Hunting At Night: A Beginner’s Guide To Follow

Do you love night hunting? Well, hunting at night is becoming popular amongst people for so many reasons. With the recent advancements in technology, night hunting gear like night vision scope for hunting, etc, has improved greatly, and therefore more and more people are becoming interested in nighttime hunting.

But there are many newbies, too that are curious to know about how to hunt at night. We have written a detailed guide for all skill-level hunters to know the best way to hunt at night.

Hunting At Night – How To Do A Successful Hunt?

Are you wondering if can you hunt at night? If you want to be successful at your night hunting, there are a few tips that you must follow to come up with the best results even in dark conditions.

1. Hunting Laws

This is something really important that you wouldn’t like to miss! Hunters often ask us, “is it legal to hunt at night?” Well, this depends on where you live and what your state hunting laws allow.

Many states have strict laws for nighttime hunting because of many right reasons. Nighttime hunting is very different from usual daytime hunting, and certain things must be considered before planning it. You should always check your state’s rules and regulations for nighttime hunting because the last thing you want is to get into trouble with the wildlife authorities.

Many states do not allow hunting for certain animals because of the population endangerment of those species. So, always check what animals are illegal to hunt if you do not want to get into trouble.

2. Right Spot

Choosing the right location for hunting is also very important. A lot of success in your nighttime hunting depends upon the location you choose. Some animals can see better during the nighttime, and you need to choose a spot where you’ll not be visible to any of them.

If you are visiting a place for the first time and are unfamiliar with it, it is better to discuss the area with the people who live nearby. Going night hunting without knowing the place is like walking into a trap. Talking with the locals will help you know the area and also the routes of the animals. Always remember, you are looking for prey, and it is important to know everything.

Moreover, try to visit the area during the daytime as it will help you move through the area during the night. You can also visit two or more places during the daytime. It can be helpful if you don’t become successful at one place, you can move to the other.

Try and find an elevated place; this will help you locate all the animals from a distance. If you are in a cleared field, look for a place covered in the background that has proper sight of the field.

If you’re hunting in a group, stay close to one another for better communication. You can overcome limited vision with good communication. Moreover, always discuss with your group where everyone will be located. This is important to avoid any accidents during hunting.

3. Lighting

Having the perfect lighting can help you hunt better at night. But what kind of lighting will be best for nighttime hunting? People used to carry heavy batteries with all the lighting gear to the forest in the past. But the times have changed, and so has the technology.

You should never use white lights when hunting at night. It can decrease your chances of hunting game like foxes or coyotes as they will never come close enough for you to take a shot. So, you should cover the white light with a red lens to reduce the brightness of the white light. This dim red light is enough to illuminate animals’ eyes. Moreover, you should never shine the light on the prey directly.

Some hunters like to mount a light on the head or gun. Attaching a green or red filter can reduce the hassle of picking up the gun every time an animal approaches you.

If you are an experienced hunter, you can spend money on buying equipment like image intensifiers, night vision scopes, night observant devices, or thermal imaging. However, these gadgets are not necessary to have a successful hunt.

4. Patience

Patience is the key to success when hunting at night. This is because you’ll need great focus to locate a target during the night. You might be planning to kill your target minutes after reaching your location, but surely that will not be the case. You should scan the whole area with patience to detect any possible movement.

You can get a digital night vision scope or thermal imaging gadget if you’re not on a budget to detect any movement. If you fail to find any target in 45 minutes or an hour, it is better to change your location to another spot to find a target.

5. Be Safe

If you are a beginner in hunting, keeping your safety in mind is crucial, and you must do everything to stay out of harm’s way. Most animals run away when they see humans, but at times they can attack too.

So, it is better to scout the whole area in the daytime to ensure you have a safe place to hide if such a situation comes. If you see a very aggressive animal, it is better to move away from that area or save hunting for some other time.

Conclusion

Hunting at night is not easy for so many reasons, like limited vision. But you can overcome all of the difficulties if you follow this guide. Do not worry even if you are a newbie; be patient and focused on a great hunting experience.

FAQs

Is it legal to hunt at night?

Night hunting is legal in some states and illegal in others. Therefore, you should check your state’s law before going hunting.

Do I need night-hunting gear?

It is always better to have night hunting gear if you can afford it to make things easier for you.

What are some different types of hunting?

Two common different types of hunting are snipe hunting and still hunting.