I would never never ever hunt with night vision. The very idea rgaper!

But if I happened to be attacked by said animal at night while out tending my crops, and happened to be outfitted with NVGs and a Laser for my rifle........ then oh well.

Yeah, yote hunting at night would be awesome. I just picked up my stamp and 22 can. I would love to go out back and pop a few yotes.

Shouldn't be against the law, though.

Definitely shouldn't be against the law, but I can understand why it is. I farm, and we have a big farm in Dyer County that's 1200+ acres with over a dozen goose pits and duck blinds on it. The farm beside ours was bought by a guy worth over $400 million. He doesn't work, because obviously he doesn't have to, but he flies all over the world hunting and that what he bought that farm for. He started paying a guy quite a bit of money to fix everything up for duck season, and the guy is a snake. He bought some nvgs and started taking all of the deer out. Killing dozens and dozens. The guy is a pos and there are lots more like him. One bad apple spoils the bunch, but I wish it were legal to hunt coyotes with nvgs. I would feel better about it whenever I do it.

Keep in mind that for several years, it was illegal to hunt deer with a rifle chambered in .223Rem, but legal to hunt deer with a handgun chambered in .25acp.  I don't recall there being anything in the state constitution requiring our hunting regs to make complete sense, or for the people making them to have a clue about hunting or guns.

If I had to guess, they probably don't like the idea of people hunting with a shorter limit on the range of their vision, while their guns have the same range as in daylight.  Or they may not have thought it through that far, and just think that only poachers would have any use for night vision (similar to "only criminals would have a use for a pocket pistol" or "only a hit man would have a use for a silencer").

"illegal"

its okay...they will be legal soon
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ooops wrong thread

I wonder how thermals fit into the law? I'd much rather hunt with that than NV.

I'm pretty sure hunting in general is illegal at night, regardless of the method you use to see.

"Any electronic light amplifying night vision scope or device while in possession of a firearm or archery tackle between sunset and sunrise."
Thermals are not light amplifying.

"All big game and small game species (except bullfrogs, raccoons, opossums, migratory birds, and the chasing of foxes and rabbits) daylight hours only (30 minutes before official sunrise and until 30 minutes after official sunset) except turkey open only until official sunset."
Pretty much everything is off limits after dark. As I recall we have a flaming homo tree huger in charge of the TWRA so killin' pigs or coyotes after dark...legally.

I forgot the only good thing I guess...


"The use of suppressors/silencers is legal for persons possessing the required federal license from the United States Department of Treasury. Hunters using these devices must have proof of such license on their person."

No, but it is very restricted.

http://www.tn.gov/twra/huntweapons.html

Suppressors are allowed, but you are required to have the NFA paperwork on you.

Electronic light amplification devices are not allowed.

Centerfire rifles and centerfire handguns are not allowed at night.

Night hunting is limited to frogs, raccoons, and possum.


ETA:  Once again, I prove that I type slow.

They are not light amplifying, but the TWRA agent may disagree.

The TWRA has apparently started using thermal imaging to count deer population, so I wouldn't be surprised if it occurs to them to add "thermal imagers" to the list of prohibited hunting gear.


ETA:  Back when coyotes first started showing up in middle Tennessee, I called the TWRA and asked about hunting coyotes at night.  The person I talked to said that I needed to talk to the agent responsible for my area, and that the agent may be willing to give me a nuisance permit, but that I would have to talk to the agent about whether or not night hunting would be allowed.

But that was quite a few years ago.

I have worked at an airport or two where airport employees were given nuisance permits to hunt deer on the airport at night (discourages the deer from hanging around the runways).  I wasn't involved, but the guys who were seem to have been given an "anything goes" permit.

But that was also quite a few years ago.