Free: Contests & Raffles.
I've lit up beaver and muskrats swimming in the water with one of these kits. I could spot them pretty well. https://www.amazon.com/BESTSCOPE-Portable-Display-Riflescope-Hunting/dp/B08DFPFBQR/ref=sr_1_8?crid=I8ANA0K8ERR8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jtRq5-nmfKZmUhJ1mDu9JvW7EIuzlo9jnhk0mIS6TunpEDQd3FcBgyVLfIzPZKqgKhyzoBND7OovaZ8zg2VpXrLkM9YrjR8hpTNTUGwyDVOpJr5HKmZ5xZnHuJwofzl4F6tc02B-yLmFHfpGDFdAtGaZXy1ANNDmm5Ju_-NtU0B7I7qvx9YA8oyenf3OKm16pgC-VkdfkId-Gp_r7idOw3by7kCoNxE7Khc3C3vTLct3weSBLpxEwLxCZwhE4Kuk-tHmaiZm4H_OZgu8Ix0L-5GHV_Yg5_J-w2fmcr8K-7Y.p3zHK9bhbrvVY4Y8WVnSk1IT5aui44sQiwTBZFmyJlY&dib_tag=se&keywords=night+vision+best+site&qid=1713896846&sprefix=night+vision+best+site%2Caps%2C4379&sr=8-8For a $1000 budget, I'd get one of these kits attached to a 3 or 4x scope.Get an ODEPRO KL52 IR illuminator (About $100 on amazon)Spend the rest of your $1000 budget on the best thermal monocular you can afford. (I'd look at AGM brand)
Just an update. I ordered a ATN Gen 5 night vision unit. After a month of messing with it I sent it on for repairs. They sent a new unit. It was mounted, and has the same issues regarding its ROV (recoil operated video) not working, ballistic calculator, etc.. I'm still messing with it. Over the past two months, I've done some coyote thinning for the neighbor who has goats. Since the shooting is at 250 yards and under, I figured my ATN scope was the ticket; wrong. Out of 8 coyotes I've gone back to using an old Leupold 3x9 VXIII with a flashlight for the last 6. It's so much clearer both day and night than the ATN out to 300 yards that it's just not worth using. So, my advice to others is if you're looking for a night system in ATN, consider thermal over night vision.
The other thing to keep in mind is both Thermal and Night Vision systems don't last forever. No matter how much you pay, it's not going to be a system you're grandkids can mount onto a rifle and use. The electronics that power these systems can't last as long as a regular glass scope. There's no "Pay once, Cry Once" factor in electronic scopes. It's "Pay when needed".