Flashlights and spooking game

[gspn]

Over the many years of hunting on both public and private ground, I've settled on a routine where I make my way in and out of the woods in the dark with the aid of a light. I prefer to walk in the dark, but from a safety perspective, many things have shown me the wisdom behind using a light.

Now, when I first started I thought the light was going to spook everything within sight. Over the years I had so many "strange" incidents occur that I've pretty much changed my mind.

I've had several deer walk up to me from quite a distance, only to stop a few steps away, staring at my light. I was shocked at how curious they were about it. I watched them walk from 70 or more yards away, from the time their eyes lit up in my beam. Then I watched as they bobbed and weaved through the woods making a bee-line for me. This was on highly pressured public land too, where the deer were so skittish you rarely could see one during the daylight. I've had raccoons and bobcats walk right up to me. It's nuts. The first few times it happened it was a bit unnerving. To see glowing eyes stop and look at you in the dark, then to see them moving, then to realize they're coming directly at you, kinda wild. It was always funny though to see what type of critter materialized in front of my 10 or 15 yards away.

What types of things have you seen in the dark?

 

[Armored farmer]

Judging by the sheer numbers of roadkill deer, they're not spooked too much.
When I was younger I could pick my way through the woods in the dark. Not so much, now that I am past 55. I step on every branch that cracks, and trip and stumble my way to the stand. I sound like a herd of elephants coming home from an all-nighter.
I have a green walking light on my headband light. I use it occasionally. If I were hunting public land I would certainly have my green light on so I didn't get shot. It's not a bad idea to use it on our own private property because you never know when there could be trespassers . Our friend walked in to find a guy sitting in his stand.
I recently installed green led fog lights on my old jeep. They are for getting me back to my hunting grounds.

........so yes, I am using green walking lights in hopes of not spooking game. I have the headband light, and also a cap with its own led lights built into the capbill. www.pathervision.com

 

[WestKentucky]

I can’t speak to lights as this is the first year I have used them. I will say though that I carry an orange hat with me when I am squirrel hunting. I toss it out about 30 yards from where I intend to sit/stand/lean and the curiosity of the squirrels draws them to it. I often shoot a squirrel in the tree directly above the hat and their focus is on the hat so I can be a little more open with movements than normal. I suspect that it’s the same for a light, curiosity gets the better of them.

 

[PonyKiller]

In my experience on hunting public land in South Jersey, the red led of the cheapo energizer two pack is useful for walking in early and not sounding like a dump truck driving through the brush. Main use is to identify location of other hunters. The Main reason I hunt the January season down here is because I may see only one or maybe two groups of hunters in the area I hunt, and if it's bitterly cold. I have a shot at not seeing a red light in the night at all.

 

[sourdough44]

I use a very dim, green light clipped to my vest or jacket. Of course it’s plenty bright when pitch black out.

You may know the way, but don’t need a stick in the eye. In some locations I look at it as a safety measure, let’s others see you moving.

I like to get to the deer spot at least 20 minutes before opening minute.

 

[Ru4real]

Timing and using lights has depended on location for me. When I hunted in eastern and mid-western states, I would use lights in the morning and evening. Because game and hunter density is higher, it wasn’t a problem when I pushed game around entering in the morning.

Out west, I’ve learned game you push out before light in the morning sets the tone for your day. You don’t see anything where you are hunting, but may on an adjacent mountain. I still use lights and headlamps in the evening for getting out.

 

[wombat13]

I've always used a red LED headlamp for walking in before sunrise. I don't believe that deer see the red light very well (or at all) and red has the least impact on your own night vision.

 

[Rembrandt]

Lights don't seem to have much affect, within an hour or so the deer are back. There are other things that would be far worse than a flashing light....such as talking, ATV's, scent/wind direction, and other hunters.

 

[Bwana John]

 

[daniel craig]

I ususally just use my night vision and go slowly. If I do use a flashlight I make sure it has a red lens so that I don't ruin my night vision after I turn the light off.

 

[jmr40]

I'm not sure if it matters. But I like to use a red lens just to be safe. If nothing else it doesn't mess up my vision while I wait for my eyes to readjust after turning off a white light.

 

[Axis_of_Sika]

I walk around my place in the country with no light all the time. Have lived there for years, walk on the beaten paths. Dont do it as much any more because I trip over rocks and fall down hard sometimes. These rocks have been there in the paths for years. Digging them out these days. Like to sit out and listen to the owls and Yotes. got a spot 88 yards away where I throw out a little corn for deer snacks. They come up while I'm sitting or even doodling around in the yard. If I turn on the bright green light they notice and start to move away. Not real fast but they're peri-urban deer and somewhat used to people. Still, they dont like the green light. Feral pigs usually move off, but not always. Have shot a couple under the green light and 1 under a dim white light. Got a infrared this summer. Its fun to watch the little grey foxes play out there in the dark with it. It is now zeroed in on a 243 so a bit more serious hog control is coming. Its spooky when you are sitting out in your yard enjoying a adult beverage and you hear a bunch of pigs 50 yards away crossing the fence and headed your way. As a cave explorer I have hiked many miles with very dim light or bright moonlight but I hate falling down and it seems the older I get the harder I fall.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Judging by the sheer numbers of roadkill deer, they're not spooked too much .

LOL
There's a tad bit of difference there. Part of the reason the dang deer get hit at night is due to the brightness of the headlamps on the cars. I don't know of too many folks meandering out to their hunting spot with a light that's equal to a car's headlamp, eh?

LD

 

[Armored farmer]

. I don't know of too many folks meandering out to their hunting spot with a light that's equal to a car's headlamp, eh?

Yeah, you do.
Its called poaching.

 

[buck460XVR]

For most practical purposes, the light from a flashlight to help you find your way in the woods is not going to alarm deer any more than walking without one. Since deer can see in the dark, they can probably see what you are better when you don't have the light on. They can probably also hear you better when you are crashing thru brush you can't see. I wonder what deer when the Fireflies come out? We get them so thick down where I hunt that it almost lights up the ground. We also have a few mushrooms that glow in the dark due to their luminescence. Where I see flashlights bothering game is more when the animals cannot see in the dark....like Wild Turkeys and waterfowl. I used to turkey hunt with a chronic smoker and we would have turkeys in the roost alarm putt from the glowing end of his cigarettes from over 100 yards away. So he would smoke non-stop till we got close and then attempt to struggle without them till the sun came up. Lost my hunting buddy two years ago to lung cancer.

 

[skeeterfogger]

To easy any pressure I get to my spot at least an hour before shooting light. This give time for things to settle down. If using a flashlight I use a small LED maglight and cup it in my hand so I can let out just enough to see what is in my path. Never point it more than 6-8 feet ahead and only on the path.

 

[CraigC]

I've used a green LED Streamlight game spotter enough to think that it does help in preventing spooking. With white lights, sometimes they spook, sometimes they don't. Although I'm not really looking 'for' deer with them so....

I will say that I proved to myself the other night that I do not need to be walking around in the dark without a light. Our mailbox is about 150yds from the house/shop. I was going to get the mail after dark but before the moon came out. I had just thought to myself, "man, it is really friggin' dark" when I stepped on the edge of the driveway, rolled my ankle and came crashing down on my left knee. I reckon I need to start grabbing one of the 14,000 flashlights I have (fetish), even when on familiar ground. Just glad I didn't roll in coyote crap.