Walk to stand--do you use a light? And do you worry about/manage light splash from the eyepiece of your thermal scope/scanner?

H

huskerhunter

Member
Question for the group. Tell me about your routine for getting to your stand--I use a small clip on hat light with red led light when walking to my set spot. I used to run a pvs14 helmet setup but that seemed like overkill. And of course some nights there's enough ambient light that nothing is needed. What do you do and do you think the red light spooks coyotes?

Next question, when you're on stand and you're raising and lowering either your scanner or your thermal rifle scope, do you worry about the light that "backsplashes" from the screen/eyepiece and illuminates your face ever so slightly or simply creates ? I rigged up shuttered eyepiece for a pvs14 to my Pulsar19HD scanner to partially solve the problem but I'm not sure it's even a problem?
 
get an eyecup for those thermals, backsplash is almost eliminated. i have one for my scanner and thermal scope.

not worried at all.

as far as walking to our spot at night, we dont use lights of any kind. your eyes will adjust to the dark pretty quick. also good enough to see where you are going. the only real hazard would be groundhog holes. havent stepped in one of those for awhile but i probably just jinxed myself bu this time of year the holes are under the snow anyway.
 
First thing I do when I get out of the truck is scan 360 degrees thoroughly and see if there is already a coyote/s there. If so I'll set up the gun right there and kill it, then walk in and call. I've killed several this way. If it's clear, then I'm not worried about the red light for walking in. I'm more worried about stumbling or falling from an obstacle I can't see.
As far as splash, our scanners are helmet mounted and splash is minimal. When I tip it up to get in the scope I make sure to point it to the ground. I keep my rifle at a slight angle or stand beside it instead of behind it, until I'm ready to get in the scope so the light is shining into space and not reflecting off me. My scope has a rubber eyecup on the eyepiece that I rest my eye on when in the scope.
Just like in daytime hunting, if you can wait to make these transitions while the coyote is moving and not standing looking your way the chances of them noticing you are greatly reduced.
 
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I stay dark unless things get a bit sketchy, at which point I’ll use my red headlamp as low as I can make it. 99% of the time I’m light free though.

I don’t run an eye cup on my thermal scope and I keep it in sleep mode until needed. Same with scanner… if it’s up to my eye, it’s on. If I lower it I put it to sleep and it lands in its spot in my chest pack. I also don’t run either super bright.
 
Scope is always on not in standby but with an eye cup and angled so the light splash is not on me or anything around me.
Scanner has a shuttered eye cup. 2ce, I believe when I dropped the scanner (it is on a lanyard) to get in the scope (before having the shutter) I had close coyotes take off quickly so bought a shutter and have not had that happen in the 3 years since.
I always walk in with my red "night eyes" head light with its 'shield' installed unless it is a very bright moon and open ground. I will soon be 74, only have 1 eye that works, and have no business falling down. Brightness setting on the light depends on terrain and ambient light.
Killed a lot of coyotes with red lights before thermal was legal here in PA but also saw a lot run from them.
 
I know my properties so no lights except when going to retrieve.
I “think” about scope/scanner light and try and keep it at a minimum. But, I can look around and see lights off in the distance and I’ve had trail cams that used a flash, so I’m not sure a flash of dim light would really spook them. If that was the case, they’d go crazy over falling stars or lightening.
 
Walking in on good ground…no headlamp needed. Some walk ins are somewhat sketchy at best and a light is needed. I don’t believe red or green lamps disturb game but I do believe your buddy walking behind you with his light on you does. Be careful what you are illuminating and you are fine.

We do our best to minimize the scopes lighting us up. If mine is on , I normally have it muzzle down on the tripod to keep the light off of us. It’s been working well that way for years. I don’t use an eye cup on the scope. Can’t stand them personally. If we are illuminated by that , 99.9% of the coyotes that come in to the set don’t live long enough to figure out what it was!
 
I generally do not use any light if stalking in open fields and I prefer no moon pitch black nights. I figure I have been pretty lucky having not stepped on a snake since I hunt in FL and I always wear snake boots. I scan and shoot with my right eye and try to retain my nightvision in my left eye to help me see in the dark.

To help with light splash I have adapted most of my Thermal units to shuttered PVS14 eyepieces. They help control light splash since they only open up when you press your eye against the eyepiece. That being said if I am on a stand and the hogs show up I keep my scanner pushed against my eye and shut it down completely. Once it powers down then I let it rest on the lanyard around my neck and go the scope.

Sometimes if I am going into a sounder of hogs already on a feeder in the woods I will use a small LED light on the end of my weapon to help me avoid water moccasins and rattlesnakes. Once I get a heat return from the hogs I shut the light down and finish the stalk in the dark. I stalk with the scanner in my right eye and left eye open to help with navigating. As stated above, once I get into a position to shoot the scanner gets shut down before I go the scope. I have been busted numerous times by light splash and you always have to be mindful of it. Especially in my case as sometimes I am only 20 yards or so from the hogs.

I also wear hats with LED lights built into the hat. Once the hunt is over I like being able to turn it on and see without holding a light. The only other light I sometimes use is a TAC light on my short range 6.8SPC SBR stalking rifle. This is a short range weapon set up for close range stalks in thicker woods and it's good to have since the area I use it most has a healthy black bear population. It also comes in handy when I am approaching a downed hog that may not be dead.

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I have these small LED lights on my stalking weapons.

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