Thread: Josh James Thermalling???

I watched the full video this evening and he was on private land around Queenstown somewhere so non issue really.

Originally Posted by Sidney

It's an electronic dog mate...... get over yourself.

I have liked / agreed with this post but I think that it does oversimplify the comparison. A dog has to be trained and exercised, it forms a reciprocal bond with its master, each knows instinctually what their role is. A dog is mans natural hunting partner from times before guns and metal tools. Watching and working with a dog is totally different to thermaling. Pig hunting with tracking collars is perhaps a better analogy ?

You're missing the point... they both provide similar advantage.... Having a relationship with your dog or your thermal wasn't the point..

Originally Posted by Sidney

You're missing the point... they both provide similar advantage.... Having a relationship with your dog or your thermal wasn't the point..

If I have missed your point, then you have also missed mine....The Op considered that a thermal gave an unfair / unsporting advantage over those hunting without one. IMO it does. My point rephrased regarding a dog is that a dog requires a lot of work to train, care for and exercise, - hundreds of hours.
If all those hundreds of hours were instead spent just hunting, that hunter would actually shoot ( tally up ) more animals than the hunter with a dog. A dog is more than just a tool that needs its battery charged, it is a companion more than an advantage.

A dog is a much nicer friend to have around you than a thermal scope sitting in the cupboard.But they both make hunting easier.

Originally Posted by Trout

A dog is a much nicer friend to have around you than a thermal scope sitting in the cupboard.But they both make hunting easier.

And when it all goes wrong and you're sitting in the bush nursing a broken leg you can't eat your thermal scope...

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Some people spend a similar amount to a thermal cost on a dog, and they are ready to go.

I have never heard of a Deer trained dog that is "ready to go" being sold
Pig dogs - yes
But every dog I have seen over the years that is any good on Deer is also their pride and joy house pet

Does a Helicopter ownership count as unfair advantage :-)
Was always my dream
Will remain always a dream :-(

A well trained deer dog only knowing one master for a few yrs would find it hard to switch to another master.Certainly not ready to go,thats for sure.

Originally Posted by Trout

A well trained deer dog only knowing one master for a few yrs would find it hard to switch to another master.Certainly not ready to go,thats for sure.

That's exactly right
The main Key to success with a Dog is for it to "connect" with rifle holder
Not too clever - but clever enough to know that said Dog needs rifle holder to finish the job and not try and accomplish it itself

That only comes with full time living together like a pet etc
(from what I have witnessed anyways)

Success in hunting or bringing home the bacon is really down to access to good grounds
Although today is so so different to the 80's - and really only up till prob last 5 or so years
Had someone said to me back in 80's for eg
"you will be asked in 40 years to go help cull Deer in the Wairarapa as they are starving themselves to death"
I would have though that person was banana's

Like back in 80's if you did not have a farmer mate that had landlocked Doc etc - regular success was only from a very few top bush Hunters
Thermal back then would have made a huge difference
But oh boy - I can imagine the punch ups in the Public Bars a Footy club's etc :-)

My accountant yesterday said his son was looking out the car window with a borrowed Hand Held unit (was cheapie too) on their way up from CHC to Blenheim - he kept saying to Dad "there's 2 - there's another 4 or 5"
Dad said BS cant be - so stopped next time and sure enough boy was right
They counted nearly 25 animals off SH 1

Played with a thermal on private property recently and didn’t really enjoy it. I didn’t get the same buzz when I spotted an animal with it like I do when I spot an animal through binoculars. Awesome bits of kit for pest control and if I was in that field or wanting to get into that then I would 100 percent be using one but for my own general use and enjoyment during recreational big game hunting I’m not bothered.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

If I have missed your point, then you have also missed mine....The Op considered that a thermal gave an unfair / unsporting advantage over those hunting without one. IMO it does. My point rephrased regarding a dog is that a dog requires a lot of work to train, care for and exercise, - hundreds of hours.
If all those hundreds of hours were instead spent just hunting, that hunter would actually shoot ( tally up ) more animals than the hunter with a dog. A dog is more than just a tool that needs its battery charged, it is a companion more than an advantage.

Frankly your point was hard to miss.. but it has no bearing on what I was saying....

After all you sort to qualify my comment, not the other way around.

Originally Posted by stagstalker

Played with a thermal on private property recently and didn’t really enjoy it. I didn’t get the same buzz when I spotted an animal with it like I do when I spot an animal through binoculars. Awesome bits of kit for pest control and if I was in that field or wanting to get into that then I would 100 percent be using one but for my own general use and enjoyment during recreational big game hunting I’m not bothered.

That's my experience as well. I think we developed as vision based predators and that the act of looking for game is the key to experiencing a "predatory state", the thermal just about kills that.

from what Ive seen of animal behaviour in block of public land I regularly hunt and have done for 25 years....the front country,the semi open stuff is carrying far less animals than 5 years ago....its like heavily spotlighted ground... well in effect it is the same
thermal image gear is closer to spotlight than dog/dogs way closer,it allows you to see what you normally wouldnt
and it makes the playing field uneven...where its illegal it shouldnt be used yet it is being done so.