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

XP 50 and plenty of experience over 4 years

3km in ideal conditions
2km relatively often
1km even in sub optimal conditions
1km in good condition and you can tell the deer species and sex
Fallow have a different edge texture to reds
Stags show a different body profile
Velvet stags look like neon
Hard stags you can count the points in good conditions at 300 to 500m

BUT it takes a while to master them and if you only hunt a few times a year you will miss a lot of them
Once you get your eye in they are a very good tool