Own the darkness

As it is not always possible to complete pest-control tasks during daylight, Ed Cook sheds some light on his work when the sun goes down and the equipment he favours Further information

Night vision is nothing new but it has increased in popularity in recent years. As a child, my father had a set of night-vision binoculars and ever since I’ve enjoyed being out at night and using such equipment. There are obvious benefits – and it is certainly more discreet than flashing lamps across the countryside. There is a sense of ‘owning the night’, with little disturbance to your surroundings and wildlife, and no-one knowing what you are doing. It is nice to way to go about your business.

Effective

Some say using night vision to shoot after dark is unsporting. My initial response to this is: “So what?” I’m not in this for sport, I’m using it to get results – and as quickly as possible.

However, I am also well aware that night vision isn’t a magic cure to all pest-control issues, as some might think. Sure, it helps, but it isn’t a replacement for fieldcraft. That said, I do use it a lot – three nights a week on average in all sorts of locations up and down the country and in conjunction with other methods of control.

It is my job to deliver and night vision allows me to take shortcuts and, in certain locations, reduce the hours of daylight required at a particular job. It is efficient use of time and, for that reason, I rate these systems. I tend to use thermal to spot for rabbit-shaped objects and a night-vision scope fitted to a rifle to shoot it. I find this combination to be effective and safe.

I have used the Archer add-on for my Leupold scope for many years but recently I’ve looked at other optics. My brother, Nath, an avid fox shooter, recently bought the Drone Pro x15 (now called the Black ENV 10 and sold by Optical Solutions). This scope is one of the clearest I’ve used, and to a considerable distance. The downside is that the mounts it comes with are not the best, which can mean one loses zero. Thankfully, we tracked down Kevin Gundry, who custommakes mounts that can resolve the issue.

Nath is now zapping foxes and other creatures from more than 200 yards. And I know Kevin is also shooting consistently at greater distances aided by his hi-tech vehicle system. With a high-powered NV camera fitted to his truck roof, which is linked to a remote control and screen, he can spot wildlife from the comfort and warmth of his truck – a pretty good set-up.

Investment

Another scope I like is the add-on Pard NV007, a good piece of kit for £400 that would suit most rimfires, though is rated to take abuse from a .308 rifle. Poor-quality night vision is unreliable, hard to identify species and can be dangerous. A good set-up is a useful investment and will certainly help control pests with a ‘hear no evil, so no evil’ type approach.