No joy! awhile back I purchased a light set up to attach to a feeder to hunt hogs. Didn't get it up and running until a couple of weeks back. I wanted to set it up in an open field but the landowner objected, so it has ended up on a feeder I have set up to bowhunt deer.

Last friday afternoon I went to this set up at about 5:30 pm. Saw nothing during the daylight hours. Right after dark a pair of fat, very happy, racoons began to enjoy an expensive corn supper thanks to me. I thought about letting them have it, but didn't want to disturb things.

Suddenly they ran off, like something spooked them. A bit later a large dark object appeared just at the edge of the light. It began to feed on the corn which was thrown outside of the good light. Well, I had picked the rifle I was using for this first time night hunt because it has a red dot sight mounted on it. You know so I could see it in poor light.

Well, guess what, the sight has an auto reostat that reduces the brightness as needed in dim light...too bad it reduces the brightness altogether in the dark. No sight...so I put the manuel switch overide...Only now it was so bright I could hardly make out the pig's outline in the sight.

I was waiting for the pig to move to the center of the light, when it up and moved off. I determined that if it returned I was gonna give it a go even, if it didn't give me the best shot.

10 minutes later it returned to the same exact location as before. I flipped off the safety of my Mod. 95 Steyr tried to find the pig in the sight and fired. I heard the pig running through the brush for a short distance and then nothing.

Went to where the pig was and no blood, followed the trail the pig had run off on and no pig, no blood. Went back to the feeder and looked for the bullet's impact in the dirt where the pig had been standing, nothing. Came back the next morning in good light, with the same results, darn, shucks, and rats.

I went back last night with my .30/40 Krag with a 1-4 Leapould scope. Much better arrangement, but not perfect. Had one grunting behind me at about 8:30 pm. but ran off grunting, and making all kind of ungodly racket as it went. Again no joy!!

I am thinking of replacing my Krag with my Mod 87 Winchester (copy) 12ga. as the range is only about 15 yds or so. I really like this kind of hunting. It's cool, all kinds of interesting night noises, deer, coyotes, etc. If you haven't done it yet, give it a try, but no red dot sights.

As long as there is a light source where the target is, the red dot works well IMHO.

Sorry no luck, but the odds are stacked in your favor!

Look forward to your success, Larry!

I'm sure you're right Marko, I need you to come over with one of your revolver-matics and show me how its done.

The light was orginally too low to the ground, making the beam bright, but narrow. I've raised it some and it's better, but needs to be higher yet. I guess this is a trial and error situation, but there was no excuse for not knowing how the ultra-dot sight worked in dim-light situations. That one is on me.

Again it's fun hunting if you don't mind the abundant cotton mouths in these parts.

i trick i've tried (and it works) is to get some of the reflective stick-on tape and put a couple pieces on the feeder legs.... seems to gather a little light... and lets you know where the legs are.... im also using cheapie walmart driveway solar lights on my feeders, the pigs don't mind dining by light, deer don't care either....

Thanks for the reply, I'll try the reflective tape. How did you employ your walmart lights, I'm thinking I could use a bit more light on the subject.

lm

Larry,

Look at how much fun you're having taking your different guns out as you work through the kinks. Good job!

Matt

Matt, thanks for the encouragement, but I don't consider it a good job until there's bacon in the pan so to speak.

I think my wife thinks I'm crazy, she just caught me in the bathroom, standing in the tub, with the lights turned off with my Winchester Mod. 95. I was just trying to simulate a dim light shooting situation with its peep-sight, but I think she thinks it was a sexual thing. The Mod. 95 is a thing of beauty to be sure, but such jealosy!!! Oh well, hell, what's a man will do with pigs on the brain.

Hope all is well with you Matt, and take care.

Larry, I started this night hunting thing recently and am really enjoying it. I bought a light with a red filter that clips to your scope and it does pretty good out to about 60 yards. I had been hearing some in an cotton field on the other side of a tree line where I had been setting up. I moved over there the next night, got set up and realized that I was right on top of a recently used trail. Too late to move. About 8:00 after listening to two of them for 15 minutes or so a big one comes out almost under my feet and scampers off into the cotton. No shot. Just behind that one, another comes outs and starts eating my corn, BAM, the 30-06 with 150 grain core lokt bullets speaks.
It runs into the cotton, I get down and look, no blood anywhere. I can't believe I missed that pig at point blank range. Go home feeling horrible. Later the next day, I go back and spend about 45 minutes on my hands and knees in the cotton, found her about 100 yards from where I shot. She was hit a little farther back than I intended but she was quartering away pretty sharply. Bullet lodged in offside shoulder with no exit. I felt so much better that I did not miss, the lack of blood threw me off. As soon as I get a deer with my bow, it will be night hunting for hogs for me. I love it.
Jeff

quote:

I think my wife thinks I'm crazy, she just caught me in the bathroom, standing in the tub, with the lights turned off with my Winchester Mod. 95. I was just trying to simulate a dim light shooting situation with its peep-sight, but I think she thinks it was a sexual thing. The Mod. 95 is a thing of beauty to be sure, but such jealosy!!! Oh well, hell, what's a man will do with pigs on the brain.

All is well, thanks. I'm looking out the window watching most of the fall colors blowing horizontally out of sight. Cold rainy day with fresh snow on all the hills. Winter is always on the way it seems in this corner of the world. Nothing like poor Bobby's got going on though.

What a hoot logging some equiptment familiarization time in the tub!! I love it. Keep after those buggers Larry.

Take care.

Matt

larry... the walmart lights are solar powered and just give off a soft glow.... come on at dusk and go off at dawn... theyre not real bright, but enough to see by....

Jeff, thanks for your account of your hunt, I'm glad that you found your animal. They are hard to track if there is no sign.

Matt, I will stay after them, I don't know any better. By the way if it gets too cold up there come down for a few days and chase pigs with me, it will at least probably be warmer here.

Jim, thanks for the info, do you place them on the ground or mount them to the feeder.