Spotlight lens colors

Samsquanch

Samsquanch

Active member
Sorry, I'm sure this is an old subject and been covered a thousand times but i was unable to find a thread so I'm going to ask anyway... I see and hear different guys use and talk about which color of light is best to use at night, red, green, amber, etc. I grew up using a white light because that's what dad had and used himself. Does the target species determine which color, do coyotes shy from a light that bobbers and fox won't? Terrain? Y'all get the idea. I primarily hunt coyote and bobbers in semi-open country usually full of cholla cactus or hilly country with cedars and canyons. Reason I ask is that I'm looking at getting a rifle mounted light (coyote light, wicked light, etc) and I'm too cheap to spend the extra $50 to get interchangeable lenses even after dropping $200 or more on the light itself.
 
i havent had any animals shy away from a certain light color but i prefer to use green because its not as high in intensity on the animal as white and i can see further than i can with a red light plus it doesnt take as long for my eyes to adjust to the darkness with a green light after making a stand
 
Originally Posted By: SamsquanchI realize that some use different bulbs but I was just asking about color in general.

Some use different bulbs, some lights do still use "filters". I have tried them all and had good luck with all of them too. The color is not specific to the species of animal you are after.
Here is my take: I believe, based on my experience, that if you hunt the same areas animals can/might get used to the colors and you will notice they start to get cautious.
Before I got night vision I started out using red on a LightForce set up. I didn't go to the same spots night after night, but I would hit them at least each week. Even gray fox would act spooky and slow when using red lenses about half way thru the season. I switched to green and they were "bold" again. Same with the red fox. By the end of season they were starting to get spooky again with the green light. By then it was all but over, so I didn't care. Even tried a blue lens, but that didn't really let much light thru. I do still use blue lights for walking in and out. It seems to be the least alarming to animals at night.
Orange or amber is for finding raccoons in trees at night. It also helps in the summer when coon hunting to keep the bugs away. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to deter those big. pain inflicting horse hornets. I have not tried it for predator calling, I believe it is probably too bright to work really good for predators.
This reminds me of another point that is very important when using colored lights...it is always best if you have a variable switch to turn down {or up} the amount of light you are using. This will help with animals that are spooky about lights, if you only use just enough to see. I used that LightForce light most of the time so low that almost all I could see was eye reflection and often didn't know what the animal was until I shot it. You also want to avoid shining a tight focused center of concentrated light right into the animals eyes. If you can adjust your light to be a little wider and not so coned down and/or keep the animal out of the center and in the "halo" of the light, that helps a lot too.
Many animals are so spooky about light at night that it will not matter what color you have if you hit them with a bright concentrated spot right in the eyes.
 
Yes, filters work too. You can usually change the color by using colored gel (like used on DJ/stage lights). You can buy sheets of it on fleabay. Seems like everything else with predators (sounds, stands)-when they start to pattern you, change it up (light colors too).
 
Thank you fellers. I guess I hadn't thought about the fact that they would get accustomed to the light you were using and know it meant I was sitting behind it. Changing colors from time to time would be the way to take care of that problem. As far as a direct beam in the eyes, I've always avoided that anyway. Usually shooting the light above them so's not to spook them as badly. The lights that I've looked at do have power or intensity settings that would allow for a guy to use as much or as little light as he needed which I like. I've got unlimited access to over 100,000 acres of private ground so "burning up" a spot isn't really a concern, there are only a couple spots that I'll hit more than a couple times a season. Depends also on if I'm running a trapline for the landowner or not as well. Areas that I trap or run lines on I tend to stay away from When spotlighting.
 
Here are my observations. I think a lot depends on the conditions that night. If the moon is up, there tends to be a lot of light and then predators don't seem to care if you use white, green or red. But if there is no moon, the coyotes around here tend to get a bit shy about harsh light. So red tends to work better.

As for using lens covers vs. buying a different color LED, I would recommend the LED. Len's tend to change the color a bit imperfectly. I have a lens cover that turns the light pink rather than red. Remember that the harsher light reflects more which is why we see it better. Red LED's seem to be dim because there is not as much reflected light.

I think it's important to look at how you're using your light. Catching the predator in the "halo" of the light before you fully light them up seems to be more successful than just hitting them full on with the light. I have had several bolt at getting hit with direct light right away and more that seem to completely ignore the light if I start by catching eye shine in the halo and then moving the light directly onto them. I would imagine it's like us when someone just turns on a light in a dark room.
 
Bright orange, green, yellow will work for this

Different colors can be used when hunting coyotes because they're mainly active at night. The brightness of the color you wear is also really important! For instance, an animal like a coyote would much rather see your face in green or yellow than to see it in the dark - it's easier for them to spot you that way. It doesn't matter if there's not much terrain where you can hide. They'll find you anyways because they use their eyes (and ears) instead of trying not to make any noise. So make sure you wear something bright! Wearing reflective colors like white and orange before dusk are also great ideas when aiming to attract coyotes with light Visit: https://deerhuntingfield.com/best-hunting-spotlights/
 
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