My classmates Eartha Felix and Augustine Winifred and I are students at the University of South Dakota, and we all love to explore nature, especially at night. Last week, we decided to go to Black Hills National Forest for a night hunt, to experience the thrill and fun of tracking and killing wild animals in the dark. To make our night hunt smoother and safer, we brought WildGuarder night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, these two high-tech devices let us clearly observe the shape and heat of animals in the dark, thereby improving our hit rate and efficiency. In this article, I will share with you in detail our night hunting process, harvest and feelings, as well as the food features of Black Hills National Forest. I hope you enjoy my sharing.
Black Hills National Forest is a forest in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming in the United States, covering more than 1.25 million acres (5,071 square kilometers), managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The forest headquarters is located in Custer City, South Dakota, and there are four district offices in Rapid City and Spearfish, South Dakota, and Sundance and Newcastle, Wyoming.
The name of Black Hills National Forest comes from the Lakota language pahá sápa, meaning “black hills”. From a distance, these pine-covered hills rise several thousand feet above the surrounding plains, presenting a black appearance. The forest is mainly composed of ponderosa pine, but also has some hardwood species such as aspen, oak and birch. The forest has many geological wonders, canyons and valleys, open prairies, babbling streams and deep blue lakes.
Black Hills National Forest is a multi-purpose forest that offers a variety of activities and experiences for visitors. Whether you like hiking, horseback riding, biking, fishing, boating, camping, hunting or wildlife viewing, you can find the right place and way here. The forest has more than 3,600 miles of motorized trails and more than 700 miles of system trails for you to explore. The forest also has two national parks (Wind Cave National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial), one national monument (Crazy Horse Memorial), one national historic landmark (Bear Butte), one national grassland (Buffalo Gap National Grassland) and one national heritage area (Black Hills Central Railroad).
Black Hills National Forest is not only a treasure trove of natural beauty, but also a treasure trove of history and culture. This forest was once the territory and sacred land of many indigenous tribes, including the Ponca, Kiowa Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa and Cheyenne. The smallpox epidemic of 1771-1781 broke the will of the Arikara people who had confined the Sioux people east of the Missouri River. Before 1742, the La Verendrye brothers explored. In 1857, Lieutenant G. K. Warren led an expedition. In 1868, the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie gave the Black Hills to the Sioux people as a permanent reservation. In 1874, General George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills and discovered gold. This triggered a gold rush and led to conflicts between the U.S. government and the Sioux people. In 1876, at the Battle of Little Bighorn River, General Custer and his troops were annihilated by the Sioux people and Cheyenne people. In 1877, the Third Treaty of Fort Laramie deprived the Sioux people of their ownership of the Black Hills and forced them to move to smaller reservations. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. government violated the treaty of 1868 and awarded $106 million to the Sioux people as compensation for confiscating their land in 1877 at its estimated value plus interest. The Sioux people refused to accept the money and insisted on restoring their sovereignty over the Black Hills.
On our night hunting trip, we were fortunate to witness the natural beauty and historical charm of this forest. We were also able to feel the vitality and diversity of this forest, as well as the challenges and dangers that accompany it. To make our night hunt more successful and safer, we chose a professional night vision binoculars – WildGuarder night vision binoculars, which allows us to clearly observe the shape of animals in the dark, thereby improving our hit rate and efficiency. Below, I will introduce you to the functions, advantages and usage of this night vision binoculars.
It uses advanced CMOS sensor and 850nm infrared LED, which can provide high-definition images and videos in completely dark environments. It also has 3x digital zoom, 20x optical zoom, 4.5°-22.5° viewing angle, 3-inch TFT LCD display, 32GB memory card, rechargeable lithium battery and other functions to meet different observation and recording needs.
The usage is very simple, just follow these steps: First, we need to charge it and insert the memory card. Then, we need to turn on the device and adjust the mode and settings. For example, we can choose day mode or night mode, different color modes (black and white or color), different brightness and contrast, etc. Next, we need to adjust the focus and zoom to get the best observation effect. Finally, we need to take pictures and videos and turn on the infrared light. Infrared light is a light that emits infrared light, which can enhance the night vision ability of the night vision binoculars. In completely dark environments, turning on the infrared light can make the night vision binoculars see farther and clearer images.
It can work in any lighting conditions, whether it is day or night, moonlight or starlight, or even smog or rain and snow weather, it will not affect its performance. It has a strong detection ability, which can detect the heat signals of animals within 1000 meters and distinguish different kinds of animals, such as deer, foxes, bears, etc. It has a high picture quality and resolution, which can show the details and features of animals, such as fur color, pattern, horn shape, etc. It has a good durability and waterproofness, which can adapt to various harsh environments and climates, not afraid of falling and getting wet. It has a convenient operation and portability, light weight, small size, simple buttons, comfortable handle, equipped with shoulder strap and bag, easy to carry and use.
After school on Friday afternoon, we drove to Black Hills Forest, which took about two hours. We chose a camping site near the edge of the forest, set up tents and prepared some food and water. We also brought some necessary equipment such as flashlights, compasses, maps, knives, ropes, first aid kits etc. Of course, the most important equipment was our night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars which were our weapons for night hunting.
We started our night hunt in the evening. We divided into two groups each with one person holding night vision binoculars and another person holding infrared binoculars. We walked along the forest path looking for a suitable hunting spot. We used the night vision binoculars to observe the surrounding environment and animal activity tracks using the infrared binoculars to detect animal heat signals and locations. We also used walkie-talkies to keep in touch and exchange information.
We soon found some interesting targets such as deer foxes’ rabbits etc. We devised different hunting strategies according to their species and habits. For example, for deer we would choose a favorable position wait for them to approach water or food sources then shoot them. For small animals like foxes and rabbits we would use infrared binoculars to track their movements and use pistols or bows and arrows to shoot them.
We encountered some challenges and dangers in our night hunt, such as darkness, cold, rain, snow, noise, etc. But with the help of WildGuarder night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, we were able to overcome these difficulties and enjoy the fun of night hunting. We also met some rare animals, such as bears, jaguars, eagles, etc. Although these animals posed a threat to us, they also made us feel the magic and magnificence of nature.
After a few hours of night hunting, we harvested a lot of trophies. We tied them up with ropes and transported them back to the camping site with a handcart. We processed the prey, cooked some of the meat with fire, and enjoyed it with some seasonings and bread. This was one of the most delicious foods we tasted in Black Hills Forest. We soaked another part of the meat in brine and put it in the refrigerator for preservation. This meat can be made into sausages or ham in the future. We also collected the animal skins and bones and planned to make some ornaments or souvenirs with them.
After enjoying the delicious food, we went back to the tent to rest. We used the display screens of the night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars to replay our night hunting videos and shared our feelings and experiences. We also uploaded our night hunting photos and videos to social media and received many compliments and envious comments. We felt very proud and satisfied because we completed an unforgettable night hunting trip.
In addition to the meat, we hunted ourselves, we also tasted other food features of Black Hills Forest, such as:
Bison meat: Bison is the iconic animal of Black Hills Forest. Its meat is tender, low-fat, high-protein, rich in iron and zinc and other nutrients. Bison meat can be made into various dishes, such as burgers, steaks, stew, pies, etc. We ate a bison burger at a restaurant called [Black Hills Burger and Bun Co.] and felt very delicious and satisfying.
Indian cornbread: Indian cornbread is a thin cake made from cornmeal, water and oil, which can be fried, baked or grilled. It is a traditional food of Native Americans and also the state food of South Dakota. Indian cornbread can be paired with various fillings, such as meat, cheese, beans, salad, etc. We ate an Indian cornbread at a restaurant called [Begging Burro Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar] and felt very refreshing and juicy.
Cream pie: Cream pie is a dessert made from cream, sugar and flour, usually with fruit or chocolate fillings. It is a specialty dessert of Black Hills Forest and also one of the signature products of [Wall Drug Store]. We bought a cream pie at [Wall Drug Store] and felt very sweet and soft.
By tasting the food features of Black Hills Forest, we not only satisfied our taste buds but also learned about the culture and history of this place. We felt very lucky and happy because we experienced a perfect combination of wildness and cuisine.
This article is a sharing of our night hunting experience in Black Hills Forest by me and my classmates Eartha Felix and Augustine Winifred. In this night hunt, we used WildGuarder night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, these two high-tech devices that allowed us to clearly observe the shape and heat of animals in the dark, thereby improving our hit rate and efficiency. We also tasted the food features of Black Hills Forest, such as bison meat, Indian cornbread, cream pie, etc. We felt very proud and satisfied because we completed an unforgettable night hunting trip.
We hope that through this article we can bring you some inspiration and fun. Maybe you are also interested in night hunting in Black Hills Forest or have any questions or comments please leave a message for us. Thank you for reading and supporting!
