Do thermals sterilise stalking and remove the magic?

[Scotty99]

I have a thermal spotter, when I first got it I took it out all the time, but always took my binos as well, and I was probably one of those guys Sikamalc was referring to, stumbling about with it glued to my eye. They are great for checking out an area and if no heat source is found quickly moving on, ok if you are a deer manager with a cull target to meet, but for recreational stalkers I think the thermal does take something away from the experience. These days I am almost exclusively using my binos again, They force you to take your time and really look when scanning cover looking for the shape, colour, swishing tail or twitching ear, it somehow adds to the experience and puts you more at one with nature. Also I’ve found at the end of a sunny afternoon even in the autumn / winter you can get a lot of false positives with a thermal as tree stumps, trunks and branches giving off a signature if they have been in the late afternoon / evening sun.

Having said all of that, they are absolutely brilliant for foxing after dark and are a real game changer. It’s a time when I’m only interested in putting Charlie down and getting home to bed, so the quicker I can cover the ground the better.

 

[paul o']

So Will it be a ( Guide IR 510 N2 or Key XM30 )

 

[Tim.243]

I think we need an emoticon with a face and an eye patch for thermal users

Or one with VV for any one turning up with a set of quad sticks!! VV

 

[foxdropper]

Perish the thought someone used an advantage Tim

 

[Bill Bartlett]

Using a thermal properly for the first time this weekend, I found myself (whilst stalking on a friends ground) using the thermal to “clear” the area we were in and move on to the next bit. Walking through woods where spotting would have been hard at this time of year the thermal was brilliant at finding even the smallest heat sources, the most surprising being a small wasp nest in a hole in a tree, but this also gave confidence that had there been deer in the vicinity we would know, so we moved on.
I guess without the thermal we would have stuck around longer perhaps…called with the squeaker a bit longer in anticipation of something running, building up the suspense even if ultimately it would prove to be fruitless….
I think as a tool it is great, but I can’t help but feel it stole some of the mystery and suspense which has been one of the best bits of stalking over the years.
I assume I’m not alone in thinking this. Perhaps it should have stayed at home only to be used when I’ve got a job to do and not simply enjoy some pleasant stalking with a mate, but hey, it’s all a learning curve,

Yes, they do! It is quite sad in a way....

 

[Acm]

I think you’ve missed the point of my original post. I’m not disputing their use/value when a job needs doing, im merely observing that I found it somewhat detrimental to an otherwise great time spent with a mate for a fun weekend.

Incredible how emotive some people are finding this

 

[Klenchblaize]

The magic has and always will be stolen from us at one level or other:



K

 

[NullMac]

if you have a good dog by your side, that will indicate a deer in thick cover way before a bloody thermal does.

Don't need a thermal because the dog is a Deer Radar.

Thermal can't look round corners down the next ride. The dog can.

He can tell me if there is anything in this next block or not. He can point out tracks and paths I miss so we can plan the next stalk. It helps me build a picture of the deers behaviour so increases my chances of being in the right place without having to run around the permission like an noob knobber.

I have stalked with a professional mate who uses thermal extensively. It is tempting for a hind cull in the woods but to be honest I would trust the dog to get me a deer before the thermal, he can cover more ground because he is not limited by line of sight and can give an indication long before the deer is remotely visible. Been there, done it. I can get a great lab for the price of an ok thermal.

And finally gentlemen....

Your thermal will not give you sympathy when the wife is being a menopausal old bag

 

[foxdropper]

The magic has and always will be stolen from us at one level or other:

K

The magic starts when things are revealed otherwise hidden .There’s far more to being out than killing deer ,something lost on 60% of stalkers Ive met .
Its really very simple ,either dont use one and take your chance the eye will see or use one and get a heads up on nature in all its forms .I don’t get the whingers that romanticise about one man and his rifle moaning like thermal has somehow taken their soul .
Thermal scopes will soon be available that will identify quarry out to any shootable range that will change deer management forever .
Either get with it or stay loyal to the ideal but ffs stop moaning about others moving on

 

[Klenchblaize]

The magic starts when things are revealed otherwise hidden .There’s far more to being out than killing deer ,something lost on 60% of stalkers Ive met .
Its really very simple ,either dont use one and take your chance the eye will see or use one and get a heads up on nature in all its forms .I don’t get the whingers that romanticise about one man and his rifle moaning like thermal has somehow taken their soul .
Thermal scopes will soon be available that will identify quarry out to any shootable range that will change deer management forever .
Either get with it or stay loyal to the ideal but ffs stop moaning about others moving on

May I venture this is not so much about “moaning” but rather engendering considered debate.

K

 

[AGR]

The magic starts when things are revealed otherwise hidden .There’s far more to being out than killing deer ,something lost on 60% of stalkers Ive met .
Its really very simple ,either dont use one and take your chance the eye will see or use one and get a heads up on nature in all its forms .I don’t get the whingers that romanticise about one man and his rifle moaning like thermal has somehow taken their soul .
Thermal scopes will soon be available that will identify quarry out to any shootable range that will change deer management forever .
Either get with it or stay loyal to the ideal but ffs stop moaning about others moving on

Quite right. Back in the day we'd have been chasing them over cliffs. (No, I don't actually remember that, I read about it!)

 

[Klenchblaize]

Quite right. Back in the day we'd have been chasing them over cliffs. (No, I don't actually remember that, I read about it!)

Stig (Of The Dump) and I remember it well.

K

 

[BenBhoy]

finding even the smallest heat sources, the most surprising being a small wasp nest

Just out of interest which thermal spotter were you using?

 

[deerstalker.308]

Just out of interest which thermal spotter were you using?

Axion key

 

[BenBhoy]

My biggest issue with thermal is how it affects your vision in that eye for a bit afterwards, everything dark & smudgy

 

[Klenchblaize]

My biggest issue with thermal is how it affects your vision in that eye for a bit afterwards, everything dark & smudgy

But this can only be from the brightness of light and the wavelength of such emanating from the viewing screen?

Perhaps turn screen brightness down and/or invest in glasses that filter out the harmful blue light:

Anti blue light glasses for Men & Women

Protect your eyes by filtering blue light with our FDA approved blue light blocking glasses. Providing a crystal clear view with added anti-fog & anti-smudge.

www.ocushield.com

K

 

[Noeyedear]

Like everything it very much depends how they are used. I have been out with some guides who go on a route march, stop thermal and chug on. Total reliance on the thermal and no binos at all. Honestly, struggled to keep up and did not enjoy the experience.

That experience put me off for a long time but I am now using one and find it actually enhances the experience. I use it as a check after glassing just to be sure I haven't missed anything. Also it's great for spotting blood if the light is failing.

 

[Ade8mm]

Post~script to my earlier post in which I declared I did not have a dog in the fight. (I still don't)

Last year I used a thermal imager whilst assisting in some "Ministry" work. Spotting . (Thermal images are Black and White, are they not?) and also when using a 17HMR with thermal device a-top doing some pest control in Wales.

These were the first times I had used a Thermal Imager.

The one thing I did notice was, as I had an acute cataract in my right eye, the loss of vision - recovery of night vision, any sort of vision actually, took an inordinate amount of time to disperse.

My shooting partner commented on this so that is why / how I know it took an "inordinate amount of time"

The spotting job was easily solved by using my left eye. With the rifle .. Not so.

Worth a mention as this could perhaps help others as it could be an early indicator of eye problems (Cataracts etc)

 

[grizzly adams]

Well said by Sikamalc.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Post~script to my earlier post in which I declared I did not have a dog in the fight. (I still don't)

Last year I used a thermal imager whilst assisting in some "Ministry" work. Spotting . (Thermal images are Black and White, are they not?) and also when using a 17HMR with thermal device a-top doing some pest control in Wales.

These were the first times I had used a Thermal Imager.

The one thing I did notice was, as I had an acute cataract in my right eye, the loss of vision - recovery of night vision, any sort of vision actually, took an inordinate amount of time to disperse.

My shooting partner commented on this so that is why / how I know it took an "inordinate amount of time"

The spotting job was easily solved by using my left eye. With the rifle .. Not so.

Worth a mention as this could perhaps help others as it could be an early indicator of eye problems (Cataracts etc)

There are many colour palettes to choose from which vary the amount of brightness your eye experiences, most opting for the dark background with heat sources showing in white as you don’t get as much glare in your eye. You can then also adjust the brightness setting too to further reduce the glare.