• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Green Light for walk in/set up

fbwguy

fbwguy

Moderator
Staff member
SH Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Messages
3,060
Location
Cato Arkansas
For ever I’ve always had a red headlamp for getting in and out of the woods. This year I bought a green LED lamp and a green penlight. This morning headed into the woods, I was amazed at how the green light reflects off of deer eyeballs. I was able to see their eyes from about 40 yards. Even more amazing was the fact the green light didn’t spook them. At one point I was 25 yards from a deer, and had to wait for it to browse its way outta sight for me to continue in.
This is probably not new to a lot of you, but green illumination is definitely the way to go.
 
I always liked using green. I feel like it allows me to see better and farther out then the red. Plus I have actually walked within yards of of some bedded does without spooking them. Now I don't know if those does were deaf,blind or stupid but I never done that with any other light.
 
I have a headlamp with green, red or white options. The white light is brighter with a high, medium, low. I've used all 3 colors just messing around going in and out and have had them bust me on all 3 and conversely not react to all three.
I prefer white to see better and make less noise because it's not so dim and shadowy to me. I honestly think I've had deer react less to the white on high beam pointed right at them. I guess I have no clue as to how many I may have spooked around me I can't see with the various colors.
 
Jtaylor said:
I have a headlamp with green, red or white options. The white light is brighter with a high, medium, low. I've used all 3 colors just messing around going in and out and have had them bust me on all 3 and conversely not react to all three.
I prefer white to see better and make less noise because it's not so dim and shadowy to me. I honestly think I've had deer react less to the white on high beam pointed right at them. I guess I have no clue as to how many I may have spooked around me I can't see with the various colors.
Click to expand...
Ran into this myself the other day. I tried using a red light and made so much noise I switched to my white light. So now
I use red to get away from where I was slowly. Then white once I’m fair enough way to affect less stuff. Kinda no good option. It’s all give and take
 
I've walked within 15 yards of bedded deer using a white light before and climbed many a tree with deer standing inside 50 yards watching me. I don't nkow if they can't see as well in the dark as we give them credit for or if for some reason they just get super dumb in the dark. I've even had one walk right up to me while leaving a #2. I don't think the light matters and I don't think it affects the deer. Just go slow and you can get away with quite a lot in the dark. Though, I will say, my hunting buddy has an awesome green light and i do get jealous from time to time.
 
I have also walked up to/past deer with a white light, and don't think it spooks them. Similarly when they run out in the road and stand there (deer in headlights, yaknow) I don't think they can see you, and don't know what the light is.

Would also assume that deer can see green light just as well as white, since their vision is more in the blue/green wavelengths, no? Isn't this why people started using red lights in the first place and why hunter orange doesn't spook (or I guess I mean Spock) them?

The only benefit I see to red is it doesn't seem to take your night vision away the same way white/full spectrum light does. Don't really see the need to be able to switch back and forth for deer hunting though.
 
I have a red/green headlamp that also has a centered white light with 3 levels of brightness. It's a Coast brand that I purchased at Menards, if I recall it was about $30. It takes 3 AAA batteries and I use rechargeable batteries to keep it at its' brightest. :cool:
 
I use a green light...the red doesn't illuminate enough to my eye to let me navigate thru quietly vs green or white. 1 negative to the green is if u use orange reflective markers the orange and green seem to cancel each other out and the markers don't reflect back at u.....but if it's thick enough that I opted to put out markers I probably need white light anyway.
 
Been running a green light for 20 years. Streamlight pen style is my go to. The only drawbacks I have found is it does not see red reflective or blood. Red looks jet black in a green light. It is outstanding at seeing blue reflective so all my marks are blue reflective. Much brighter than red light and still keeps night vision. Shows animal eyes at a good distance except for bear. Not sure why but I have had a couple black bears spook at extremely close range and I never knew they were there. A little spooky when a big stump jumps up and crashes through the swamp. Better than having it come at you but still unsettling.
 
michigandrake said:
Been running a green light for 20 years. Streamlight pen style is my go to. The only drawbacks I have found is it does not see red reflective or blood. Red looks jet black in a green light. It is outstanding at seeing blue reflective so all my marks are blue reflective. Much brighter than red light and still keeps night vision. Shows animal eyes at a good distance except for bear. Not sure why but I have had a couple black bears spook at extremely close range and I never knew they were there. A little spooky when a big stump jumps up and crashes through the swamp. Better than having it come at you but still unsettling.
Click to expand...
It's not the green light, bears eyes dont reflect light like a deer or coon.
 
BTaylor said:
Not sure but I have shined a few with headlamps and a few with vehicle headlights and I have never seen ones eyes reflect light like a deer.
Click to expand...
We are just getting reports of bears in our area but I've yet to see one or get one on camera.
 
The reflective film in a deer's eyes is known as a tapetum. I do believe bears' eyes reflect too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top