Well, here we go! As I mentioned on the end of the 2018 thread, I hunt with a gang in the Sheridan/Kirklin area, we got 4 today. Pretty tough hunting in this mud.
"The gang" I refer to only hunts during the day, but many in the group do call at night individually or in pairs. No one had much luck earlier this year (ok last year now) calling any in. We generally get 50 to 80 a year, some in the gang have been doing that for 20 years+. It needs to get cold.
I am curious as to who all is hunting with thermal, night vision, lights or day time only. I am thinking about getting into night vision. I currently use a light, haven't had much luck going that route. I hunt the woods and am concerned that IR reflection will make night vision useless for me. I know thermal is the way to go, but that is out of my price range.
Anntbody care to shed some light (pun intended) on the effectiveness of night vision for woods use?
I hunt with thermal, but I also have night vision and digital night vision. I started out with red/green light, and, like you, didn't have much luck. It's amazing how many coyotes stay out of light range, but you can see with thermal.
Your concern about night vision in woods is legitimate. You would get a lot of backwash from the IR light.
Yes, even with digital night vision since it still relies on IR light. I'm using an IR Hunter thermal scope. My hunting partner uses a Pulsar Apex XQ50.
I recently purchased the pulsar RXQ30v thermal scope. Budget friendly ($1900) and very good quality for entry level thermal. Definitely a game changer for me. Now if the weather would just cooperate.
We pushed 5 sections this morning (5 sq mi) and came up with 2. Scared up 5 in the first section we pushed and 4 ran into an 80 acre field of beans. I sure hope to be posted up when those beans are cut.
So +2
When I was in high school I entered a "biggest yote" contest at the local outdoors shop. I killed one, checked it in, and under the section titled "killed with", put "93 F-150". The guy looked at me like I was crazy, but counted it. I got second. Next year they modified the requirements, but hell yes it counts.
Come on snow! Got a new spot I'm going to check out tomorrow, hopefully the snow will hang around long enough to find some tracks.
Last 2 nights I've heard a lot of howling right out back. Already got permission to hunt most of the neighbors' places so I know where I'll be tonight.