Hunting at night is a whole different ball game compared to standard forms of hunting. For one, you’re not going against the standard game. Instead, you’re either hunting predators or you’re going after wild boars.
Due to the nature of this type of hunting, it’s essential that you bring your A-game. We’ve put together a list of 6 tips that should help you do just that. Let’s dive in!
Get Enough Sleep
Hunting in general carries a certain amount of risk with it. Hunting at night adds a multiplier to that risk factor. The darkness alone is enough to make traversing clear terrain actually difficult. Let alone the fact that your situational awareness suffers as well. Adding fatigue to this mix can lead to a disaster.
This tip probably comes across as obvious and redundant, but it isn’t. Too many hunters go out for a night hunt without getting enough sleep the day before. Doing so adds an unpredictable variable to an already serious situation.
Get the Right Equipment For The Job
Night hunting calls for the use of specialized equipment. For one, your selection of rifles is going to be different compared to standard hunting. Bolt action rifles and shotguns are still fair game, but hunting predators often calls for the use of gas guns. When there’s a bunch of coyotes out there, it’s essential that you can take quick follow-up shots.
That being said, the quality of your glass is far more important. Nighttime use of scopes is where quality glass stands out from the entry-level models. Quality first focal plane scopes will make target acquisition much easier in low light conditions. The quality of the glass makes all the difference in the world when it comes to getting as much light into your eyepiece as you can. More light equals better natural night vision.
If you’re going against wild pigs, a good red dot can allow you to snap from one target to another even when they start running you break the first shot.
Calibers are a subject worth exploring as well. If you’re hunting common predators such as coyotes, or wild pigs, you can get away with a wide range of calibers. Keeping it within the .223 and .308 range is a good starting point for those who aren’t really sure which way to lean.
Of course, some of the popular 6.5 mm calibers, such as the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 Grendel are awesome solutions as well. Coincidentally, both of these work well in gas guns and bolt guns.
Light Discipline
Light discipline, or lack thereof, can completely define the outcome of your hunt. While light is absolutely necessary to see at night in the absence of more specialized solutions, it can also scare away your prey. White light, or yellow light for that matter, is not suitable for use in night hunts.
Using bright white, or yellow light in any other situation will more likely just scare your prey away. Additionally, the constant use of high lumen white light will destroy your natural night vision.
Instead of white light, use dim red light. Red light won’t disturb animals, especially when it’s dimmed down. You can still see perfectly well under such conditions, but your prey won’t be alerted to your presence.
Night Vision Devices
Night vision and infra-red devices make night hunting so much easier. However, both of these can be prohibitively expensive depending on what you’re looking for. Standard night vision devices (i.e. night vision devices that utilize light amplification tubes) are very expensive due to their complexity. Yet, a recent generation of night vision goggles paired with an infra-red illuminator is still the most comfortable way to hunt.
That being said, most hunters go for a rifle-mounted infra-red device or a digital night vision device. These tend to be cheaper, especially for the latter option. The trade-off is that you can’t really scan your surroundings at all times. However, a digital NV device mounted on top of a gas gun is all you really need for most predator night hunts.
Scout and Prepare
Hunting predators at night isn’t the same as stalking deer during the day. In fact, a good majority of nighttime hunts are done from previously prepared positions. To increase your chances of success, you should always scout the location before a hunt. You’re looking for animal activity matching the predator you’re hunting.
Once you find a spot that you’re confident will attract your prey (for example food and water sources), find a good overwatch position and plan a route of ingress that keeps you downwind from the target area. This part of the process is essential if you want to score a few ‘yotes with moderate effort.
Patience is Key
Nighttime hunting is a patient man’s game. Once you set everything up and get to your overwatch position, all you need to do is wait. Yet sometimes this is the most difficult part of the hunt. If you start moving about, you’re risking tipping off the animals. Depending on what you’re hunting, a single gust of wind is enough to spook anything that’s in your vicinity.
You should also have the best shooting tripods reviews with you in this case, too. It will let you rest your rifle and remain stationary for longer.
If you’re patient, and you apply all of the previously mentioned tips, you should be able to lead your prey right into the kill zone.
Safety First
Hunting at night requires a higher level of safety and overall awareness. Going out there alone in the middle of the night puts you at risk of encountering dangerous wildlife, but also getting injured while navigating the terrain. It’s very easy to trip at night if you don’t pay attention to where you’re going.
When you’re thinking about noise discipline, your light discipline, where the wind is blowing and more, it’s easy to get carried away. Of course, make sure to positively ID your targets before you start slinging led downrange. Unless you have quality infra-red sights on your gun, or you’re using the latest-gen NVGs, it’s easy to make mistakes. Lastly, despite hunting for predators or invasive species, try to be as ethical as you can with your shots.
