Motion Detector

Whether plinking or chasing big game, tell us about your day outdoors!
Post Reply
LowKey
Posts: 214
Joined: 18 Feb 2016 23:31
Location: New Rawlins, WY
Has thanked: 212 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Motion Detector

Post by LowKey »

One particularly cold night last winter, while shivering in an open stand waiting for the hogs to arrive, it occurred to me that it would be much warmer sitting in the truck with the heater on. But from the truck, the view of the path used by the hogs would be obscured. Also, the noise from the engine and the sound of the truck door opening could spook the hogs.

The route traveled by the hogs was fairly predictible. However, the timing of their arrival varied by as much as four hours.

So the next night I set up a cheap motion detector sensor on the path 600 feet away, with the receiver on the dashboard inside the warm cab of the truck. The truck was hidden from the path, behind a building.

After about an hour, I was startled by the beeping of the motion detector's receiver. The truck was about 50 yards from the elevated shooting stand. By the time I was set up in the stand, the hogs had wandered to within 125 yards.

Juggling a Q-beam type floodlight and finding a hog in a scope at 125 yards at night was no easy task. Luckily, the floodlight had a red lens, and the red light did not seem to bother the hogs at that distance. After what seemed like an eternity, the red light and the scope's crosshairs centered on the closest hog at the same time. BOOM.

In the still night, the 22 Hornet sounded like a howitzer. One down.

The two other hogs started quartering away. It was hard to find them in the scope as the distance lessened the effect of the flood light. Finally, they stopped about 140 yards away. BOOM.

Neither hog gave any indication that it was aware they were targeted. Only three shots left in the magazine.
image.jpeg
The hogs were now just dark blobs. My friend had warned me to be careful not to shoot a cow at night by mistake. He said that's why he brings a shovel when he hunts, just in case. (I'm not sure he's kidding).

Both hogs resumed feeding. Using one hand to hold the red flood light on the hogs 140 yards away, while using the other hand to manuever the crosshairs onto a hog, took a few moments. It could only work because the forend of the rifle was on a stable rest. Both bullet caliber and lighting limitations dictated that a shot over 150 yards was neither possible nor a good idea. It was now or never. BOOM.

One hog moved away at a fast pace. The second slowly moved back closer. It was strange that they moved in different directions. After about twenty yards, the second hog went down for good. The third hog made it safely back into the treeline.

After hog hunting at night (legally), hunting during daylight hours feels like cheating.

Here's a link to the type of motion detector I used.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by LowKey on 28 Nov 2016 22:57, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9398
Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1837 times
Been thanked: 2281 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by Ranch Dog »

Great idea and a great hunting story.

Funny, but I've run into hunters from different parts of the country that think hunting hogs at night is awfull or wrong. All I can say is "I guess you have never been hog hunting."
Michael
Image
User avatar
akuser47
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 5070
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 11:43
Location: ohio
Has thanked: 1266 times
Been thanked: 482 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by akuser47 »

Great work on telling about your hunt,and removing those pests. +guns
Image
Live Free,Ride Free, Or Die Fighting, For The Right, To do So!
rondog
250 Shots
250 Shots
Posts: 452
Joined: 19 Oct 2015 01:32
Location: Colorado
Has thanked: 181 times
Been thanked: 142 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by rondog »

Great story, congrats! Wish I knew a place to hunt them here in CO.....
User avatar
TinMan
250 Shots
250 Shots
Posts: 351
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 20:42
Location: Johnson County, Texas
Has thanked: 210 times
Been thanked: 83 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by TinMan »

Ranch Dog wrote:Great idea and a great hunting story.

Funny, but I've run into hunters from different parts of the country that think hunting hogs at night is awfull or wrong. All I can say is "I guess you have never been hog hunting."
Nor have they seen the damage done by these critters....... :!:
"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."
George Orwell

"Fight only when you must. But if it's unavoidable.....fight like your the third monkey trying to get on the Ark."
User avatar
TinMan
250 Shots
250 Shots
Posts: 351
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 20:42
Location: Johnson County, Texas
Has thanked: 210 times
Been thanked: 83 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by TinMan »

Good story and thanks for that Amazon link. A couple of those might find a home with me. :idea:
"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."
George Orwell

"Fight only when you must. But if it's unavoidable.....fight like your the third monkey trying to get on the Ark."
LowKey
Posts: 214
Joined: 18 Feb 2016 23:31
Location: New Rawlins, WY
Has thanked: 212 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by LowKey »

Tested the range of the motion detector.

In the afternoon, the receiver was strapped to a tree at eye level
on the point of a tree line 525 yards from the receiver.
I had seen a hog on this point at 1030 pm the night before.

The receiver was placed in an elevated stand with a clear line of sight to the sensor.
At 1015 pm, the receiver beeped.

It took 15 minutes to walk to the tree line.
When I got close, the hog was 75 yards away.

He saw me as I raised my rifle.
The hog scooted back into the tree line before the stock even hit my shoulder.

I think I heard him laughing.
User avatar
Moon Tree
500 Shots
500 Shots
Posts: 703
Joined: 02 Mar 2014 01:33
Location: United States
Has thanked: 31 times
Been thanked: 275 times

Re: Motion Detector

Post by Moon Tree »

Good story. I love hearing about hunting technique from other states.
Life isn't about the toys you accumulate, but about the memories your create with those toys and friends.
Post Reply