If you could hunt at night....
 

would you? I have often wondered if they legalized night hunting how many people would hunt at night. I for one would, but I know a lot of folks who freak in the woods when it is dark. If you would not hunt at night even if it was legal, why? NO lights!

The Tazman

Edited by - Tazman on 02/28/2002 09:08:49

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Night vision gear is way too expensive. Even the Russian stuff.

Besides, a fella's got to get his fishin' in sometime!

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

NO... because it's not Hunting. It's just killing. Years ago I went with a guy one time who had a crop damage permit to shoot 25 deer from one field in Georgia. After about the 5th deer I was pretty much sick of it all. Shine the light, they just stand there. BLAM.... BLAM.... BLAM Not only is it NO FUN... it's dangerous as all heck. How are you suppose to "Know your target and what's beyond" when you can't see "Beyond". Thankfully, there's no danger of it ever coming to pass or for that matter brought to the table.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

One can bowhunt at night without using a light. Those moonlit nights with a light coating of snow would make for some interesting hunts.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

It is legal in WV for coon, fox, yotes...no lights allowed. Well the coon hunters might be allowed....

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I doubt it, it would be ridiculously easy at night, and I think I would lose interest in the sport pretty fast. Every deer around hits the food sources as soon as the lights go out, I don't think I'd get the same enjoyment out of taking my pick from the herd ever night.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

??Huh, We can't hunt at night??

Hunting soothes the soul

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

There have been many ethics issues brought up over the past few months. Some are very petty, some are serious. Hunting at night, with artificial light, is not hunting! Right now it is called poaching. IF it were made legal, at best you could call it legal shooting! I doubt that we will have to worry about night hunting for big game ever being made legal though.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Let me clarify, NO lights!

The Tazman

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I don't think I would be a big fan of hunting at night because of a few factors.
It would be more dangerous, would never give the deer a break from the pressure and would probably lead to many more wounded and unfound animals.

As far as it being easier it probably would, but remember deer have never been heavily pressured at night and feel safe because of this. If you started to pressure them at night they would become much harder to hunt as they learned.

I have nuisance permit hunted for a farmer friend. The first night or so is very easy but by the end of the week they will spook from the light and are much more nervous.

I would not support a night hunting law.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I would hunt at night if it was legal but personaly dont want to see it happen. We are seeing alot of people making bad shots on animals now. What would it be like if people were hunting at night with no lights? I think there would be alot of wounded animals running around. I have sat in the woods at night many times (not hunting) just to see if the deer are moving at night and the Quality of the anumals. I have seen some real brutes at night. This year after it warms up I plan on spending a few nights in the woods. My buddies think I am a little goofy but I think you learn alot about the animals by doing it and you sure see some neat stuff out there at night.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Hey, maybe you've come up with a way to increase deer activity during the daylight hours. If some &quot;Yahoo&quot; is out there pestering them all night they couldn't eat. They'd feed more during the daylight hours.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> OK, you take the 8PM to 4 AM shift. I'll take the 7AM til Dark shift.

P.S. It would also allow me to hunt some of that POSTED property.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> nyuck nyuck nyuck

Edited by - davidmil on 02/28/2002 09:39:21

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

You mean that you don't hunt posted prop now?
That's why they make throw away bows....<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I don't think that it would be an easier than hunting deer during the day. It might be a little more dangerous and it might mean that some more deer will be wounded, but if it was legallized, I would. I know exactly where I would go, my neighbors yard. They have a big light post in the middle of a bunch of white oaks. In late season archery, I never see deer, but that yard is FULL of tracks from deer at night. I would love just to sit there and see how many deer came into feed.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
&quot;Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE&quot;

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Like was stated already, nite hunting isn't hunting. It's just killing meat and knowing what lies the other side of the critter is danged near impossible which makes it dangerous for others, especially with a firearm.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

In many of the areas I hunt, the tracks indicate tremendous activity--but daytime sightings are minimal. I recently was checking out the night vision goggles that No.1GW has--just like daylight. With those--and the deer that I see moving just as darkness hides them, the results would probably be fantastic at first--until the deer realized what was happening and adjusted their patterns. Personally though, I'm against the idea.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

How could it be killing instead of hunting? It wouldn't be that easy. Its not like deer are blind at night and loose all their senses when the sun goes down. Deer are more adapted to the woods than humans during the day, now, look at it when it is dark, the deer have an even big upperhand when no lights are being used.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
&quot;Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE&quot;

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I feel pretty confidene I could kill just about any individual buck in my area during the course of a season if I could hunt at night. A deer naturally moves at night, they have eyes designed for it. They have very few cones, and don't see much color, but they have tons of rods and can see very well in the dark. The same as all mostly nocturnal animals. They have to feed sometime, and a deer isn't a smart animal. If there's equal hunting pressure in the day and night, they'll still feed at night. In most areas there's too many deer to survive on browse, they have to come into the hardwoods, or fields. They do this at night, and if you're waiting for them, they're still going to come in and feed. I'm sure they'll start scent checking the food source, which they probably don't do as much at night, but with a little creativity, it'll just be a matter of a waiting game. I can hit a dark sillouette in the field at night if there's any moon.
Deer HAVE to eat, and if you're waiting by the food 24hrs a day, you'll get your shot.
As far as me personally, nights are for drinking beer.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Since when is a deer not smart? Who is to say that the deer are going to feed in the field you are set up at? Who is going to say that they will come down a trail near you? There is no difference between night and day as to the amount of challenge. Also, deer do not feed consistently throughout the night. They feed for a little while after sun down and a liitle while before sun up.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
&quot;Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE&quot;

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Heck, I shot my July 5th caribou at 1:30 in the morning. Would you consider that night time? <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

You can spotlight animals under a trapping license until the end of March. It's pretty dang fun actually, but we've only taken 1 fox that way in a few weeks of trying. It's cool to see their eyes in the glow of the light.

I wouldn't be into hunting big game animals in the dark however, just doesn't seem that sporting. I also don't want to miss out on my beauty sleep, not that I need it or anything. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

A lot of these replies surprise me, I have often walked in the woods late at night, as long as the moon is out vision is not an issue at all, I agree that it would be more dangerous due to not being able to see great distances, but I could do it safely with a good backstop. Sometime when the moon is full walk into the woods late at night and sit down for an hour, what you see will amaze you, it is a whole different world. I would hunt at night if it was legal, but like others have said it would be private property. I do not think they should make it legal though. Actually you would be amazed at how well you can see without the moon.

The Tazman

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

&quot;They feed for a little while after sundown and a liitle while before sun up.&quot;
Right there is why it would be easier. Plus, they do feed off and on all night, although those are the highest activity times.
It is amazing what you can see at night. Your eyes take a little while to fully adjust, but animals aren't afraid to the degree they are in the day. Deer will let you walk right up to them before they spook. I've had a lot more deer take off snorting from 15yds and scaring the hell out of me at night. In daytime, they usually hide or sneak out long before you get there.
Think about it, it's a lot easier to get a camtracker picture of a buck than it is to actually shoot one. Why? Because they move more, they hit the food sources, they're not afraid.
BM, you really think deer are smart? Even the smartest animals like dogs, chimps, dolphins, ect, aren't what I'd call smart. If you can teach them to sit or jump through a hoop, it's an accomplishment, and I doubt you could teach many ungulates those tricks, aside from a pig. You wouldn't see so many deer hit by cars if they had any sense. Deer are dumb as a rock, they just have extraordinary senses, and instincts. They don't avoid you because they think there may be a hunter in those trees, they avoid you because they instinctually move into the wind, if possible, and they can smell you from 1/4 a mile off. Big bucks survive by being cautious and not walking around in broad daylight, not by problem solving.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Its legal to hunt hogs in Texas at night.Try sittin out in the brush ,when rattlesnakes are the most active trying to avoid all the stickers, and facing a mad boar hog you just shot And tell me that aint huntin.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I agree cardeer, I was only speaking to deer, I guess. I've hunted fox, coyote, frogs and snapping turtles at night, and had a great time.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I second ABM minus the beauty sleep as I need all I can get!

Been on a &quot;late nite caribou kill&quot; A little earlier then his but the dang sun was still up! By the time we photographed, quartered, caped, and started packing the dang sky was turning blue again! You talk an experience!

I have also been on a few fox forays late nite in winter....its fun but heck on a full moon nite up here with snow on the ground there is no need for spotlights!

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I recently read somewhere that the vast majority of big buck camtracker pics where taken at, or very close to midnight. Keeping that in mind, and knowing that most of the biggest bucks try to stay in heavy cover until it's dark, it stands to reason that the biggest bucks would lose one of the biggest advantages--the &quot;safety&quot; of nighttime. I'm against it.

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

I would love to try it, if were legal.

Paul

RE: If you could hunt at night....
 

Hey, there you go. We can go to Alaska and hunt about 20 hours a day without it getting dark. When does night come in a situation like that?<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

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