The Hunt with Thermal Imaging Technology
Many outsiders perceive hunting as a craft with outdated customs. Often, the image of the traditional "Lodenjockel" is a cliché that has established itself in public opinion.
However, hunting has also modernized significantly in recent decades due to technological advancements. Especially thermal imaging technology and night vision technology are terms that quickly catch the eye in this regard. Both thermal imaging cameras and night vision devices have been steadily gaining popularity among hunters for several years. There are many reasons for this.
On the one hand, both thermal imaging devices (also known as WBG) and night vision devices are a great help in discovering game. Whether on a stand hunt or while stalking, both make it easier to spot and, in difficult lighting conditions at dusk or at night, to identify the game. Especially thermal imaging devices have the decisive advantage of being useful even in daylight. Thus, there are more and more hunters who carry their thermal imaging device even on driven hunts to recognize any game lying around the stand earlier.
Identifying Game with Thermal Imaging Technology
Thermal imaging devices are also of great benefit when it comes to accurately identifying individual or multiple animals. Especially in wild boar hunting, a hunter can benefit from a thermal imaging camera. If he cannot determine whether the wild boar is a leading sow due to poor lighting conditions through his normal riflescope or binoculars, he can often find out through the use of thermal imaging technology whether small piglets are accompanying the animal or not.
Tracking with Thermal Imaging Technology
A thermal imaging device can also be of great use during a tracking search. While it certainly cannot replace a trained tracking dog, both fresh tracking traces and the deceased animal can be made visible to the hunter through heat signatures in the dark.
As in many other areas of modern camera technology, there has been significant development in the field of thermal imaging devices in recent years. The digitized representation of heat signatures on the displays of thermal imaging devices is continuously improving, and the detection ranges of the built-in sensors are also increasing. Additionally, there have been significant price changes regarding thermal imaging devices in recent years. While thermal imaging cameras for general use were once very expensive and difficult to acquire luxury items, they have now adapted to the rest of the hunting equipment with a price range of about €800 to €6000. Factors such as detection range, resolution, battery life, and the device's portability naturally influence the price of each model. The factor of connectivity in the field of WBGs is also gaining more relevance. Most modern mid-range and high-end models now feature a video output and a WiFi adapter for transmitting images or stored data to a smartphone or tablet.
Manufacturers of Thermal Imaging Cameras
Among the best-known manufacturers of thermal imaging cameras for hunting use are companies specialized in thermal and night vision technology such as Liemke, Pulsar, or Flir. But established manufacturers of other optics for hunting use, such as Zeiss, have also developed their own thermal imaging cameras.
Due to their diverse applications and advantages in difficult lighting conditions, thermal imaging devices can significantly support hunting operations in many situations. Because of these properties, thermal imaging devices are rapidly gaining popularity among hunters, and there are more and more hunters who actively practice hunting with thermal imaging devices.
Thermal Imaging Cameras in Testing:
The best test reports on thermal imaging cameras can be found at our premium partner Geartester. Additionally, Geartester provides high-quality video content on the topic on YouTube:
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