The thousand faces of the "thermal"

The era of thermal imaging has officially begun. Up until a few years ago, these were very rare objects, borrowed from military technology and marketed by very few houses, mostly from outside Europe.

In recent years we have witnessed the proliferation of the commercial offer in the field of viewers, with an ever wider choice in terms of technology, size, costs and purposes. The dedicated fairs offer ever greater choice and novelties, reaching the pockets and backpacks of ever more numerous users. In the "viewers" category, a fundamental distinction concerns the mode of use: pointing and observation. And it is on this last type that we will focus, deliberately leaving out a category of tools that see a completely finalized use.

It is not the kingdom of darkness

In the collective imagination, the thermal viewer is associated with purely nocturnal use, in order to see when the eye is immersed in darkness and everything is closed to it. A sort of portal to the forbidden world of nature's nightlife. Certainly this context is very fascinating and offers the observer very intimate and suggestive glimpses of the nocturnal habits of the wild, also allowing us to meet species not visible at other times. But the real great discovery in using the viewer is that it can be used not only in the twilight but even during the day. The possibility of spotting an animal in the thick of a forest, in a cut, behind a bush or in the wheat is truly an amazing experience.

10. Summer is the real challenge for visor-assisted hunting — Summer is the real challenge for visor-assisted hunting

5. Male roe deer at about 30 meters. The ability to observe even the cold stage is surprising — Roe deer male at about 30 meters. The ability to observe even the cold stage is surprising

Each context has its occasion

The season in which it is more pleasant to use a thermal observation visor is certainly winter. Bare trees populate forests whose depth almost borders on infinity, allowing us to observe animals in the heart of the forest. The contrast between the animals and the cold environment makes the signal vivid and clear, and it is easy to see perfectly outlined shapes even from a considerable distance.

At considerable distances (well beyond the Km) it is possible to identify the presence of wild animals where optical instruments, even if of high profile, are not able to detect it with the same immediacy.

6. Vision of a wild boar partially covered by vegetation — Vision of a wild boar partially covered by vegetation

11. The use of the visor will change the effectiveness of the hunt, the efficiency with which we will spend our time and organize our outings — The use of the visor will change the effectiveness of the hunt, the efficiency with which we will spend our time and organize our outings

Summer is the real challenge for visor-assisted hunting, for at least two reasons: the first is the environmental context, where logs and stones glowing in the sun dot the natural scenery, making it difficult to interpret the images. Another not negligible aspect is the vegetation. Surely the viewer will allow you to identify the presence of wild animals where the binoculars will reveal nothing, especially in sparsely populated environments. Obviously these are not X-ray devices, and a pile of hay, or a trunk or a thick bush will be enough to hide an animal even nearby. But the expert and accustomed eye will be able to capture even a dot of "heat" and trace the precious suggestion that the viewer has given us.

It is useless to dwell on the obvious usefulness of the observation visor during censuses. More and more ATCs have admitted the use of "thermal" in this context.

The real great discovery in the use of the viewer is offered by the use not only at twilight but even during the day

An application of the viewer that heralds great opportunities is that in the context of the recovery of injured and/or slaughtered animals. In fact, the thermal offers us the possibility of intercepting the signal in loose dirt or just on the edge of the wood, where we often and willingly find the animals sometimes the next day and with the intervention of the recuperator.

4. In recent years we have witnessed the proliferation of the commercial offer in the field of viewers, with an ever wider choice in terms of technology, size, costs and purposes. — In recent years we have witnessed the proliferation of the commercial offer in the field of viewers, with an ever wider choice in terms of technology, size, costs and purposes

Furthermore, the thermal viewer allows you to get to know the territories usually the scenario of our outings in more depth, or to evaluate the prospects of territories being explored. Sometimes more shy and experienced animals do not show themselves easily through binoculars, but can be intercepted beyond the ecotone, offering ideas for new hunting areas.

Technology friend or foe?

The atavistic discussion on the ethics of high-tech hunting finds an infinite stalemate in the thermal viewer. Surely many appeal to the imbalance in favor of the hunter who, unseen, can also intercept the animals put back and hidden, increasing the opportunities to complete the killing. Without hiding behind a finger, we can say that this is certainly the case, but the result will not be the killing of more animals, as hunting is regulated by pre-established sampling plans. What will change will be the effectiveness of the expulsion, the efficiency with which we will spend our time and organize our outings.