Night calling with lights and thermal question

F

FlySlanger

New member
Hey all, I’m a long time wannabe predator hunter, finally got an opportunity to hunt a good property with some yotes on it. Will be night calling. So we have access to thermals but prefer to shoot under lights. So we came up with a plan to call while scanning with a thermal monocular, and then turn on the lights once we spot one on the thermal. Do yall boys think that turning on lights suddenly will spook coyotes or do we have a solid plan of action here?
 
I've never had any success using lights in central Michigan. The only limited success I've had is using thermals in full dark. I have seen videos where guys will hunt them with only lights and they will say it doesn't matter. The real issue might be with turning the lights on and off and the coyotes noticing. Someone whose actually shot them with lights might be able to chime in.
 
When you turn on your lite have it pointed up in the air not at the coyote and don't made a real fast movement with the lite. This will help to not spook them. I used red when I used lites.
 
When I hunted 'hybrid' as you are trying to, I had terrible results when turning on the gun light even though I did not "hit" the coyote with it. Kinda likened it to how I would react if someone turned on car lights when I didn't know anyone was around.
After several hightailers I decided to hunt as I did before thermals were legal here in PA. I kept my scan light turned on but aimed rather high while scanning with my thermal, then turning the gun light on when a critter was seen.
The results were fantastic, never had a coyote react negatively. Killed I think 17 in a couple months and actually considered not buying a thermal scope.
 
I will be doing this to, I will still be scanning with headlamp and using a thermal monocular at times, I know I have to bring the light on them a little at a time, hunted in PA before any night vision was legal, and I just like using lights.
 
I can guarantee you that if you hit them with lights at gun range out of the darkness, they are gone. You have to condition them with the lights before they get close. Those Night Crew boys in Texas pick them up way out there scanning and bring those powerful lights to bear on them at long distances and are very successful with their method, equipment, and setups.
 
I don't "think" it will spook them, I know it will. At least in my area........your results may vary. Sometimes you get lucky. Some people have decent success doing it that way. I killed a few that way before I got a thermal scope. I challenge "The Night Crew" to have any level of success, doing what they do, in my area. Lol
 
I’ve watched those guys and it “works” for them. But, I don’t care what kind of animal down here you hit with a white light, it’s gone. Red lights and even green lights will work on pigs down here, but that’s sneaking in as close as possible and hitting them with a wide beam seconds before pulling the trigger.
 
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