Thermal Hunting in Thick Brush

I have night hunted quite a bit with a spotlight over the years and did very good, just doesn’t compare to day hunting for me. And no way I’m spending the money they want for a GOOD thermal unit….. That’s a young man’s game😉
 
I'm done by 11PM. I'll wake everybody if later. Old and can't walk far, too hot in the day. I also designed IR stuff long time ago, so interesting.
 
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Utahcaller said:
I have night hunted quite a bit with a spotlight over the years and did very good, just doesn’t compare to day hunting for me. And no way I’m spending the money they want for a GOOD thermal unit….. That’s a young man’s game😉
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Totally agree! Although, I haven't done very much of it. I did some lamping way back in the day with Blaine Eddy (RIP). And have done some thermal using really high end stuff with another friend a few years back.

No denying the effectiveness. But, to me, never was nearly as much fun as daylight calling. Just wasn't.

Now, that I'm getting to be an old fart and jealous of my sleep. It just doesn't seem worth the effort to stay up. I stopped caring even a little bit about "numbers" a LONG time ago. So the effectiveness, meh, I don't care.

But, I have done just enough thermal hunting to appreciate the cool factor. I'm willing to stay up just a few times a year and do it. But for me, it will never beat the fun of daylight calling. Don't care about numbers. Care about fun. Thermal is definitely cool. But for me, night hunting just isn't anywhere near as fun as daylight. And I'd almost always sip a few fingers of whiskey around a campfire and get a good nights sleep before making first light stands the next morning, than lose sleep night hunting, no matter how "effective" it might be.

- DAA
 
I bought a sightmark wraith used just to dabble. What i noticed last night on 75yrd x 75 yrd clearing is WAY to much magnification for scanning purposes.
 
DAA said:
I think I'm going to get a cheapish thermal and try to stay up till 11:00 with you this year. Just not sure what rifle I want to molest to put it on. Probably just my AR. But I might buy a cheap .243 just for it.

- DAA
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when you get ready to look for a thermal check out the specs on the oneleaf mars1000 640x512 50mm .. i like mine real well ..
 
I can't sleep during daylight, nap ok but restive sleep, no.

I did some night hunting for fox on snow with moon light, it was ok but it got dark early and I was in bed before midnight. Tried it with a lamp in WA and it isn't near the fun as daytime.

I've also called UT, NV, WY and there never seemed to be so much thick cover that you couldn't see at least a couple hundred yards. My hunting there is all public land.

I would think scouting for night hunting would really be important. When I night hunted with a lamp. I had all my stands marked on a map so I could find them easily with my gps in the dark.
 
along with daves comments. coyote hunting isn't just about calling an actual coyote. its a chance to test your thoughts on where they might be, its a chance to test your equipment and setup knowledge. most important its an escape from life. its chance to see things you have maybe never seen or few see. The spirit of the old timers can be thought of and imagined the whole way. The hopes and the dreams they had, Its easy for me to feel when I am there. Even the spirit of wavoka influences a sure shot that is steered wide and misses.

night hunting really skips all this stuff, its kind a cheating. I can call stuff at night in areas where I could never call anything in the daytime. it does show interesting things about an area that happens at night that you will never see in the day.
 
" happens at night that you will never see in the day." You mean like dillos climbing in trees?
Edit: I've commented about that before. Saw 2 (possums - straight tail) on a lower branch. Went to ground and came out of the shrubs -shot a dillo. Saw a yote in the field, then hog showed up behind it. Stuff I don't think would actually happen in daytime. And it's MUCH cooler at nite. I don't hunt in daylight.
 
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watched a raccoon climb one of those double power poles on a power line last weekend. (thru a thermal scanner)

we let out a howl, up the pole it went until it got to the cross member and thats where it laid and stayed. it was still there when we left.
 
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