Did Thermal Scopes Ruin Coyote Hunting?

By Chad Annon

Over the last few years I’ve heard the same thing more than once.

“Coyote hunting got harder because everyone has thermals now.”

Sometimes the comment is aimed directly at me because I started selling thermal scopes in 2022.

I understand where the frustration comes from. Predator hunting has definitely changed over the last few years. Coyotes in a lot of areas are seeing more pressure, and some of the easy stands we used to have aren't as easy anymore.

But there’s also a reality that needs to be said.

Thermal hunting was coming whether I sold a single scope or not.

The technology was already exploding in popularity. Performance was improving, prices were coming down, and hunters were going to buy them somewhere. If it wasn’t from me, it would have been from another dealer, an online store, or a used unit from a buddy.

Thermals didn’t create predator hunting pressure.

What really changed predator hunting was how visible it became.

For a long time predator hunting was kind of a small circle. Most of what you learned came from a hunting partner, a family member, or years of trial and error.

Today you can open your phone and watch hundreds of night hunting videos in about ten minutes.

Social media made predator hunting look easy.

A thermal video pops up, a coyote comes running, shots fired, high fives, and the clip ends.

What you don’t see are the dry stands, missed shots, and the long drive home at 2 a.m. wondering what went wrong.

And social media didn’t just show people predator hunting — it made a lot more people want to try it.

More hunters means more pressure.

More pressure means smarter coyotes.

That’s just the natural cycle of predator hunting.

The truth is predator hunting has always evolved.

Years ago it was red lights.

Then green lights.

Then night vision.

Now thermals.

Every time something new comes along, people say it’s changing the sport.

And it does.

But change doesn’t mean the end of good hunting.

Coyotes adapt, and good hunters adapt with them.

The teams that consistently do well in tournaments, and the hunters who keep putting dogs on the ground night after night, aren’t the ones complaining about the changes. They’re the ones adjusting their tactics, finding new ground, and learning how pressured coyotes behave.

Technology didn’t ruin coyote hunting.

It just changed it.

The hunters who keep adapting will keep finding success.

The ones who don’t will usually blame something else.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're interested in learning more about thermal scopes and predator hunting gear, check out Alpha Outside’s selection of thermal optics.