Testing Pulsar N750 and Illuminator during snow

[Brian Shaffer]

Had a chance to go after a hog raider at a buddy's place last night. The hog never showed, but in getting ready for him I had a chance to verify shooting conditions with the deer that came to feed. Conditions had deteriorated quite a bit after my arrival and I wasn't sure about visibility.

While I could see all these critters on thermal, and several more (not visible in the video), the snow definitely imposed some significant limitations on the night vision using an illuminator. I still could have made the shots I expected to be making, but I wasn't seeing anything beyond about 170 yards.

The hog had been showing before 9:00 PM on 3 evenings of the previous week and so a little after 10:00, I decided to do a walk through of the rest of the property and call it a night. That proved to be much more difficult than I expected. First the handle was literally frozen in place and I was able to work it lose by reaching my arm out the window and chipping away at it. I thought I as free to go once the knob turned and then discovered the whole door was frozen shut and was stuck! LOL.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

I could think of worse places to be stuck!

 

[Wassman]

I could think of worse places to be stuck!

Ya like at work.

 

[DaveABQ]

that's not too bad, with thermal you can't see anything, one of the drawbacks

 

[FrankT]

You can't see hogs or deer in snow w thermal?

 

[Brian Shaffer]

No, I could actually see the deer quite well with thermal, and some in the distance that I would not see via the NV/IR illuminator route. They were probably 250 yards out from the stand. They were "in" the video.

Assuming the critter is warmer than its surroundings, then it will show up on thermal if you have line of sight capability. If the snow or foliage completely blocks the view of the critter, it won't show up. For example, you can see further into the brush with thermal than with NV because the animal "glows" or radiates what is seen as light. So you see it between all the gaps in the foliage like you would see somebody holding a bunch of cylume sticks.

You can have problems when animals are ambient temp with the environment or have done things like gotten wet or caked with snow. Then they become harder to see.

 

[FrankT]

I was thinking there should be a good difference in temps, live animal, snow.

 

[Ratdog68]

No CC cookies for the kiddos that night. Good music choice.

 

[DaveABQ]

I can't see almost anything through thermal if it is rain, snow or fog and it is too heavy, a light rain snow or fog I can still see, but when you put too much between you and your object it blocks the thermal detection heat ranges.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

"Too heavy" is the key.

 

[DaveABQ]

Yep true