I have been hunting predators in Texas and many of the states in the West for over 45 years. I have hunted extensively, day and night. I have begun to hunt nearly exclusively at night. I have developed a style of hunting at night using Night Vision or NOD’s as it is known in the military. I have developed this style by using trial and error, for I do not know anyone else in the country that uses NOD’s, other than for hog hunting. I will try to explain the technique as well as I can, and only hunt in the states that it is legal.

1. I use a helmet used by Special Ops that I sell, and attach the NOD’s and a small coon hunter light to. The coon hunter light is above and behind the NOD’s. The coon hunter light has a battery that is mounted on a belt, and comes with different colored lenses.
2. I will find the set that I am going to call at and turn the light down so low that I can barely see on the ground with the naked eye. This is one of the advantages of my style of hunting. Most night callers use 500 to million candle power spotlights to locate eyes. All of these hunters know what happens when you burn an animal coming in with these spotlights, they will wince or turn and either walk off or run away. With the light turned down so low, you can see with the night vision as if you were shining the more powerful lights without making the animal move off.
3. As soon I pick up eyes, and this can be as much as a half a mile away in the open, I never take my light off the animal coming in. The small light completely blinds them and they usually come in to within 40 yards to get a shot at them. You can also turn the light up slowly as they are approaching and you will have a very good view them for the shot. On a bobcat I can see the spots at 80 yards if they are in the open. I usually can tell you the species at from 80 to 150 yards.
4. The small light source is a great advantage in calling, if you have an area the has been called a lot at night, I can usually do very well with the small light, for they have seen the other and will stay out at a distance and never come in. With the small light they have no fear, and have had them sit down within 20 feet of my van.
5. One of the distinct advantages of NOD’s, is watching the whole animal coming in and not the eyes. Some will look around a lot coming in and others come in totally focused on the call. The ones that look around a lot usually have to be shot at a distance for they come in thinking something is not right.
6. I do not use NOD scopes, I use NOD’s that attach to the back of the scope, and can be taken off and the rifle used during the day.