As seen for instance on the Fieldsports UK channel, the English use top-of-the-line thermals for firearms based pest control all the time, for instance against Norway rats. It's remarkable how technology that's severely restricted here, thermals and suppressors, with suppressors often being an actual requirement, is freely available there.
Hunting with Thermal?
- Thread starter WhelanLad
- Start date
I am on the fence about getting a thermal. Some of my friends use them and I got a calf two weeks ago thanks to the thermal. Some of our shooting is in fenced in tree plantations in rough terrain. Deer somehow always seem to get in and need to be removed. Generally our deer population is increasing leading to farmers and politicians looking for ways of reducing numbers. Deer seasons have been extended with only May till end July closed. No Bag limit as such. The small Sika Deer we have are difficult to spot in our high grass and rough terrain. Trying to stalk into them might work with a shot gun but that's it. I prefer to sit across the valley and observe. In this case we glassed about 1/2hr with binos without seeing a deer. Then the thermal showed around 8 spots in our shooting range. Most were in wooded area but a few bedded down deer in more open areas. It took us another while to actually find a deer in the grass even with the Zeiss Spotting scope. Once spotted I could take it.
edi
edi
I am currently looking at getting a hand held thermal, and clip on thermal for a scope, Moving back to New Zealand mid 2025, so selling up sum hunting gear, and getting others.
Have used a few hand held thermals, they can sure help to find Game, depending on the conditions, work better in cold open conditions, have found many false returns, in thick bush, due to vegation decay.
There is plenty in use in NZ, epically for pest control after dark, opossums, pigs deer etc. in may ways thermal and night vision have taken over from spotlights,
Have had a odd night shooting dozens of Rabbits, with subsonic, suppressed .22. and thermal, all good, until you get a wounded bunny squealing.
Not as convinced of thermals use for deer, but this likely depend on your hunting terrain
I see the New Zealand Government has Just allowed, Late 2024, a hand held thermal, for hunting on crown land,
The days of a knife & belt, sugar sack and rope, for a day bag, and a iron sighted rifle, with perhaps a 3 or 4 power scope have long gone, a simpler time,
Now its, Binos, Hubble sized scope, range finder, phone, Gps, wind meter, bipod etc, might as well have night vision and a thermal,
I think all the gadgets, reduce the experience, of being out in nature, pitting your skills against the game a bit.
Have used a few hand held thermals, they can sure help to find Game, depending on the conditions, work better in cold open conditions, have found many false returns, in thick bush, due to vegation decay.
There is plenty in use in NZ, epically for pest control after dark, opossums, pigs deer etc. in may ways thermal and night vision have taken over from spotlights,
Have had a odd night shooting dozens of Rabbits, with subsonic, suppressed .22. and thermal, all good, until you get a wounded bunny squealing.
Not as convinced of thermals use for deer, but this likely depend on your hunting terrain
I see the New Zealand Government has Just allowed, Late 2024, a hand held thermal, for hunting on crown land,
The days of a knife & belt, sugar sack and rope, for a day bag, and a iron sighted rifle, with perhaps a 3 or 4 power scope have long gone, a simpler time,
Now its, Binos, Hubble sized scope, range finder, phone, Gps, wind meter, bipod etc, might as well have night vision and a thermal,
I think all the gadgets, reduce the experience, of being out in nature, pitting your skills against the game a bit.
Thermal would also be useful for going after game shot just at last light.
Sometimes in the old days in small, exploration fly camps, problem bears would have to be shot at night. Then off into the dark they'd go crashing.
In those days of 5hitty dim handheld flashlights caution would rule over the humane and tracking it would wait until sunrise.
Sometimes in the old days in small, exploration fly camps, problem bears would have to be shot at night. Then off into the dark they'd go crashing.
In those days of 5hitty dim handheld flashlights caution would rule over the humane and tracking it would wait until sunrise.
Should be restricted everywhere to me. Except predators maybe. Jeez, anymore technology piled into hunting these days might as well go to a zoo and shoot an animal through a fence.
I get what you're saying, and you are not wrong or right.
Hunting really is the only sport where you police yourself regarding personal ethics.
If it's legal someone may choose to do it, others may not at their discretion, each to their own.
In a way, I don't look at these thermal devices any different than binoculars for critter searching.
I started bow hunting many years ago because I found gun hunting to easy, I simply wanted more challenge and time afield.
I do use the technology of trail cameras on video mode to see what's walking about and try to trick the best of the best.
Mostly with total failure, it's still fun though.
One of these days, I will vapour lock in the bush and the coyotes will get pay back eating my meat for all their relatives I let the light into with my 22-250
, and that's fine with me.
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Yea, let's restrict stuff that you don't like.
The bow hunters don't think you should hunt with a rifle.
The animal rights groups don't think anyone should hunt.
So we should totally throw groups under the anti bus just because we don't like what they do. It is attitudes like this that cause problems for everyone.
Just think it's an unfair advantage for big game not telling anyone how to live. I'm not a liberal. Most places you are not permitted to fly and hunt on the same day in game country. Same thing, they used to call it fair chase.Yea, let's restrict stuff that you don't like.
The bow hunters don't think you should hunt with a rifle.
The animal rights groups don't think anyone should hunt.
So we should totally throw groups under the anti bus just because we don't like what they do. It is attitudes like this that cause problems for everyone.
To each their own. Not much sport involved to me.
To save a bit of cash, here's a link to an interesting project:
https://www.printables.com/model/1156355-pvs-420-thermal-vision-50hz-low-budget-18650-monoc
https://www.printables.com/model/1156355-pvs-420-thermal-vision-50hz-low-budget-18650-monoc
