Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Adamsville, TN
Posts: 699

I know nothing about hog hunting, but I am told, if the dogs are bayed and the hunter goes in with a white light it spooks the hog. Maybe someone who hog hunts can explain how this works, or if colored lights really help.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

Sam we have a lot of hog hunters down here. The Green LED is not only good for hog hunting but any type of varmint hunting. The green light does not spook the game. It will still spook deer but I know most other game it will not.
About two months ago I was standing on the side of a ditch bank listening to the dogs about 100 yards in the woods trail around. I heard something in the bushes and was standing there with just the green LED on. A fox popped out of the wood line and walked straight towards me with my Green LED on him and he did not know I was there. He tip toed across a ditch and cut left about 20 foot from me and just went his merry way!!
We have built several 5LED modules for hog hunters that wanted all 5 LED's green. They love them with one exception. When they are around the truck putting collars on the dogs and getting stuff out of the truck they want one white LED which we have went back and installed for them.
Gator hunters down here thought Green would be the ticket but we learned Red is still the best for them!!

Sam there is a big market in specialty lights for Hog and Varmit hunters along with lights used at feeding stations for hogs. Redgy could probably fill you in on some of those details!!
Have a Happy Fathers Day and hope you get to enjoy it with your Family!!

Last edited by on 06-16-2012 at 01:10 PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Adamsville, TN
Posts: 699

Bruce - this is probably not the proper place to be asking about hog hunting. However, in the past, questions and discussions appear - so it was a thought. I too have made some of the dual capllights with all green, however I'm not getting a lot of feedback. And a reason for no feedback may exist, I'm reading where varmit hunter prefer red vs any other color. Here is a link to what use to be, Johnny Stewart, probably one of the largest predator supply mfg. that existed. And they only mention green in passing:

http://www.varminthunters.com/artic...t/nitehunt3.htm

Some tips I've found for night hunting, which are true of any night activity involving hunting. "For instance, if you are hunting in heavy cover, you’ll want to dim your light way down so it doesn’t cast hard shadows or cause reflecting light from nearby bushes to illuminate you and your shooter or frighten an inbound predator. This is true no matter what color light you are using. Red, amber and green lights, if too intense, will cause problems if they are too bright in heavy cover areas. Believe me, it does not take much light to illuminate a predator’s eyes. In heavy cover, the action will be up-close and personal so be prepared for action." "One of the most important tools for night hunting is your hunting light. It should be lightweight, offer both a white and red beam, be energy efficient, not cast side flare and offer you a means to adjust the light’s intensity. Different areas call for different lighting techniques and you will soon realize that your predator hunting light is as important as you firearm." "A long-throw RED light is used for coyote hunting for a couple of reasons. 1) Due to the eye structure of a coyote, any amount of red light really makes their eyes glow fire red, so it is easy for the hunter to spot them. The spill of the light is sufficient to spot eyes from a long distance away. 2) The higher intensity red of the main beam of light doesn't spook the coyote, while the hunter is making positive identification of the animal before shooting.
Has nothing to do with preserving night vision.

"A different situation is deer hunting. A deer hunter likes to use a low intensity red to walk to the deer stand in the dark before sunrise. This low intensity red preserves night vision and the light doesn't spook the deer.

Another situation is feral hog hunting. Although their eyes don't glow nearly as much as coyotes, the high intensity red doesn't spook them.

A white light can be used for hunting. But it is the objective of the user to spot the animal in the spill of the light (e.g. by shining the main beam above the horizon). When ready to shoot, the main light beam is put on the animal. The startled animal will "freeze" for a split second while the shooter makes the shot. If the shooter takes too long, chances are that the animal will be startled and run. Many hunters using white light have a dial rheostat in the circuit to gradually adjust the intensity per the situation. When the shooter is ready, the rheostat is turned to give maximum lighting (called "burning" the animal).
So red is more forgiving, and doesn't spook the animal. No need for a rheostat on a red led flashlight/spotlight. "

Hope you have a happy Father Day too!

Last edited by Sam Davis on 06-16-2012 at 05:07 PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged