Hunting Coyotes at night

[Doug Herold]

My friend has a really old (technology), I think ~3 years, FLIR thermal. I think it is called a 32 something with a 25mm lens and I think it predates the PTS series thermals one generation. Anyway, native FOV is a bit narrow and magnification is too low. The image is really pixelated too even without zoom but, FOV is pretty wide.

What I find is at ~150 yards, it is very hard to tell a fawn from a newborn calf. Fawns that are bedded down in grass look a lot like large piglets. Trying to ID a target by movement is VERY UNRELIABLE! Light pollution where I live is really bad so, I'm hesitant to try tradition night vision. Plus, I have tried some PVS-7B's with that thermal and, to be honest was not terribly impressed but, wearing glasses I'm probably not the best judge of night vision goggles either.

I have a treeline at ~200 yards on much of my property and my friend about a mile away has up to 400 yards. I'm thinking 4x magnification would be a better match for me so I have a better target id without needing to artificially 'zoom' the image. I also wear glasses so tight eye relief is not compatible with my physical constraints.

Is the Super Hogster too narrow a FOV for cow chasing dogs or feral hogs at 200 yards? How about 400 yards?

How about a Pulsar competitive unit? How do they compare in terms of price for magnification and FOV?

I want to "cry once, pay once" without regrets like my friend with his older FLIR unit. However, $5K and up is not realistic.

For a light to reasonable weight rifle, what is recommended? My LWRC Six8 is a bit piggish but, whacks feral hogs well. 5.56/.223 is too light. I have had as many as 17 feral hogs in my FOV at one time on my property so, a semi-auto is a requiement but, recoil needs to be reasonable so I get back on target quickly and hopefully I don't loose them in my FOV during recoil. I do shoot suppressed so, recoil and muzzle blast are already reduced a good deal. I also want to avoid calibers that are over $1 per round for normal hog plinking.

TIA,
Sid

If interested, for $776 I am selling the following:

 

[Sid Post]

Thanks but, I need something better than an IR assisted night vision solution. I've used Gen 2 tubed ex-mil Night Vision scopes and they are a step in the right direction but, a 'real' thermal is a different beast and much better IMHO. Granted that one doesn't look as heavy or bulky as a PVS-4 but, for that sort of weight a thermal is simply better on my property, and light pollution isn't an issue.

 

[DSheetz]

I like to kill my things during the day .I even kill time better during the day and don't have any worries of killing things I don't intend to . But that's just me each to their own .

 

[Sid Post]

I like to kill my things during the day .I even kill time better during the day and don't have any worries of killing things I don't intend to . But that's just me each to their own .

For me, feral hogs are rarely out during the day. They are smart and too many people randomly take 'pot shots' at them so, they are trained to avoid people pretty well.

I just had to till my front pasture with a 45HP tractor and 6' rototiller because I was damaging a lightly lifted 4x4 Dodge pickup driving there! Add horses that the previous owner had to put down due to broken legs on the back pasture and I think it is easy to see why feral hog control is important.

Traps worked for a while but, they are wise to them now so, that's not an option either.

For me, it's not just plinking for fun, and yes I'd rather sleep all night and do better target id during the day with bright optics on my rifle!

 

[DSheetz]

I know control work as I did predator control for more then 36 years and you have to do it when it's the best time for you to get it done . I also have had way too many people taking wild pot shots at the coyote ect. and made them spooky . Most people think they are helping you when what they are really doing is making your job harder . We don't have a pig problem here thankfully the only time I had to deal with them was when a woman who was challenged turned her two pot bellied pigs out to run after she couldn't afford to feed them or herself . The Peruvian ranch hands ate well for awhile . Best of luck figuring out what will work for you and your situation .