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"The Hunting Public" and Using Headlamps Going into Woods

N

Nomad Hunter

New Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2015
Messages
36
Location
MO
Not sure if anyone's heard or watched some of the great videos and podcasts "The Hunting Public" (THP) is posting on YouTube.

Great stuff. An interesting mixture of Dan Infalt and Hunting Beast with Midwest Whitetail.

In an October 2017 "Down South Hunting" Podcast (episode 19) - the guys from THP advocated that they used headlamps (any color light) when going in early or coming out of the woods. They're very attentive to being silent when moving but completely confidant that deer do not see headlamps in the dark.

Up until now - I minimized (as much as I could) sound and light going into and out of the woods. But I got to say - climbing up and down with the saddle in the dark is a lot easier when I can see and I'm not worried about alerting deer.

I'm wondering if anyone's got any other opinions?
 
Nomad Hunter said:
Not sure if anyone's heard or watched some of the great videos and podcasts "The Hunting Public" (THP) is posting on YouTube.

Great stuff. An interesting mixture of Dan Infalt and Hunting Beast with Midwest Whitetail.

In an October 2017 "Down South Hunting" Podcast (episode 19) - the guys from THP advocated that they used headlamps (any color light) when going in early or coming out of the woods. They're very attentive to being silent when moving but completely confidant that deer do not see headlamps in the dark.

Up until now - I minimized (as much as I could) sound and light going into and out of the woods. But I got to say - climbing up and down with the saddle in the dark is a lot easier when I can see and I'm not worried about alerting deer.

I'm wondering if anyone's got any other opinions?
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I think people use headlamps going in and out on public land so some idgit doesn’t shoot them by mistake thinking they are a deer. Some folks shoot at sounds.

I think most deer that are close to the path I’m walking know I’m moving in the woods unless there was a recent rain. Squirrels sound like big bucks in the leaves when I’m on the stand. I’m much bigger and sadly louder than a squirrel. Lol. I try to get in early and set up way before shooting light.
 
They see light. I sat one evening watching deer under me after sun down. I didn’t want to spook them so I kept waiting for them to feed through. Finally I got tired of waiting and turned the light on on my phone and they went from calm feeding to an explosive retreat!
They see infrared trail cams too. I use all mine in video mode. When those red lights come on they sometimes bob their head at it. I’m pretty sure they see it. My cameras don’t make any noise that I can hear.
On other occasions while walking in, in the mornings, I’ve walked right up to several deer on public land. Like 15 yards from them with a white led light on the low wide setting. I’ve seen their eyes from far off and they let me get close before easing off. Don’t think I’ve ever heard them blow from it.
I’ve tried walking with a red light but it’s not bright enough when I’m looking at the gps on my phone and then looking up, back and forth. My eyes can’t adjust good enough to see in the dark like that. I’ve had a green led at one time and it was bright enough to use like I stated above but I just stick with my red/white led headlight because that’s what I have now. Walk with my white light on and switch to red when I get to tree. But who knows what is the right thing to do. I’ve seen light scare them and I’ve seen them just curious. But I know they see it.
 
I use a green light or a red light to walk in with. Call me crazy but i would say they react less to light than some guy falling all over the woods. I have 2 extremely bright lights one is red and one is green. I've eased past deer in the woods and they never spooked off I generally try to keep my light down and try not to break stride even when I see deer in the dark. Bigasports told me about a guy that runs to his stands, I tried that on a couple of occasions last year jury is still out on that one.
 
I use a white head light walking in. I feel that is a best practice just for general common sense and safety and I agree that bumbling around in the dark is more likely to spook deer than a careful approach with a light. As I get close to my stand, within 100 yards say, I try not to project the beam around too much. Of course there is the occasional tree you bumble around to find or the dreaded pea soup fog, and you do what you gotta do there.

I climb with it switched on red beam just because I feel like it's less obtrusive. I've walked by deer within 10 yards and not spooked them, but I assume that to be a rarity so I do all I can not to spook them especially close to the stand. I never hunt field edges or food plots and rarely hunt the same stand more than once a season, so as far as deer patterning me that isn't a concern of mine. I like to be settled in 15 or 20 minutes before the gray light starts to set in, sometimes earlier. I'm a morning person anyway and love watching the woods wake up.
 
I always use my headlamp. I have literally walked right up on deer that just stare at me and walk off like they really don't care. I don't think they know what it is so it doesn't alarm them. I haven't seen any negatives using the light. I am also a lot quieter in the mornings with my light on since i'm not stepping on the unseen sticks.
 
I have always tried to limit my use of a light in the woods. I believe they do get skittish from an unnatural source of light
 
flinginairos said:
I always use my headlamp. I have literally walked right up on deer that just stare at me and walk off like they really don't care. I don't think they know what it is so it doesn't alarm them. I haven't seen any negatives using the light. I am also a lot quieter in the mornings with my light on since i'm not stepping on the unseen sticks.
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Absolutely, I completely agree. If they aren't already alarmed and you could be completely silent, you could possibly touch them. I walk up on all kinds of deer constantly during the season and until the hear or smell you, they don' sense any danger. This is just a theory of mine but I believe the whiter color the light is, the less it bothers them.

The following experience is what finally convinced me. During an evening hunt year before last, I had some deer feeding through my area. I was waiting until pitch black to start getting down, when I heard a deer coming in my direction from my North. The wind was perfect, so I let it get as close as possible. When it got within what I thought was 30 yards, I turned my headlamp on and could tell it was a good buck. I figured he would spook off fairly quickly but instead he browsed his way straight underneath me. I had the light on the entire time and once he got straight under me I could tell he was a giant. He was a heavy palmatted 10 point in the high 170s or low 180s. I kept the light on and he finally worked his way to my SE about 40 yards and started making a scrape.

This was on heavily hunted public ground. It was late October and I hunted that deer until February 2nd, when my trail camera finally revealed he had shed one side. He still haunts my dreams! Lol

In summary, I fully believe a good white light will not spook a deer if he isn't already spooked or on alert.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 8
 
I've heard them talk about it in multiple different podcasts, they do clarify that they don't use white light unless it is completely dark. When it is gray light they use green lights. They believe it's the noise that you make while you are walking that alerts the deer, not the lights.
 
I have seen deer bolt and snort from white flash lights. But others have been caught sleeping, you could get up to them within inches.
It all depends on the deer and how skittish they are. Some go ballistic at the snap of a twig or motion, while others are curious.
It comes down to if they feel scared or not.
 
I write the music for this show and I've spent years with the fellas. We definitely don't worry about spooking deer with lights more than we do with sound. Wearing lights especially on public land keeps the sound shooters from shooting at us. I'm excited to tell the boys that they made this forum!!! I'm the only one in the crew that uses the saddle. Mostly because I don't film myself and I love hunting more than filming when it comes to deer.


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I myself cannot stand white light in the early morning. It messes up my eyesight. I prefer a small flashlight pointed down about 5 ft in front of me at the ground. That way I can see the gps and where I am going. On dark moon mornings use the light, if the moon is out then I can go my moonlight , but keep in mind you may go through a spider web or two this way.
 
I used a green light the last two seasons, but had 3 separate instances where a doe came out of her skin when I turned the light on. I’m talking almost flipped inside out.... they definitely see the green, and I will be picking up a red headlamp for this next season. I hope to be hunting all pre-prepped trees for AM sits this next season. Well, if I can get some more time scouting in the woods.


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jryser said:
I write the music for this show and I've spent years with the fellas. We definitely don't worry about spooking deer with lights more than we do with sound. Wearing lights especially on public land keeps the sound shooters from shooting at us. I'm excited to tell the boys that they made this forum!!! I'm the only one in the crew that uses the saddle. Mostly because I don't film myself and I love hunting more than filming when it comes to deer.


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Keep wearing them down, we will get them in a Kestrel yet!!


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IkemanTX said:
I used a green light the last two seasons, but had 3 separate instances where a doe came out of her skin when I turned the light on. I’m talking almost flipped inside out.... they definitely see the green, and I will be picking up a red headlamp for this next season. I hope to be hunting all pre-prepped trees for AM sits this next season. Well, if I can get some more time scouting in the woods.


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I use red and I think it really helps. Trick is getting a high-quality one with the right amount of brightness. Some are so dim they are worthless and others just don't last. Still looking for a good long term one. My last good one finally died 2 seasons ago and i tried 3 different ones last year.

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I use a headlamp. Usually on the white setting walking in and red when climbing. I have got close enough to deer with either to feel that small legs guts generally don’t alarm them. On public land I’m rarely moving during low light but will turn on a headland in low light just to be identified as human. You will occasionally have a deer can me unglued over a light but I have also seen them spook over squirrels or doves landing in a field.
 
I bought a cheap light and reversed the clip by drilling and tapping the other end. Now my flashlight clips on the bill of my hat. I could never find a head lamp that was bright enough. This cheap light is extremely bright I have it in Green and Red lights
High Power One Mode Red LED Flashlight, Powerful 1 Mode 200 Lumen LED Flashlight 150 Yard Range Red Light Flashlight Red Hunting Light Red Light Torch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3SY4LG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_MS3OaduZEjWjn


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jryser said:
I write the music for this show and I've spent years with the fellas. We definitely don't worry about spooking deer with lights more than we do with sound. Wearing lights especially on public land keeps the sound shooters from shooting at us. I'm excited to tell the boys that they made this forum!!! I'm the only one in the crew that uses the saddle. Mostly because I don't film myself and I love hunting more than filming when it comes to deer.


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Click to expand...
Please tell them their show is excellent. Also get them into saddles! They will be far more mobile and less sweaty because of the reduced weight. Good show!
 
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