Night hunting is something that is both adventurous and, at the same time, can be dangerous if you miss out on something. However, you can overcome these risks quite effectively and easily. Do you want to know how?
Well, the answer is simple. You just need proper knowledge of night hunting safety trips and concerns and the best hunting headlamp for carrying with you. These life-saving tips and the headlamp will undoubtedly help you in each step of your hunting.
So, what are you waiting for?
Let’s know the safety tips and concerns that will make your hunting trip a successful, enjoyable and safest one for every time you plan a trip from now on.
Night Hunting Safety Tips and Concerns
Not a single year passes that we don’t hear about people getting injured while hunting. That’s why, to help you around, we have come with some handy tips and concerns that you must know. The combination of these things can ensure you have a safe and successful hunting journey.
So, let’s begin our journey of night hunting guidelines and anxieties by starting with the life-saving tips for making it a safer one as safety is the 1st priority above all things:
Life-Saving Tips for A Safe Night Hunting Journey
No matter how many steps you plan to make the mission a successful one, it will be of no help if you don’t take any safety precautions. An accident can happen at any moment in life. That’s why it is better to be prepare beforehand for facing any situations.
And undoubtedly, the night hunting trips are riskier than the daytime ones. Hence, you must take extra precautions and be careful while preparing for the night hunt journey.
Below is a list of the crucial tips that you can follow for making your hunt trip a safer one always:
Never Hunt Alone
Night hunt is extremely exciting and interesting if you are someone who loves to hunt. But at the same time, the risk factors are more here.
Most of the animals are active, especially the ferocious ones, and also have better eyesight at night. So, it is quite difficult to escape their eyes. Moreover, as the nights get darker, you will not see anything, and thus the risk is higher.
That’s why it is always better to go with a team instead of going alone on a hunt, especially for a night trip. You will never regret this decision as having a person beside you can always come in handy and support you whenever you need help. As the famous proverb goes by, “One head is good, but two are even better.”
Moreover, animals are intelligent creatures; when they see a troop, they often back away, sensing that they are more in numbers. For this power of togetherness realization, wolves always attack in packs instead of going alone.
Area
The second most crucial thing that one must consider is picking the right area. Seems confusing?
Well, it is because practically all animals tend to have a better night vision. So you have to locate an area that is hard for the animals to see, but you can have a good review of everything. Otherwise, you will not be able to hunt down if spotted by the animal. They will run away, and besides, there will be a high chance of life risk if it is any ferocious animals.
So, it is better that you find a safe and hidden spot for yourself during hunting. If the place is completely unknown to you, then talk to the local people or experts who live nearby that spot.
In such situations, they can be a great help for you. How?
They can give a complete guideline of the entire location and even tell you which are the best-hidden spots and paths for animals.
You can also watch for 2-3 areas at the same time. As a result, you can always move to another one rapidly without losing any time.
Lookout and track your locations while moving and shifting directions. Therefore, there will be no chance of getting lost.
If you are going with groups, you must have good talk and communication with your other partners. Otherwise, miscommunication can be hazardous and lead to serious mistakes and accidents.
Use Night-Vision Devices
In a dark hunting area, it is tough to see with bare eyes. After all, we are human beings with normal eyesight ranges. Besides, human eyes are less effective at night if there no enough light backup. As a result, it is rarely possible to see properly.
Hence, take a night-vision device like a binocular, monocular, thermal imaging camera or even night vision goggles while going for a night hunt trip. These are handy items that will certainly help you get a clear view of the entire area, which are impossible to spot with bare eyes.
Carry A Gun
Carrying a gun is a vital part of the hunting trip, and it acts as safety throughout the whole journey. It is normal for the hunters to forget the last time they loaded a gun, or someone else has used it and not refilled it.
Hence, always make sure that you have a legal gun with you and it is fully loaded. Otherwise, it will be of no use.
One important thing to note having a gun doesn’t mean you can fire anywhere you want. Only use if the situation demands.
One of the common misconceptions of people is that they can shoot fast if they keep their hand on the trigger. While, in reality, these simple thing causes accidents most of the time. So, the best is to keep the finger away from the trigger when not needed at all.
Hunter Orange
Wearing hunter orange is not a law but also can save you from a lot of dangers. Such as if you wear it, then people from a long distance can notice you and tell you that you are not here for a wild game.
With that said, it is also your responsibility to ensure that you are not targeting any hunter who wears brown colour. Nowadays, many hunters wear it without thinking about it thoroughly.
Mouth calls
One of the tricks that hunters use for attracting their preys towards them is making multiple noises. Nowadays, you can find an extensive collection of digital devices for calling and driving an animal’s attraction. However, nothing can beat the expertise of an experienced and skilled hunter capable of making true and attractive multiple-mouth calls.
Check Weather Updates
Before leaving, take warm clothes along with you and always check the weather forecast updates. So, make sure to prepare yourself for adapting to every weather changes. These 2 simple checks are enough to save you from facing various adverse situations.
GPS Device
A GPS device is a handy tool that can act as a true friend in a dark wildlife night hunt mission. Not only that, it can act as a savior also by giving you the exact direction of the entire locality.
Although you can easily find a GPS in your phone, still it is better to carry a device, especially for unfamiliar areas. As a result, there will be no chance of getting lost in the wilds.
First-Aid Box
Always try to carry a small first-aid kit while moving for hunting. The last thing you will want to encounter in the wild is getting hurt and cannot treat yourself due to the lack of a first-aid kit.
Even a tiny wound or scratch can turn into a deadly one if left untreated. Hence, keep the necessary items like bandages, antiseptics, painkillers, etc., in your first-kid box for your own good and safety.
Now that you have got a complete idea of how to make your journey a safer one. Let’s move on to making it a safe hunting journey, as nothing is more important than our valuable lives.
Night Hunting Safety Concerns
Generally, it is impossible always to get what you plan on getting on every hunt, especially at night. So, you must know all the concerns you may encounter while going for a night hunt mission.
As a result, you can take precautions and preparation beforehand:
Hunting Limitations
Many states around the world forbade do any hunting during the night. And even if some countries allow, there are always restrictions on hunting some specific animal, such as deer, elk, etc.
So, what to do in such situations?
Ensure all the hunting restrictions of the area you are planning to go to for a hunting trip. Otherwise, later on, after going, it will be a heartbreaking matter for you.
Hence, it is better to go before confirming certain things, such as Is night hunting allowed in that area? Are there any specific restrictions on hunting down any animal? If there, what is the name of those animals? What technology items and devices are legal to use?
If for any reasons, you break any rules, then you will be committing a crime. As a result, the authority will have the full power to take against you. So if you want to face any such problems, then do it legally. To simply state, only visit the areas and hunt an animal that is legal to hunt down. The last thing that you will want happening with yourself in a wild area is getting into troubles with wildlife authorities.
Lighting
Choosing the perfect lighting is one of the mandatory things while planning a hunting mission.
Otherwise, no matter how good of a hunter you are, you will not see properly and hunt animals. That’s why expert hunters always look for those light that has a red lens.
A red lens tends to lessen the brightness level of the light, which is the exact thing you need for hunting animals at night. However, as we all know, animals have sharp eyesight at night, so it is better to check the lighting. Otherwise, if they get any glimpse that you are watching them, then they will immediately flee away without giving you any chance to attack.
Another vital thing to look for is always going for a light attached to the gun or a torch head that you can easily set to your hat. It, in turn, will not shine directly at the spot, instead a bit higher without lighting the entire area so you can only see the prey.
Weather Changes
The weather is something that no one has a hand on it which can anytime take a drastic turn. Such as it can get colder or can even rain heavily.
Not only that, hunting on chilled nights, there is a high chance that you can get hypothermia, especially if the environment is too wet. As a result, you can be in a life-threatening situation if proper precautions not taken at that time.
Keep Calm
No matter how much time you have been residing in the same place without getting even a single shot, always keep a cool head. Wait for at least 45 minutes and keep scanning and doing the calls every 3 to 5 minutes in the same area.
If you don’t get a good shot after 45 minutes, then it will directly mean that you need to change your location (go to the 2nd best spot or more if required).
If you can afford it, you can always take help from a monocle viewer with thermal. This handy product is capable of viewing and giving a clear image of the whole location flawlessly.
If you cannot buy it, then don’t be upset. Just follow the 45 minutes instruction and move on. You will surely get a good outcome from your trip.
Remember, the better is yet to come. Hence, the moral of the story is even if you cannot get yourself a good shot and treat, always keep calm and be patient.
Always Think Before Approaching
Generally, animals (except predator’s) tend to fear humans and, upon seeing, flee away. But there may come times when they are in a raging and ferocious mood. So, the best thing to do at these times is to shift to a new hunting spot or stay still and don’t make them angrier.
Otherwise, animals like pigs or feral hog can become too dangerous and can even attack you. Hence, it is better to be safe than sorry after.
So, just follow the night hunting safety tips and concerns as instructed and guided. Hopefully, you will get a good and safe outcome in all the hunt trip to come.
Final Thoughts
Any kind of hunting can be quite risky and threatening for both the hunters and the local peoples. But compared to daytime hunting, the night one can be a bit more dangerous.
Although night hunting is an exciting one, it is still when the wild animals stay active most. So along with the dark environment, it just balances the entire situation, making it more thrilling and daring.
However, as long as the hunters are well-experienced and take proper precautions, it will undoubtedly become a safe, fun-loving and successful trip. So, make sure to get appropriate knowledge of all the tips.
Read More: Best heated clothing for hunting
Lucas Noah, armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Information & Technology, stands as a prominent figure in the realm of tech journalism. Currently holding the position of Senior Admin, Lucas contributes his expertise to two esteemed companies: OceanaExpress LLC and CreativeOutrank LLC. His... Read more