Not everyone is a morning person, that’s just an indisputable fact. We’re all a bunch of humans living in this large planet, flocking around different splices of land. Some people thrive in the earliest hours of the morning. Night owls, such as myself, refuse to sacrifice our precious sleep just so we can be the “first” to catch the best prey wandering out in the wilds.
And that’s completely fine, because we don’t have to wake up early for hunts.
We have night vision technology to assist us.
What is Night Vision Technology?
Besides providing you with imagery that looks like it came straight up from the depths of your deepest nightmares (see the above picture if you dare), the power of night vision is one of the most awesome things any man or woman can wield. Night vision, as you may suspect, is the ability to see in the dark. And no, I’m not talking about seeing the dark with artificially made lights such as flashlights. No sir, I’m talking au naturel.
Unfortunately for us human beings, we are completely incapable of seeing things in the dark without the use of some external assistance. In fact, the only beings that can see in the dark without any help is certain types of animals (think cats, foxes, wolves, etc). Thankfully, we’re not completely in the dark when it comes to seeing things when there’s no light around to help us. We have technology on our side!
Pun not intended, by the way.
Night vision technology can be found in all sorts of formats. We have binoculars, scopes, and goggles (yes, like Jurassic Park). These special devices are armed with enhanced intensity ranges, which are capable of picking up even the tiniest, most miniscule particles of light in the area. This is achieved by a built in image intensifier as well as other potential photodetectors.
Any Advice?
Sure do! We’ve got seven tips for you night visions newbies that are sure to get you well prepared for your big night time hunts. From basic health considerations to right in the heat tips, we’ve got you covered! Scroll down for more info!
***Tip #1: Try To Avoid External Light. Recall back to when I said that night vision scopes collect any and all light particles in the area. Let’s just say that there’s a reason for that. Night vision devices tend to be overly sensitive under high-light conditions. If you try to use your scope in the middle of a hot and sunny day, you’re likely going to fry the scope’s sensors and render it completely useless.
But don’t worry, relatively low amounts of light aren’t going to harm it.
Tip #2: Check Your Tech. Getting acquainted with your new scope can take time if you’re a newbie. It’s one thing to purchase a fancy scope for your firearm, but it’s another thing entirely to purchase a fancy night vision scope. There’s no shame in being nervous your first time using it, and nobody is going to give you hell. Well, not unless they’re a raging jerk already.
A good way to practice with your new scope is to either go outside in your backyard when it’s dark, or go to a dark room in your house. And don’t forget to mess around with the scope’s settings!
Tip #3: Take Care Of Your Eyes. You may have your hands on some fancy new gadgets, but you’re still a human being. Prolonged exposure to glaring green night vision lights can be detrimental to your eyesight. And it’s even worse if you purposely try to keep yourself from blinking from fear that it may damage your focus. Spoiler alert, it’s not.
So please, take care of your eyes.
Tip #4: Give Your Eyes A Work Out. Speaking of your eyes, don’t think that you have baby your eyes the entire time you use night vision scopes. After all, you still have to be able to see through them for long enough periods of time to gauge your target. It’s all about balance, really. Like I said before, these things take practice. Start off slow and easy, gradually weaning your eyes to be able to handle what may be considered “harsh lighting conditions”.
Tip #5: Know Your Surroundings. Have you ever been to your hunting area at night, or at least when there was a dark sky overhead? How familiar are you with this area? When you’re going to hunt the dark, it is essential that you have some kind of idea where you’re at and where you need to go to get back to your truck. After all, it would really suck to buy a new night vision scope and get lost in the dark!
Tip #6: Judge Your Distances Correctly. I understand that it might sometimes be hard to tell certain differences from only a quick glance. This especially holds true to those of you who aren’t exactly…gifted in the sense of perfect 20/20 vision (I sure as hell ain’t!). But regardless of that, it’s still imperative that you at least get an idea of how far your targets are and how much closer you need to be to be able to see them. Don’t want to misjudge your distances when there’s a wild boar nearby, do you?
Tip #7: Stay Sharp. Now that you’ve got all your gear set up and you’re ready to rock’n’roll, be sure you keep your wits about you. Just because you can see in the dark now, doesn’t mean your prey can’t see you. If anything, they can see much more than you can! Foxes and coyotes have a superior sense of smell and hearing, so you’re life is still in danger no matter how you look at things.
Don’t let your new edge get to your head. You still need to be ALIVE in order to hunt wild animals, you know! You can read the post from Alice Jones Webb about night vision scopes from ellettbrothers.com
