Does anyone use a thermal while scanning before switching to traditional optics?

Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,331
I love the "my tech is fine but your tech is for losers" types.

If 50% of hunters were allowed the use of a thermal with a traditional bow as their weapon, and 50% were allowed to use a rifle but no thermal. I wonder which group would kill more animals? I'm betting on the rifle hunters with rangefinders, scopes that dial, suppressors, etc.

The thermal isn't a game changer. Everyone already uses the game changers with rangefinders, Onx, modern rifles, and dialable scopes.
 

saskhunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
128
I see we have ourselves an intellectual here 🧐 Touche' my man.

Not everything has to be an intellectual debate. Open mouth kissing your sister is probably legal in many places, still doesn't make it right.

Also, while we're on the subject of intellect, it's "touché" not "touche'".
 

saskhunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
128
I love the "my tech is fine but your tech is for losers" types.

If 50% of hunters were allowed the use of a thermal with a traditional bow as their weapon, and 50% were allowed to use a rifle but no thermal. I wonder which group would kill more animals? I'm betting on the rifle hunters with rangefinders, scopes that dial, suppressors, etc.

The thermal isn't a game changer. Everyone already uses the game changers with rangefinders, Onx, modern rifles, and dialable scopes.

I believe we're comparing apples to oranges here. Optics give you the ability to see further. A range finder gives you the ability to get accurate ranges.

Thermal imaging allows you to see in the dark or through visual obstructions. Big difference here.

Some devices enhance your abilities, others give you an ability you never had in the first place.
 

rogerthat

FNG
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Messages
51
I’m thinking some of you guys are pretty inexperienced with the latest and greatest units on the market with some of your equivalence arguments. Might want to look into it
 

wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
1,289
We don't use blackhawk helictopers for hunting because it's illegal to use. That's why people don't do it. My line of thinking doesn't support it at all.

I stated that this tech is legal to use. USE IT. Chasing down an herd of elk and mowing them down from a helicopter isn't LEGAL. Don't do it! Pretty simple.

I think they aren't behind at all. I think they know what people have at their disposal and are limiting it to make things fair without straight banning everything.

I'm curious to know what your opinion is on Game Cams. Would you agree that this is awful tech as well? You can literally place hundreds of cams and pinpoint any herd that you'd like, in real time and set off on your Cell phone guided hunt.

I think game cams have gotten way out of hand. Anything with cellular capability should be illegal for hunting use everywhere, as they are in some states. I’d fully support an outright ban, but that isn’t really feasible. I think if you want to know what’s out there you should probably go look, you know kind of like hunting.

Tech improvements that assist in taking game more cleanly/reliably are a little different to me, though with the ever increasing effectiveness at longer distances (or at least the appearance that it’s effective) is a slippery slope. Tech that helps locate game that is not actually in view seems like a big step in the wrong direction. I would imagine it’s very effective in thick country. Would be great locating bears and moose in AK where you can be 50 feet from them and not see them. The amazing glass available today does make spotting game further away when they are within a clear line of sight a lot easier, so an argument on similarities is certainly valid.

We are making more and more hunters more and more successful, while not increasing available game and habitat to support them. The only way that can go is less opportunity now or in the future.



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wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
1,289
regarding thermal devices, here in Utah they recently updated the verbiage in the the regs from illegal to "use" to illegal to simply "possess" during a big game hunt. I applaud them making it unequivocal, unambiguous, and much more straightforward for conservation officers (game wardens) to enforce.

That is key. With “use” wording on anything like this, it’s going to be extremely difficult to impossible to enforce.


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wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
1,289
I love the "my tech is fine but your tech is for losers" types.

If 50% of hunters were allowed the use of a thermal with a traditional bow as their weapon, and 50% were allowed to use a rifle but no thermal. I wonder which group would kill more animals? I'm betting on the rifle hunters with rangefinders, scopes that dial, suppressors, etc.

The thermal isn't a game changer. Everyone already uses the game changers with rangefinders, Onx, modern rifles, and dialable scopes.

Locating animals not within your line of site in dense cover is actually a pretty big game changer. In that habitat, where pressured animals often go, rangefinders, scopes that dial, etc are all essentially useless. That is game that is going to get killed at or close to bow range anyway. It’s making a sanctuary for game no longer a sanctuary. Sounds like the game changed significantly to me.


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ozyclint

WKR
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Messages
1,953
Location
Queensland, Downunder
Here in Australia we have Sambar deer in Victoria. They are primarily a forest dweller and very elusive.
A stag is prized trophy and touted as our "premier game animal" :unsure:

A stag seemed to be some mythical once in a lifetime beast.

Now people hunt them using pointer dogs with GPS collars. Dog goes searching, tracker indicates that dog is on point, hunter moves in on dogs location. Boom, premier game animal down.

No doubt thermals are being used to scan dense forest too.

IMO, method of take has as much to do with "premier game animal" as the animal itself.
 
Joined
Dec 29, 2023
Messages
2
I use a thermal to scan areas dusk and dawn, Confirm with standard optics then decide to shoot or not. Is it sporting? Your call but since season is very short and many old ways of hunting are banned I don't see it unfairly biased against the animal.
 

wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
1,289
I use a thermal to scan areas dusk and dawn, Confirm with standard optics then decide to shoot or not. Is it sporting? Your call but since season is very short and many old ways of hunting are banned I don't see it unfairly biased against the animal.

Out of curiosity, what old ways of hunting have been banned?


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Joined
Dec 29, 2023
Messages
2
Taking animals while in water, over bait. hours of legal hunting, dogs for hunting etc. There are others and of course these do not apply everywhere.
Hunting laws are pretty much by definition limits on ways to take game.
 

bigsky2

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 31, 2016
Messages
271
I use a thermal to scan areas dusk and dawn, Confirm with standard optics then decide to shoot or not. Is it sporting? Your call but since season is very short and many old ways of hunting are banned I don't see it unfairly biased against the animal.
It’s not an unfair advantage over the animal because the season is short? Not seeing how season length has anything to do with the ethics of using thermals.
 

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