Some more tips for practising that moonlit shot

In three more nights the new moon will be bright enough to illuminate a target early in the evening with each night getting brighter as the moon nears the full stage on June 26Th.

A couple more tips that I have thought of in addition to the previous entry to practice looking through the scope in the moonlight , is firstly to make sure the backdrop of the target ( e.g. a 40lbs hay bale ) is lighter than the target. This will easily outline the target.Bushpigs normally appear black in the moonlight,so the backdrops of most bait sites are lighter than the pigs.

The second most important tip here is to make sure that there are no shadows on the target such as from tree branches or other structures.Trying to see something in moon shadow will be difficult for most people.

Obviously the less cloud cover there is the better to see something in the moonlight too.

The distance is always important too, anything further than 100 yards starts getting difficult for anyone when looking through the scope in the moonlight.

Lastly....keep eating those carrots!!!

Preparing yourself for that moonlit shot..

Shooting a bushpig in the moonlight may not be longest shot you'll ever make but it may the most extreme shot you'll ever take in terms of quality of light.In other words it's like the saying goes..."almost a shot in the dark!"The emphasis here is on the word ALMOST, so here is a simple exercise that may help prepare you for this shot of a lifetime.

I'd suggest before embarking on the long trip over here, to practice looking through a very good light gathering scope (such as a Zeiss or Swarovski with at least a 50mm objective) at an object roughly the size of a bushpig during a moonlight night. A 50 lbs hay bale at plus minus 75 yards should do the trick.
If you can see the hay bale in the moonlight through the scope you should be able to see the bushpig at bait when the hunt is on.
I understand that the skies aren't always as clear in the Northern Hemisphere countries as we are lucky to have here in Africa, but when it's full moon there should be ample light filtering through for this exercise.
Don't worry about the cross hair, the scopes we have here have very faintly illuminated reticules to show where to hold. All you need to do is to identify and practice looking into the darkness.

Hunters should also read and research the bushpig before arriving as this will certainly help them understand this elusive and wary quarry they are targeting.

The sense of achievement and the look of pure elation I've seen on many bushpig hunters faces after making this incredible shot certainly goes a long way in me encouraging prospective bushpig hunters to succeed too.

Happy Hunting!