Now I have shot at a lot of eyes, and there was a criteria that was determined on several factors such as where and how they act, being the primary two. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck and on the water, at some point it’s a duck.
I remember my first triple on new property, first one came in 165 yards I thought coyote, dropped it, 5 minutes later another came in 5 yards behind the first, dropped it, 5 minutes later another comes in within 3 yards of the first, dropped it, and I thought , man I hope I’m not shooting this guy’s goats or deer? And called the stand quits just in case Lucky for me it was 3 coyotes. But may have been able to shoot 5 off it had I not stopped
Now hunting with thermal that I do a lot of now is very similar to a light as you don’t have the definition and clarity at times that you do with gen 3 and requires that you read the animals movement and mannerism’s to determine the species. Deer don’t respond to a call like coyotes, nor do family dogs and if you have 10” between the eyes you can bet it’s a cow and not a coyote, but watch out for those calfs .
I would not recommend a person new to night hunting shoot at eyes unless they are 100% positive, and that comes from experience of watching coyotes under a light or some other source of ID. Better to lose the shot than your privileges.
Even with the thermal when I spot a coyote if there is the chance I always have it confirmed with the gen3. Had a doe pop her head over a brush line that I was about 1lb from doing her when my brother said dee!, had a bull in a pond we thought was a hog wallering and about dropped the hammer on him till it turned its head and my brother saw the tag in the ear. Had a coyote the other night my brother questioned cause it looked like it had a collar in the thermal, I had been watching its movement and said coyote, the collar turned out to be the only fur on it.
Be safe not sorry