How To Successfully Night Hunt Predators

As an experienced hunter, you know there are specific precautions you need to take before venturing out. There is the gear you need to wear and specific equipment you need to acquire for whatever animal you’re hunting. If you have more experience hunting during the day, you’ll need to adapt your technique for night adventures. Read on to learn more about how to successfully night hunt predators.

Start Night Hunt Early

Don’t wait until the sun sets to start the hunt. Instead, make good use of the daylight while you have it. Start scouting areas where you think the predator hunts and lives. Don’t get too close to their territory, as it’s crucial to maintain a safe distance between you and the predator.

Watch out for edges and transition areas. This is the area where they may scope out prey and remain hidden. Remember, they came out at night to hunt, so it’s essential to think the way they would once the sun sets. They will use the darkness and their surrounding environment to their advantage.

Focus on the Wind and Light

You can use the darkness to your advantage too. Pay attention to moonlight, as it will shine a light on you and make your position known to the predator.

When you choose your location, you also want to select one with the wind in mind. A predator’s sense of smell will be strong, and you want to choose a spot crosswind or headwind to lower the chances of your target catching your scent. Keep in mind that the predator will likely try and approach you from downwind.

Calling In Predators During Your Night Hunt

Now that you’ve positioned yourself with the wind in mind, you can start calling in your prey. However, there are a couple other things to consider when calling in predators.

Reduce calls when you spot a predator coming in. It may not seem like the best practice, but these guys are savvy. At a close range they can zero in where the call is coming from. You want them searching around the area to keep them in range longer to get off a good shot.

Be prepared, have a round chambered, consider a bipod or shooting sticks and wait until they are stopped.  These may seem like obvious tips, but in the heat of the moment you’ll have a lot of adrenaline coursing through your veins and these tips aare often forgotten.

Here are a few of our favorite predator calls for your night hunt.

	Product Name	Where to Buy
	ICOtec Outlaw Programmable Electronic Call/Decoy Combo
	Primos 372 The Third Degree Xtra Loud Cottontail Predator Call
	Coyote Reaper XXL Rifle Kit
	YIERBLUE 10K Rechargeable Spotlight

ICOtec Outlaw Programmable Electronic Call/Decoy Combo

We will be straight with you, this is the Rolls Royce of Predator calls. But if your gonna get an electronic caller, you might as well get one that works for all sorts of game. The ICOtec Outlaw Electronic Call comes with 240 different sounds to be specific.

You can even play two sounds at the same time. It has a 300 yard no line of sight remote control. Can even load your own sounds to it.

Primos 372 The Third Degree Xtra Loud Cottontail Predator Call

We get it, you may not want to spend hundreds on an electronic caller for your night hunt. The Primos 372 The Third Degree Xtra Loud Cottontail Predator Call will certainly do the trick with a little practice. No need to worry about batteries, fits in your pocket and pretty much indestructible. 

Sounds like a rabbit in distress, perfect for calling in coyotes.

Use Hunting Lights for Your Night Hunt

If you’re new to night hunting, you may think the light would keep predators away. In fact, it does the exact opposite. Night hunting lights draw in predators, and properly scanning with your light makes them easy to spot. Look for the eye shine of predators curious enough to inspect the lit area.

You’ll need to know to use hunting lights to your advantage. Every light has its own adjustment for intensity, beam, and color wavelength.

Best Night Hunting Lights

Here are a couple of our favorite lights you need to spot your prey during your night hunt.

Coyote Reaper XXL Rifle Kit

The Predator Tactics Coyote Reaper XXL Rifle Kit is perfect for all your night hunts. You can mount them to your rifle or carry them by hand. The rechargeable feature means you aren’t spending money on replacing batteries or more importantly losing power in the middle of your hunt.

YIERBLUE 10K Rechargeable Spotlight

If you have a buddy hunting with you, the Yierblue 10K Rechargeable Spotlight will light up your world. This ultra bright heavy duty flashlight features super-bright 10000 lumen. The Cree 2 LED light generates a brilliant focused spot beam whose illumination distance is over 2600ft/800m. Even better the battery life is over 20 hours.

Mark the Distance

In the darkness, it will be difficult to judge the distance between you and the predator. It could be challenging to judge the distance based on a landmark without tracking it first. When you scope out areas during the day, see if you can judge the distance between that location and your spot.

If this is not an option, you can always move in closer. Shorter ranges are ideal, and you can get some practice in before the predators come out. Once you see their eyes shine, prepare to take the shot.

Night hunting predators can be challenging, but if you plan properly, you can have a successful night hunt.

Feature Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

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