Light color

[foxtrot]

Red or Green?I know this has been talked about before and most recommend red but I have talked to guys that are fairly successful with green.Red is the old standby that almost everyone goes with ,but do you think after a month or so of looking at red the survivers get a little shy of red?Just thinking outside the box.

[bigben]

White

[foxtrot]

Bigben,I assume you had success with white?Never thought to try that.

[bigben]

Yep. I use red only when the other person i am hunting with only has a red light

[Buckwheat]

I like red, but have hunted with white for a lot of years. Red seams to let people get away with a lot more on spooking critters and it helps keep a hunters night vision. A lot of hunters blame a lot of stuff that goes wrong on the light for spooking predators but it is usualy some thing else. I do know for me going from red on a stand to white light they do not stick around long. Like Bigben said, stick to the same color light on a stand. But I would stick with red light, those red eyes show up a lot better with red light and a lot farther for me then white. That has helped me get ready for the shot a lot earler. White light, I just have a harder time picking up the critter eyes as early on a stand. But maybe I just have old eyes and can not see as good. But I do not think so.  :-)
Green light I have not messed with so I will not say much othere then green does not reflect there eyes good for me.
But your idea might have some merit to it. But how would you ever know they would not have come into red.

[bigben]

Different strokes for different folks. I havent had an issue yet picking up a set of eyes. Even fox or coon in brush stick out better imo compared to the red light. Thats just me but we (me and jason) havent had any complaints other then from fox dyin. Its easier to see the crosshairs and we can positively id our animals 100%, and id them quicker no more calling to that deer that is out there. If its within 300 yds i can id easily and quickly. I cant do that with a red led.

[Buckwheat]

Bigben
I wish I could pick eyes with white light as good as you are having luck. Maybe it is just me and my eyes. I have racoons that come to my feeder every night and I just went out and tried it on them with my contacks in and red still wins hands down. I wonder if each persons sees different colors better. I have trouble seeing the raccons eyes reflect at all with a green light for me.

[coyotenightmare]

I have always used an amber\yellow light. Works great for me and I prefer that over red. Each to his own. Use what you like the best. I do have a 250 kill light with a red bulb that I have used with no complaints but my scanning light is yellow.

[Papa1]

Foxtrot:  How is that for everybody beating around the bush.  Buckwheat sez;  I haven't messed w/ green but it doesn't work for him.  I listened to the pack and got red.  wish I would have tried green.  Dick

[Buckwheat]

Papa1
I try to be open minded to other people opions on lights. So maybe other people see green light reflect eyes better for them.
The reason I never mess around with green light is I could not see there eyes reflect at all for me. I walked up to raccoon at my feeder and can not see there eyes reflect at all. But there are people that like green so I try not to figure out if they can see green better then me. I can say though I have never had any trouble seeing eyes reflect with red lights. There are people that might be a better hunter with a green light and use it alot so let them talk it up. So when I say i have not messed with green much that is why.
I think green light stinks!! for me, do you feel better now that I am not beating around the bush? But now some one is pissed at me for stating that. I like red and can get by with white. What color light do you use?

[RyanX]

I use a combination of both red and green lights. I use a red kill light 100 to scan with and it works great, but I use by green 250 kill light as my shooting light. I haven't had a problem with my two different colored lights. The reason why I use the green as my shooting light is because I feel like it gives me more light to shoot with.

[Lookn4Fur]

I happen to have all three colors in various styles of lights.  Like Ernie, I prefer Red however it may be the toughest color for us to see because it is on the edge of the light spectrum that we can see.  I don't think the color really matters at all as I explain below.  We hunters seem to be the only one bothered by colors.

I have seen Ben hunt with white and he did just fine.  I personally only ever hunted with white maybe two times and had no luck with call ins so I can not speak on the effect on the predator.  White is the easiest for us to see and offers the best clarity.

I have hunted with green several times.  I have shot fox with it and I have spooked fox but like Ernie said I'm not sure it was the light that spooked the fox.  Clarity is slightly better with green than red.

A good test would be to hunt with all three lights and call equal amounts of fox with each light and log the details for each then post the findings.  I don't mind experimenting when I am by myself however, I almost always have somebody with me.  I don't like taking chances and messing up other peoples hunting.

I read an article in predator extreme a couple years back about what coyotes see.  It was a two part article and was very interesting.  Basically it said that coyotes lack the green cone in their eyes.  The green cone partially overlaps the red cone which allows them to see red.  Because there is no green cone, the coyote can not see red.  Think of it like this.  Take a layer of red cellophane and place another layer on top.  You can not tell the difference between the two layers.  Place a layer of green partially underneath the red and you can see the difference.

Experts claim feline and canine can not see color however see the light as different intensitys from white to black.  The darker colors they see toward the black spectrum and the lighter toward the white spectrum.  If this is true then I don't think it matters what color light you use but rather the intensity of that light. 

Now that I have everyone confused, What light color are you going to use this year.  May be time for an experiment!!

[Buckwheat]

LookN4fur
You know it all is interesting reading but in the field things just do not add up.
I have critter called in with up to 3 nigt force lights on animals all night long and had some up to 10 feet away and no animals spooked from to much light. Coyotes, bobcat, gray fox, raccoons and red fox. Think about how much light there is with 3 night force on one critter!!

I would like to know how far you can see eyes refflect back to people with green. Like I said, I see no reflection with the green led lights. Just wonder if it is just my eyes that can not see green reflect eyes good.

[foxtrot]

Well I guess the only way to find out is to try it for yourself.Red,Green and amber are the three colors that are the least offensive to the predator and also white.I don't think you can get an amber led light unless you use a filter.Other than red ,green would my choice as an alternative.

[Buckwheat]

Foxtrot
Yep,  sounds like you will have to try them your self.  Let us know how you make out.