Best lighting setups for calling at night

sbranden

Member
I have been going out at night the past few years now during fur season, and have done OK with fox, but no so much with coyotes. I lost the red lens off of my little Cyclops spotlight I had purchased from Cabelas, and so may need to pick up something else before November rolls in.

What is everyone using to light up the night? Are red lenses better, or should I go green? Do most prefer something actually mounted to their gun, or just handheld (or a combination of both maybe)? How much power/lumens should I be looking for? (I do have one big light I got at a local Walmart... that thing is 1M candle power or more and at times, it almost seems to be too much for them. Could I possibly be scaring stuff away with too much light? It is a red lens also, just like my Cyclops was.)

I don't really have the money to get into night vision stuff. I'm just looking for opinions on what folks are using that they feel makes the perfect setup for calling at night. Thanks.
 
Losing your red lens is the best thing that could happen to you. Just use a white light. You can't kill what you can't see.

As far as fox vs. coyotes, IIRC, Maryland ain't exactly overrun with coyotes. As a matter of fact, an abundance of fox is a good indication that you don't have much of a coyote population, as they compete for the same ecological niche.
 
When you use a red lens or green lens light it don't scare weary predators away as much as a blinding big white light would. I have used a green lens on foxes and it works very well they just don't see bothered by green at all whatsoever. I use both red and green lens on my spotlights for night hunting it's a must. I scan with a spotlight I bought at walmart that I splice to my old spotlight cord which was longer and I use red lens, green for that one. And I have a few other like it in case one goes down while hunting. I also use a coyote light which is a red lens and have killed foxes and yotes using it works great and allows you to adjust the brightness. If I was you I would get a red and/or green lens for your lights that would be the best.
 
The only thing a colored filter does is to decrease light intensity. Predators can see green or red light just fine.
 
too much brightness will spook critters and also shadows seem to spook them. i have less spooked critters when using red. no doubt you can see better with white but white cast a lot more shadows and i seem to see eyes better with the red. i have spotted fox in fields at night and walked up on them keeping the light on them. with white i could get withing about 50 yards before they spooked. with red i could get to almost 20 yards. coon hunting with hounds you will "sometimes" see a difference as well. sometimes you might have one where you can only catch a flash of eyes with the white but go to red and it not seem to hide its face as much. if you have a red light on then turn it off then you can regain some of your night vision a lot faster then you can when you are shining with white and i believe it might have that same effect on animals and that is another reason "some" spook with white but really this is one of those ford vs chevy vs dodge kind of questions and the brightness of the light compared to the distance the critter is at seems to me to be more important then color. as for a recommendation. out of all the stuff out there now that is more advanced then the old battery pack on the belt and a cord ran to a bulb style, the night eyes system is all i have tried but i do love it. i hunt alone so the headlamp with brightness control is just the trick for me. then when im ready to shoot i hit the other light mounted to my gun. i dont want to sound like some kind of expert though cause most all of my night hunting has been for just coons. and most of that has been using hounds and not calling. there is a lot of guys on hear that know more about the coyotes at night then i will ever know. i am just sharing my experiences and opinion on those experiences.
 
Originally Posted By: KizmoThe only thing a colored filter does is to decrease light intensity. Predators can see green or red light just fine.

Exactly. I do not know for sure if critters can see red or green, I've never asked one, but the colored lens definitely cuts down the light intensity which in turn makes it tougher to see. You can have the same effect running a rheostat on a white light...turn down the intensity just enough to light up eyeballs.

I've used white light a lot and used red a lot as well. For the majority of stands made red works fine. When searching for eyes red works well as does turning down a white light. Running a full blast white light will work too but you need to hold the beam up high and use the outer halo. Doing that will attract 2 legged attention to you from 3 counties away. Also if you're in an area with a lot of trees it probably won't work (we hunt desert).On a dark moon night very little light is required to spot eyes. As the moonlight increases so does the amount of light you need to use to spot eyes. At least for us, sometimes animals are tougher to see for a shooter under red...especially if it's not giving eye shine. Or if the animal is moving and not looking your way, it's tougher for the light guy to track with red. Much easier with white.

I think after you hunt awhile you figure out what you like and what you'd like to improve on. Some people are content using red and if it works for them great.

Personally I like using as little light as necessary while searching for eyes. I have a lightforce 170 that I either run white w/rheostat or run it with a red lens. Got lots of stuff both ways. I prefer having the white option when needed but do not like pulling the lens off and on. I have a shroud mounted on mine and the red lens sits inside of it...so pulling the lens isn't an option. For that reason alone I prefer using it white with the rheostat.
 
Research has show that Coyotes do not see Green. But they are going to see light. There are many colors of the spectrum that are still shown when a filter is applied.

Just dimming it and feeling as though it is better would lead you to believe that a dimmer switch will work just as good.

I have also seen some research that shows that it is possible for a coyote to see UV to some degree. This would be why it is important to wash your clothes in something that doesn't brighten your clothes and make you glow. (as UV glows in sunlight)
 
Originally Posted By: Tbone-AZResearch has show that Coyotes do not see Green. But they are going to see light. There are many colors of the spectrum that are still shown when a filter is applied.

That is incorrect, Tbone. Canids see green just fine. They see it as white, thus, there is absolutely no difference using a green vs. white light when hunting coyotes.

http://www.agilitynet.co.uk/health/caninevision_markplonsky.HTML
 
To be honest and with no disrespect, I could give a crap what some research dept. comes up with in regard if a coyote can see colors. Doesn't matter. I've developed my own research program, it's called calling coyotes at night for the last 30 years. I've had them come in like gangbusters, come in wary or not at all with about every conceivable light color and brightness. Some nights they come in, other nights they don't...and it happens regardless of what color light you are shining.

I've tried green...didn't like it. If I noticed coyotes coming in on every stand while using green I'd learn to like it, but thankfully it doesn't matter.

Red works. Especially while scanning for eyes...which you're doing way more than anything else. You can do a lot of shooting under it as well. Lightweight lights rule. Try swinging around a big heavy light all night. A white light option is nice to have. We get a bunch more animals every year because we have it.
 
seeing green as white is not seeing green, its the inabilty to see the Green spectrum but still it would be the same as if you were color blind. Except they can still see red and blue.

The three colors are Red, Green, Blue. Variations of these three give us every color. 100% of all three is white, 0% is black. the inabilty to see one of the three doesn't make you color blind.

Its like those color dot charts where you have orange and green dots to make a number.
 
Originally Posted By: Tbone-AZseeing green as white is not seeing green, its the inabilty to see the Green spectrum but still it would be the same as if you were color blind. Except they can still see red and blue.

The three colors are Red, Green, Blue. Variations of these three give us every color. 100% of all three is white, 0% is black. the inabilty to see one of the three doesn't make you color blind.

Its like those color dot charts where you have orange and green dots to make a number.

Did you look at the link? That big white band that corresponds to green on the human spectrum is what they see. Just because they do not pervceive any color does not mean the light is invisible to them. They are still seeing it with their retinal rods.

Tell you what. Go get yourself a green laser and take it outside at night and play with it with your dog. You will decide that (1) the dog can see that green dot just fine or (2) you have the most psychic dog in the world to be able to follow a dot that he can't see.
 
I was always taught to not shine it directly at them, use the spill of the light to light up eyes and hit them in the eyes when your ready to take the shot.
 
Originally Posted By: 07yzrysderI was always taught to not shine it directly at them, use the spill of the light to light up eyes and hit them in the eyes when your ready to take the shot.

You were taught correctly. That's really the only option for a light without a rheostat. As tawnoper pointed out, a rheostat is ideal. Keep the intensity low while scanning, crank it up when it's time to shoot. He's using a Lightforce, which is ideal for that. My problem with the Lightforces (& I've had 5 of them) is they are EXTREMELY prone to developing electrical shorts in their wires. I bet I paid for another 5 in electrician bills getting all those shorts repaired and eventually threw them all away. I now use an Olight SR90, which, though it doesn't have a rheostat, does have a low/high setting which is sufficient.
 
Thanks all. I've seen the 170's before, but that Olight flashlight looks amazing! How's the battery life? and do you have to replace batteries all the time (and if so, what do they cost), or can you recharge after each outing?

I hunt the heck out of ground-hogs most years - this year wasn't a very good one for me. But I spend a lot of time out, and had never seen coyotes on any of the farms I have access to until about 4 or 5 years ago. Now they are popping up more all the time, in several locations. So they are either migrating south from PA, or west from WV / Western MD area, or maybe there is some truth about the insurance companies introducing these things to try and reduce claims by keeping the deer population in check better. Not sure, but they're definitely here.

What about lights mounted to your scopes? Does anybody have one that puts out enough beam to truly be useful, without completely screwing up the balance of the rifle? I'm not talking about AR's now, just bolt guns.
 
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Here is my 2 cents : boondockoutdoors.com

You will find everything you need. I use LED gun mounted flashlights & a headlight . I also use red. A lens reduces light significantly. You will like the LED's, lightweight, bright & long battery life, use rechargeables. If you can't decide call him ( Jeremiah ) he will help you. I've done much reading on color choice, you decide for yourself.

When & if i get different lights they will have a rheostat. I now have high/med/low on headlamp & your gonna die bright , on gun, lol. I also suggest spending extra now & get the better lights now or you will have a stock pile of the cheaper ones like many of us have evolved from. Happy shopping !

Mick
 
I am running the new Wicked 402ZF. Great lights that will run pretty much all night on one battery. I also have the Ergo grip for scanning. I run white all the time as well. Kill majority with a shotgun.
 
The SR90 has about 7 hours on low (900 lumens) and 1 hr. on high (2200 lumens). The batteries are contained in the handle and are rechargeable. I have 3 handles and a car charger. The huge, deep, smooth reflector is ideal for a long throw. My current longest nighttime shot is 485 yards. I could clearly see the yotes ears and the black tip on his tail through my scope. My places are wide open pastures and agricultural fields, so a tight, long throwing beam is best for me. I also have an SR-92 for hunting the thick woods. Not quite as long a throw, but the beam is much more diffuse. My SR90 outshines my old Lightforces, and I also had the great big one (?220).

The only downside to the SR90 is it is a bit difficult to one hand and shoot. WIth my Lightforces, I used to hunt solo and one hand the light and shoot off a bipod with the other hand. A little harder to do with the SR90. I am planning on purchasing a Coyotelight for a scope mounted light, now that they make a white version. From my research, it has the longest throw of any weapon mounted light other than a Lightforce, and I'm done with Lightforces.
 
Originally Posted By: Kizmoand I'm done with Lightforces. I recall years ago (many years) I asked for advice on what light to buy, and was told lightforce. To this day, that is probably one of the most disappointing products I've ever received. It's still in a box somewhere... but I bet I haven't seen it in 10 years. A regular spotlight I bought locally absolutely devastated that lightforce, and cost 1/4 the money.
 
I had an older Lightforce from 12 or so years ago. It was a lot better than the new ones. I think they are using cheap wires in them now to save money. I love the rheostat and how lightweight the light itself is. However, I found that it takes owning 5 just to be sure you have one that works at any given time. A buddy of mine had the same experience with his and threw it in the trashcan after getting his SR90.
 
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