The Best 3 Animals To Hunt For At Night

There are many animals out there that only come out at night, or are at least most active during the nighttime hours. As a hunter, getting out at night is a great way to keep the fun and action going. Especially when one season closes and another is starting up.

To get the most out of the outdoors, it pays to have some prey available when you have the time or have not much else going on. Night hunting is a challenge also so if you are looking to change things up a bit, then heading out for a nighttime hunt is a good way to keep your skills sharp.

Knowing what animals are good to target at night will help you decide where to go and when. It’s important to check your local hunting regulations, however, as night hunting is not always allowed. Where it is, make sure to take a lot of safety precautions like putting an LED light bar on your truck so you can see clearly. And make sure to practice safe shooting as it is difficult to make out prey.

1 – Rabbits

Rabbits are funny in that they can be out during the day or night. Though tracking them during the day and after a light snow is easiest, they can be found at night as well. Since the season generally starts up shortly after deer hunting season finishes up, it is a great way to extend the time spent outdoors on the hunt.

Spotlighting is a very effective and fun way to find your prey. The eyes of the rabbits will reflect red making them easy to spot even without having to flush them out. You’ll need to be very stealthy as they rarely venture far from their burrow so when they scatter they can disappear quickly.

2 – Raccoons

Everybody knows that these rascals come out exclusively at night to feed. Many of us have had our garbage cans knocked over in the middle of the night thanks to one of these opportunists who look for food anywhere they can.

You can find raccoons away from urban areas that are closer to their natural state than their city counterparts. Which makes them an excellent choice for night time hunting as their meat is delicious.

You can find them near small rivers and streams where they can hunt small fish as they are not on a junk food diet like the ones in the suburbs. Make sure to have good waders as you will likely be walking through some swampy areas or those aforementioned streams.

Having a good coon squaller is essential as it will pique their interest long enough to keep them still for the shot. Otherwise, they will hear or smell you coming and quickly run for cover.

3 – Coyote

Coyotes are being a nuisance in many suburban areas so local authorities are opening up hunting season to manage their numbers. They come out at night, so if you are looking for a fun hunt that also helps manage the wildlife in your area then coyote hunting is a great activity.