Redefining deerstalking

Tom Cackett reviews the Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35, a compact thermal unit that is enhancing his stalking experience

An admission: I’ve joined the thermal club. I always vowed not to use a thermal, fearing it would make deerstalking feel too clinical and would strip some of the romance from the activity. On several occasions, however, friends accompanying me on stalking trips have brought along a thermal spotter. I’ve seen the benefits it can offer. Carcass recovery, for example, becomes much simpler, you can spot stray footpath walkers and, to the task at hand, deer that are invisible to the naked eye.

I was initially put off by the cost of a thermal unit, with many retailing at prices over £2,000. However, everything changed when I discovered the Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35. The price tag was a much more manageable £1,639.95, and it wasn’t a large cumbersome brick that I would find annoying to carry around all day. Its compact size also meant I wouldn’t feel compelled to use it constantly. The Axion 2 weighs 0.3kg, is 152mm long and 74mm wide, which makes it truly pocket-sized, and it neatly fits in most binocular harness size pouches, which is where I keep mine.

Pocket-sized powerhouse

I ordered my Axion 2 from Scott Country, which supplied the unit along with a hand strap, neck lanyard and a spare battery. Also included in the box was a warranty card and a QR code that, when scanned with your phone camera, would take you to the online electronic instruction manual. Like a typical bloke, I attempted to set up the Axion 2 without consulting the instruction manual and, amazingly, I was pretty successful. The only time I had to consult the manual was to connect the unit to the Stream Vision app via Wi-Fi, which is a testament to how intuitive the Axion is.