Advantages of lights vs. night vision or thermal.

[tawnoper]

I've seen coyotes start getting really nervous if the lights were bouncing or if they were on the edge of the light. The reason being the more light that's in their eyes they cannot see you at all. If the light is moving around especially on the edge of the beam that's less light in their eyes. Which means they have more ability to see which can cause them to turn and run. That's just my personal take on it and what I've seen happen. You want that light on them from the moment you see their eyes until they're close enough to shoot.

This kinda goes against the way I’ve always used a light. We spot eyes, track incoming critters with the edge of the light until we’re ready to shoot, then bring the main part of the beam on them. Too much light intensity is not good or needed. I made all kinds of lights in my time (superimposed etc) also used a rheostat quite often. Light intensity was usually dictated by how much moon was out, on a dark moon you didn’t need much. Moonlit nights needed more. The less light the better.

JMO… so I don’t ruffle any feathers. I’ve never subscribed to that whole “if the lights in their eyes they can’t see you” bit. It’s a theory not a fact. Way back in the day when I first started calling with my dad in the 70s they would point their spotlight straight up in the air and scan with the silhouette of the light for eyes. Then they’d shut off the light for a minute or two, call some more and look around again. When they spotted eyes they didn’t “burn it” until the shooter said to. They did very well like that.

I’ve never used thermal, never even looked through a scope, but judging by some of the videos available here, it looks to be very effective. I would bet for a solo night hunter it would be tough to beat. Hunting with lights is much better with two people. I did see some videos of guys hunting with thermal standing in open with rifles on tripods. What’s to keep coyotes from seeing them if there is no light in their eyes?

 

[Hecouldgoalltheway]

This kinda goes against the way I’ve always used a light. We spot eyes, track incoming critters with the edge of the light until we’re ready to shoot, then bring the main part of the beam on them. Too much light intensity is not good or needed. I made all kinds of lights in my time (superimposed etc) also used a rheostat quite often. Light intensity was usually dictated by how much moon was out, on a dark moon you didn’t need much. Moonlit nights needed more. The less light the better.

JMO… so I don’t ruffle any feathers. I’ve never subscribed to that whole “if the lights in their eyes they can’t see you” bit. It’s a theory not a fact. Way back in the day when I first started calling with my dad in the 70s they would point their spotlight straight up in the air and scan with the silhouette of the light for eyes. Then they’d shut off the light for a minute or two, call some more and look around again. When they spotted eyes they didn’t “burn it” until the shooter said to. They did very well like that.

I’ve never used thermal, never even looked through a scope, but judging by some of the videos available here, it looks to be very effective. I would bet for a solo night hunter it would be tough to beat. Hunting with lights is much better with two people. I did see some videos of guys hunting with thermal standing in open with rifles on tripods. What’s to keep coyotes from seeing them if there is no light in their eyes?

I never stand in the open with a thermal, even though I see plenty of guys do it successfully. I'm always tucked into a fence row in a shadow with a screen behind me. I think it's just prudent hunting. Other folks do well standing in the open though, we've all seen it. Of course it some places guys hide behind a turkey fan and walk up to groups of gobblers. Everyone I know that has ever tried it met with zero success. I've tried it a handful of times, and they couldn't have gotten away any more quickly. There are places where people say the coyotes turn inside out the second a light hits them, then other folks get coyotes that walk right up to the truck they are standing in. I guess they aren't all created equal.

 

[hm1996]

Best success with lights were always the larger fields where you could track them all the way in.

Are there many bushes, etc. that cast a shadow in those fields, Bob, and if there were, did you notice any coyotes flaring from moving shadows?
IDK, but my theory was that following one coming in with the light, the shadows cast by the many 2' high bushes were seen by the coyotes as the shadows moved near them, even tracking w/halo where I hunted. Did shoot a few from the chair, but didn't really do enough spotlighting to work out the kinks, finally decided daytime was more productive.

 

[hunt0168]

Well Clarence, my best success with lights were open fields. Harvested crop fields or pasture land with no brush or vegetation. Many a coyote was spooked by lights either from shadows as you mentioned, or light reflecting back onto the shooter from trees and vegetation. Tighter setups I always tried to use as little light as possible, where on the bigger open areas I would scan brighter.

 

[hm1996]

That is basically what I figured was my problem w/lights, Bob. Used them mostly from the truck and had to be very careful in positioning truck so no halo illuminated or reflected off the truck. The one thing beyond my control was the many 2-3' grass tufts which dot even freshly roller chopped pastures. No way to eliminate the shadows.

 

[varminter .223]

Lights and nv are basically worthless here in Illinois. Gotta have thermal and know how to set up or your just gonna educate coyotes. We actually found some dumbs one two weekends ago but they all became deceased in short order. Its been a long time since we killed an easy one. I think a lot of guys gave up.

 

[Buckhead]

I live and hunt in the SE (N Ga). Our deer lease has a large coyote population, they sound off virtually every night in close proximity. Been a member of this lease for 40+ years. Coyotes were not a problem until last 25 years or so. They have decimated the turkey and quail populations. I think they have impacted the deer numbers, as well. (fawn predation).

Have used lights, digital NV and thermals. Most of the coyotes we kill are incidental to deer hunting, but I specifically target them in the off season. Coyotes are difficult to hunt, given our wooded and hilly terrain. Although they respond to e-callers, they take advantage of cover and don't often present clear shots.

While lights are generally effective, hunting in timber results in casted shadows and a hesitancy for the coyotes to come all the way in. I use a variable head lamp to detect eye shine, but you have to be careful to keep the light on a low setting and use the perimeter of the light beam. If you center the coyote in the light or turn on your weapon light too soon, you are busted.

Digital NV is also impacted by the timber. Seeing through brush, limited FOV and reliance on an IR illuminator are issues. Most of it due to the IR. IR reflection and shadows are an issue, also think that a coyote can sense/see the IR.

Went to thermals 3-4 years ago, best option for me. Weapon mounted sight is a 384 with a 1.5 base mag, so nothing like the new stuff available today. Also have a 384/1.5 thermal monocular. The monocular has been way more impactful than the weapon sight. It has a wide field of view, allows early detection with virtually no movement. In hindsight, the monocular would have made a big difference in my prior hunting experiences with lights and NV. Most of the times I was busted was due to coyotes detecting movement, being light shy or being winded. With the thermal monocular, I think my success rate would have been much higher. Earlier preparation and the gun mounted lights - NV can be turned off and only used when the shot is presented.

The thermals today are much better. Higher resolution and base mags, but my 384/1.5 performs fine with shots under 100 yards and in the thick stuff. That said, technology keeps marching on. Thermals keep getting better and cheaper, plus they are cool. Hoping to wait a couple years and pick up a 1280 when they become dated.

 

[flintrock]

If you want to know the advantage of one over the other hunt with someone who has decent thermal while using lights or inexpensive NV. I did both. When Kansas approved night hunting for 3 months a year I was adamant that I wouldn't spend the money it takes to own thermal. The kid owned thermal and I tried lights. I pretty quickly realized I didn't want to spend sleepless hours figuring out the learning curve to become adequate at lights.
Next was cheap NV. It was better and might have been enough had the kid not had thermal.
Finally succumbed and saved enough pennies, (a lot of pennies) to go with decent thermal. Wish I would have saved the money on lights and NV and just gone thermal to begin with.
I have no experience with good NV, but expect you get what you pay for.