so who hunts.

[EddieWalker]

My attempts at night hunting have had mixed results. With a spotlight, I've only spotted them a few times and they always take off running when the light hits them. I bought a cheap solar set up that charged all day and then some lights came on over the corn at the feeder until the battery died. This just scared them away and I never saw any hogs from it, or on the game camera when the light was on. It didn't last very long, so I've thought about buying a better system and waiting until they got used to it. Maybe use a red cover over it so it's not so bright?

I have had some success when out mowing at night on my tractor. I carry a 44 mag pistol with me and I've shot them from the seat. For whatever reason, they seem to ignore the noise of the tractor as I go past the feeder. If I shine the lights on them too long, they run out of the light, but if I go past them, they stand there and I can get a pretty easy shot off. I've also had them walk out into the field while I'm mowing and in once case, had 30 of them split to ether side as I went through the group!!!! I've also had coyotes follow me while on the tractor. I haven't shot one of them from the tractor since they stay just at the edge of the lights and run off into the dark as soon as I see them. The hogs don't seem to care as much. I think the coyotes are hunting what I disturb while mowing. I have no idea what the hogs think.

A night scope might be in my future with a new rifle dedicated to just that.

I'm also thinking more and more seriously about building a big trap with a one way door and getting a bunch at one time. I hate the idea of shooting them all in the trap, but that seems to be the most effective method of controlling their numbers.

Eddie

 

[RobertBrown]

Try using a red spotlight, works a lot better especially if your shinning it down from a vantage point higher than the hogs.
Hunting hogs at night with a red spot is a good way to find the really large Boars. I've never hunted in Texas but here, the large Boars move at night. They are solitary and very skiddish. I have watched them stand motionless for long periods, 20-30 minutes. I believe they can sleep standing up.

 

[Western]

Try using a red spotlight, works a lot better especially if you shinning it down from a vantage point higher than the hogs,
hunting hogs at night with a red spot is a good way to find the really large Boars. I've never hunted in Texas but here the large Boars move at night. They are solitary and very skiddish. I have watched them stand motionless for long periods, 20-30 minutes. I believe they can sleep standing up.

What Robert said. You have to use a red lens and I have also seen them use Blue, but red seems to be out of their vision. I know Brinkman sell lenses just for their spotlights for night hunting. I have taken Bobcats and coyotes out to over 275 yards with a red lens on a 500,000 candle spotlight (corded) the cordless are junk IMO.

 

[EddieWalker]

I recently bought a new LED spotlight that is very impressive. It came with the red lenses cover, but that cuts down the range by more then half. So far, I haven't spotted any with the red cover on it, so I'm unsure if it's just not powerful enough to find them, or if I'm making too much noise looking, or if it's just bad timing and I'm not out there when they are. My game camera is pretty good at telling me what time they show up, so the odds are good that I'm out there at the right time, which leads me to believe it's either me or the light.

Robert,
Your right about the big boars, but when a sow is in heat, you'll find a big boar following her around. That's been the case most every time I've shot a big one. I'll be at the feeder and a group of them will come in with a big boar sniffing around one of the sows. From what I understand, the hogs have a social structure of two adult sows and two to three generations of piglets with them. By the time the third generation is born, they tend to run off the oldest generation. A group of half a dozen of them is usually that older generation that has either left the two sow group, or forced out. They are usually mixed male and female. Then as they get older, the males for a bachelor group of two to three. Rarely four. As they age, they go off on their own to be solitary males in search of breeding females, or just to be left alone. I've never seen more then one big boar with a group. If there is a breeding boar, he is dominant and much larger then any of the others. It might be that he's the one who runs off the oldest generation, but that's just a guess.

I haven't been shooting them as often as I should have or could of, so that might be part of my problem too. A lot of the time, I've watched them and either taken pictures of them, or just let them go. I don't always carry my rifle with me when out for a walk, I'm more into taking pictures and looking for something to take pictures of or what needs to be done on the land. It's my daydreaming, planning time. Now that Karen lives here and has discovered hunting, and now has her own rifle, we are carrying them with us all the time, which is why we're back to killing hogs.

Eddie

 

[Western]

Eddie, I think "more power" will be needed, especially "at range", LEDS are great, but for night hunting, and the loss of power/lumens throught the lens, it takes some power. A 500.000 or more spotlight with a lens works super at range, best when you have a helper holding the light while you dial in the shot.

 

[YesDeere]

Had a killer duck hunt yesterday morning. Plenty of green wings and black ducks. I am pretty happy I got the chance because I think this front will push the teal on down south.

 

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

I went hunting with my 2 boys and 2 good friends and my brother inlow... 50 mil from red lake Alberta 27 hr drive 11/2 hr north east of toronto we got to moose cafes and then got run out of the woods by a 12 14 hundred lb bull moose lol

 

[terryknight]

Had a killer duck hunt yesterday morning. Plenty of green wings and black ducks. I am pretty happy I got the chance because I think this front will push the teal on down south.

looks like a good hunt. where were you?

 

[deerseeker001]

good job.

My sons first deer!

View attachment 347298

 

[YesDeere]

looks like a good hunt. where were you?

Below Salisbury. And it was a good one. Buddy's dog did great. Her second season and she is on it!