Has anyone scouted Whitetail bucks with a thermal scope? Just wondering if the rack generates enough heat to show on a thermal.
Rifle Scopes Scouting Whitetail with a thermal question
- Thread starter MOOSEKNUCKLE
- Start date
Re: Scouting Whitetail with a thermal question
Have used my thermal to scout deer. Unfortunately they have all been does. Everything retains a certain amount of heat or lack there of. All you need is a contrast from ambient temp to see a heat signature. So, you should be able to differentiate between buck & not but maybe not at extended ranges.
Have used my thermal to scout deer. Unfortunately they have all been does. Everything retains a certain amount of heat or lack there of. All you need is a contrast from ambient temp to see a heat signature. So, you should be able to differentiate between buck & not but maybe not at extended ranges.
Re: Scouting Whitetail with a thermal question
I have spent a lot of time in the woods with Raytheon's W1000-9.You can spot deer easily across the widest field but the only time you can reliably see horns is when they are in velvet.I can often tell that a deer is a buck by his size, neck thickness and the way he walks and carries himself, but I often have to ask a buddy with a night vision scope what kind of horns he has.If the deer is at a feeder you may be able to see the horns silhouetted against the metal feeder or other structure that has a different temperature than the horns.Well after sundown when most of your surroundings have given up the heat, the deer will stand out like a light bulb but his horns won't.
I have spent a lot of time in the woods with Raytheon's W1000-9.You can spot deer easily across the widest field but the only time you can reliably see horns is when they are in velvet.I can often tell that a deer is a buck by his size, neck thickness and the way he walks and carries himself, but I often have to ask a buddy with a night vision scope what kind of horns he has.If the deer is at a feeder you may be able to see the horns silhouetted against the metal feeder or other structure that has a different temperature than the horns.Well after sundown when most of your surroundings have given up the heat, the deer will stand out like a light bulb but his horns won't.
Re: Scouting Whitetail with a thermal question
I have often wondered this very question, and always thought it would be cool to try out a thermal scope for scouting purposes. I always assumed what jdmartin has found from actual experience though, that once deer are hard-horned, the horns will not retain enough heat to show through the scope.
I have often wondered this very question, and always thought it would be cool to try out a thermal scope for scouting purposes. I always assumed what jdmartin has found from actual experience though, that once deer are hard-horned, the horns will not retain enough heat to show through the scope.
Re: Scouting Whitetail with a thermal question
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jdmartin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You can spot deer easily across the widest field but the only time you can reliably see horns is when they are in velvet.I can often tell that a deer is a buck by his size, neck thickness and the way he walks and carries himself, but I often have to ask a buddy with a night vision scope what kind of horns he has.If the deer is at a feeder you may be able to see the horns silhouetted against the metal feeder or other structure that has a different temperature than the horns.Well after sundown when most of your surroundings have given up the heat, the deer will stand out like a light bulb but his horns won't. </div></div>
Having spent more than my share of time flying helicopters with very high quality TI equipment on board, the information here is very accurate.
The best options if you can is to use both TI and night vision like also stated above. My operator would find animals and I'd use my NOD to check them out when we got closer. It was good training for both of us.
Not that we ever got bored and looked at wildlife while flying those long night time missions!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jdmartin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You can spot deer easily across the widest field but the only time you can reliably see horns is when they are in velvet.I can often tell that a deer is a buck by his size, neck thickness and the way he walks and carries himself, but I often have to ask a buddy with a night vision scope what kind of horns he has.If the deer is at a feeder you may be able to see the horns silhouetted against the metal feeder or other structure that has a different temperature than the horns.Well after sundown when most of your surroundings have given up the heat, the deer will stand out like a light bulb but his horns won't. </div></div>
Having spent more than my share of time flying helicopters with very high quality TI equipment on board, the information here is very accurate.
The best options if you can is to use both TI and night vision like also stated above. My operator would find animals and I'd use my NOD to check them out when we got closer. It was good training for both of us.
Not that we ever got bored and looked at wildlife while flying those long night time missions!
