A KEILER for all occasions

An icy wind whistles through the last remaining leaves on the young oak trees. The edge of this field is not exactly a cosy spot. But it has become a little quieter and that is needed on a hunt. Besides, I have seen a big juvenile wild boar on the game camera. The tracks indicate that it keeps mainly to a small island of blackthorn in the middle of the field. From there, it is not far to the meadow, which has gained more black spots with each day. It seems that this is its first station for finding protein rich food. Only then does it move on the rubbing tree, where it was captured by the game camera. A robust juvenile is just the right thing for replenishing the sausage stocks before the end of the main hunting season.

Plenty of roe deer are already out in the late dusk. With the thermal imaging camera, I can detect them immediately and go around them to reach the stand unseen. Fleeing deer would have ruined the location of the stand. The low deer stand sits with its back against a thick oak tree that offers a little protection from the wind. From here, I have a good view of the blackthorn brush around 400 m away and of the holey meadow. Luckily, the farmer is an old friend and takes a relaxed attitude, especially as he has already been promised some sausages in return. The KEILER-1 reveals a glimpse of a tiny heat signature in the brush here and there. But it is simply impossible to make out what it is – could be three blackbirds or the juvenile. The deer provide a little entertainment while I wait. It is fascinating to watch how the young bucks are trying to test their strength but are not brave enough to touch each other’s velvet antlers.

Suddenly, a large round heat source pops up in the KEILER-1. It is moving in a straight line in front of the bushes along a path about 500 m east. Could this be the boar? Of course it is also possible that it spent the day in a different area and now wants to move to the meadow. That, would not be ideal for the wind, though. But then a human form appears behind a bend – a very late walker who let their dog off the leash. The deer have already got wind of something and raise their heads. Luckily, the path goes into a different direction, towards the village, and after 15 minutes, everything is quiet again in the field. The wind is slowly abating. It is actually quite nice to be outside again and enjoy the hunting grounds. The occasional scan with the KEILER-1 has now become routine. The device is small enough to fit into any coat pocket and not get in the way during stalking. The buttons can be operated intuitively even in absolute darkness. The index finger on the left hand moves the topmost button from the central standby position to the right to “on”. A clear, comfortable image appears at once. The heat source, which is only a few metres in front of the blackthorn, is immediately obvious. A quick adjustment to the sharpness with the focus wheel confirms that this is a wild boar. My pulse rate goes up. The lens of the LIEMKE device tracks every step of the increasingly clear signature.

The boar seems to be alone, and of medium size. At 150 m, I then become more certain that it is a male. It moves here and there, completely at ease, but tending towards the meadow. After a few minutes, it starts to move first along then edge, and then more towards the middle of the grass area. But I am still 180 m away – definitely too far for a shot in darkness. As I always carry a tripod when stalking, I can easily approach until I am within shooting distance. But the meadow is fenced off on this side. A stile a few metres further along passes over the fence, but there is no direct line of sight to the boar along this path.

When I arrive at the meadow, the boar is gone. Did it get wind of me after all? Did it see something? I use the KEILER-1 to carefully scan my surroundings in circles. Nothing! On my way back to the deer stand, I take a last look towards the hide behind the rubbing tree. There it is! I can spot something behind a slight dip in the ground. Did the boar move to there? My wellington boots are already covered in clay, so another few hundred metres across the field will not make any difference. I creep towards the hide in a wide arc, regularly checking through the thermal imaging device whether the boar is still there. And indeed, it is rubbing against the tarred tree, first one side, then the other. It always looks as if the animals thoroughly enjoy this process. The boar moves on, very relaxed. I follow swiftly. It briefly disappears behind a bramble thicket and then re-appears on a boggy meadow, digging for food. Ah, that explains the sudden change of location: There seems to be more food to be found here. I am only 80 metres away from it now. The thermal imaging device clearly shows the brush on the boar’s underside. Silently placing the rifle on the tripod and mounting it is routine. As soon as it is set up, the .30-06 whips across the fields and kills the boar on the spot. The tension of the stalk makes way for the joy of the successful shot. The thermal image shows that the boar briefly moves its hind legs and then is still. Once I am nearer, the characteristics I saw through the KEILER-1 are confirmed: There is a male juvenile weighing about 60 kg on the meadow. I can still see where it was digging for food. Luckily, the next farm track is not too far away and I can easily drag the boar there. Then I return to my car. One last look around: The deer are still in the field, unconcerned. The shot with the silencer has not disturbed them. It is the end of a successful stalk. The boar is processed at the game collecting cen tre. From there, I text the farmer to tell him about the successful hunt, so he can start his day with the thought of the promised sausages.