Do any of you hunt solo at night?

Most always hunt solo. Nothing down here to worry about except snakes and hogs. I wear snake boots and don’t really think about them. I hardly see rattlesnakes for some reason, but we have our share of cottonmouths. Their “cotton mouth” shows up even on a new moon night. When I see them I’ll just ease off and go on about my way. I don’t use lights for walking.
 
in all honesty i'm more concerned with running into the two legged predators at night than i am any animal. during a coyote contest last month, i drove an hour, one way to start hunting at the furthest location and then work my way back home.

it was dark as i pulled off into a parking spot about 10 yards from the road, got my gear and made it about 20 yards to a gated logging road. just as i was about to cross over the gate a truck comes up the road and stops on the road in line with my truck. it just sits there for about a minute, as i watch all this thru my thermal scanner the driver gets out, walks across the road and about 20 feet into the woods. looks around, i couldnt see a light, or a hand close to his face like he was using a scanner or something.

he then gets back in the truck and pulls slightly into the parking area i am in. at this point i move my rifle and tripod sightly towards the vehicle as a precaution. he just sits there as i am sure he can see me in the edge of the truck headlights. about 15 seconds later he backs out and drives back the same way he came.

i put my gear back in the truck and left. i have no idea what he was doing or how many people were in that vehicle. i didnt want to know either, i just got out of there as that gave me a creepy feeling. i also carry a concealed handgun when hunting.
 
I night hunt from ground box stand on private property so no real worries except maybe a poacher and fire ants! Boot provide protection against any snakes. Need to rotate the blind 90 degree - I hear stuff in the treeline behind me and there is an open window behind me. I use a cheap head mounted lamp for walking to and from the ATV. I've tripped more than once. I've seen one of the hog 'buster' trucks in the area, pickup with the high seat rack in the bed and over the cab.
 
bohunr said:
in all honesty i'm more concerned with running into the two legged predators at night than i am any animal. during a coyote contest last month, i drove an hour, one way to start hunting at the furthest location and then work my way back home.

it was dark as i pulled off into a parking spot about 10 yards from the road, got my gear and made it about 20 yards to a gated logging road. just as i was about to cross over the gate a truck comes up the road and stops on the road in line with my truck. it just sits there for about a minute, as i watch all this thru my thermal scanner the driver gets out, walks across the road and about 20 feet into the woods. looks around, i couldnt see a light, or a hand close to his face like he was using a scanner or something.

he then gets back in the truck and pulls slightly into the parking area i am in. at this point i move my rifle and tripod sightly towards the vehicle as a precaution. he just sits there as i am sure he can see me in the edge of the truck headlights. about 15 seconds later he backs out and drives back the same way he came.

i put my gear back in the truck and left. i have no idea what he was doing or how many people were in that vehicle. i didnt want to know either, i just got out of there as that gave me a creepy feeling. i also carry a concealed handgun when hunting.
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I tried hunting some public land a few times and immediately had similar occurrences. No clue what these people are doing, or what they are up to. I suppose the beer cans thrown in the ditch gotta come from somewhere.
 
Hecouldgoalltheway said:
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?
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I've spent a lot of time calling all around Glacier National Park, both east and west and grizzlies are a very very real chance every time you get out of the truck, as well as lions.

In the fall, bears are in a hyperfagia state and trying to eat everything. The odds of one barreling in to a caller in September and October are very possible in grizzly country, unlike camping your actually broadcasting a distress sound! I hunt alone regularly but in grizzly country I try to hunt open topography and closer to the truck and I'm always armed with my 10mm G21.

I've called in many lions over the years and I'm not as concerned about them but again I always carry a s8dearm and prison shank. Wolves are pretty much zero threat in the lower 48, I suppose in Antarctica where they haven't eaten in a month would change the dynamics somewhat.

Here where I live and hunt in Kentucky, Indiana and Southern Illinois the biggest dangers is the ever present "Snagletoothed Methmouth". These ever present creatures with hollow eyes, demon possessed with teeth that look like burned down houses can appear at anytime throughout the night, usually traveling in pairs in old junk vehicles with no insurance so be very aware and armed accordingly.....
 
Ive gone out alone and with others often, i live in a big section of woods, im out alone most days. I always have a handgun or knife, a heck of a knife, a member here named RainShadow made me a beautiful KaBar like knife from D2 steel and i can shave with it. A bit "tactical" for my liking but I got a good drop leg holster for the handgun, that works great, its fast and keeps the gun from being up inside my jacket. It also helps with noisy Gortex pants, the holster keeps the gortex from rubbing together, same with gators around your boots, it holds the Gortex so it isnt noisy.

I would hate to think about snakes and poisonous stuff, everything is big and fuzzy here. Ive only got black bears around, grizzlies would be a different story. There arent supposed to be cougar around but in the last 6 years ive known someone who has seen one each year, my neighbor just saw one 3 months ago, 2 years ago my dad had a monster male in his back yard. When im alone I look behind me more often.... But I work as a farrier, wrestling horse and mule legs, Ive lifted weights as a hobby most my life, if something is going to eat me while im armed to the teeth... well... probably better than being run over by a 16 year old texting and driving....
 
Rock Knocker said:
But I work as a farrier, wrestling horse and mule legs, Ive lifted weights as a hobby most my life, if something is going to eat me while im armed to the teeth... well... probably better than being run over by a 16 year old texting and driving....
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Well, Rock… While I often don’t agree with much of your way of thinking, I cannot argue with this statement! (y)
 
For 15 years I ran around the deserts of southern Arizona at night for my job. I had several close calls with rattlesnakes. It is never pleasant to think about but stuff happens. However, as a solo hunter myself, just use that caution to your advantage. I have a feeling that the fact that you even think about it makes you a pretty cautious fellow. Also, if you are hunting coyotes, you are probably a really good shot. To be honest, the closest call I have ever had with wildlife was a dang cow moose. It was daylight and I walked right out of the brush to find a calf laying right in front of me with mom just down the hill. If I could have walked away on my butt cheeks I would have. With my heart pounding a 1000 beats a minute, I just backed out of there real slow. I guess mom decided not to stomp my lights out. Here is the interesting part. That happened in the daylight.
 
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