Daytime Thermal Binocular or Monocular Use

[JAG]

Curious to know if anyone here uses thermal optics for daytime use and what their experience has been.

The price tags on these things are insane, so I'd like to know if it is much of a gamechanger in finding animals bedded in thick brush and trees.

 

[mevertsen]

Napalm works wonders.

On a serious note.

No.

Don't know if it works or not. But its illegal in a lot of states, and easily crosses over the line of fair chase.

 

[brymoore]

Thermals are a game changer. They make $2k binoculars worthless in finding game.

Where are you going to use than? Thermals are being banned for big game hunting in most states.

 

[JAG]

Well, it looks like it's permissible during legal shooting hours in Colorado:

C.R.S. 33-6-127 – Hunting with artificial light, night vision, or thermal imaging devices

Unless otherwise provided by commission rule and except as provided in section 33-6-107 (9) for persons owning or leasing land, members of…

colorado.public.law

Section 33-6-127​

Hunting with artificial light, night vision, or thermal imaging devices​

(a)​

Unless otherwise provided by commission rule and except as provided in section 33-6-107 (9) for persons owning or leasing land, members of their family, or their agents, it is unlawful for a person to utilize electronic night vision equipment, electronically enhanced light-gathering optics, or thermal imaging devices as an aid in hunting or taking wildlife outside legal hunting hours according to commission rules.​

​

Granted, this section above outlines people who own land, their family or agents, but it defines the limitations regarding the means of light use.

The section preceding this one refers to any hunters. However, because the section cited above describes the means of artificial light use, the means of artificial light use in the preceding section is different and basically addresses the use of spot lights or light projection (night vision)- it does not describe legal hours or include the prohibition against thermal imaging use ("electronically enhanced light-gathering optics").

​

(1), (a) Unless otherwise provided by commission rule and except as provided in section 33-6-107 (9) for persons owning or leasing land, members of their family, or their agents, it is unlawful for any person to utilize any artificial light as an aid in hunting or taking any wildlife. For the purposes of this subsection (1), the possession of any firearm with cartridges in the chamber or magazine or loaded with powder and ball or a strung bow, unless the bow is cased, while attempting to project any artificial light into areas where wildlife may be found is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.​

 

[brymoore]

Well, it looks like it's permissible during legal shooting hours in Colorado:

C.R.S. 33-6-127 – Hunting with artificial light, night vision, or thermal imaging devices

Unless otherwise provided by commission rule and except as provided in section 33-6-107 (9) for persons owning or leasing land, members of…

colorado.public.law

Section 33-6-127
Hunting with artificial light, night vision, or thermal imaging devices​

(a)​

Unless otherwise provided by commission rule and except as provided in section 33-6-107 (9) for persons owning or leasing land, members of their family, or their agents, it is unlawful for a person to utilize electronic night vision equipment, electronically enhanced light-gathering optics, or thermal imaging devices as an aid in hunting or taking wildlife outside legal hunting hours according to commission rules.​

Quick google search, for what it’s worth, says thermals are illegal in Colorado.

You might want to confirm before buying.

 

[npaden]

I got one of the Leupold LTO Trackers thinking I could use it to help tracking if I had a wounded animal to find. It was pretty much worthless for that. I had thought I would be able to see blood or something but all I could see was rocks warmed by the sun. I sold it.

 

[JAG]

@brymoore Understood and agreed, I updated my second post at the same time you posted yours.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I sight mine in during the day, but I can’t imagine hunting with it. Everything the sun hits looks hot, as does anything that is warmer than everything else around it. I personally think in most situations where you need to really search for game, being able to discern colors and fur would be more beneficial to identify what you are actually looking at than just heat.

 

[X13]

I'd like to know if it is much of a gamechanger in finding animals bedded in thick brush and trees.

Thermals really don't work well in thick brush, trees, or during the day (false positives)

 

[kiwi hunter]

I'm about to get one, will do a write up.
But for me it's a lifechanger, with my monocular for spotting rabbits and foxes and deer, I can actually distinguish the three different.Deer that we have in my neighbourhood.using nite vision scopes you're limited by the amount of growth like grass etc and fog, thermals cut thru fog to a larger degree. Some of the guys who use them in the evening put swaro binos to shame, one chap with a set of swaros picked out three and the thermal picked up over 20.

 

[JAG]

In my industry, we use them often to find water damage that is not yet visibly manifest in damaged floors, walls, ceilings, and roofs.

The guidance here is to ensure that the testing is done in the morning or evening—NOT during the day. Thermal cameras do not reflect temperature levels but temperature differences.

To those cautioning against false positives, thank you/noted. If you were to change your viewing to morning/evening times, you may wish to see if that alters what you are able to detect.

I'm not saying you're right/wrong, but to offer something to consider that may give your thermal cameras better and extended application(s).

 

[JAG]

Does anybody have input on a recommended objective lens diameter? I'm looking at thermal monoculars with 15mm, 25mm, and 35mm objective lenses.

What aspect of vision improves or changes most with objective lens size?

 

[JAG]

Does anybody have input on a recommended objective lens diameter? I'm looking at thermal cameras with 15mm, 25mm, and 35mm objective lenses.

What aspect of vision improves or changes most with objective lens size?

Is there a better feature I should spend money on? camera HZ, resolution, something else?

 

[SaskHunter]

Thermals are being banned for big game hunting in most states.

Good!

 

[kiwi hunter]

Does anybody have input on a recommended objective lens diameter? I'm looking at thermal monoculars with 15mm, 25mm, and 35mm objective lenses.

What aspect of vision improves or changes most with objective lens size?

I believe a 50 mm is much better, my monocular is 19mm and it's good on 1x but once you increase the range up it gets. pixalated,
Ive just ordered a atn mars 4. 384x288 it's either 35 or 50. Looking forward to using it, fog, moonlight be good now.
A mono it best early morning or late evening.
Nite is the go to.

 

[tchartwick]

I use both binocular and monocular setups, and honestly, for daytime scouting the monocular is more than enough. I’ve run a ClearView X350 Thermal Imaging Monocular on a few scouting trips, and it’s been surprising how much game shows up that would otherwise stay hidden. In thick brush, animals that blend perfectly with the background stand out immediately in thermal.

 

[JAG]

Yep, I got my thermal monocular from TEMU; GtGuard Hawkeye for about $320. There’s a YouTube review on it and it accurately reflects my experience.

The two images below were taken seconds apart.

At dusk earlier this summer, I was able to find deer feeding out at 370 yards in tall grass that I was no longer able to see with my eyes after about 200 yards.

 

[Borny1]

Napalm works wonders.

On a serious note.

No.

Don't know if it works or not. But its illegal in a lot of states, and easily crosses over the line of fair chase.

Sure thermals should be illegal for fair chase reasons, but finding a wounded animal? Legal or not, I'd use it for that purpose.

 

[schmalts]

I use one for racoon shooting in my small apple orchard when they raid it at night. I can see a hot spot in a tree over 200 yards away. Can walk right up to the tree and pop em because they think they are safe up there. The amount of fruit loss, and damage to the trees they do is unreal as they will crawl out on the end of small branches to get the fruit and tear the branched at the trunk. This opens the tree to infections and also loss off any fruit for the next season. I just can't have a productive small orchard without killing them off

 

[schmalts]

Forgot to add that thermal is useless without clear line of sight. You will not find wounded game if you do not have at least partial line of sight on it, but even a small portion will show up as an easy to notice thing in the view . If you were say looking for a deer, stand up on something as high as possible in case it is laying in a low spot.