Midnight Raid: A Stealth Hunter's Record of Rodent Control in the Granary

On late summer nights, cool breezes have yet to fully dispel the daytime heat, while hungry rats outside the granary are already growing restless. They sneak out of the farmlands in groups, creep along walls and pipes to slip into the farm, searching for food. This surge of rats signals an intense battle between the farmer and the rodent infestation.

Veteran hunter Jack is utterly fed up with these pests. They not only steal grain but also pose a constant risk of spreading diseases. He refuses to wait for colder weather and let these unwelcome creatures spend the winter comfortably in the warehouse. At times like this, a useful piece of gear comes to the rescue: an air gun, paired with its high-tech accessory — a thermal imaging devices.

"heat image have become much more affordable these days," Jack remarks as he runs his hand over his newly purchased NNPO SPEAR series night vision scope. He tells reporters that a decade ago, any decent night vision equipment was exorbitantly priced, bulky to carry and fiendishly complicated to operate. Today, however, reliable, compact and high-resolution devices can be bought for less than 900 pounds.

The SPEAR temperatrue imaging scope has opened up a whole new world for Jack. Traditional night vision devices rely on infrared lamps for illumination. Though the light is invisible to humans, wary rats can always detect the unusual glow. Thermal imaging works differently: it detects heat emitted by living creatures, making it easy to spot rats even when they hide in grass piles or concrete cracks. "To be honest, I was a bit intimidated by high-tech gear and stayed away from thermal imaging for the first couple of years. But once I tried it, I couldn't live without it," he says, his eyes lighting up.

On one occasion, Jack scanned around the grain stacks with a thermal monocular and spotted a plump rat hiding in a clump of grass in the corner. Just as he was about to switch to the thermal scope to take the shot, the rat suddenly darted out and collided with the water bottle in his hand. Both man and rodent were startled. The rat fled immediately, and Jack nearly tumbled to the ground.

"The best part is that I can scout the area in advance," Jack explains. He usually patrols the farm at dusk with the thermographer to pinpoint areas where rats are most active. Then he sets up a tripod at a suitable spot and waits patiently. He positions himself 15 to 20 meters away from the targets, sets the SP-645L to its widest field of view for scanning. Once a rat comes into view, he adjusts the magnification to 2 to 4 times for a clearer look. This is crucial for making accurate shots that minimize the animals' suffering.