Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Pretty self-explanatory: Would you use one of these in a hunting/scouting context, if you had one?


FLIR B-Cam (above)retails for between $4000 and $5000.

The prices of infrared thermal imaging gear is quickly nearing the point where it will be readily accessible to the consuming public.



Imagine how it could be used, from a hunting perspective - with regard to spottinggame from the roadways, at night-time, and during a spot-and-stalk hunt. You could even scan the tree canopy for roosted turkeys in the middle of the night.





....and these units are starting to come in a package that is user-friendly enough to be toted afield and used by hunters.



This guy is state-of-the-art, military-grade and sells for $9,000 each. But don't expect the price to stay that high forever.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Well I dont see the price dropping enough for me to buy one anytime soon, but I do think it would have some nice benefits. Say you made a bad shot on a deer and had to wait a few hours on it and it got dark. This would be a really good way to recover that animal. I think some people might mis use it by poaching and things, but if used right it could be effective.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Not a fan takes out Fair Chase

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

That would be an outlaws dream...... However I wouldnt mind having one cause I think it is pretty neat... Be fun to mess around with.. But agreed the price would have to come down a pretty good bit for me to get one... I mean I still have to buy gas this week for crying out loud...

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I'm not going to lie to ya I've often thought what if you could pick the whole woods up and see where all the bucks or bear were. The tool you have in the pics would be neat but certainly not something that should be used for hunting to me.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

If I had it? I would use it..but I wont be spending any money on one.

MOmightymite makes a good point about recovery

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RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I would use one for fox hunting. You can hunt fox here at night.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Scouting, yes.
Recovering animals, yes.
Hunting, no.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I remember mentioning before on this site that I'd like to have one for one reason.... recovery. Being colorblind, I'd have to call someone in to follow a blood trail if one went very far. I'd never actually use it to hunt, but it would beat depending on someone else or spraying a quart of hydrogen peroxide all over my hunting site searching for the trail.

Heck, I'd want one even if I didn't hunt. How many times in your lives have you just wanted to know what was out there in the dark? Not because you're afraid, but just because you want to know. I think it'd be an awesome gadget to have.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

My first thought was as an aid in recovery of an animal it would be an awesome tool.My second thought was on a day that I was convinced there wasn't a deer within a hundred miles of me,this item would help me confirm or negate my thinking.My last thought is that it goes to far and that some things should remain a mystery or be left to the power of experience and wisdom.
As an aid in recovery for permitted enforcemetn officers I would be for it.Other wise it takes to much of the hunting out of hunting.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I'd like to do a fly over on some of my hunting properties with a police helicopter equipped with that technology. I bet you could learn a lot about bedding areas. I would like to do a fly over(something I have thought about a lot)but I doubt I ever would actually try and buy one of these products. Come to think about it I wouldn't mind just doing the fly over with no technology other than a good camera.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

So you guys are saying if you had one you would only use it to retrieve game and scout? Come on you know if you had one and you were out hunting it would be with you cause you would just die wandering what would be there if you would use it! Its kind of like Pennsylvania saying hey you can use your bow at night while spottlighting, and I me saying well I will use it only when hunting. Sorta I guess ....you get my point[&:]

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

LOL Steve! ..And I thought I was the only one that did that!!! I do it when I'm fishing too ..:D

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I wonder how many of you guys that said ban it, use game cameras, food plotsor bait

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I think it would take the hunt out of "hunting", and I do use a trail cam at times to see what "might" be in my area when I hunt. JMO;)

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I think it would be a great recovery tool. I wouldn't use it to take the animal, though.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Come to think of it, this would be a great tool for finding trespassers!

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I watched a hunting show the other day the guys had IR scopes on there rifles huntings hogs....I thought it was cool idea...I think they said the scope retailed for $13,000...It was an outfitter in TX I believe....I would never use it on deer, but I feel it would have a purpose somewhere and time, like for hogs and yotes

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

It might be nice to track with, but I don't see where it would help me any in a hunting situation. I mean I don't see where it would help me actually shoot an animal unless it was mounted on my gun as a scope or something.

If I had one, no I wouldn't use it to actually hunt with. Looks like it would be a bigger pain in the butt than what it would be worth.

Paul

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

bingo for me too.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

1. Recovery - Yes
2. Predator/Hog hunting at night - Yes

As for the scouting and hunting... I'm not sure how entirely useful that would be during the daylight. If you're in the daylight, you should be able to see the animal anyway, right?

Now, it would be pretty sweet to call predators in the pitch black and be able to see them running with no lights. Or to do the "night stalk" as we call it on the Brazos River in Texas for pigs.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

No! Hight technology does not belong in hunting.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I believe they are illegal in Indiana. But I would say no even if they were, only maybe to track wounded game.

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RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Yeh, honestly i would use one in heartbeat... but let me say if it really had that much improvement in success to the point where i was not having any challenge at all, I could see me stop using it, but i dont see how that could happen.;)

Andfor tracking, man what a great tool.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I wonder how well they would work during the daytime.....I know infrared works on bodyheat, and ie the bigger change in body heat/surroundings would yeild where an animal is, but if it were fairly warm out and the bodys temp was say 98' and its surroundings were 75' how well would it work?

I'm just trying to figure out how well it would work....

does seem unfair, if they didnt work well, no reason to own one, if they do work well, then ya I dunno if I even want one anyway.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

PS- I could see it being good for getting in and out of the field at night, without spooking game, kinda like that fish camera from years ago.....could be good to identify structure and to fish it, but nto to snag fish etc.....

maybe at night find out where theyre bedding etc....but not to use it to actually take game directly.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Says the guy with a high tech bow ;):DLMAO

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Prolly wont see that in my game bag...but it would have its benefits as already mentioned above.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

X2....eliminates fair chase

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I'd have a TON of fun with that.

But not for hunting.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

Recovery only for me.

RE: Would you use one of these, if you had one?
 

I started tracking deer last rifle season. This item came to mind right away. When I track a buck into the thick stuff and I know he's bedded in there somewhere, this item would be awesome to have. I'm glad i can't afford it. It would be tempting to use.