scopes. If buying a “cheap” thermal then target identification at long range should never be taken for granted.

Totally agree Once my thermal scope gives up the ghost it will be replaced with NV purely from a cost perspective

 

[tarponhead]

See thats a simple solution

I find it hard to disagree, if you buy the predation numbers. I’d like to think they are statistical extrapolation rather than any degree of accuracy, but I can’t deny cats kill birds. I try and balance it by feeding songbirds and creating nesting sites and habitat, but whether it makes any difference, I don’t know. That said , birds kill birds, so who knows?

 

[Smellydog]

off the lead and out of control.

Shoot them as well then.