Night Hunting Predators

Anyone have significant experience night hunting? I'm looking to get into it next season and have a Sightmark Wraith HD as well as a Savage B22 Magnum Precision on order through my local shop (Authority Arms, Chalfont PA). I'm in a special regulation area and am limited to rimfire. I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to have a thermal monocular in addition to the digital night vision optic for scanning the fields and tree lines. If so are there any recommendations for the thermal? Leupold Tracker seems really popular, but with the cost of it and only offering a two year warranty, I'm hesitant. Any recommendation on game calls and general strategy is also appreciated.

Don't use the calls near houses. Years ago we were having trouble with raccoons. It was rural in Lehigh County with scattered houses. The plan was to use an electronic coon call and when something came along, the wife would light it up with the spotlight. Some city folk had moved into the woods above us and they called the cops and told them it sounded like I was killing my wife. The cops showed up, got a good laugh and left. I see you are in Doylestown, keep it in mind.

Do yourself a favor and get a headlamp. I tried for a few years with just my gun light and it sucks.

Check out
https://www.predatorhunteroutdoors.c...e-beam-lights/

Great lights and headlamps.

You cannot use NV/thermal for hunting in PA, learn the laws before you start breaking them. PA hunting laws sux as our state is so far behind compared to the rest of the country.

Since when is a light considered NV/thermal?

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Originally Posted by SWIGIN

Since when is a light considered NV/thermal?

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He's talking about the OP.

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Originally Posted by aubie515

You cannot use NV/thermal for hunting in PA, learn the laws before you start breaking them. PA hunting laws sux as our state is so far behind compared to the rest of the country.

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I can't tell if you meant this to be helpful or condescending, but I hope helpful. Yes, current general regulations regarding electronic devices make NV and thermal unlawful. But, house bill 1188 would add these devices to the list of exceptions, although coronavirus might have screwed that up for the 2020/2021 hunting season. When it is voted on, the bill is expected to receive nearly unanimous support due to the growing coyote problem in our state. Lets not get into all the outright idiotic laws on the books for hunting, firearms, etc. in PA, the list would go on forever.

If you're going to focus on coyotes I would recommend hunting during the first two hours after it gets lights and the last two hours before it gets dark, and then continuing in the dark for an hour or so. Coyotes are a lot more hesitant to come into calls than other predators, especially in areas where there are lots of people hunting them. A coyote will nearly always circle downwind to approach. Try and limit your stands to 20-30 minutes, any longer than that and you're just educating them on the calls you're using.

A programmable FoxPro call is a good option, I focus on using distress and coyote pup calls in the spring/ summer, with an occasional locater call thrown in.

For night hunting, I use Night Eyes gun lights and scanning lights.

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of their tendency to approach from downwind, but it makes total sense.