It’s easy to understand the appeal of night hunting. You get the opportunity to hunt wildlife you can’t spot during the day. However, danger comes hand in hand with darkness, and it becomes amplified when you bring weapons along. Here are four essential safety tips for night hunting.
Never Hunt Alone
You’re not the only predator hunting at nighttime. Wolves and other pack animals are more likely to attack a human alone than one in a group. If predators do attack, it’s far better to have a backup than to try and fend off the animals by yourself.
In this same vein, bring a pistol to defend against animals at close range. A carbine rifle is good for hunting but less useful when it comes to self-defense.
Have a Plan
Night hunting isn’t as simple as taking a gun into the woods when it gets dark. Therefore, you should create a plan of attack. Outline the exact area you’re hunting in, what animals you plan to hunt, and what wildlife you may encounter. Leave as little up to chance as possible. When you’re dealing with live ammunition, surprises are dangerous.
Learn Safe Gun Handling
This is a good tip for hunting at any time, but especially when visibility is low. You should always handle a gun as if it’s ready to shoot, even if you have the safety on and haven’t loaded the gun yet. Your attitude toward the firearm will dictate how safely you handle it, so treat the weapon with the respect it deserves. Don’t be cavalier when it comes to gun safety.
Reduce the Darkness
Human eyes can’t see well in the dark. But thankfully, humans are pretty smart. Bring along night vision devices that use infrared or thermal imaging to assist your natural eyesight. You should also look into getting a light bar that shows you the way without spooking wildlife.
Now that you know these four essential safety tips for night hunting, you can get out on the trail and have fun safely.
