Night Hunting Safety Tips

The most important obstacle at night is the inability to see in the dark. Visual restrictions create additional problems for night hunting. When a person's eyesight is limited, it is much harder for them to find their target. Often people hunt in groups and near private property, where domestic animals may be located, which increases the risk of shooting at a human or other animal.

Remember that all predatory animals lead a nightlife. They go out hunting, too, and a human could become their potential victim. Especially if it's a pack of wolves or a predatory lynx. Even an ordinary boar can be dangerous if you shoot it at night. His eyesight is better than any human is and it is very difficult to determine exactly where he can attack from. Do not ignore the geographical characteristics of the region, it is better to find out in advance what predators live in the area of any potential land you are hunting.

We would like to describe several ways that can make your hunting at night more comfortable and safe. We've collected some safety tips for night hunting. We really hope that it will be useful for you. Or, maybe some of this tips will even save someone's life while hunting at night.

Okay, here we go.

Tip 1 - always use night vision devices

As banal as this advice may seem, we want to emphasize the importance of night vision devices and thermal imaging cameras during nighttime hunting. You should not rely 100% on your own eyesight, because the human's eyes are much less effective at night. Even the most accurate shooter may find himself in a situation where he will become almost blind at night without special equipment. So get a binocular, monocular, night vision goggles, thermal imaging camera or scope and only after that go hunting at night.

Tip 2 - do not go hunting alone

You shouldn't hunt alone at night - especially if you're a novice hunter. Many predators, like wolves, always attack in packs. When they feel that, a person is not by himself, in most cases they will pass by. As the old proverb says - one head is good, and two are even better! Your teammate can always come to the rescue in a difficult situation or call for help.

Tip 3 - take a pistol with you

A rifle is good, but a handgun is a self-defense weapon that can help in a difficult situation in case of an attack by a predatory animal. At close range, a pistol is much more effective than a self-loading shotgun or carbine. At night the beast may appear unexpectedly, jumping out of the darkness. You should have a pistol with you for close combat and basic self-defense.

Tip 4 - make your “hunting plan”

You have to know exactly where you're going to hunt, what animals live there. A clear plan of the terrain, places for the camp and the timing of the hunt are the basis of your luck. Don't rely on what you can "figureout". Such naivety can cost you your life. Always prepare your route in advance.

Tip 5 - choose the right equipment

First and foremost your equipment is your capability. Are you ready to get lost at night in the field, or will you take your GPS navigation with you? Will you go into the forest with your partner without an on-call device? Will you take a night vision device with you? Choose the right equipment; do not neglect night vision devices and thermal imaging cameras, GPS modules, walkie-talkies, trackers, Wi-Fi moduls and so on. We live in the 21st century, the digital age. Use all the opportunities to the maximum!

Tip 6 - keep camp guard at all times

In potentially dangerous places, it is better to set up an external camp guard. This could be special equipment or a team member on duty who will be replaced by other team members every 3 hours. If you stay overnight at an animal hunting site, never fall asleep without a guard or equipment on stand-by.

Tip 7 – learn everything about safe gun handling

Always handle a gun as if it were ready to shoot. Regardless of whether the weapon is loaded or not, whether it is ready to shoot or not. No matter where you are, what kind of weapon you have, your attitude to the weapon. The rules of how to handle a gun are never changing. This is the basis of safe handling, without which all other rules will not work. Never forget that the original purpose of a weapon is to kill.

You have to discharge the weapon when you are not going to shoot. Weapon should only be loaded and prepared to fire when you are on the firing line, or when you have entered a hunting position. The rest of the time, the weapon must be discharged. When you take a weapon, and when you put it somewhere or hand it over to someone, you must make sure that it is unloaded every time. You need to make sure that the magazine is not attached to the gun, open the bolt or barrels, look in there and make sure that there is no bullet. At first, it will seem tiresome to check the weapon when you already know it's discharged. However, you have to treat a gun as if it's ready to shoot. Professionals in the handling of a gun know that, and calmly check the gun every time they take it in their hands. Because that's how a gun should be handled.

The personal safety of you and your team is paramount on any hunt! It is important not only to have fun, but also to return home in one piece.

Stay safe and enjoy your night hunting experience to the fullest.

You can find more interesting about night vision here:
Camouflage: Is it Necessary at Night?
Best night vision scope for coyote hunting
Hunting at Night – ultimate guide
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