It’s no secret that wild hog populations are out of control, and at the same time, coyote hunting is more popular than ever, as the persistent predators continue to spread. What these two species have in common is that they’re most effectively hunted at night (where legal, which is almost everywhere these days). But night hunting comes with a whole new set of challenges and gear, and it poses the obvious question: How exactly are we supposed to see our targets in the dark?

There’s the old-school way of using red or green lights, particularly for predators, and hoping they don’t spook. But these days, night-vision and thermal imaging are what’s hot, helping hunters “stop looking, start seeing” in the dark and hunt more effectively and efficiently than ever before. Thermal, in particular, is booming in popularity, as technology advances and prices fall out of the stratosphere into more reasonable ranges. What’s so great about thermal?

Well, because thermal “reads heat,” it’s equally effective during the day as it is at night, so you can use the same rig 24/7 if you want to. It relies on differences in heat signatures to provide images of your quarry, which means it’ll let you see through fog, haze, and even light brush — and, of course, in total darkness. If you’re serious about night hunting, it’s time to consider a thermal scope, and Armasight’s Contractor series is an excellent option to check out.

Using Armasight’s ArmaCORE 12-micron sensor, the Contractor has excellent detection capabilities and rich, detailed pictures thanks to increased resolution and pixel size reduction. Onboard image processing is fast and top-quality, and you can view your image in multiple color palettes according to your preference.

The Contractor is built for hunting, with a rugged, durable, alloy metal housing that’s lighter and more compact than most of its competitors, and it’s designed to run from -40 to +122 degrees F. It’s rated for up to a .50 cal., not that you’re hunting hogs with one of those, and it’s mil-std compliant for reliable use in just about any condition you’d want to be out in. Armasight has decreased the power consumption so that you can run the Contractor up to four hours on two easily swapped CR123 batteries — no need to quit hunting and plug the scope up to recharge. This represents a 50% longer run time on low power consumption when compared to similar units on the market, and because you can simply swap batteries and keep hunting, there’s virtually no time limit on how long you can run the Contractor. Plus, if you don’t want to use batteries, you can use an external power bank and stay out all day and all night if the hunting is hot!

Though it’s built for hunting, this is no traditional scope—it’s got the latest in technology, including GPS, wireless communication and internal memory. You can even film your hunts and take photos directly through the scope. Forget to hit the record button? No problem — shot-activated video has got you covered. You can even stream video via Wi-Fi or USB.

Speaking of non-traditional scopes, the Contractor thermal weapon sight is so loaded with features that you’ll be able to leave a couple of extra gear pieces at home. It’s got a built-in digital compass, levelometer, integrated stadiametric rangefinder and inclinometer that help calculate distance, direction and angles for the shot. Leave your rangefinder at home!

The Contractor comes in five variants: 320 3-12x25, 320 6-24x50, 640 2.3-9.2x35, 640 3-12x50 and 640 4.8-19.2x75 based on the sensor, magnification and field of view that works best for you. Prices start as low as $3,299, and the detection range on human-sized targets starts at 932 meters and goes as far as 2,797 meters depending on the model chosen.

While it’s true that quality thermal isn’t cheap, do you really want to invest your hunting funds into “cheap” gear anyway? The Contractor line offers an excellent value in thermal imaging without the sky-high prices of units that offer much more features than an average hunter will ever use. Plus, the warranty and customer service are top notch.

Think about how the ability to “see” in the dark or through fog would change your hunting. How much easier would it be to find coyotes hiding in the brush, day or night? How much faster would it be to engage multiple targets out of a sounder of hogs in the dead of night? Thermal weapon sights like Armasight’s Contractor let you do that and more. What are you waiting for?