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Topic: Night Patrol Article in Forum Format (Read 2345 times))
Atchman2
The Suburban Outdoorsman
GTA Senior Contributor
Posts: 3865
Knoxville, TN
Real Name: Randy Atchley
Night Patrol Article in Forum Format
«
on:
December 17, 2010, 06:40:28 PM »
NIGHT PATROL: Backyard hunting at night
Why hunt?
It seems that we never have enough time in the day. This is especially true if we have children or a busy life. Being able to take a few short steps outside of your door and go hunting is an ideal situation for the busy person. Night hunting is a great way to be able to get in some hunting time when the rest of the family is either asleep or winding down for the evening.
You are also providing a valuable service for yourself and your neighbors in the form of pest control. Raccoons, possums, skunk, and rats are a common source of angst among property owners. Whether it is getting in their house, eating their pet food, attacking pets or worse tearing up their personal property these pests can do significant harm and you are helping everyone by removing them.
Next-it is
FUN
! Most of the time you don’t have to do much more than crack a window or set a chair out on your deck. It isn’t like you have to trek tons of gear into the woods or drive a long way to enjoy yourself. Most of us have all the gear we need from our other hunting ventures. It is just a matter of converting it over to night hunting.
What to Hunt?
Raccoons are a common sight through most of the United States. Because of the decline in hunting of these animals they have exploded in some areas. This is especially true in the suburbs where they clash with the growing population of humans moving into their territory.
In fact raccoons can become a pest and have to be removed by trained animal control personnel. This is often at a cost of several hundred dollars! Also raccoon feces carry diseases that can be quite harmful especially to children. While somewhat rare these diseases are a threat to humans living in close proximity to raccoons. Rabies is probably the most widely known disease carried by a raccoon but there are two others that are virtually unknown. Leptospirosis is a disease carried by raccoon urine. While not generally lethal, it can cause severe liver, kidney and spinal damage if contracted. Giardiasis is contracted by touching raccoon feces and touching your mouth. Mostly it causes stomach disorders that can last up to ten days (Source: Ehow: Diseases That Raccoons Carry).
Possums are also a common sight in the suburbs. These animals can eat almost anything and frequently raid trash cans and more commonly leftover pet food. They are also an abundant species. While they do carry some diseases they are most harmful getting into your attic or crawl space and taking up residence.
Skunks are one of the most common things you see when on night patrol. In no circumstances should you take a shot at one. They tend to release all of their scent in their death throes. Mostly skunks are to be avoided at all costs if you need to get rid of them buying a special purpose skunk trap and using grape jelly for bait works really well.
Legality:
Be sure to check your local game regulations and ordinances for hunting. For example in the city, you may not be able to hunt at all. In this case find a friend out in the county and go hunt in his backyard.
In my home state of Tennessee, raccoons and possums may be taken for nearly half the year. The season starts in mid-September and goes until the end of February. This gives you plenty of time to get in some good hunting.
You really need to find out legal weapons, whether you can use lights, whether calls are legal at night, and also bag limits. Rarely will you run afoul of the law on your own property but you have neighbors. Running around in your backyard with a weapon and a flashlight looking for a downed animal can get you in trouble. While what you are doing isn’t illegal, you have to be wary of your neighbors and make certain they aren’t mistaking you for a prowler.
Weapons and Ranges
Since I live in the suburbs, all forms of firearms are out. Even if it is or was legal to use them, shooting near your neighbor’s house in the middle of the night isn’t a good idea. If you can use firearms, a .22 or a shotgun with some high brass #6 shot are good choices for taking night time creatures.
My personal preference for night patrol hunting is air rifles. Normally I stick to the higher powered range of air rifles, those that can generate over 20 Foot Pounds of Energy. A reputable vendor like Pyramid Air/Compasseco can hook you up with a perfect air rifle for hunting larger game. Whether the gun is a PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic), a Nitrogen powered gun (like the new Benjamin Trail series), a pump up gun (such as the Sheridan Blue Streak), or a traditional spring air gun (RWS 350, 48, Techforce 89, Jet or 87, Walther Talon Magnum, Beeman R1), these guns are all quite capable of taking game up to fox size.
RWS 350 Magnum in .22
Where legal, a bow or crossbow is a great choice. Their main advantage is silence and tremendous hitting power. It would also be some fantastic practice for shooting at other game. If you can hit a raccoon in the dark at 20 yards, you surely can hit a deer.
A scope, red dot, or fiber optic sight is almost essential. It is almost impossible to see traditional open sights at night. My personal preference is for a non-Adjustable Objective scope with mil dots and a lighted reticule. The Leapers scopes are ideal for this as they have a little wider reticule but there are plenty of other brands that will work as well. It doesn’t do you any good to have a target lined up and you can’t see your sights or the reticule on your scope.
Other items
One of the things I learned from fellow forum mates on the GTA air gun forum is using driveway alert alarms for night hunting. Truly this is the lazy man’s way to hunt! You can get one of these for less than $20 from Habor Freight or Ebay. They take a 9 volt battery and usually three C-sized batteries to operate. Some of them will work from over a hundred yards, so they are perfect for the twenty yards or so you can see while hunting at night.
These alarms have two components, a sensor and the alarm unit. Place the sensor along any known game trails or places where you can see evidence of night creatures. When the creature gets within ten feet or so of the alarm, it sends a signal to the alarm unit. It can be quite loud, so make sure you use it on the lowest settings. I’ve had creatures hear the alarm from the outside and they are running before I even get a shot. Some hunters muffle it by placing it under their pillow or by disconnecting the speaker.
If you have a large lot or multiple avenues of approach you can get a hunter alarm. These are almost identical to the driveway alarm, but they have advantages. They usually come with two or three sensors. This allows you to better cover your hunting area. Also each sensor has a different signal so you can easily see which one is alerting. Lastly, they operate with either light only or with a small earphone. That way you avoid alerting the creature inadvertently. The receiving unit actually can clip to your hunting clothes.
The biggest advantage to all of these is that you can get a good night’s sleep and still hunt. Many nights I’ve been awakened by my driveway alert alarm. I’ll grab my gun and slowly sneak out to hunt. Get in a quick shot, grab my prey, and then head back to bed. If you use an air gun or bow weapon, nobody will notice the activity.
A Wildgame Innovations camera-one just like this one took most of these photos.
An infrared game camera is a big help for this style of hunting. Firstly it allows you to determine if you have any nighttime visitors or not. I’ve found that just before the season opens baiting your game camera is helpful. That allows you to more easily determine the entire scope of your night visitors. You may find you have coyotes, foxes, and other fur bearers as well! Secondly, it will help you determine when the creatures are the most active and track it. I have pictures from the last couple of years saved on my computer. That way if I decide to stay up and ambush them I know the prime time to stay awake. Lastly, even my wife and children enjoy seeing what was on the camera last night. It is really neat when you see two or more raccoons, sometimes mixed with possums and skunks if you have an active area.
Lights are a key component to this style of hunting. If you can use night vision equipment, that is great but much of the US it is still illegal. That leaves lights for the rest of us. If you are hunting in your own backyard, often times the house lights are enough to spot and shoot your game. If you are using houselights make sure they aren’t the motion detecting kind. The light coming on and off will often spook game.
While I have houselights I also supplement them with additional lighting. A quick trip to a local store like Lowe’s or Home Depot will get you a 500 watt Halogen work light such as carpenters use. These are normally less than $20 and will illuminate a HUGE area. If you already have an extension cord you are good to go. I run this light out behind my fence with the extension cord to illuminate a larger hunting area and better cover the game trails. Lights usually do not scare night creatures unless they are moving or flashing. Constant light isn’t usually that big of a deal to them since they are used to it in the suburbs and around homes. The advantage of using auxiliary lights is that you can keep your houselights out. This makes it easier for you to sneak outside without drawing too much attention.
One of the types of lights my friend Ed “Shadow” Ehrisman turned me onto are LED headlamps. When he first talked to me about them I thought they were to wear. Instead you use the straps on the headlamps to attach them to trees along incoming game trails. They provide just enough light for you to take a shot easily out to 20 yards. The LED lights are battery efficient and can last for several night hunts. Just make sure you throw some spare batteries and an extra lamp in your bag if you are hunting away from home.
Weapon attached lasers or lights can also assist the night hunter. I have a flashlight mounted on my favorite air rifle, but it is mostly to help me find downed game. Gamo has manufactured a Varmint Hunting gun for years that has a scope, light, and a laser all ready to go. Personally I find having the light away from you is better than on your weapon, but it is all about personal preference. Moving lights of any sort can spook these animals. Even the lighted reticule on my air guns will spook them sometimes or make them approach more cautiously.
Another thing to remember is these animals are motion sensitive AND the can see MUCH better in the dark than you can! You’ll either need a good hide or camouflage to be able to take them. Much like coyote hunting or bobcat hunting, they can detect motion. Make sure you have a good comfortable place to set if you are waiting them out. Perhaps a rest or shooting sticks will be a good idea as well to help minimize movement. When I hunt I generally wear my coyote hunting camouflage. Since it is usually cold I wear the correct amount of winter clothing. Being comfortable is a big part of being able to sit still and get game.
You can use a call sometimes to help you. Raccoons are vulnerable to game calls. The times I’ve experimented with them is when I’ve spooked a raccoon and turned on a “raccoon fight” sound. They will usually run back all bristled up and ready for a fight. Leaving a call on for a long time will make your neighbors hate you so only use it for a short period of time and at low volume.
Tactics:
Where baiting is legal, that is by far the easiest way to hunt. Almost all of the night creatures seem to love cheap seafood cat food. Raccoons especially like anything that smells like fish, so sardines or anchovies are good bait as well. In my home state all bait must be removed ten days prior to hunting; however it is still a good idea because it gets your area on their route.
Hunting game trails and avenues of approach is the normal way to hunt. This is especially true of the night creatures are raiding backyards, trash bins, or barns. You simply set up your lighting along the trail and wait. Get comfortable because it may be awhile before they show up. That is why the motion detectors are such a good idea. They alert you if you happen to doze off or your mind is wandering. Hopefully you’ve used your game camera and have a good idea of when the creatures are active. If so, make sure you move into the area and get settled down about half an hour before prime time.
Using the LED lights, you can actually sit along the game trail. Place a couple of these lights about 20 yards away. Space them so they illuminate a fairly wide area, but have them crisscross the game trail at one point to illuminate your preferred shooting zones. You can also use these LED lights to illuminate any blind spots if you are using other form of lights.
Most of your shooting will be less than 20 yards, so make certain your weapon is sighted in at that range. One of the tactics I’ve tried I call “clicking in”. It is really a very simple idea copied from airgun field target shooters. Pick out the spot where you intend to sit during the night hunt. Take a portable target and place it on likely avenues of approach during the daylight. Sight in your weapon at each of those ranges, and write down the range and the scope settings. This way when the creature appears you already know the range and any potential aim over/under or how many clicks to the left or right to try. Most shooters sight in the gun on the furthest target first. That way you only have to move your scope adjustment in one direction, and when it is dark, simple is better.
Shot Placement:
Shot placement and shot selection are of vital importance! Chasing a wounded raccoon into your neighbor’s yard isn’t a good thing. It isn’t quite as essential if you are using a firearm, but with anything else you need to be sure of your shots. Even a .22 won’t kill a raccoon with a body shot all of the time.
Aiming for the head is the right thing to do. If you shut down the fusebox, the rest of the body will follow. If you the creature is looking at you, shoot him just above a spot right between the eyes. If its head is sideways to you aim for a spot between the ear and the eye. Don’t be afraid to use rule #2 “The Double Tap”. Keep shooting until you are sure they are down. I’ve had possums that I thought were dead stand up and start to walk away. That is why I almost always use a follow up shot whether I need it or not.
TechForce 89 .22 caliber is an excellent choice for a first “magnum” air rifle
Body shots just aren’t a good idea when hunting in your backyard or in the suburbs. Most of the time, a body shot, will result in a wounded or mortally wounded animal running onto your neighbor’s property and expiring. On top of being a hazard to anyone that encounters them, it is far worse trying to explain to them why there is a dead possum or raccoon rotting under their deck.
If you are using a bow aim the same place you would if shooting a deer or coyote. The anatomy is similar enough that you will put them down. Make sure of your shot because all of the above applies as well. Remember you owe it to the creature to put it down quickly and humanely.
Game recovery, safety, and hazards:
It is a good idea to “glove up” when handling typical night creatures. You never know what disease they may be carrying, so wearing gloves will help prevent you from getting it. Of course you should always wash your hands after handling any game.
Many folks eat raccoons and possums. There are even folks that will buy them or trade with you for their furs. Whether you eat, skin, or dispose of them, make sure you dispose of them properly. All those diseases listed above are a possibility when dealing with wild game. It is not only a hazard for you, but for your pets and other animals as well.
This is a simple thing, but make sure you have a flashlight! I’ve walked down into the dark a few times thinking I could see my downed game, but it was just in a shadow or out of the view of the porch lights. I keep a flashlight mounted on my air rifle just because it is always with me and if necessary I can administer a follow up shot on anything that has ran out of my lighting pattern.
Other creatures share the night. It isn’t unusual to see owls, foxes, coyotes, and other predators moving at night. By far the most common creature is the house cat. Too many times I’ve raised my rifle just to see a cat in the sights. Many night hunters carry a backup weapon. I’ve never felt the need to personally, but there aren’t any bears close to where I live. Just be aware that you share the night with a lot of stuff.
The most important thing to remember about hunting at night is your neighbors and local law enforcement. If you are cool with your neighbors you can usually go talk to them and tell them what you are doing. Even then I’d call and remind them if you intend to hunt that night so you don’t scare them. Also in some states be aware of other hunters. Many states allow night time hunting of coyotes, foxes, and hogs. You don’t want to be mistaken for game. Some areas of the suburbs have these hazards as well, so just be aware. If you are stopped by local law enforcement, be courteous. Remember you are a camouflaged guy with a gun creeping around in the dark! Even an air gun looks real in the darkness! If you see them make them aware of you instantly and don’t stand up with a gun in your hand.
Summary:
Night hunting in the suburbs is a nice diversion from having to drive out to the country to hunt. Many areas of the suburbs not only hold raccoons and possum, but bears, coyotes, and foxes as well. One of the nice things about it is that you really don’t have to worry about other hunters and it is even more peaceful and quiet as everyone is asleep or settled in for the evening. So get a good air gun (the GTA Air Gun forum is the best place to ask advice), some lights, a driveway alarm and find a comfortable place to snipe from and get out there and try your own “Night Patrol”.
Logged
Knoxville, TN
From my good friend Pastor Frank "Buzz" Trexler:
"Buzz Trexler There's a place for all of God's creatures -- right next to the potatoes and gravy."
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