I have a muskrat problem and it seems like a good excuse to finally invest in a thermal set up. Has anyone here ever tried it?
Night Vision Anyone use thermals for muskrats? I
- Thread starter 1moaoff
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Not as much fun. Plus my dogs get in the pond routinely. So far dogs have gotten 2 and I have shot 2.
I’ve successfully hunted them with a knife, but I was 10 and way more manly than I am now. Give thermal a try. What do you have to lose?
Wet creatures will look different from dry creatures through thermal. We have a lot of packrats on my land ... but I have not seen any muskrats. I have seen turtles, frogs and toads with thermal. The turtles and frogs were wet and were actually "cool" ... so I saw them as "black" as in those days I usually ran on white hot. Now I usually run on black hot, so if I saw one they would be lighter shaded.
But they were different temp/emissivity from the background, so they stood out and were visible. So, I suspect a muskrat would be also.
But they were different temp/emissivity from the background, so they stood out and were visible. So, I suspect a muskrat would be also.
They may be tough/impossible to see when the head pops out of the water ... and they will be covered with water the same temp as the other water.
If not much wind, you will be able to see the surface of the water get disrupted, so you will be able to see where they are.
Once they are out of the water, you should be able to see them ... most of the time .. unless it is raining or has just rained.
If you need to optimize for muskrats ... in or near water ... an NV clipon might work better (I rarely say those words .. being the thermal "bigot" I am !!!)
But the temperature thing and the muskrats being in the water etc. will have a significant bearing on this narrow case.
With an NV clipon ... you will probably need a tripod ... as clipons add weight up front. So one of the KAC PVS-30s we are talking about in another thread ... might work better for you ... for muskrats ... and will an illuminator ... low power ... since you will be looking at reflective surfaces ... from fairly close distances.
Unless someone else comes along who has done almost exactly what you are trying to do ... I would say it has to be tried to be sure ... I can always see the water disturbed by noctural water creatures with thermal ... but I cannot always see the creature ... as the creature is the same as the water .. .with thermal .. .when in the water ... once out ... the background is different and the creature sheds water and things change ... but if you want to see them in the water ... that is probably easier with NV than with thermal.
If not much wind, you will be able to see the surface of the water get disrupted, so you will be able to see where they are.
Once they are out of the water, you should be able to see them ... most of the time .. unless it is raining or has just rained.
If you need to optimize for muskrats ... in or near water ... an NV clipon might work better (I rarely say those words .. being the thermal "bigot" I am !!!)
But the temperature thing and the muskrats being in the water etc. will have a significant bearing on this narrow case.
With an NV clipon ... you will probably need a tripod ... as clipons add weight up front. So one of the KAC PVS-30s we are talking about in another thread ... might work better for you ... for muskrats ... and will an illuminator ... low power ... since you will be looking at reflective surfaces ... from fairly close distances.
Unless someone else comes along who has done almost exactly what you are trying to do ... I would say it has to be tried to be sure ... I can always see the water disturbed by noctural water creatures with thermal ... but I cannot always see the creature ... as the creature is the same as the water .. .with thermal .. .when in the water ... once out ... the background is different and the creature sheds water and things change ... but if you want to see them in the water ... that is probably easier with NV than with thermal.
A full / decent PVS-14, ir-laser, helmet setup is around $4k ...
A trijicon 35mm scope is around $7k
A PVS-30 is around $4,600 and manfrotto tripod, head, interface is around $400
A trijicon 35mm scope is around $7k
A PVS-30 is around $4,600 and manfrotto tripod, head, interface is around $400
go to lonestarboars.com and look at the video section and look at Brian Schaffer videos. ,ost are pigs but several are beavers. Gives you a good idea. Brian scans and hunts thermal
Shoot beavers regularly with thermal and can identify rats at 75ish yards easy....with a lowly ATN no less. Rats swim with their tails going back and forth and I can just barely see that at distances out to about 75 yards.
Straying out of the optic discussion into caliber for a moment. Please bear with me.
If ricochets are an issue, I would use only 17 Mach II or the HMR.
As soon as those tiny bullets hit anything, they will disintegrate
If ricochets are an issue, I would use only 17 Mach II or the HMR.
As soon as those tiny bullets hit anything, they will disintegrate
We do muskrat and other vermin control for various cranberry bogs..
Muskrat head shows up on thermal when swiming.
Muskrat head shows up on thermal when swiming.
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