Thread: Thermal handhelds - how far can you really spot an animal?

I am probably the least experieneced thermal user here, having only used one twice. But I can say the 3-4 year old pulsar a good bloke on the forum lent me allowed me to easily identify cattle at about 3km in the dark and I could distinguish rocks and deer easily, while a mates brand new Guide made it difficult to see any detail on red deer at more than about 600m. The difference in quality between them was impressive.