Thread: daytime thermals

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

I've never used thermals (never had the spare budget), so can someone tell me if using thermal spotters during the daytime makes enough difference when finding deer in bush to justify the cost? I think I'm walking past a lot of them, lots of sign, but I don't seem to find them... unless I don't have a rifle with me in which case they seem to pop out much more regularly.

This question is really about daytime use for pest control, not for night time hunting.

Hey Ben I used one a fair bit while guiding,
I never used it in the bush as such but when out in open looking back at scrubby faces it was awesome for finding deer beded down and then being able to locate through the scope and get the clients more animals.
It wasn't so efficient in heaver Bush canopy.
You could see the below animals easy in this type of scrub/bush.


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Originally Posted by BRADS

Hey Ben I used one a fair bit while guiding,
I never used it in the bush as such but when out in open looking back at scrubby faces it was awesome for finding deer beded down and then being able to locate through the scope and get the clients more animals.
It wasn't so efficient in heaver Bush canopy.
You could see the below animals easy in this type of scrub/bush.


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Like he said
Looking back into shady faces
Spot one or two animals with binos but the thermal finds there are plenty more
Good for fallow that stand in dead gorse and are invisible
Good to spot animal in the shade of the tree canopy edge
You often just see a hinds head and neck in the scrub edge waiting to make a bee line to the feed when it's just a wee bit darker

Originally Posted by BRADS

Hey Ben I used one a fair bit while guiding,
I never used it in the bush as such but when out in open looking back at scrubby faces it was awesome for finding deer beded down and then being able to locate through the scope and get the clients more animals.
It wasn't so efficient in heaver Bush canopy.
You could see the below animals easy in this type of scrub/bush.


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So those animals are not too hard to see out in the open, but if they had been under the trees in the RHS of the picture would you pick them up with the thermal ok? Or does the tree canopy hide the heat too much? In my situation the ability to 'see' into that kind of cover would make a huge difference.

How far into this kind of situation could I expect to spot deer with thermal? Reasonably open crown but close-spaced trees without too much dense understorey.

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

So those animals are not too hard to see out in the open, but if they had been under the trees in the RHS of the picture would you pick them up with the thermal ok? Or does the tree canopy hide the heat too much? In my situation the ability to 'see' into that kind of cover would make a huge difference.

How far into this kind of situation could I expect to spot deer with thermal? Reasonably open crown but close-spaced trees without too much dense understorey.

I would expect looking at that you have thick hard trunks but not thick undergrowth.
You might pick up heat sources 10-20m in....they if far in will be un identifyable bit will give you the heads up that there is a heat source over there and to move your postion for a better veiw or wait for it to move into more open spot for Id.
Daytime use of thermals is best in the morning im my experience.....in the evening there is lots of warm rocks stumps etc....not a problem if you are regularly working the same area and get to know the natural heat sources but still mornings or after rain is even better.

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

So those animals are not too hard to see out in the open, but if they had been under the trees in the RHS of the picture would you pick them up with the thermal ok? Or does the tree canopy hide the heat too much? In my situation the ability to 'see' into that kind of cover would make a huge difference.

How far into this kind of situation could I expect to spot deer with thermal? Reasonably open crown but close-spaced trees without too much dense understorey.

Hi Ben yeah in that pic of mine I'd see them in that bush on right side easily.
Especially at this time of year when its cooler.
In your pic the bush on right you'd easily see one, on the left you definitely see in for a bit but as Cam said not that far.
Thermals are like everything you definitely get what you pay for.
Some of the places locally loan them out so you'd be best to try one and see if its what you want defore investing.
I'd happily loan you mine but sold it.
Edit: dam look at all that grass I've got grass envy


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Originally Posted by BRADS

Edit: dam look at all that grass I've got grass envy

Ha, that picture is a couple of years old. This picture is 2 days old though... not as good, but not bad for under 200mm for the year sof far (less than 30% of mean rain to date).




Who loans them out locally? I'd love to try one.

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

Ha, that picture is a couple of years old. This picture is 2 days old though... not as good, but not bad for under 200mm for the year sof far (less than 30% of mean rain to date).

Who loans them out locally? I'd love to try one.

Mate, you need to get those girls behind a wire!

Originally Posted by 7.62

Mate, you need to get those girls behind a wire!

They are behind a wire! Stocked at about 300 cows/ha/day.