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powderhogg01

New member
Hey all, i was curious to see what everyone does in order to see the critters we hunt at night. Last night i killed a fox that was raiding my chicken coop. she was just a lil tacker and had a much larger fox with her.
I am thinking about calling that bigger fox in tonight if it comes around looking for its little one. I was using nothing more then a cheap headlamp and shot at the eye shine. Can anyone suggest a better, more accurate mean. Will a nice spot light suffice, or does one who intends on hunting hunters at night need a night vision on his gun?
 
Thanks you for the reply. aside from needing a more powerful light, I was morely looking for some input on using the light. Since I could not see the body due to low light, all I had was eye shine.
I have heard of people use the term shining, curious how one goes about it effectively in a stand without alerting the animals to your presesnce
 
Have a light on at all times and keep yourself hidden in the darkness behind the light. My "Silent Halo Shields" Help to keep you completely hidden behind the light source. Sweep the light from side to side and once you have the critters eyes lit never let the light off the animal.

If you have any other question please ask.

Jeremiah
 
Thanks for the replies. I keep the light on at all times, does that not scare away the predators I am calling? I live in the mountains with lots of coyote, fox and bob cats. I typically hunt in aspen stands or pine stands, very rarely do i hunt in open terrain. any advice there?
 
Originally Posted By: powderhogg01Thanks you for the reply. aside from needing a more powerful light, I was morely looking for some input on using the light. Since I could not see the body due to low light, all I had was eye shine.
I have heard of people use the term shining, curious how one goes about it effectively in a stand without alerting the animals to your presesnce


U need to have enough light to id the animal,if u just shoot a eye shine that could be a problem.

look a some lights from boondocks,he has some for low cost,and stands behind them.
 
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what color light am I looking for, rather, what are the differences in light color? I understand that red does not mess with our night vision, so is that the best bet?
 
Originally Posted By: powderhogg01what color light am I looking for, rather, what are the differences in light color? I understand that red does not mess with our night vision, so is that the best bet?

Red seems to work better. It's nice to have an adjustable\focusable beam as well.
 
Canine are red green color blind. They do have the ability to pick up a high contrast or bright light. Scanning at a low power for eyes and then turning up the power to identify and also blind the animal will give you the best chance for a clean kill. Jeremiah has many options available from the low end to the high end but as with anything else you get what you pay for.
 
Originally Posted By: IllinoisSportsmanIf canine are red/green colorblind, how do my dogs see my red lights? Not trying to be disrespectful, just wondering
I assume its from the intensity or the light and not the color but i have been wrong before.
 
Universities have done studies which determined that they are red green color blind but they can see the contrast between different wavelengths of light. The best example I have is how we see a flashlight in the fog. If you have a high contrast beam they can detect it but the test have shown they can not see the color.
 
Scan every five or ten minutes or so. once you see eyes, hold the light on them. Never just shoot when you see eyes. wouldn't want to shoot the neighbors pet.
 
Start your light before you start calling. Scan the area with dim light to spot any fence post of beer bottles ect. or eyes that are looking at you before you start calling then keep the light on but use the low light or halo to see with. Once you see eyes keep the light on the eyes, do not burn the animal until you are ready to shoot, if you burn him to quick you will most likely not get a shot, he will be leaving in a hurry. I know the light cost a little more but go with the coyote light, you can adjust the brightness and the area. they will run all night on a charge. I have the coyote light in red and I would not be caught out at night without it.. just my 2 cents!!!
 
Agree with daryl, always scan the area before turning on the call. Have scan light on before you start to call and keep it on, and if you have a lower power that is best. Once you get eyes, keep it on them and keep it as still as possible. When ready to identify and shoot turn up power or turn on the gunlight depending of course on how your light setup is.

This is just me, but I've found that if I get them in the light at distance or on low power, then they don't seem to be effected much by the light going brighter on them. But if I hit them suddenly from no light to a bright light within a 100 yds or so, they are apt to spook from the intensity of the source. Your experiences may be different.
 
I also agree with the above statments.

A bright gun light or spotlight, in my opinion, is not the best option when scanning for predator eyes. It is a common misconception that brighter is always better with lights.

Lights that use high-output LED’s with a smooth reflector housing and/or a magnifying glass lens to concentrate the focus of the beam can “burn” a predator’s eyes. These brighter lights may be acceptable for shooting but are not best for scanning.

The objective of a scanning light is to continuously scan the calling area, looking for the reflection of an approaching predator's eyes. The amount of light used should be as minimal as possible to avoid spooking the animal, yet enough to still see the reflection of its eyes at long distances.

Keeping this minimal light on the predator as it approaches also conditions the predator to the light. The predator gets used to the light as it approaches, and when it is within shooting range, the hunter then can transition to a brighter gun light for positive identification and the shot. This method does not overpower the predator’s photophobia (sensitivity to light), thus keeping the predator in range longer.

The Night Eyes Headlamp was designed specifically to minimize the chance of spooking predators while scanning. The orange peel reflector housing fragments and diffuses the red light beam, and a fully adjustable brightness control gives the hunter the ability to use as little or as much light as desired. This helps prevent burning the eyes, yet a hunter can still pick up those eyes at over 300 yards even if the center of the diffused beam is not directly shining on the predator. A high-quality gun-mounted light, such as The Night Eyes Light, will then enable positive identification of predators at distances of 200 yards or more, depending on conditions.

I am often asked if it is better to turn off the scanning light once the brighter gun light is shining on the predator. Basically, it comes down to preference. I prefer a hands-free headlamp for scanning, and leaving this headlamp on gives me one less thing to worry about. I attach a halo shield to the headlamp, which helps prevent unwanted peripheral light from shining in the scope.

The objective of a scanning light is to continuously scan the calling area, looking for the reflection of an approaching predator's eyes. A bright gun or shooting light in my opinion is not the best option and may spook approaching predators. I guess you could compare scanning with a gun light to hunting squirrels with a deer rifle. Sure, it will work, but there are better options. Save the bright gun light for positive target identification and the kill shot.

Regardless of what type of scanning light you use, remember to get them in close by not overpowering them with too much light. No lighting system, however well designed, will make you a better hunter. You still need to be mindful of good hunting tactics. But ask yourself this: "Am I shooting as many as I could be, or are they hanging up and shying away?"
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