Originally Posted By: BocephussJust throwing in my .02.
I recently bought a Armasight Zeus, 3x power thermal unit. Paid $3500. I have zero problem identifying a species of animal at 3-500 yards with it, depending on the condition. Telling a coyote from a deer is easy, telling a coyote from another dog, would be more of a challenge, but I have done that as well (called in a German Sheppard one night).
Coyote from another dog would be your biggest challenge, but even then, its pretty easy to know the size of a yote, and their distinct run / jog, and how they react.
I was just down in Texas hog hunting, and we didn't have any problems identifying jack rabbits, yotes, calves, from hundreds of yards away.
I would like to see this first hand. I have SEVERAL 16-20 thousand dollar L3, FLIR AND an OASYS Mil-Spec gear that beats down ANY Russian made gear and I'm sorry I still cannot POSITIVE ID animals such as you pointed out to 500 yards. Not even close.
I know an Armasight PAID Staffer who also makes wild claims about PID on all his Russian gear too. Next I will hear how our Military uses this Russian stuff...