Traditional daytime hunting is popular in many countries around the world. This exciting activity gives people a lot of positive emotions and makes it possible to get the coveted trophy.
Hunting at night can be a great alternative to it. It is very different from the classical way of holding this event, but it is no less interesting and exciting. To get real pleasure from the process, you need to properly prepare and study the recommendations of experienced hunters.
Tips for hunting at night
Good preparation before a night hunt is the basis for future success. It consists in choosing the right equipment, buying optical instruments and getting acquainted with the advice of professionals. It is the latter that will give beginners a lot of useful information that will definitely come in handy while tracking down and shooting prey.
The most important recommendations:
- First of all, it should be remembered that you need to go on a night hunt only after obtaining a special permit for shooting animals of one species or another. In many regions, for this you need to submit an appropriate request and wait for the decision of a special commission. Also, do not forget that in many countries of the world, at the legislative level, it is forbidden to hunt in certain places and use certain types of weapons, optics, and other equipment in these territories.
- It is very important to choose the right place for night hunting. It should be removed from territories where many predators dangerous to humans live. The latter hunt mainly in the dark and may mistake the hunter for potential prey. Also, when choosing a place, you need to take into account its remoteness from settlements. It is best to give preference to areas adjacent to cities where it is possible to buy the necessary equipment and receive medical care (if needed). As a place for arranging a sit-in, it is better to use a hill from which a good view of the surrounding territory will open.
- Going on a night hunt, study the behavior of the animals you want to shoot. Also find out information about their body structure and the best places to send a bullet. All this data can be found on specialized sites, in hunting literature, and also obtained through direct communication with experienced hunters.
- After sunset, the air temperature drops sharply. Because of this, you should not go hunting at night in the clothes you wear during the day. Otherwise, you will feel cold, which will negatively affect your sensations and make it difficult to make a shot. Also, hypothermia of the body will increase the likelihood of developing colds with all their negative consequences for humans.
- Before you go hunting, you must carefully prepare and check your weapons. This process is quite boring and takes a lot of free time. At the same time, you will have confidence that at the most important moment the weapon will not let you down and will allow you to make an accurate shot. In addition, it is worth remembering that you can load a gun, carbine or rifle only after arriving at the hunting place. This will eliminate accidental shots during transportation and minimize the likelihood of injury.
- In most cases, night hunting is recommended to go alone or with a friend / girlfriend. The second option is preferable, as having someone around will increase safety and enable communication while waiting for the animals to approach. If you prefer to hunt in a large company, then you need to pay a lot of attention to personal safety. Otherwise, instead of an animal, you can accidentally shoot your colleague.
- In conditions of lack of light, it is imperative to use special equipment that will make it possible to see in the dark. As such a device, you can use sights, monoculars, binoculars and night vision goggles, as well as similar optics, supplemented by a thermal imager function. All of these devices are quite expensive, so not everyone has the opportunity to buy them. A good alternative to them will be special lights that emit a soft red light. With its help, it will be possible to illuminate the eyes of animals and notice their presence near the hunter.
- The main problem in night hunting is the low activity of animals. Because of this, you can sit in anticipation until the morning, never once pulling the trigger. To increase your chances of meeting an animal species of interest, you must use special devices to attract game. They can be various types of whistles and horns that can imitate the sounds made by the relatives of the beast or its potential prey. You can also use pre-prepared audio recordings and your own vocal cords.
- Waiting for animals in an ambush can take several hours. Therefore, you should be patient and continue to perform all the necessary actions to attract prey. If you have several places prepared for hunting, then after 50-60 minutes of useless attempts to call the beast, you can change your location. At the same time, you need to move as carefully and silently as possible. Such actions will not betray your presence in the forest and the chance of meeting with animals will increase many times over.
- At night, many animals that are allowed to be hunted have poor vision. Because of this, their senses such as hearing and smell are exacerbated. So that they do not help him learn about the presence of a person, you need to adhere to the basic rules of disguise. They consist in the location of the ambush in the direction against the wind, the use of special compositions that mask the smell, and also in the silent presence in the forest. Compliance with all these laws of night hunting will help to covertly conduct surveillance without fear of frightening the animal. If you are going to hunt forest dwellers who see well at night, then you need to use camouflage clothing that will blend into the general background and will not betray your presence.
- In some cases, a person can turn from a hunter into prey in a few minutes. This is due to the large number of dangerous predators that search for food only after dark. In order not to become their dinner, you need to pay special attention to personal safety. To do this, you should regularly examine the surrounding area using thermal imaging equipment, keep a loaded weapon ready and do not hide additional protective equipment (for example, a sharp knife) in your backpack. Such a set of measures will make hunting safer even in the habitats of a large number of predators.
- You need to go on a night hunt with a full backpack of useful things. Each of them can be useful in a given situation, so you should not neglect them. The standard set of any hunter necessarily includes additional ammunition, water, a first aid kit with a full set of first aid supplies, a flashlight, and a sharp knife. In addition, you can take with you many other things that, in your opinion, will be useful in the night forest.
- In no case should you go hunting at night without means of communication. Their absence will make it problematic to signal for help in the event of an unforeseen situation. Also, when hunting, you will need a map of the area and some kind of navigation device. With the help of these simple items, you will be able to quickly find the right direction of movement, even in the event of an accidental hit on an unsigned area.
- Be 100% sure that the target is chosen correctly, and only then make a shot. This rule should be taken as a basis for all lovers of night hunting. Compliance with it will help to avoid various troubles with environmental organizations and farmers. The former can make claims against you in case of killing protected animals, and the latter when shooting at livestock that have lingered on the pasture.
Only those who have never been on it do not like night hunting. Everyone else admires its splendor and the opportunity to get closer to the wild. This activity is more difficult than daytime hunting.
It requires careful preparation, which includes the selection of suitable equipment and the study of the recommendations of experienced hunters. This approach will allow you to fully enjoy the process and avoid any unforeseen situations.