Nightvision Hunting
After reading about the nightvision scopes on the site with the cost, lack of magnification levels and issues switching between night and day hunting, I tried a different type of system. Since most of my hunting is in my backyard (which is 50 yards deep that leads into a public trail system) allowed me to experiment.
I purchase a Bushnell nightvision monocular (cheap around $100 – Gen 1) and I attached it to the back of the scope with a Velcro strip, but this didn’t offer enough light through the scope unless it was a full moon, but it was still really dark without the IR illuminator. The IR illuminator built in did work, but since I shoot from inside the house (to keep the sound down) and having the window open so the illuminator won’t reflect back in my face wasn’t practical. During the winter it got the room too cold and in the summer it allowed a flood of mosquitoes and flies to rush in through the window.
After giving this some thought, I decided to go with an AC powered IR illuminator to light up the area so I wouldn’t have to rely on the illuminator built in the nightvision monocular. This worked great!!! Looking through the scope the area I was targeting was lit up like 100 watt flood lights with normal vision. The AC powered IR illuminator is effective to 50 yards. Unfortunately, for this system to work you have to consistently look through the scope/nightvision monocular combo to see, otherwise with normal vision, it’s pitch black. This would fatigue me to constantly look through the scope and if I took a break, I sometimes missed my chance.
I decide to get a nightvision camera hooked up to a small TV I had laying around the house. Now I can hunt by watching TV/movies/sports on my main TV and monitor the small TV if anything pops up. This is lazy man or high tech hunting method! I can relax on my nice leather couch and if I see anything, I can just pop open the window, turn on the monocular (so I don’t drain the battery) and I’m ready to shoot.
Since my main goal is to knock out Raccoons (they are constantly tearing things up in my yard), this method has worked really well. Got 2 in 3 days.
I know this isn’t practical in the field, but this works great in the backyard. Tell me what you guys think.
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I don’t know much about night vision. I just use the outside lights on my house when the raccoons are in close and a flashlight when they are further away. I find it takes awhile for my eyes to adjust to the dark but when they do, I have no problem seeing their eyes even in low light levels.
I use a driveway monitor, to let me know when the raccoons are around my house. So I don’t have to keep looking out the window.
But your setup is very nice, and so is the dead raccoon- good shooting.
I have the same problem with raccoons, not bad enough they are getting into the garbage but they are even tearing up my lawn. I have to keep on top of it because the next thing they will be trying to get into my house.
If you want a really nice IR Illuminator check this one out and the site. These look a lot better made than the one I purchased, but it was cheap.
I have a similar setup with $30 harbor freight camera and and IR off ebay. It works, but is limited to bout 25″. Just I need more infrared.
Yours will go up to 50′? Nice!
looks like it works well. Pretty cool idea.
Great work. You can still do a lot with the less expensive stuff – just takes some imagination.
Great work. I am now thinking this may work well attached to a 4×4 as well.
He looks pretty dead!
It must work. lol
I think it works great for what you want to do, and that is what is important.
Years ago when the Russian units appeared, I used the 1/4 20 bolt mount to mount one on a silenced 22, I put a 1 inch plastic pipe in one inch rings and attached the bolt to the pipe, it of course had no aiming reticle, so I used a laser, that I had to drain the battery way down to keep it from being too bright.
It was a neat toy at the time, but I was so far in the woods I could have shot up a parchute flare and killed whatever needed killed with a grenade and the word would not have been any wiser, so I soon tired of it.
I gave it to a Game enforcement officer friend to use to spot for Jack lighters from the top of Fire lookout towers, he said it worked fine for that.
Regards,
Roachcreek
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Thanks kimber20 for the link. They seem well built and will probably get one when I have some hobby money.