Red lens headlamp in the AM?

[OneGunTex]

It's 4am. Sliver of moon peaking through clouds. You're leaving the 2 track and turning onto a foot trail you marked. In a half mile you've got a point marked on OnX to get off trail and go crosscountry thru the trees til you get to your morning spot.

Is your headlamp on? Do you rely on a red lens to keep your footing and make good time? Or do you think the light will be too much of a disturbance and slowly pick your way through the dark?

(This could apply to deer or elk hunting or whatever in almost any terrain that's not a wide open trail with a full moon)

 

[go_deep]

Red light

 

[Stearinlys]

Second the red lamp. Why try and fumble your way to your spot and potentially cause more issue than being more effective and quicker to get there and allow things to settle once you get there? If it isn't a bright red light, it will virtually cause zero issue for deer and elk.

Get there quick, set up, and then wait knowing you disturbed them as little as possible.

Honestly, I'd be more worried about your screen with OnX being more of an issue than the red light

 

[MTtrout]

Red light. Unless I can see well enough without it. I’ll say though I’ve been more relaxed in recent years and just run the regular dime light till I get closer to where I want to be. I’ve never tried it but always thought about wearing clear safety glasses when going stealth through thick stuff.

 

[texag10]

I have loved having a headlamp with a much brighter red lamp mode than most hiking specific offerings. Huge benefit when hiking off trail in the dark under red light.

 

[Poser]

Indie a red light, but you need one that’s brighter than most brands offer.

 

[Chris in TN]

I've never used one but I have bought two for this fall as I have never had to trudge through blowdowns before dawn.

*MOST* of the places I hunt on public land here in the east, I can find my way in very well in the dark because 80% of the trip is on an old access road, more or less. And on private it's just not an issue because all of my stands here at the house are easy to find.

 

[Chris in TN]

Honestly, I'd be more worried about your screen with OnX being more of an issue than the red light

I suspect that glaring white phone screens from people scrolling FB waiting for dawn, save a few deer every year.

 

[Cornhusker]

I have a really good red or I sometimes use the green light option which my headlamp also offers.

 

[BLJ]

What are the “brighter red than normal” guys using?

 

[Nine Banger]

If you're walking around with red light you're pushing animals you can't see or hear.

You can get used to walking around in darkness but it takes a few nights and some miles to get there. Coyote hunting will get you there.

I would only pop the light if there is an obstacle or sketchy terrain on the moonlit night you describe.

 

[SirChooCH]

White light until I get really close because red light can be pretty dim for hiking fast through the woods. Red light when I'm within striking distance of set up and slow down. Deer don't see the red light spectrum very well which is why hunters orange doesn't bother them.

I also prefer white light for most of the walk so other hunters know there's a hunter and where I am headed to not shoot my way.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I can't swear to his results, I wasn't there but my guide said he did a test to find out what color light works best. He had red lights and green lights installed on the front grill of his pickup. He parked on the edge of the field on the ranch he guides on. He waited until after dark, and when elk were in the field (around 100 yards away), he turned on the green lights on the grill. The elk showed NO reaction and didn't even look in his direction. He turned the green lights off, then turned on the red lights and several of the elk looked in the direction of the truck, but after a few seconds went on with their feeding activity. Then he turned off the red lights and turned on the headlights and the elk quickly left the field and moved back into the trees. Not scientific by any means, but after that he only used green headlamps when walking in the dark. Also, white light takes away your night vision and can really make it hard to see anything until your eyes readjust. Red and green doesn't seem to affect the night vision.

 

[mtnbound]

It's 4am. Sliver of moon peaking through clouds. You're leaving the 2 track and turning onto a foot trail you marked. In a half mile you've got a point marked on OnX to get off trail and go crosscountry thru the trees til you get to your morning spot.

Is your headlamp on? Do you rely on a red lens to keep your footing and make good time? Or do you think the light will be too much of a disturbance and slowly pick your way through the dark?

(This could apply to deer or elk hunting or whatever in almost any terrain that's not a wide open trail with a full moon)

If I can see well enough due to the moon then no, but if I cannot see well enough to avoid making any additional noises like tripping, breaking branches, kicking rocks etc.. because I cannot see what’s in front of me then the red light comes out.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

If you're walking around with red light you're pushing animals you can't see or hear.

You can get used to walking around in darkness but it takes a few nights and some miles to get there. Coyote hunting will get you there.

I would only pop the light if there is an obstacle or sketchy terrain on the moonlit night you describe.

Negative. At least from red light which deer and elk have a hard time detecting, if at all. They’ll hear/smell you before your red light jumps them. It’s been well researched!

 

[hunt1up]

At least with deer, it’s white light and bright. Deer will see/hear you in the dark anyway. If I see a deer while walking I’ll shine the light right at them. Usually they just stare. I don’t know how many deer I’ve walked right past doing this. Keep the light on them, all they see is the light. Turn the light off and they’ll see you. When a deer is close enough for us to see each other you might as well just confuse them at that point.

 

[tall]

What are the “brighter red than normal” guys using?

Peax duo

 

[ReaptheHeat]

Is there evidence that white light somehow scares deer away more than red? I use red because your eyes adjust faster once its turned back off.

 

[LostArra]

I use a red light simply for maintaining some night vision when I get to a stand in the dark. I never consider the light the limiting factor in disturbing critters when I'm walking thru their home in the dark.

My experience: Deer seem to be a little more tolerant of a human with or without a light. Elk are totally intolerant which is why I've quit starting my elk hunt in the dark. I've spooked too many elk in the first 100 yards even with favorable wind and no headlamp. If I had waited another 30 minutes I might have had a shot opportunity instead they ran to the next county.

 

[OXN939]

I suspect that glaring white phone screens from people scrolling FB waiting for dawn, save a few deer every year.

More than a few. Deer are far more sensitive to short wavelength light like blues and ultraviolet than humans. If you've ever watched someone on a phone through NVGs, you know how much that activity stands out.

Conversely, they don't see longer wavelengths as well, so a red light is the way to go if there's not enough ambient light to see.