Harrisburg – For more than three years, Sheri Baity pushed the state legislature to remove the prohibition on the use of infrared, thermal and night vision optics for hunting.
On July 1, Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law legislation that eliminated the ban, and Baity is happy to see the long wait come to an end.
“There are thousands of predator hunters wanting to see this happen,” said Baity, who resides in Tioga County and is an avid coyote hunter. “This will be an effective tool as we seek to control coyote numbers in the state.”
House Bill 1188, which was introduced by state Rep. Parke Wentling, R-Conneaut Lake, simply removes the restriction on infrared, thermal and night vision optics, and it’s up to the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide when, and how, it will be implemented. Agency spokesman Travis Lau said it will be up to the Board of Commissioners to determine which species and seasons to use such optics, and it might not be implemented until the 2021-2022 license year. The bill could be discussed at the next board meeting on July 24-25.
While the bill doesn’t specifically outline which species could be hunted with night vision optics, Baity said the intent is geared toward predator hunting – coyotes and foxes – and not game species such as deer. The use of such optics, she said, won’t necessarily make hunters more proficient at bagging coyotes at night, but it will make things safer.
“It doesn’t make you a better shooter or caller, but it helps to clearly identify your target and make the background very clear, which is an important safety aspect,” Baity said. “That’s what I love about it.”
She likened the sight picture of an infrared scope to the appearance of a black-and-white television show in a dark room.
“It’s bright and clear. It does help,” Baity said.
Other states currently allow the use of infrared and thermal scopes and Baity, who has been predator hunting for 29 years, said she has used the equipment while pursuing coyotes in western states. It can be frustrating, she said, to return to Pennsylvania where coyote numbers are increasing and not be able to hunt them efficiently without the specialized optics.
On her family’s farm alone, Baity said she once harvested 17 coyotes in a single month – 16 of them were females.
“There have been times when I didn’t pull the trigger because I just couldn’t identify the target 100 percent. There’s so much more to it than just seeing eyes,” she said. “You need to see the entire animal, and what’s behind it, in order to do this safely.”
Baity believes the use of the optics will attract more people to coyote hunting, but she cautioned that it will not result in a severe reduction of the population.
Management of coyotes, and not eradication, is the key, she added.
“A female coyote can double her litter size in an area hit hard by hunting pressure. This isn’t going to wipe out the coyote population, and I don’t want that,” Baity said. “But you need to be able to balance that, and these scopes will help to do that more efficiently and safely.”
- This story originally appeared in PA Outdoor News
