Night hunting color selection red, green or white?

T

TrappingGus

New member
Ok its getting to be that time of year again.
The prime time for night hunting is just around the corner.

What color do you use most?
What lights do you use? Headlamp, handheld, gun light & brand?
What kind of stands do you make & how long?


Last year I primarily used red lights with a Wicked Light headlamp, gun and handheld combo. My hunting partner/dog Gus and I hammered on the bobcats. Most stands were 45min - 1.25 hours.

I normally hunt solo at night but every now and then I would have a buddy tag along and Gus would stay home just to be safe. My buddy always liked bring his green lights and I liked red. Everytime he would come out my success rate would drop. I'm not sure if it was because we used green and red at the sametime. Has anyone had issues with mixing red and green at the same stand?
 
I use red lights exclusively. I have decent success alone. A buddy uses green. When he comes, my success plumets.

First, I've noticed he scans very very slowly as if he's looking for a tail sticking out of the brush. 10-15 seconds from left to right and constantly stopping to investigate a shape. Drives me nuts! His green light seems less effective at reflecting eyes unless the light is blasting directly at the eyes.

I scan very quickly back and forth in wide 270+ degree sweeps. I'm ONLY looking for glowing eyes and I scan 2-3 times back and forth in the time it takes my buddy to scan once. I scan on low power and keep the eyes just barely on the edge of the beam until ready to shoot. Textbook style.

In particular, when I spot eyes first while scanning (I nearly ALWAYS spot the eyes first probably 80%), he'll also shine his green light on the eyes. As soon as he does that, the predator NEARLY ALWAYS stops advancing towards us, hangs up, and often turns away.

I am personally convinced that his green light is severely detrimental to "our" success. I can't say if it's the color or the second light that causes predators to hang up and flee, I think it's both but mostly the green light (higher intensity). Red lights seem far less likely to spook predators around here, I think because red cuts through the mist/dust in the air better and you can use lower intensity to refect eyes. We've discussed it and he denies the above.

That's my experience and opinion.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr. PoppadopalisThermal and Night Vision colors work best for me!

I wish Colorado would allow Thermal or Night Vision.
 
Dirt Dog

I'm pretty sure we are both on the same page. I feel like mixing the two colors affects how critters react to the calls. I also think sometime good friends are better left at there house. Hints why I take my dog, he will also point out a critter before I even see eyes at times.

The intensity of the light definently makes a huge difference red or green.

Dirty Dog, are you and you buddy using quality lights or the Amazon $19.99 special. I have always been curious about that. If the quality of the light projected makes a difference to the critters.
 
Originally Posted By: TrappingGusOriginally Posted By: Mr. PoppadopalisThermal and Night Vision colors work best for me!

I wish Colorado would allow Thermal or Night Vision.

I have seen numerous YouTube videos of Fred Eichler using it In Colorado!
 
I viewed this thread curious on colors myself as I have never spot lighted coyotes with anything other than a white light while checking cows or at all while calling. Was just as little entertainment while having to check cows anyways. I had only called during the day. About 10 years or little more ago I lost a calf to a coyote and I had seen the thermal scopes before and totally justified the cost to myself that morning and bought one. It wasn’t long before a a friend said let’s try calling at night. Now 95% of my calling is at night and since 2016 I sold my cows, 100% of my winter is dedicated to calling every calm night as possible. I find it interesting that you guys are experiencing something I do as well with thermal scopes. 2 shooter scenario syndrome. I have good success by myself and I have been really successful with a good friend of mine. Some good other friends not so much. I started thinking in my mind well maybe because they do this and they did that. Because I know how I am by myself and even with the other friend it’s like we are in each other’s head and don’t even have to say much and know what the other is thinking. It’s got to be them right? Then 3 shooter scenario comes up, on 3 different nights same good successful friend along with a good friend of his I never met. I didn’t down a single coyote.....hmmmm. Is it me? Answer for sure is yes, in a 3 shooter scenario definitely, I react differently, I don’t cover the same area as always worried not to shoot across the real estate they are covering or be tempted, then I rush the shot as to try and impress the new guy and end up missing. Point I am making is it can always be possible of a lot of different variables. I hunt a little to a lot different depending on who is with, what is the setup, time constraints, putting unnecessary pressure on myself. Now I am not saying this is what you’re doing, this is just something I have found in myself that once I realized it and started constantly reminding myself before every stand my numbers got better. All except for the 3 shooter scenario, I haven’t even put energy into that yet but might be interesting results. Anyways my two cents.
 
Windwalker, I get your point, but I'm talking about a partner whose equipment and/or actions directly result in less shot opportunities (bad scanning techniques, too many lights, too high intensity, burning eyes before they're close enough to ID let alone shoot, causing hang ups, etc).
 
Dirt Dog, One other thought that I have had in the past. When you are alone you are the one with the light. Not much back lighting unless the critter comes from behind. With a pattern that is to your left or right OR worst behind you. You have some kind of back lighting for the majority of the stand.

I like to sit side by side or split up just enough so we don't back light each other.
I have set rules with anyone I night hunt with, other than the normal standard hunts safety rules.

1st - We must know exactly where each other is set-up.

2nd - You have a 3 foot circle you can stand or move in, No exceptions.

3rd - The caller is the one who ends the stand. Normally I play a turkey call and wait 1-2 min before standing up. If someone sees something they let out a predator call and everyone stays put.

4th - NO gun scanning, you will never know if its a gun or just a flashlight pointing at me! Until its to late.

5th - No moving outside of your circle with out you light on even after the stand.

6th - No shooting after the stand is over unless everyone is standing next to each other and can confidently call the shoot. ( I don't know how many critters I have seen after standing up from a set. Even after an hour of calling)

My sounds a little anal but I know of one death in my area in the last few years because of piss poor night hunting practice. And a couple close calls
 
Windwalker
I agree, at times we all try to play into what your buddy likes. I know, I have been guilty of changing my calling style without even thinking about it. One of my buddy's likes to call stop, call stop every few minutes. I have done this when with him. BUT personally at night I like to call the entire set. I may pause for a min or two from time to time or when I see a critter. Mostly its loud and soft calls through out the set.
 
..Here in PA...lights only
mad.gif


Night Spotting for deer is permitted in PA till 11 pm..so they get pounded with white lights for hours every night for a couple few months..

We both exclusively use RED...Wicked Predator Pursuit with hand held and gun mounts.

We have a system that has only improved ...
The most important asspects for our success has been communication and the addition of tripods vs sitting..the tripods add mobility and much added visual perspective at night...we are 2 peas in a pod.
We have a property hit list that is wind oriented and discuss our approach and the coyotes assumed approach and call location prior EVERY time we hunt..no matter if we've hunted it 10 times. We have simplified MOST of our stands by getting permission to hunt next to houses..barns ..sheds.

Calling wise ..I generally control the FOXPRO..and don't question his suggestions- if he says hit em with the Tim Tibbe this or M F K that..I will..

He takes right side{he shoots left handed}...I take left.
We do not overlap scanning..as in I don't scan way over to his side.
Whomever sees the eyes is the shooter....the other will hold ready with hand held until shooter ready...i will then locate eyes with scan..he would get on with scope then turn on his gunlight...
With multiples it's the same deal...


 
Last edited:

I’ve had about equal success with red or white lights. I think a lot of it is technique. Scan with a low power headlamp or use the outer edge of a more powerful shooting light. When getting ready to shoot with a gun mounted light, I turn the light on pointed skyward and slowly lower the main beam down onto the predator. They are less likely to spook with slow changes in light intensity.
 
Back
Top