red light green light

[skookhunter]

 Red lights, green lights, blue lights, white lights?  Sounds like a screwed up game of the classic grade school game red light green light.  So what's the diff? What color should you use? Does it matter?

[uncle buck]

Not many of us use blue lights!  Most times we use RED.
Now when you get into a green and white the moon  phase comes into play. Some use white or yellow lights during full moon situation and over what I call dirty snow when a light is needed.  There are times you can use white but you shoot your beam over the horizon and light up the predator with the bottom of the beam. You could use a white light if the caller illuminates the targeted animal when it's time for the shooter to shoot! This team type hunting with two! Caller who works the white light when it's time for the shooter to shoot!
I recommend until you know what your doing that you use a Red Led shooting light and a red led scanning light to search for eyes!

[skookhunter]

What's the.diff between a.shooting light and scanning light?

[Bowman66]

A shooting light is mounted on your gun ie to your scope and gets turned on when your going to shoot. A scan light is used to scan the area your hunting, in a side to side motion.

[Misterjake23]

     I read somewhere (Don't ask me where.....) that a canine - Fox, coyote, dog, etc. doesn't have a certain cone in their eye that can detect red and green.  For lack of better words, they are sorta color blind.  That's the theory behind using red and green lights....the canine's can't detect it and therefore they don't scare away.  Personally, I'm not sure I buy into that theory.  They may not detect color, but they can probably detect the brightness the light is putting out.  I can close my eyes, but when you shine a light in my face (even with my eyes closed) , I know there is a light shining on my face.

     As Bowman66  (Darin) stated above, a shoot light is mounted on a gun usually and used when closing the deal.  The beam is usually more pinpoint and focused.  A scan light has a wider "halo"  and not as pinpoint and direct.  Think of it this way.... A shoot light is like a spot light, and a scan light is more like a flood light.

[zekedogg]

Canines can't see reds and greens. Here is a spectrum of how they see colors



So as you can see when you shine a red light in their eyes they see a dark shade. In theory when you shine a red light in there eyes they see a dark halo or circle if you will and as long as you're behind that light it acts a camouflage for you, meaning all they see is a black halo and not what is behind it.

[bigben]

Shine a red light into a color blind persons eyes and see what they say they see. Sure aint a black halo. I use white all the time doesnt mater what moon or conditions it is.

[Bees OBrien]

if you have a cat or dog at home try this test.

Take a red light and a white light. First scan into the animal with both. Try the white first and notice their squint when the light hits them. scan with a red and the squint is hard to notice if at all.

Now point white light in the off position and turn on they'll shut their eyes closed completely. With the red light they shut their eyes, but with a slower reaction to it.

This shows one of two things. Red lights bother critters less and also shows that the sudden impact of turning your light on to an animal like in the second test really bugs them.......so keep scanning during your set....

I am going to say one thing here relating to bigben using a white light.......It works and has been proven time and time again BUT the set up scenarios and learning curve is tougher to master than learn to use a red light. mastering a white light opens up some great benefits.......but so do red lights it's more about your technique, scenarios and preferences

[Bees OBrien]

I use red LED lights only because my eyes adjust better to them opposed to white or green or amber or rainbow lol. nothing wrong with lights but my eyesight causes blurs when eyes light up spotlighting

[bigben]

All i can say is a 20 dollar white light hurts the wallet a lot less then buying the next greatest red led every year. I got less then 100 bux in my whole white light setup and kill just as many. As i did with red. Like i said before everyone used to preach that too bright a red light would spook game. Now we need the brightest.  The predator pursuit guys have killed loads of canines and felines with white light forces which are a lot brighter then the leds out today and not an issue. Keep buying them c note priced lights. Your only hurting yourselves.

[Misterjake23]

     Its sorta asking the question, "Whats better....Ford, Chevy or Dodge"  You will get a variety of answers and a variety of reasons as to why.  All 3 will accomplish the same thing usually.

[Bees OBrien]

true jake

[zekedogg]

Ben you'll notice I said in theory because neither you nor I really know what they see. And until they master the English language and tell us, we'll only ever know what scientist tell us and what we observe.

[uncle buck]

Lets look at this a different way!  Not on what the animal sees but the impact of brightness on the hunter and the hunting partners!  Bees hit it on his post about impact on his eyes!
When I would go to sea in the military at night! The bridge area where we would navigate  and plot our course is lit up in red lights! It allowed us to do our job and it also resulted other vessels not seeing us on the bridge of the cutter!  if the Coast Guard and the Navy uses red lights at sea at night for work and stealth then it's a pretty good bet the predator hunter should be using them for stealth and to see better at night!

[scott]

i would like to add, for me i pick up the red eyes of an animal a lot better than with yellow or white.  i have a real hard time with a yellow light.