Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

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Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 30 Jul 2021, 8:39 pm

Its called the Sun :lol:
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 30 Jul 2021, 9:48 pm

Can’t blame the fox for wanting to catch some sunshine in the cold part of the year , catch any lead at the same time ?
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 30 Jul 2021, 10:06 pm

Close enough?
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 30 Jul 2021, 10:32 pm

I see red dot in the pic so I’m guessing he no longer with us
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 30 Jul 2021, 10:37 pm

Yes it was relocated to fox heaven.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Bello » 31 Jul 2021, 12:30 pm

Hi mate
I have a Thermion XQ50.
The foxes I have encountered, have yet to complain about the 223, 55gr V-Max, that greeted them at around 3000 feet per second.

The thermal scope has made foxing, for me, much easier. More fruitful and less pleasant for the foxes I think. :D
I have video of our meetings but I can not upload them to this site. :(
I do like the fact I can record my fox meetings.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Die Judicii » 31 Jul 2021, 1:47 pm

Is that Mange I can see or what ??
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 31 Jul 2021, 3:21 pm

Bello, if u are ever talking to new people about foxes and are unsure of how they might react to our sport , DONT mention that you shoot foxes ....you are only haveing meetings with them
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 31 Jul 2021, 4:08 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Is that Mange I can see or what ??


No
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Bello » 01 Aug 2021, 8:57 am

Hello BLR243

Blr243 wrote:Bello, if u are ever talking to new people about foxes and are unsure of how they might react to our sport , DONT mention that you shoot foxes ....you are only haveing meetings with them


Funny you should say this, I was speaking to a lovely young lady about this and she was horrified.
I asked what was wrong and she told me her friend had a PET FOX :crazy:
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by bigpete » 01 Aug 2021, 9:02 am

Bello wrote:Hello BLR243

Blr243 wrote:Bello, if u are ever talking to new people about foxes and are unsure of how they might react to our sport , DONT mention that you shoot foxes ....you are only haveing meetings with them


Funny you should say this, I was speaking to a lovely young lady about this and she was horrified.
I asked what was wrong and she told me her friend had a PET FOX :crazy:


Which i believe is actually illegal.....
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Oldbloke » 01 Aug 2021, 10:32 am

bigpete wrote:
Bello wrote:Hello BLR243

Blr243 wrote:Bello, if u are ever talking to new people about foxes and are unsure of how they might react to our sport , DONT mention that you shoot foxes ....you are only haveing meetings with them


Funny you should say this, I was speaking to a lovely young lady about this and she was horrified.
I asked what was wrong and she told me her friend had a PET FOX :crazy:


Which i believe is actually illegal.....


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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 01 Aug 2021, 11:41 am

I have a pet fox load
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Die Judicii » 01 Aug 2021, 12:39 pm

Bello wrote:
Funny you should say this, I was speaking to a lovely young lady about this and she was horrified.
I asked what was wrong and she told me her friend had a PET FOX :crazy:


As a teenager I had a pet one too. He was desexed, and lived till 14 yo when he got a cancer and had to be put down.

But I still shoot em out in the bush/paddocks
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Ferrisweil » 01 Aug 2021, 10:21 pm

It’s probably not just a case of “which thermal”?
If you want an accurate answer you’ll need to think about the average distance you shoot. Are you shooting under 100m or more often around 200+?
Answer this question and you’ll narrow it down because now you’ll know which size objective to go with.
I use a Thermion xp38. It’s got a base mag of 1.5 as most of what I do is under 100m. You go to a diff model with a higher base mag and you’ll have a better image at longer distances. (Less pixelation)
Next decision is your budget. You want the best available Australia, you can drop up to 18k but most people see the “affordable best” as your Pulsar Trail 2 xp50 or the Thermion 2 xp50. You’re looking around 7-8k for one of those. If you step down to the next level, have a look at the Pulsar Thermion xq38 or xq50. This is probably what I’d recommend for you.
Also have a look at the new iRay series, the Rico.
To throw a spanner in your works, I’d maybe recommend you get a thermal scanner/monocle first like a Helion or Nighttech amd shoot with an NV scope or stay on torch until you get a scope as well. It’s hard work scanning all night with rifle/scope combo. Monocle much easier to hold/scan with.
One thing is for sure, once you go thermal, you’ll throw all your torches in the bin and lol
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 03 Aug 2021, 12:21 am

The range is 2m.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by bigpete » 03 Aug 2021, 12:40 am

Ferrisweil wrote:It’s probably not just a case of “which thermal”?
If you want an accurate answer you’ll need to think about the average distance you shoot. Are you shooting under 100m or more often around 200+?
Answer this question and you’ll narrow it down because now you’ll know which size objective to go with.
I use a Thermion xp38. It’s got a base mag of 1.5 as most of what I do is under 100m. You go to a diff model with a higher base mag and you’ll have a better image at longer distances. (Less pixelation)
Next decision is your budget. You want the best available Australia, you can drop up to 18k but most people see the “affordable best” as your Pulsar Trail 2 xp50 or the Thermion 2 xp50. You’re looking around 7-8k for one of those. If you step down to the next level, have a look at the Pulsar Thermion xq38 or xq50. This is probably what I’d recommend for you.
Also have a look at the new iRay series, the Rico.
To throw a spanner in your works, I’d maybe recommend you get a thermal scanner/monocle first like a Helion or Nighttech amd shoot with an NV scope or stay on torch until you get a scope as well. It’s hard work scanning all night with rifle/scope combo. Monocle much easier to hold/scan with.
One thing is for sure, once you go thermal, you’ll throw all your torches in the bin and lol


You didn't really read the thread did you ?
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 03 Aug 2021, 9:02 pm

Lol!
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 03 Aug 2021, 9:40 pm

I’m guilty of not reading entire topics too. But at the end of the day Ferris did post useful technical info , and for those thinking of getting into thermal , they need all the info they can get , esp when it’s such a costly purchase. If I can get my act together...I might get up to cape York in October. Most of my previous hunting up there had been in the hottest parts of each day, a long way from the darkness I lurk amongst down south here. But I’ll be taking thermal gear too , just in case. The pigs will be feeding at night, probably all night. Where will they be feeding ? Where will they be moving to and from ? Are the swamps likely to be too cool for rooting up clams and lillies during the night? Is this daytime behaviour I’m familiar with strictly a daytime thing ? I’m guessing for the first part of the night before the temps drop that I will find pigs in the swamps.... maybe I’m wrong ..... but I will find out....and if it’s just a whole heap of work for bugger all result, then I will just go back to camp, eat , fall asleep in a comfy chair in front of a fire, with a stubby on bundy, listening to the sounds of the fish feeding , and check my set lines occasionally
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by mchughcb » 03 Aug 2021, 10:31 pm

I personally would be sitting in front of fire drinking bundy.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 03 Aug 2021, 10:46 pm

Greed is a firmly integrated vital part component of my personality .....I’m likely to be able to find time to thermal scan swamps in the beginning of the night , and sit by a fire with my bundy later in the night
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Downunder » 04 Aug 2021, 4:16 pm

The best is as much as you am afford........
Don’t look through what you can’t afford as you’ll be disappointed in what you can.

Personally I swap a Thermion XP50 between a 17 HH and a 22-250 and sex Helion 2 XP50 for a spotter.

I’ll suggest a different path order/path if your budget won’t allow for both a spotter and rifle scope, get a thermal spotter and a good quality red torch for your day optic as using the rifle thermal to spot gets old quick unless you’re set up to ambush....
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Downunder » 04 Aug 2021, 4:23 pm

The best is as much as you can afford........
Don’t look through what you can’t afford as you’ll be disappointed in what you can.

Personally I swap a Thermion XP50 between a 17 HH and a 22-250 and use a Helion 2 XP50 for a spotter.

I’ll suggest a different order/path if your budget won’t allow for both a spotter and rifle scope, get a thermal spotter and a good quality red torch for your day optic as using the thermal on a rifle to spot gets old quick unless you’re set up static to ambush....
Last edited by Downunder on 05 Aug 2021, 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Die Judicii » 04 Aug 2021, 6:48 pm

Blr243 wrote:Greed is a firmly integrated vital part component of my personality .....I’m likely to be able to find time to thermal scan swamps in the beginning of the night , and sit by a fire with my bundy later in the night


Hiya Mate,
You made mention of maybe taking a mate up with you on this trip,,,,,,,,,
One that hasn't been up that way before,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
So I'm guessing he won't mind if you make sure that his chair is in between yourself, the fire,,,,,, and the swamp.
Just in case something comes out of the swamp during the night.
Ya can't be too careful ya know,,,,,,,,,,, :lol: :lol: :lol:
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 04 Aug 2021, 8:41 pm

I have heard of people in a hammock , and they tie their dog to the bottom of the tree. But I would never do that to my dog ...I’m going to leave him home in fear of the likely amount of dingo baiting that might be going on up there. I have two potential camping ideas. One is dead smack in the middle of the place Camped by a small fish less waterhole. I can walk immediately up or down the creek depending on the wind looking for solitary bedded boars. The central location will minimise vehicle travel each day. Otherwise I can camp on a huge Barra waterhole ( it’s got crocs in it ). Very steep banks. I figure that if the crocs are fed up with watching me be safe away from the waters edge , after a while one might crack the sads and try to crawl into my camp in the middle of the night looking for me ...so I’ll sleep in the back of the Ute just in case. It would be great to be able to fish mornings and night time. But I suspect the best big waterhole is quite far away from the usual places I hunt on the place. I spose I can check the maps again and make up my mind when up there. There’s a good chance I may find a whole stack of creeks and swamps previously un hunted by me , and not to far from the big major water hole. Hunting on the cape is so awesome. I think I’m doin alright if the only thing that bothers me is that I can’t quite work out exactly where I’m gonna set up camp ...
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 04 Aug 2021, 8:45 pm

I hope to bring back other pics beside boars , Eg mobs of pigs feeding, feral horses, a dingo, brolgas, jabiro storks, bower bird pads , maybe a Barra if I can get one
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 05 Aug 2021, 2:10 pm

Turns out DJ was spot on. I just had a chat to the owner of the land. There has been a big croc behaving slightly bad at that major water hole where I had hoped I could catch a Barra or two. I have been told that’s it’s not safe to camp there at the moment....that’s good enough for me. I don’t want to push my luck. So I will avoid it completely
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by bigpete » 05 Aug 2021, 4:54 pm

Soft.....


Just kidding. I wouldn't bloody camp there either
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Re: Best Thermal for Hunting Foxes?

Post by Blr243 » 05 Aug 2021, 6:58 pm

Safe spots and unsafe spots can be surprisingly close to each other. That block has dozens of swamps that I have crawled thru dozens of times several years in a row ...I’m speaking about water roughly 3 feet deep in the middle. I get in there to sneak up With my bow on boars feeding .....locals with decades of experience there have told me it’s fine. One would think that in a big wet season, crocs could stuff up occasionally and end up in the swamps which will eventually dry up before the next wet effective killing them if they can’t navigate to another hole .... but for some reason all the places I swam in were fine. But after so many years of not going there I’ll definitely get the facts again just in case , otherwise I can’t do a hunt report with pics from the inside of a saltie
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