Night Hunting?

[blazen70]

It sure is gettin toasty down here in the south west. Anyone try hunting at night? I tried it once a while back, just in my own yard. Attached a small flashlight to my detector. It actually worked pretty good. Just curious to see if anyone else has tried hunting in the dark. 8) - Robert -

 

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[MDnoob]

I have considered night detecting- also cave detecting- but I have done neither yet.

But as with caving, I would reccomend a Petzl Duo or Zoom for night detecting.

Hehehe and if you don't want to draw attention to yourself, use a military flashlight, and use the red lens that comes with it.

 

[MDnoob]

above I am talking about Petzl headlamps- just to make myself clear-

 

[Hardpan]

Night hunting

In the mid eighties, there was a an old mine dump in cental Arizona that my buddy and I wanted badly to hit with our metal detectors. It had been inactive for many years, and the current owner had no immediate plans to restart operations or reprocess the tailings. He would not give us permission to detect on his claim, and worse, there was an old scattergun-toting watchman that was there daily, from sunup to sundown. The lesson here, is that you'd be surprised how much nice, specimen grade gold can be detected and dug up, with nothing but the full of the moon for light, by two young, motivated, madmen. Nuff said, Hardpan

 

[Lasivian]

Night hunting

I've actually done ALOT of night hunting (probably about 80% of all my hunting).

I've got a small flashlight clipped to the handle of my XLT so I can see the ground, and I run the backlight at full power ever since I converted it to run on D cells. I also carry a AA maglite with a bite attachment so I can stick that in my mouth while I use both hands to probe/dig (Rechargable batteries are your friend!) I tried a headlamp but it got hung up in my headphone cables and extra-long hair.

I've been thrown out of lots of places.. schools, parks, etc. but never had the cops called out or anything. I guess it's kinda hard to haul someone off to jail just for not wanting to hang around when it's 110 out, heh

 

[lab rat]

I hunt beaches at night on a regular basis in the summer-- that's when the tides are best and the nosey people are fewest.

Of course, one needs to be on the lookout for the stray vagrant trouble-makin' riff-raff-- my sand scoop doubles as a club! And you want your volume to be at minimum so you can hear what's around you. Once I was accosted by a drunk at 2:00 am. I simply told him that he was drunk and in my face and I didn't appreciate it. I was ready to swing, if need be, but fortunately didn't need to. I had only told him facts straight up-- he couldn't argue, and backed down. Of course I didn't stay long to beg the issue.

I have two headlamps, but never use them or a flashlight. I don't like to call attention to myself, and my God-given eyeballs are naturally equipped to adjust to moon and starlight if I give them a chance. I don't spend time looking at everything I dig up in the field anyway. There is plenty of time for that at home. Just be careful where you stick your fingers, and carry a first aid kit in your car to be on the safe side.

And where you are, watch out for poisonous nocturnal critters like scorpions. But if you stir up the turf enough where you are, they'll leave you alone.

One other thing about hunting at night: I've had some fantastic experiences watching meteor showers, enjoying the stars, watching bioluminescence in the waves, and moonsets and sunrises. Those memories are part of the real treasure. 8)

 

[MDnoob]

Red lenses on any light will make it much much less noticable from far away, and it won't ruin your night vision. By the by, it takes about 45 minutes for your eyes to really get used to the dark.

 

[blazen70]

Love the replies. Definately makes some interesting reading. 8) - Robert -