Thermal for Recovery

[Oneforeachofyou]

I have a Teckel that I've trained for the ethical recovery of wounded big game. Mostly we volunteer to go find wounded whitetail that hunters can no longer advance the track on. We can track lines that are more than 48 hours old, but typically we are looking at getting to the hit site between six and twelve hours after the shot.

I think a thermal imaging monocular would help us out quite a bit in terms of time we spend recovering and also confirming a deer is still alive. We work on-leash and so if a deer is leg shot it might stay just out in front of us for miles without us knowing. Seeing it through a monocular would be really helpful.

In short- anything that can give us an edge in finding the deer or in finding the deer faster is very valuable. However- I have never used a thermal device. Is there one that would be able to pick up a deer that has been dead for ~12 hours, from around 100 yards away?

 

[Brianb3]

I have been debating on whether I should get one or not I think you just convinced me. I’m color blind or trails are extremely hard for me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChrisAU]

A couple weeks ago I used my thermal scope to find a whitetail buck in thick young pines after a buddy shot it in a food plot but couldn't find any blood. He was piled up maybe 75 yards into the trees. I busted my way in 4-5 rows of trees and scanned and picked him up immediately from 40-50 yards away and he had been dead an hour or so probably. This is with an AGM Rattler TS25-384.

 

[Samson7x]

I've found downed deer using thermal before, although it was never that length of time. It would certainly be a nice tool for you to have.

 

[hibernation]

Check your state regulations first, a lot of states have provisions about using thermal for pursuit or recovery of game animals.

 

[cod007]

Thermal could easily spot a dead deer after 24 hours.

 

[Torino]

Alaska turned the heat up on NVG/IR use by hunters not long ago. If I recall correctly it is flat out no-go. If you’re in pursuit of game, you can’t be in possession of IR/NVG capable devices.

I’d probably be upset about that…if I had thermal money.

 

[ChrisAU]

If its a tool to help find downed game quicker and lessen the risk of meat spoilage then there is no moral ground to outlaw them...the problem is many use them to locate game before the shot, during the day and at night.

 

[KHNC]

I have seen they work good for finding roosted turkeys. But im not a turkey hunter these days. PRetty cool technology though.

 

[cod007]

Alaska turned the heat up on NVG/IR use by hunters not long ago. If I recall correctly it is flat out no-go. If you’re in pursuit of game, you can’t be in possession of IR/NVG capable devices.

I’d probably be upset about that…if I had thermal money.

I think u are wrong about that statement. Can u provide your source?

 

[Wrench]

I'm sure it won't last long as the difference between "REcovery" and "PREcovery" is all morally bound.

 

[Torino]

I think u are wrong about that statement. Can u provide your source?

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/wildliferegulations/pdfs/regulations_complete.pdf

Page 18

 

[hibernation]

If its a tool to help find downed game quicker and lessen the risk of meat spoilage then there is no moral ground to outlaw them...the problem is many use them to locate game before the shot, during the day and at night

Yeah, that would be an unenforceable mess. Same reason you usually can't carry a rifle during archery seasons, even if you're "not hunting with it".

 

[Trap]

I would think it would be a great tool for your recovery. I was thinking about getting one for treed bobcats. It’s only day time hunting but they always climb the tallest and wooliest tree in the woods. I’m sick of playing find the bobcat for hours does anyone have recommendations on a good thermal monocular.

 

[dirtytough]

You can’t see through stuff with thermal. I lost a decent amount of coyotes last year in CRP. Even cut wheat I can’t see them in if they are laying in between the rows. So I walk and scan each row until I can see down the row it’s laying in then go grab it.

Trap for something like that you will want 1x native/optical mag. An MH25 is the first one that comes to mind that I would buy for that use.

 

[Macintosh]

I love the idea. I can understand it being a no-go for most hunting, the same reason a lot of states prohibit the use of laser sights for hunting--because they are only useful after dark and hunting after dark for most game animals is strictly prohibited. However, so is deer hunting with dogs nearly everywhere, yet most states allow the use of a dog, a laser sight, a pistol after dark even during an archery season, etc by a licensed dog tracker. To me it would make perfect sense for a licensed dog tracker to be able to use a thermal as well, if they cant already--it wouldn't add anything to the existing management of that program, yet it could make them that much more effective. However, watching the dog work is flat-out amazing, so worth giving them a shot before resorting to the tech!

 

[Oneforeachofyou]

Yeah, that would be an unenforceable mess. Same reason you usually can't carry a rifle during archery seasons, even if you're "not hunting with it".

It is currently legal where I track, and in most states that allow tracking (which is most states). Trackers are also often allowed to carry firearms and dispatch wounded game animals-- even at night and even during archery season. It is easy to tell if someone is tracking or hunting, and easily enforceable.

 

[Oneforeachofyou]

I was looking at the Pulsar Axion XQ38 but noticed that just this week they announced an Axion 2 XQ35. Given that the new version is 2x instead of 3.5x I think it might work better for me. I can't find any info on when it might be available, though. Are there folks here who would know?

 

[hibernation]

It is currently legal where I track, and in most states that allow tracking (which is most states). Trackers are also often allowed to carry firearms and dispatch wounded game animals-- even at night and even during archery season. It is easy to tell if someone is tracking or hunting, and easily enforceable.

Sorry, I must've missed that in the original post, tracking big game with dogs isn't a thing in my state (OR). If you're talking about licensed trackers who are already operating well outside the standard hunting regulations, then yeah, that makes total sense.

 

[magtech]

We use thermals for game recovery but it just allows us to identify deer a few seconds before our flashlights find it.

On the last recovery session I looked into thermal drones. If Ihad to buy my thermal that is the way to go.