Night Vision NV and thermal kills...

#1,502
No foxes or mus tonight and I was moving my stuff back to the car when I saw a “rock” move. Apparently I have possums on the half shell to deal with now…
IMG_7149.jpeg
 
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#1,505
High Probability Coyotes: KC Ep. 133
There are just some spots that produce time and time again. This night included a few of my favorite locations that rarely disappoint.
 
#1,510
Cornfield Mania: KC Ep. 134:
Cornfields rarely disappoint. The only time I don't love hunting corn is when the snow gets too deep. It will often pile up in the rows, and it can make it hard for the hunter and the hunted. No such issues on this episode.
 
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#1,512
Naming 52 episodes a year gets to be a challenge with trying to come up with unique names. A whitetail buck was curious enough to check out the sound, so I called it Buck Fever.

 
#1,516
#1,523
shoots100 said:
Mus aren't liking the Barra .177/ RIX L3 combo.
SJC
Click to expand...

Well, didn’t know Mus = mice, so I learned something new today.

Nice shot!

Could also post it on ye olde:
www.snipershide.com

Small varmint kills (the bastards!)

We have a coyote kill thread so why not one dedicated to the smaller bastards? Here’s some ground squirrels in Wisconsin that will burrow no more… 17 Hornet 🐝 🐝 22LR CCI SV Not sure which gun.
www.snipershide.com www.snipershide.com
 
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#1,524
SkyScrapin said:
Looks fun! Target rich?
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Predator season opens 10/1 in NY state, So I need something to pass the time.
I would rather be hunting larger species with a SAW, but I live behind enemy lines.
These vermin are looking for the bird food remnants my better half puts out for nesting birds.
After shooting mice for six months, shooting a coyote will be like shooting a blimp.
Shortly after I dropped this Mus I had a fellow vermin hunter pass through the kill zone before the rain came down.

 
#1,528
There are times when you hit a coyote where you want, but they do not go down immediately. At about the 6-minute mark, a coyote gives me an opportunity and it proceeds to think it is going to get away. The coyote's ability to take a hit can be truly amazing given their size and weight.
 
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#1,532
I've been out the after dark critter gittin' for a minute because it has been too damn hot! Cold front rolled through and now it's sitting at a sane 72 degrees and I love it! So do the critters! Busted Mr. Trash Panda eyeballing the eves of my house and was dispatched with the quickness!
IMG_7527.jpeg


Thinking I’ll be up late seeing if any "friends" show up!
 
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#1,533
nikonNUT said:
I've been out the after dark critter gittin' for a minute because it has been too damn hot! Cold front rolled through and now it's sitting at a sane 72 degrees and I love it! So do the critters! Busted Mr. Trash Panda eyeballing the eves of my house and was dispatched with the quickness!
View attachment 8496874

Thinking I’ll be up late seeing if any "friends" show up!
Click to expand...

Man, I've been killing a ton of those turds lately around my deer feeding areas. I always start late, and then feel rushed to get rid of as many as I can before the season starts. Then I swear I'll start earlier the next season, but never do and repeat the process...
 
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#1,537
diggler1833 said:
Well, my cheapo gear selection bit me in the ass last weekend. I still managed to get a few kills each time I got into pigs, but I definitely handicapped myself each time out.

Click to expand...

I run a spartan davros head and their system for predators. Its fast, easy to do blind(in the dark) and pretty cheap. Look into it, i have had it for years and all my hunting buddies have switched to it from ball heads
 
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#1,538
diggler1833 said:
Well, my cheapo gear selection bit me in the ass last weekend. I still managed to get a few kills each time I got into pigs, but I definitely handicapped myself each time out.

Click to expand...

So...what kind of Tripod setup you going for this time? I have a Feisol 3372 I use with a Really Right Stuff anvil head. I used to use a bog pod death grip head clamped into my anvil, because I thought it would work better if I had to take my gun out of the clamp really quick to shoot the occasional hog that runs right by you when they scatter blindly.

I then figured out I can just clamp my rifle into the anvil head and carry the whole thing around really easily. I set the tension on my release on the RRS anvil just tight enough I can release really easily if I have to unclamp.

My hit percentage on hogs went up considerably when I went to the Anvil only setup. Not so much on the first volley close ones, but in the instances where the hogs run a little bit and then stop out there at 250-300 yards, it went up ALOT. I practiced my holdovers in my scope at those ranges and it transferred pretty well in the field. It is pretty satisfying at that range to shoot them because my slow moving .308 rounds definitely have a little pause/schwack effect at that range...
 
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#1,539
Anvil-30 (or any other type of tensioning ball head) helps considerably for movers and extended PBR shots. It has never really helped me connect on the 400y+ movers. Sometimes I get lucky, but it’s rare. Doesn’t stop me from trying tho.

The big pod types are faster during setup, and easier to use if you’re slinging a rifle and stocking a good distance. I’m less stable and generally miss more often.

Between the guys I hunt with, we use a combination of setups mentioned. With enough practice, I’ve seen the bog pod be as affective as the Anvil-30 on all but the really long shots where a WMLRF is needed.

ETA: monopods have never been great for us. I’d rather grab a tree limb or t post.
 
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#1,540
shields shtr said:
So...what kind of Tripod setup you going for this time? I have a Feisol 3372 I use with a Really Right Stuff anvil head. I used to use a bog pod death grip head clamped into my anvil, because I thought it would work better if I had to take my gun out of the clamp really quick to shoot the occasional hog that runs right by you when they scatter blindly.

I then figured out I can just clamp my rifle into the anvil head and carry the whole thing around really easily. I set the tension on my release on the RRS anvil just tight enough I can release really easily if I have to unclamp.

My hit percentage on hogs went up considerably when I went to the Anvil only setup. Not so much on the first volley close ones, but in the instances where the hogs run a little bit and then stop out there at 250-300 yards, it went up ALOT. I practiced my holdovers in my scope at those ranges and it transferred pretty well in the field. It is pretty satisfying at that range to shoot them because my slow moving .308 rounds definitely have a little pause/schwack effect at that range...
Click to expand...

Carrying the whole system together is a non-starter for me out here. I do way too much cutting through woods and tight places. The guys with the expensive PRS tripods usually get the advantage of spotting and getting close via vehicle. That just isn't conducive for the terrain I'm in about 2/3 the time.

My plan is to have a two-tripod setup. One that is stupid easy to transport, and one that is actually durable for use in the few big meadows...plus it'll also work for basic daylight tripod hunting with a heavy rifle. The latter is still being researched.
 
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#1,541
diggler1833 said:
Carrying the whole system together is a non-starter for me out here. I do way too much cutting through woods and tight places. The guys with the expensive PRS tripods usually get the advantage of spotting and getting close via vehicle.
Click to expand...
Makes sense. Most of the country I hunt down there is really thick brush interspersed with some oak trees. You can't see the hogs if they are in the brush, so we generally scan the surrounding open country and try and spot them. We tried getting close with a vehicle the first few years we were there, but they got pretty wise to that ruse. We usually spot from about 6-800 yards away and in good thermal conditions we can generally ascertain if it is a hog or not. We then just get the wind in our favor somehow and sneak up on em.

Makes me laugh back in the good ol days when we only had 1 thermal and it was a Flir unit that was awful. We would see a thermal blob and sneak in that general direction and then when we thought we were close enough we would turn red lights on our guns on and get ready to blast. We made alot of stalks on possums, armadillos, horses, deer, raccoons, and various other creatures that weren't hogs. The tech has gotten so much better, albeit more expensive. I basically have forced myself to go after yotes up here in the winter time to justify all my thermal gear, even though standing out in -15 temps isn't my favorite thing to do. Still fun though.
 
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#1,542
shields shtr said:
Makes sense. Most of the country I hunt down there is really thick brush interspersed with some oak trees. You can't see the hogs if they are in the brush, so we generally scan the surrounding open country and try and spot them. We tried getting close with a vehicle the first few years we were there, but they got pretty wise to that ruse. We usually spot from about 6-800 yards away and in good thermal conditions we can generally ascertain if it is a hog or not. We then just get the wind in our favor somehow and sneak up on em.

Makes me laugh back in the good ol days when we only had 1 thermal and it was a Flir unit that was awful. We would see a thermal blob and sneak in that general direction and then when we thought we were close enough we would turn red lights on our guns on and get ready to blast. We made alot of stalks on possums, armadillos, horses, deer, raccoons, and various other creatures that weren't hogs. The tech has gotten so much better, albeit more expensive. I basically have forced myself to go after yotes up here in the winter time to justify all my thermal gear, even though standing out in -15 temps isn't my favorite thing to do. Still fun though.
Click to expand...

Yeah, even 600 yards is a long hike these days :D . I started with a 384 unit, and made a hell of a lot of stalks to get within 300 yards of a deer before realizing that I just wasted 20 minutes for nothing.

Most of the places I hunt require threading through SxS trails etc... Then you have a ~15 - 50 acre clearing before having to do it again. Great places for hogs to hide too. However, I do have a few areas that will allow me to connect a rifle to a tripod and just hump the whole thing over my shoulder. I'm looking into those setups now. No way do I want to be giving up on more opportunities to be effective once I actually get into pigs. That first group (I got into them on #1, and #3 on the last video) did acres of damage out here about two weeks ago.
 
#1,543
diggler1833 said:
Yeah, even 600 yards is a long hike these days :D . I started with a 384 unit, and made a hell of a lot of stalks to get within 300 yards of a deer before realizing that I just wasted 20 minutes for nothing.

Most of the places I hunt require threading through SxS trails etc... Then you have a ~15 - 50 acre clearing before having to do it again. Great places for hogs to hide too. However, I do have a few areas that will allow me to connect a rifle to a tripod and just hump the whole thing over my shoulder. I'm looking into those setups now. No way do I want to be giving up on more opportunities to be effective once I actually get into pigs. That first group (I got into them on #1, and #3 on the last video) did acres of damage out here about two weeks ago.
Click to expand...

Following your path on the video, I’d definitely be using a bog pod. Unfortunately, I have also lost the cradle before.

Are you slinging a rifle or carrying it by hand?
 
#1,544
SkyScrapin said:
Following your path on the video, I’d definitely be using a bog pod. Unfortunately, I have also lost the cradle before.

Are you slinging a rifle or carrying it by hand?
Click to expand...

Slung across my chest. It does give me one hand to carry the shooting sticks, and the other controlls the rifle.

This is the time of year when I'm also waving my sticks around in front of my face like I'm Harry Potter casting spells. Dadgum orb weaver spiders string so many webs across the paths...
 
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#1,545
diggler1833 said:
Slung across my chest. It does give me one hand to carry the shooting sticks, and the other controlls the rifle.

This is the time of year when I'm also waving my sticks around in front of my face like I'm Harry Potter casting spells. Dadgum orb weaver spiders string so many webs across the paths...
Click to expand...

Those are the worst. Going face first is not a fun feeling. Had a buddy do it not once, but twice, in a 30 minute span. I've never heard a grown man scream so high pitched.
 
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#1,546
The Trigger stick needs to be maintained like any other tripod.
The internal screws do get loose over time and I've had the same thing happen to me, but with a pig saddle attached.
Luckily I was able to trace my route and found it with the help of the thermal monocular.
I bought another trigger stick as a backup the next day.
The Alpha Trigger stick is an option, but still too heavy and not quick enough adjustment wise for my style of hump and shoot hunting on uneven terrain.
I have several high dollar tripods available, but always seem to gravitate towards the trigger stick.
I'm willing to compromise on stability for a much lighter and quicker set up tripod.
I carry a shortened trigger stick monopod for the web/brush clearing.
It also makes a great quick adjustable rear rest for longer shots.
Crimped a small bungee to secure it to the stock and act as a wrist strap during nighttime swordplay.
SJC
IMG_1300.JPGIMG_1301.JPG Trigger Mono 2.jpgTrigger Mono 3.jpg
 
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#1,547
SkyScrapin said:
Those are the worst. Going face first is not a fun feeling. Had a buddy do it not once, but twice, in a 30 minute span. I've never heard a grown man scream so high pitched.
Click to expand...

🤣

I ruined a shot at a coyote once as I crept under a LONE TREE out in the middle of a pasture towards it. Ran face-first into the huge web, and shook it off no problems. I could hear the snapping of each strand of that web in my ear as i kept moving forward...mostly because it was literally covering my ear.

It was about 30 seconds later when I was setting up my sticks that the ~40% moon (I was facing towards it) highlighted this huge grizzly bear of a spider dangling from my ball cap lid about 3" in front of my left eyeball.

I did not scream...but my movement combination of Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon", and John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" definitely gave me away. As such, I lost the chance at that coyote, but I spent the next 60 seconds not really caring about that too much as I danced and swiped.

I now do a combination of circular swings, ups-and-downs, and general spell-casting with my sticks each time I go through any wooded area.
 
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#1,548
shoots100 said:
The Trigger stick needs to be maintained like any other tripod.
The internal screws do get loose over time and I've had the same thing happen to me, but with a pig saddle attached.
Luckily I was able to trace my route and found it with the help of the thermal monocular.
I bought another trigger stick as a backup the next day.
The Alpha Trigger stick is an option, but still too heavy and not quick enough adjustment wise for my style of hump and shoot hunting on uneven terrain.
I have several high dollar tripods available, but always seem to gravitate towards the trigger stick.
I'm willing to compromise on stability for a much lighter and quicker set up tripod.
I carry a shortened trigger stick monopod for the web/brush clearing.
It also makes a great quick adjustable rear rest for longer shots.
Crimped a small bungee to secure it to the stock and act as a wrist strap during nighttime swordplay.
SJC
View attachment 8497632View attachment 8497636 View attachment 8497643View attachment 8497645
Click to expand...

Nice setup.

My particular Triggerstick had been stuck extended for about 6 months. I actually did find the head this morning as I was running some coon traps. I just made it work up until this past weekend.

I have literally spent 10x the cost on a very good tripod setup over the last 6 months in guns...this was nothing more than me being lazy, and I learned my lesson. I'm now researching an area that I actually have no experience in.

For many years I have just shot off round hay bales during daylight hunting. They are stupidly stable, and offer fantastic concealment too.

It is time I stopped being a quasi-Fudd, and got some acceptable supporting equipment.

I got my first front bag just two years ago and have used it to kill a ton of stuff since. Off my porch grill, off my SxS, off of fence posts...it just works. It was an eye-opener and a "why didn't I do this sooner" moment for sure.
 
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