Red or Wite Light?

[cynergyou]

Hey All,

I have an opportunity to do some night hunting for coyotes this winter near a farm with a high density of coyotes in the area.  I haven't coyote hunted before, let alone night hunt before.   I'm thinking of using either  a 12 ga shotgun and/or a 22 hornet rifle.  I plan on only taking relatively close (50 yards or maybe even significantly less with the rifle, and even closer with the shotgun) shots.

I was wondering if it is OK to use a white spot light while night hunting for predators or should I invest in a red spotlight.  I have an older handheld 12Volt spotlight that I was going to use, but it does not have a red filter.

Also, I was going to use electrical tape to fasten a 3 Watt LED flashlight to my rifle to use as a poor man's gun light.  If I leave the light unfiltered, it's very bright and illuminates objects dozens of yards away.  However, when I put a red plastic filter on it, the flashlight is probably only good for a dozen or so yards (maybe more, depending on the background).

Will a bright white spotlight spook a coyote?  should I only use a red light?  What's your experience recommend you to do?

Thanks!

[trotterlg]

I would go for red.  Problem you have is that the white LED's don't contain very much red light.  Regular light bulbs contain lots more red light than the LED lights do.  Now you would have something if you had a LED light that used the red LED's.  Larry

[Swift One]

There are two followings when it comes to light color preference.  Those that like to use the white lights and those that like to use the red lights.  It has been my findings that the hunters that have alot of success with the white lights are out west.  My theory with this is that out west there is a lot of hunting on these HUGE sprawls of prarie and empty land where the dogs are not used to seeing vehicle lights and associating the white light with something that can flatten them, lol.  I think the dogs in the midwest, south and east have seen there buds get killed by the big thing that is moving behind the two white lights and they have decided to steer clear of those big moving objects.....   I have used both in Indiana and have had success with both.  However, I have spooked more dogs with the white lights.  I prefer red.  I am experimenting with scanning for red and using a white for shooting. 

Trotterleg, they have something on the market like what you were talking.  Click the link below and check out there XLR250 lights.  They use red or green LEDs along with white and I think blue.  They are supposed to be pretty darn good lights.

http://www.elusivewildlife.com/home.htm

[bigvarmnt]

Swift, Thanks for the link. Those look small and easy to use

[Swift One]

Ya, IMO the days of the lightforce are coming to a close.  I have always had wiring probs from the LF and it gets to be a pain in the a$$ carrying around that big light.  I have gone to a coon light for scanning with a red filter.  I am testing a Surfire G3 mounted to my scope with the elusive wildlife universal mount for shooting.  I think I will be able to get a shot off quick enough when I hit them with the white light.  If I run into issues, I will get the P91 220 lumen bulb for the G3 and use a red filter. I d think the XLR 250 with the red diodes in the bulb and the small package of the light itself would be a sweet rig.

[SHOOTALL]

Depends on who hunted before you and what mistakes they made. It also depends on your set up , if you use a scope what light works with it ? if ya can't see the cross hairs .......... In a field we often scan with a white light . In a swamp we light up a decoy with either red or white light and sit away from it . A remote caller works best here. I think young critters come to a white light quicker . Some feel a gray will come to one light quicket and others say the same about reds ( we mostly get fox ) yotes are a bonous here but the do come from time to time. Someone already posted any mistake you make is an education to them.

[Swift One]

Depends on who hunted before you and what mistakes they made.

That is probably the best input brought to the table ij this thread yet.  And I have heard that grays are one aggressive creature coming to the call at nite with a lite- no matter what color it is.

[SHOOTALL]

Depends on who hunted before you and what mistakes they made.

That is probably the best input brought to the table ij this thread yet.  And I have heard that grays are one aggressive creature coming to the call at nite with a lite- no matter what color it is.

I know hunters who won't hunt alone since a gray run over them from the back. Worst I had was when we had the decoy set up in an old road with a white light on it. We had seen some fox eariler but did not mess with them. We had set up and i was about 30 yards from the decoy. My son hit the caller and a very large bobcat came out the bursh about 10 foot from me almost at the first note . Nope - he went as fast as he came. But how long had he been so close ?