Thread: Thermal handhelds - how far can you really spot an animal?

For any thermal users out there, how far away can you really see an animal?

Could you advise of what model you are using, and how far away can you tell its a deer and not a warm rock?

Building up the coin towards buying a handheld.
The idea is to be able to know if I'm going to elminating sitting and watching a bit of barren hillside with the binos, or there are animals way over there on the next valley and its worth tramping round to use the binos.
And I shoot a place in Southland that has thick bush hiding four-legged pests, so need to know if they are there or not when we glass to last light.

Thanks