Do any of you hunt solo at night?

D

dave3006

Active member
I have posted several times here in the night calling forum because I have limited experience hunting coyotes at night. I have hunted solo in the CA high desert with white lights and my PVS14. Now that I have moved to Idaho, I can only use thermal for night hunting.

My biggest concern in CA was always running across Rattlesnakes at night. No big deal. I wore snake boots and watched my step. Here in Idaho, potential problems are a little bigger - we have wolves, mountain lions, and bears in my area.

If hunting solo at night, what do you do to lessen your odds of becoming dinner for predators you don't want to show up? Obviously, I will get the sound away from me with my Foxpro. But, I am not sure if that is enough.
 
i dont like hunting solo at night. to many things can happen. you could step in a groundhog hole and break a leg, trip or fall down a hillside, other things can go wrong besides being injured.

we shared a cut cornfield with a bear one night. it never paid any attention to our prey distress call, sometimes, the things that go "BUMP" in the dark show up.

i have had deer run up behind me and at night they sound like a freight train headed towards you from behind, when that happens and you dont have a light handy, you make some moves that would make Michael Jackson jealous.

you'll be fine as long as you keep the call away from you. Predators will focus on the call and come in with the wind in their face.
 
Depends where you're hunting. For your situation I'd prefer private land that I know well, with minimal walk and a good permanent blind. Cats and grizzlies would be my main concern.
 
Did a lot of solo night hunting in the Ca high dez. Had some really great nights. Rattlesnakes are more a problem during the summer months when it's really hot during the day, the snakes are more active at night. Once it cools down they aren't much a problem at night. I don't care for that weather so I usually didn't call during those months. Besides, all you call in are little coyotes with hardly any fur. If you're only interested in body count, it can be a productive time to go.

I never have used thermal or NV, only spot lights. Truthfully, I was more wary of Owls than anything else at night, some areas you'd have them swooping you every stand. When using lights you need the sound right next to you to detect eye shine and truthfully I don't see a benefit to moving it away from you at night. I'd hunt right from my truck, no need to go walking off. During the day, anything that could cause you harm can easily sneak up on you but at night their eyes give them away quickly. One of the toughest things about coyote hunting at night solo is locating downed animals. I had a few things I did that helped locate but I'd imagine thermal would be great for that.
 
I night hunt solo 99% of the time. Not to much in the way of predators that want to eat me in my area. The occasional Black bear is spotted or taken during their respective seasons. I hunt all private where I’m the only guy that has permission on most of it. If another person has permission on the same property we are in contact.

I worry more about stupid people than any wild animal around me.
 
A helmet/night vision setup would give you an advantage when solo hunting at night when you leave trails. Would make walking and large predator detection easier(without white light). On trails, a headlamp? Don't have deer/elk scent on you? I would/do hunt by myself, for predators, big and small game.
 
I solo night hunt too. My biggest concern is breaking my leg in a hole or falling off a steep cut.

Growing up, I did a lot of solo hunting in southern Idaho and northern Nevada. Called in two mountain lions while spot lighting but I was in the truck. They took off as soon as soon as the light hit them. In the summer, my biggest fear would be snakes. I hate them with a passion.
 
dave3006 said:
I have a 4Runner. I wish it were a pickup truck. I would call from the bed of the truck.
Click to expand...
Got a receiver hitch on the 4Runner, Dave? Build something like this.
1741711949693.jpeg

Original version. Over the years added chains & turnbuckles + a boom for game retrieval. Quick on and off vehicle.
1741712160341.jpeg
1741712207974.jpeg

Using winch on back bumper of jeep or in bed of truck can lift or even fish game out of heavy brush.....lot easier on the old back.
1741712321192.jpeg
1741712405864.jpeg
 

hm1996 and Bowhntr6pt - you guys nailed it! I have to look into a version of this.​

Is there a hitch mounted seat / platform that can be purchased? Or, is this something I would need to build.​

​

 
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hm1996 said:
Got a receiver hitch on the 4Runner, Dave? Build something like this.
View attachment 15756
Original version. Over the years added chains & turnbuckles + a boom for game retrieval. Quick on and off vehicle.
View attachment 15757View attachment 15758
Using winch on back bumper of jeep or in bed of truck can lift or even fish game out of heavy brush.....lot easier on the old back.
View attachment 15759View attachment 15760
Click to expand...
This is the most "Texas" thing I've ever seen.


I want one.
 
Here in Michigan, If I know the terrain I will solo hunt. I'm in Lower MI so I don't have a lot of the same concerns that you do(We have wolves in the U.P. and Northern Lower). I guess it would depend on knowing the land, having at least seen it in the daylight, maybe even walking and setting up your approach in the daylight. I wouldn't go in blind per say.
Knowing your surroundings and knowing the possible threats would be a smart move. Maybe talk to the land owner about what he may see around the area. Local popular breakfast places where the farmers hang out has always proved positive for me as well. They always know what seems to be sneaking around

Good Luck!
 
I understand the threat posed by Grizzle bears and rattlesnakes, but are you guys actually concerned about black bears and wolves?

Serious question. I'm not suggesting either animal isn't capable of ending a human, because they clearly do periodically, but I think statistically, you're about 500k× more likely to get struck by lighting while driving to your stand than having a violent encounter with either. I have hunted plenty with wolves all around me in south eastern wyoming, and I will bivy camp in grizzly country every year for a week or two, but I never thought of black bears or wolves as a legitimate threat to an armed man. Am I wrong?
 
dave3006 said:
Is there a hitch mounted seat / platform that can be purchased? Or, is this something I would need to build.
Click to expand...
Not to my knowledge. 2" square tubing, 2" and 1 1/2" water pipe, boat seat and some 3/4" conduit bent for rifle rest and chair arms (my buddy wan an electrician) is all that you need for the chair. I did use some schedule 80 1 1/4 pipe for the boom so it would telescope into 2" square tubing. The chains and turnbuckles add stability to the chair by taking up slack in the receiver hitch/2" square tubing.
This picture shows chair better. Started out as hunting chair only, after manhandling a couple of nilgai cows, added the boom and boat trailer winch in pickup bed.
1741738095588.jpeg


Hecouldgoalltheway said:
This is the most "Texas" thing I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

🤣🤣
 
Past few years i primarily hunt solo, had some friends in the past that were hunting partners, but they have other priorities now.
Occasionally I'll hunt with someone else, but not much, in Michigan don't have to much to worry about in my area.


dave3006 said:
I have posted several times here in the night calling forum because I have limited experience hunting coyotes at night. I have hunted solo in the CA high desert with white lights and my PVS14. Now that I have moved to Idaho, I can only use thermal for night hunting. My biggest concern in CA was always running across Rattlesnakes at night. No big deal. I wore snake boots and watched my step. Here in Idaho, potential problems are a little bigger - we have wolves, mountain lions, and bears in my area. If hunting solo at night, what do you do to lessen your odds of becoming dinner for predators you don't want to show up? Obviously, I will get the sound away from me with my Foxpro. But, I am not sure if that is enough.
Click to expand...
 
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