Spotlight Right
By
mid-March, the ice on many of Maine’s lakes and ponds begins to grow thin. For
those who don’t enjoy the possibility of taking an icy plunge, we begin to
think of other outdoor pursuits. One of my favorite March activities is chasing
coyotes. As with deer hunting, there always seems to be something new to learn
about hunting these wily creatures.
Red, Green or White Light
One
of the latest discussions is around the use of spotlights. Basically,
spotlights for night hunting come in three basics colors, red, green and white.
While red is more traditional, green appears to be increasingly more popular
and the new kid on the black is white. A search online will yield testimonials
singing the praises of each of these lighting systems. So how does a hunter
choose?
In
my experience and from what I have read about the experiences of other hunters,
green lights, though exceedingly popular, seem to be the poorest choice for
predator hunting. Red and white lights tie for second, with a slightly higher
number of hunters preferring red, including me. There is even scientific
research indicating most manufactured “red” spotlights emit visible light in
the 620 nm wavelength but a true red and the best “red” for predator hunting
are spotlights that emit light in the 660 nm wavelength. White lights have
gained a lot of popularity over the past several years and more and more
hunters are using them, especially those who enjoy videotaping their hunts.
Quick Scan
Ultimately,
despite the color employed, hunter success in the field is dependent more on
how the spotlight is used and less on the chosen color. For example, coyotes can't see red light but that doesn't mean a
direct blast with a spotlight (of any color) won't send them running. When
scanning fields for coyotes, quickly scan back and forth looking for
eyes. Red lights are extremely effective in picking up a coyotes eyes. This is
because coyotes have a “mirror”, called a tapetum lucidum, beneath their retina
that collects and focuses light back into the retina, enhancing their ability
to see in low light conditions. Looking for that eye reflection is the key to
success and all that is required to do so is a 3-4 second sweep of a field.
Scanning is of course much easier, if it is done with two people, with one
person operating the spotlight and the other operating the firearm.
Properly Identify
Target
After identifying a
reflection, it is critical that hunters properly identify their target, a task
that is exceedingly difficult when only an animals eyes are identified. Most
coyotes will spook, if hit with the direct beam of a spotlight for more than a
few seconds. Instead, use the softer light on the edge of the spotlight beam to
identify the target without sending it running off.
Shooting at Night
For those
unaccustomed to shooting at night, it is critical that one is extremely
familiar with the area. Houses, domesticated animals, non-target wild animals,
other hunters, etc. can quickly turn a fun night in the woods into a nightmare.
I prefer to hunt coyotes at night with a shotgun rather than a rifle as shots
tend to lose velocity quickly, limiting the lethal range which a bullet can
fly. Also, a majority of the successful hunting at night is up close and
personal with a most shots occurring at 30-40 yards. A cardinal rule of all
hunting but especially night hunting is if you aren’t 100% sure of your target
don’t shoot.
Full
Moon
My
favorite time to hunt coyotes is under a full moon. The moon illuminates the
night better than any spotlight ever made and it’s completely natural. Placing
an electronic call on the edging of a small frozen pond and sitting back in the
woods 10-20 yards creates a fantastic ambush location. When things work
perfectly, a coyote will creep down the woods edging, exposing itself against
the ponds snow covered surface, just as a hunter has a perfect shot. More often
than not, however, the coyote winds the hunter or spooks but that is the
challenge of hunting coyotes, close range at night.
Light, light, light!
When
the full moon isn’t shining, a hunter’s best friend is a spotlight. My best
advice when selecting a quality light is don’t penny pinch. A good quality
spotlight, that will perform well in Maine’s cold climate and won’t easily
break, is somewhat pricy. Good spotlights include the Orion H30 ($129.95), the
Predator Tactics Reaper ($199) and the Wicked Lights W403IC ($219.95). All of
these models also have the ability to throw light well over 100 yards, a
feature that will come in handy as a coyote hunter’s knowledge of an area and
skill level increases and they decided to transition to using a rifle. Also,
these high power light systems are incredibly helpful in picking out coyotes on
bait sites where extended range is likely to be needed.
