Predator hunting at night? Your thoughts?

[edmhunter]

Originally Posted by newguy

I'm curious as to what others think of night hunting for coyotes and wolves as a viable managemt tool to reduce numbers in certain areas...

I know a couple F & W and both their opinions are different.

Like many others, i've seen wolf numbers increase sharply in the areas i hunt. Down in the crowsnest pass these past 2 weekends i saw wolf tracks all over the place. more than a couple times they were in my tracks... they seem to always come out at night.

i'm on the fence on this one. part of me thinks we need an advantage to thin them out but another part thinks it's not fair chase...

I remenber watching a film clip of Quebec's F&W's personel shooting wolves from helicopters and thought to myself that it was very unfair and cruel, I was 9 years old then.

Now that I am older and 54, I understand why they had to keep the exploding wolf population in check.

I say the government should allow just that to severly reduce the wolf numbers in Alberta. Funny how you evolve in your thinking over time. I am all for night hunting for predators only! They do it in the US all the time!

[H380]

Originally Posted by lannie

I think I would really enjoy it. The people I hunt with don't turn their brains off just because the sun goes down and it would be great to try hunting Racoons at night with dogs.

This ^^^^. Hunting coons would be a blast , however for other preds I think it should be shotgun only after hours .. Doesnt really matter cause it will never happen .

[Okotokian]

This comment isn't directed particularly at night hunting or it's supporters, but we always here "It's allowed in many jurisdictions" as reason for why it should be allowed here. I wonder what it would be like if we allowed everything that was allowed in every other regulated jurisdiction, all at once. There is probably nothing inherently wrong with many individual practices, hunting over bait, night hunting, any weapon any season, using drones, using dogs, etc. etc. But if you allowed them all I suspect it might be carnage in the field. So each jusrisdiction picks and chooses hunting practices that it's hunting population feels comfortable with, often probably based on tradition. And given that we have a limited amount of game, each practice introduced which increases game harvest has to be offset by a decrease in tag numbers, access, etc. It has to end up being a zero sum game.

[Wildcat93]

Yes, Lefty-Canuck is right.

[michaelmicallef]

The way things are going we might not get to be hunting during daylight let alone night time. i don't think that night hunting would be a safety concern ( with the right restrictions) as stupid people are present even during the day. But this is Canada and our government is like an over protective mother trying to take away anything that may cause us harm. I think night hunting would only hurt our hunting "privileges " as hunting already is seen as a readneck activity by many people. I'm trying to be politically correct. You know the people I'm referring to.

[Andrzej]

[QUOTE=Junglefisher;2640915]In a previous life (in Australia) almost all my hunting was done at night.
I think you guys have a lot of misunderstandings about how it work


Similar experience hunting at night in Poland except lights were not allowed but full moon would be your friend and all the optics with 56 mm objective and 30 mm tube.
As far as I remember it was ok to hunt Wild Boar as they were nocturnal and nuisance but not ungulate.
If you are hunting from a tree stand you are shooting strait down so not much concern for what's behind, it is dirt.

In Canada it is federal law that you can't discharge firearm 30 minutes past sunset and this is stupid... Why ? Let's imagine that you are in elk camp sleeping 30 minutes after sunset and Bear is trying to get in your tent. If you use your gun You are criminal...by federal law.BS. I would shoot it and deal with consequences of discharging after legal time.

[grinr]

[QUOTE=Andrzej;2653729]

Originally Posted by Junglefisher

In a previous life (in Australia) almost all my hunting was done at night.
I think you guys have a lot of misunderstandings about how it work


Similar experience hunting at night in Poland except lights were not allowed but full moon would be your friend and all the optics with 56 mm objective and 30 mm tube.
As far as I remember it was ok to hunt Wild Boar as they were nocturnal and nuisance but not ungulate.
If you are hunting from a tree stand you are shooting strait down so not much concern for what's behind, it is dirt.

In Canada it is federal law that you can't discharge firearm 30 minutes past sunset and this is stupid... Why ? Let's imagine that you are in elk camp sleeping 30 minutes after sunset and Bear is trying to get in your tent. If you use your gun You are criminal...by federal law.BS. I would shoot it and deal with consequences of discharging after legal time.

Wrong....most of Canada one can absolutely hunt coons at night with hounds.Can also shoot nuisance critters at night on your own property in many instances....shooting tent crashing bears,no brainer,just do it!