Blue Light and Blood Trailing

[Lee Woiteshek]

Right off the jump I'm gonna have to admit, I bought into the hype with the ads proclaiming that blue light made blood "glow" in the dark. I bought a Surefire Avaitor with the blue led's, and a Browning Black Ice Led flashlight with Blue, Red, and White led's. With the spare lithium batteries I purchased, I'm looking at 250 bucks spent on this new mousetrap. I had the opportunity to track two of my deer that were double lung hit during this muzzleloading season. One ran about 40 yards before piling up, the other 75 or so. In both cases the tracking took place at darkness, on leaves. I did not find the blue light to be any help at all, if anything a hindrance. It didn't make the blood glow or stand out in any way. Infact it subdued it. White light in my opinion still gives meaningful contrast of blood on brown leaves. Red light wasn't used. I also found that the LED's didn't have much of a range, and the single bright bulb is still the way to go. Hope this helps for anyone looking to purchase Led lights and or blue light flashlights.

 

[Joe Demko]

There is a product called luminol that will react with blood proteins and cause them to fluoresce under UV light. PA Game Wardens use it when gathering evidence against poachers and such. Never heard of blood glowing under plain blue light though.

 

[WhiteKnight]

Never heard of blood glowng under plain blue light though.

I don't really think he means "glow," per se. Rather, the blue light is supposed to make the blood stand out as they are contrasting colors.

 

[BeLikeTrey]

hmph

Well, at least you have a good tactical flashlight?

Just go old school and get a blood trail dog?

thanks for the heads up on this myth though! and hey, at least you still found the deer!

 

[Joe Demko]

Well, blood is red because it absorbs blue wavelengths and reflects red ones. Accordingly, under a blue light one would expect it to appear black due to no reflection.

 

[MP-44]

Just get a Jagdterrier. He will find your lost game so fast you would swear he already knew where it was. And if it isn't deceased when he catches up with it, it soon will be

 

[BeLikeTrey]

Jagdterrier?

I heard about the tracking, but they'll finish it for you too? I do need one of those!

 

[MP-44]

I heard about the tracking, but they'll finish it for you too? I do need one of those!

Your game might be hamburger if you are too far behind. I have had working terriers before but the Jagd makes them look like pampered show dogs.

 

[one-shot-one]

H2o2

have not tried this myself but have been told that hydrogen peroxid in a spray bottle will make the blood foam and easier to see, i know it will make the blood foam but how much better it makes it to see in the woods i'm not sure.

 

[Lee Woiteshek]

Dogs aren't allowed for the trailing of deer where I hunt. Joe Demko had it exactly right, the blood was black on the leaves. That didn't help me at all at night in a dark forest. The contrast of bright red on brown leaves shown by a bright white light is still the best for me.