# Infrared game finders.



## Mrbowdeadly (Jul 13, 2005)

Any of yall ever hunted around REALLY thick stuff?  I have, and it looks like I will again.  So this poses a question.  Has anyone ever used one of those heat seeking game finders to recover deer?  Curious if they worked or were just another gimmick to get our $$$$$$.

Thanks,
MBD


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## Mrbowdeadly (Jul 15, 2005)

Hmmmm must not work or nobody is trying them.


MBD


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## rip18 (Jul 16, 2005)

Do they work or are they a gimmick?  The answer is, "Yes!"

I've had my hands on 3 different models plus a infrared fire department heat detector ($1,000+).  None of the 3 worked well on deer down here in the deep south.  All of those detectors seem to work by looking at DIFFERENCES in temperature (looking for something warmer than the background).  

Normal white-tailed deer body temperature is around 101-102 degrees.  They are usually a little better insulated than us (hair, etc), so the apparent external temperature is of course lower.  It would take a super sensitive instrument to sense the difference between a white-tailed deer that is emitting ~90 degrees and the sun-warmed logs that are ~90 degrees on a 75 degree day.

With that said, I have seen the detectors work well on deer in one case.  I happened to be in Penn on a 20 degree day, & the detector lit up on the deer really well!  Of course, we could see the deer really well too, so we really didn't need it in that case.

My personal summary, they aren't worth their money down here, but they may have utility in places where it gets COLD during deer season.  If you have one & want to play with it, take it to Yellow River Game Farm or a local zoo & point it at living animals & see how what distances it responds too & how much "brush" it can "see" through.


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## Mrbowdeadly (Jul 16, 2005)

Thanks Rip, great review.  Makes alot of sense.  Guess I better be looking for a dog.   


MBD


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## huntfish (Jul 16, 2005)

*Not worth the money*

I field tested one in Texas on an actual kill with the sponser at my side.  Deer was shot and ran through a tree line and into a field where it expired.  Blood trail was easy through the tree line and entered the field.  He was all excited that he could use his little toy, so out he pulls it.  He's not getting any readings so he ask why I'm walking away?  I told him my eyes can see the buck on the ground at 100 yards.

Dang thing didn't even register the buck when we approached it.


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## Slug-Gunner (Jul 18, 2005)

*You Need to Know "How to Use It"!*

This is a "reprint copy" from an earlier thread about "Heat-Seeking Game Finders" posted last December 2004.

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I have an AimSHOT "HeatSeeker" 3500B game-finder model. Most people don't really understand the principle behind "How They Operate". They ARE NOT really true "HeatSeekers", but operate on the principle of "heat differential" or more simply put, CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE. These are not a "Hunting Aid" you can use effectively without A LOT OF PRACTICE. I practiced using my dogs while out in the woods with them quite a bit. Another way to practice is to have one of your hunt'n buddies hide in the woods on you, and then try to find him using the "HeatSeeker". 

They "detect" changes in temperature of surrounding objects. This means that, on a warm bow-season day, they will "hit" on every sun-warmed pine tree around you as you make a SLOW back-and-forth scan of the area. They have a "sensitivity" adjustment that will reduce this, but daytime use on a warm day is almost impossible in finding downed game, especially smaller game animals. If the sap in the trees is warmed from the sun, it will "detect" the "change in temperature" as you scan thru it. This is not to say that THEY DON'T WORK. It just means they are "limited" in their ability during warmer weather.

In colder weather or on those really cool mornings, they can be an effective "aid" to help you find downed game. At these times of day, the game's body temperature will be warmer than the surrounding objects in the area. The "HeatSeeker" will then show more reliable "hits" while scanning the brush for your game. The "sensitivity" setting and your ability to read the display (depending on your practice at doing so) will determine the "effective range" it will work for you. I've found it be be effective up to 100 yards on deer when the outside temps were in the 30's and the sun hadn't started "warming things up" yet. On a cool, overcast day, the surrounding vegetation temps are more uniform and they should pick up larger games body temperature changes more reliably. I've only had the chance to actually NEED IT twice. Once, I used it to help locate the deer when the blood trail disappeared in a large patch of red-leaved laurel.  The other time was in chest high reeds in a swampy area. On both times the weather was cool and the sun blocked by the tree canopy. Oh yes, on two different occassions it helped me find dove that were "lost" in tall grass that was knee-high. Again, their "effectiveness" depends on the temperature of the surrounding area you are using it in.

Are they really worth the near $180 that they cost? For use in our Georgia woods, I don't really think so. If you were hunting under winter conditions up North or Northwestern states like Colorado, Wyoming or Montana, then you could probably justify its cost and use. They will not and DO NOT replace effective "tracking techniques" that I've developed over 40+ years of deer hunting.

I hope this helps explains how a "HeatSeeker" type game finder works and.... unless you've got the "money to burn" and just like to own the latest hunting gadgets - SAVE YOUR MONEY!

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And another reply.............

I will reiterate what I stated in my earlier post.... 

THESE ARE NOT HEAT DETECTORS!

If you just POINT IT at an object giving off heat, IT WILL DO NOTHING!

They operate on the principle of HEAT DIFFERENTIAL! You MUST USE IT by SLOWLY "sweeping it" back-and-forth in an short arc in the direction you are pointing it. It will sense a "change in the temperature" radiating from an object compared to the surrounding area. It WILL ONLY GIVE AN INDICATION when it is IN MOTION. Depending on the brand and precision of the "HeatSeeker" you are using, it can be fairly precise or only give a general idea of the area you are scanning. 

The Aimpoint "HeatSeeker" uses a colored bar-graph to indicate the level of "heat change" it is detecting as you SLOWLY "sweep" thru the object you are detecting. The "sensitivity level" is adjustable, but takes a lot of "practice" to learn how to set it for various conditions. I've tested it outside on the chimney of a burning fireplace during the winter. You can "pick up" the heat from inside the chimney as you sweep across it, but you get a MUCH STRONGER indication as you sweep it past the "hot air" that is leaving the chimney into the outside air. I have practiced with it on my dogs during the winter and can tell the difference in them since the Golden Retrievers have a better insulating "dual-layer" coat compared to my Black Labs - the "indication" is not as strong a reading for them, when compared to the Labs. 

With the model I have, it comes with an ear-piece you can plug in and it sounds a "blip/beep" as you "scan thru" a "heat change". What I don't like about it is that it disconnects the meter when it's plugged in. I don't feel it's as accurate or easy to use this way. I would prefer that it allowed you to use BOTH at the same time - so that you could both SEE and HEAR the indication when it "hits" on an object that has a large "heat differential". The bar-graph can be difficult to see clearly and accurately on a bright, sunshiny day; but it works great during the darker hours. The cooler the air temp, ground, trees, etc., the better it works for you - I can find a bird in a tree during the winter at night (would work on Turkeys too, I think).

In other words: Under ideal, cool-weather conditions it works MOST OF THE TIME (Conditional: IF You Know How to Use It).... but on a warm, sunny day -IT SUCKS! I own it and use it when conditions are right for it (in Georgia, that isn't very often   ). Would I buy it again knowing what I know now about it - even though I now know how to use it very well.... NO! It's simply not worth the $180 that it sells for. Will I sell it cheap.... NO! ( I know how to use it, especially on a cool night - when it's worked under otherwise almost impossible tracking conditions.)

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To read the entire thread, follow this link:

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=56736


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