# light that wont spook deer



## hangr54 (Aug 12, 2010)

I use a green light for going to the stand and i haven't spooked one so far


----------



## BP1992 (Dec 24, 2010)

I use a green light. I've heard it doesn't spook them, but not sure if that is true or not.


----------



## HawgEnvy (Mar 2, 2011)

so far so good. anyone try a blue light? or amber?


----------



## dac (Jun 27, 2003)

Am not sure how much light spooks deer I mean they will stay in front of a flash camera and not spook. So why should a little LED light spook them?


----------



## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

Deer are going to see any light from a flashlight that we can see. You can use a red light so your night vision isn't compromised but deer can still see it.


----------



## Spywell (Oct 5, 2010)

Actually there is data that proves green light spooks deer the least of ANY other color. The government actually payed people to go beamshot deer with different colored lasers and record the information. Deer do not see Green, it's actually Grey to them. I have never had a problem spooking deer with Red or Green filters.


----------



## deers08 (Dec 9, 2006)

Ditto!


----------



## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

Very dim.


----------



## dac (Jun 27, 2003)

Spywell said:


> Actually there is data that proves green light spooks deer the least of ANY other color. The government actually payed people to go beamshot deer with different colored lasers and record the information. Deer do not see Green, it's actually Grey to them. I have never had a problem spooking deer with Red or Green filters.


What about when there is a man attached to the light? I would think they can see you about as good as if you was walking in at noon.


----------



## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

dac said:


> What about when there is a man attached to the light? I would think they can see you about as good as if you was walking in at noon.


Yup.


----------



## Nitro1970 (Jan 26, 2009)

Probably the person holding the light more than the light itself


----------



## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

Spywell said:


> Actually there is data that proves green light spooks deer the least of ANY other color. The government actually payed people to go beamshot deer with different colored lasers and record the information. Deer do not see Green, it's actually Grey to them. I have never had a problem spooking deer with Red or Green filters.


. 

I'd like to see the data you mentioned. Did the researchers ask the deer? I can shine regular white light at deer and they just stand there. Hence the saying, "Like a deer in the headlights"

I don't think it's the light that runs deer off...


----------



## bobabuoy (Aug 20, 2007)

light that won't spook deer.....the moon...end of story.


----------



## rutjunky (May 22, 2011)

Theres a statistic that says 60% of the time it works everytime.


----------



## Viper69 (Feb 4, 2003)

I love green. I have deer let me walk right by them with a small green hat light on.


----------



## Punch_Free4L (Mar 25, 2007)

Spywell said:


> Actually there is data that proves green light spooks deer the least of ANY other color. The government actually payed people to go beamshot deer with different colored lasers and record the information. Deer do not see Green, it's actually Grey to them. I have never had a problem spooking deer with Red or Green filters.


Yes to add to this, I've heard and read that deer see blue very well.Again,don't for sure if this is true but......it's the word on the street.


----------



## sapper1 (Oct 3, 2003)

I don't know but I had 15 deer under my stand a week ago that hung around until after dark. I hit them with the white light from my stand and they didn't pay it any attention. I even made some noise and they just kept right on doing what they were. I finally just climbed down and walked out.


----------



## DMAX-HD (Jan 30, 2005)

I use white and never had a problem?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Baldona523 (Feb 12, 2010)

I am not sure, but in most cases I think it is the person they are spooked by not the light. How many times have you beamed a deer with headlights and they don't care? 

The one thing about colored light is obviously it is not as bright, just make sure what you are using you can see where you are going. I think it is better to use more light to walk quieter than less light and raise a ruckus walking.


----------



## Fortyneck (Oct 8, 2010)

rutjunky said:


> Theres a statistic that says 60% of the time it works everytime.


It's true...

With the Sex Panther TM green and red headlamp, "It covers all your bases most of the time."


----------



## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

dac said:


> Am not sure how much light spooks deer I mean they will stay in front of a flash camera and not spook. So why should a little LED light spook them?


I'm thinking the same thing. My headlights are a heck of a lot brighter than a flashlight and deer seem to like the headlights. I know a lot of people that got them with a car.


----------



## ncorry (Mar 30, 2011)

bobabuoy said:


> light that won't spook deer.....the moon...end of story.


Infra Red. Can light em up with it and they get real bright through the NV scope. Also works for bear, yotes and piggies. Course, you can only shoot the piggies and yotes.


----------



## Monarchcx (Apr 2, 2008)

White light. I just get to my spot as quickly as I can and try not to spook too many deer. Red, white, black or blue....if the deer is directly in your path, you're going to scare it away.


----------



## Lowlevlflyer (Aug 2, 2011)

I've got a Streamlight (cant remember the name of it) that has blue on it. SO far, no problems using it to and from the stand.


----------



## typhoon_shooter (Oct 23, 2011)

Hey bud try this And see for yourself take a 12 volt light an put it in a pickle jar full of water add green food coloring and set it up at your stand (crappie fishing light in test tube like glass from walmart and a car battery) make sure to put a piece of black plastic on the jar to shield you for the bulb because you can't see once it gets good and dark if you can see the bulb. I sat in my stand with a light switch rigged up and flipped the light off and on and they didn't even look up makes it real hard not to shoot the ole p&y buck at the feeder


----------



## RNT (Feb 28, 2007)

HawgEnvy said:


> im thinking about another flashlight. ive got one that has red and blue filters with it. i haven't tried the blue,but the red seems to spook the deer almost as much as the white. the one im looking at has a setting for white and one for green. ive heard guys talk of using the green for hog hunting to keep from spooking them. is it the same for deer?


Deer are fascinated by light. Its the general movement.i.e your footsteps and movements and human type noises and human shape that alert them not light. I use LED white lights and have walked up to and within 10 yards of deer, done this for years, light does not matter to them. Your safety is more important than another deer hunting myth.


----------



## decalman (Sep 27, 2011)

It's not the light that is spooking deer. Its a combination of sticks cracking,, leaves crumbling human oder, and oh yea there is I don't care what color, marker light that person is carrying


----------



## bobbal (Sep 15, 2004)

I use a bright light, so I don't stumble and crash. I've found if I go to my stand at a steady pace, without stopping, I spook few, if any deer. I found the stop and go pace, seems to spook them.


----------



## Spywell (Oct 5, 2010)

Green and Blue Lasers are Ineffectivefor Dispersing Deer at Night (PDF)
This article is really close to the one that I read but there is another study that used many different colors of light and found Green to have the least effect on deer (By Far).

I have never spooked deer using a Green or Red Filter, I have using my Cree Q5 200-330L Direct drive White (5500k) LED light but at the same time I have walked within 15 yards of deer with a bright white light. They just stare at me...

At the same time, using filters cut out so much light that I probably couldn't see a deer running so I can't know for sure if I spooked any or not.

I think the best use for filters is to maintain your night vision, I like being able to crawl up into my stand, turn off the light and having most of my night vision available instead of having to wait 30 minutes to become accustomed to the dark from the insanely bright lights that I carry.


----------



## Hoytaholic (Mar 1, 2020)

Spywell said:


> Green and Blue Lasers are Ineffectivefor Dispersing Deer at Night (PDF)
> This article is really close to the one that I read but there is another study that used many different colors of light and found Green to have the least effect on deer (By Far).
> 
> I have never spooked deer using a Green or Red Filter, I have using my Cree Q5 200-330L Direct drive White (5500k) LED light but at the same time I have walked within 15 yards of deer with a bright white light. They just stare at me...
> ...


I think you nailed it with the eye adjustment. I’ve used bright white headlamps on my walks in... then when it’s time to settle in and get everything ready to climb the tree... it takes a while for your eyes to adjust. Now I either walk all the way in with red or adjust to red for the final few hundred yards


----------



## JSTTH5US (Dec 12, 2012)

Yup I agree with above post for sure, always use a red light on my head. I do carry a whit light as well in my hand but that’s for safety if there are tons of bears in the area and I feel threatened if that happens I drop the bow and transition to my pistol. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 25ft-up (Mar 14, 2010)

bobabuoy said:


> light that won't spook deer.....the moon...end of story.


And headlights.
I've walked up on many deer in the dark with a white light. 10 - 15 yards before they trot off another 20 and stop. Maybe since they don't see filtered light as well, and it's not as blinding, they can see you better behind it. Maybe white light isn't what spooks them, just like they aren't spooked by headlights and don't see the car behind the light. Scent and sound of the hunter most likely is the spooking factor. I doubt they will ignore any light because of it's color when a hunter is behind it walking up on them. They are less likely to spook in the dark to begin with, or when someone is walking steadily pass them. Stop walking when you're close to them, or sneak in slowly, and they'll get nervous. I often wonder how many have let me walk right on by in the dark.


----------



## azscorpion (Feb 12, 2010)

Ah yes....nothing like digging up a 9 year old thread......:mg:


----------



## pinwheeled (Apr 27, 2008)

azscorpion said:


> Ah yes....nothing like digging up a 9 year old thread......:mg:


It has to be one of the oldest threads brought back to life in awhile.


----------



## pinwheeled (Apr 27, 2008)

I like red light and not just a red filter over a white light.


----------



## maxx98 (May 10, 2010)

I just stopped caring anymore. I use a white light. You are going to spook deer going in and out. The best thing you can do is plan you entrance and exist better. 

If you spook a deer walking in it doesn't bother them like it would if you shot at them. Two different animals.


----------



## redlab (Aug 6, 2011)

I really think it has allot to do with the area, the pressure on them, the maturity of the deer, the wind and your movement ! I use to walk in in the dark on a cleared path to my stand and never heard a deer spook or snort and run unless it winded me. That deer doesn't know what is walking in the leaves or breaking twigs unless it smells it. If the deer are heavily pressured in the area then they are always on edge from predators and humans. This is especially true of the mature bucks and the big old mature does. I have recently started using a couple different lights to go into and out from my stand because of the bear encounters and I can say that the deer rarely spook with a white or green light if you keep moving. As soon as I stop or head there way they run away then stop and look again unless they smell me. I also ride my MTB and have ridden right down between 4-5 deer and all they do is look up at me and then return to eating and again unless I stop or they get my wind !
One little trick I have done is if you find a light that you really like then take the clear class lens out of it and take a mt dew or 7 up bottle cut a chunk out and then lay the clear lens on it mark it with a pen and then cut it out. Then place the green piece on the outside of the lens and put the lens back in the light. now you have a good light with a green lens !


----------



## alex.vogel99 (Apr 1, 2014)

maxx98 said:


> I just stopped caring anymore. I use a white light. You are going to spook deer going in and out. The best thing you can do is plan you entrance and exist better.
> 
> If you spook a deer walking in it doesn't bother them like it would if you shot at them. Two different animals.


yep


----------



## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

I've had deer walking all around me in the pre-dawn and never even looked up when I shined a green light on them.


----------



## Predator (Jan 18, 2003)

This discussion is funny to me. It DOESN'T MATTER! Deer are used to seeing white lights all the time whether from automobiles or farm equipment. They are not "spooked" by lights - regardless of the color and a light will absolutely reduce the chances of you being detected by deer. If I walk through a field in the dark without a light deer will pick me off 100% of the time. If I walk with a bright white led headlamp on, and it is shining in their general direction they will not detect me as a human unless they can smell me. I routinely walk within bow range of deer in the dark by keep the light shined in their direction. It blinds them from being able to focus on and make out my human form. I also routinely will turn on my headlamp to look at a deer walking below my stand when I'm sitting there in the pre-dawn darkness. They act like they have no idea a light is being shined on them. Never has it spooked a deer and they are at 5-20 yards most of the time.

People know so little and worry about so much. Take a bright led light (whatever color you want but don't overcomplicate it and don't choose a color that dims the light and inhibits your vision). It's better to be safe and quietly go directly to your stand than bumble around making noise and leaving scent everywhere because you can't see where you are going. It's also potentially a real safety issue and might keep you from being shot (more a gun season issue than bow). I tack trees to and from stands when they are in the timber and use a bright led to walk in and out. When going in I flip my light to red only when I get to the tree to climb into my stand as I don't need much illumination close up to climb the tree and it's more discrete getting into the stand. I never have vision issues (not sure what I need night vision for while sitting still in a stand waiting for first light anyway but it's never been an issue whatsoever).


----------



## pinwheeled (Apr 27, 2008)

Predator said:


> This discussion is funny to me. It DOESN'T MATTER! Deer are used to seeing white lights all the time whether from automobiles or farm equipment. They are not "spooked" by lights - regardless of the color and a light will absolutely reduce the chances of you being detected by deer. If I walk through a field in the dark without a light deer will pick me off 100% of the time. If I walk with a bright white led headlamp on, and it is shining in their general direction they will not detect me as a human unless they can smell me. I routinely walk within bow range of deer in the dark by keep the light shined in their direction. It blinds them from being able to focus on and make out my human form. I also routinely will turn on my headlamp to look at a deer walking below my stand when I'm sitting there in the pre-dawn darkness. They act like they have no idea a light is being shined on them. Never has it spooked a deer and they are at 5-20 yards most of the time.
> 
> People know so little and worry about so much. Take a bright led light (whatever color you want but don't overcomplicate it and don't choose a color that dims the light and inhibits your vision). It's better to be safe and quietly go directly to your stand than bumble around making noise and leaving scent everywhere because you can't see where you are going. It's also potentially a real safety issue and might keep you from being shot (more a gun season issue than bow). I tack trees to and from stands when they are in the timber and use a bright led to walk in and out. When going in I flip my light to red only when I get to the tree to climb into my stand as I don't need much illumination close up to climb the tree and it's more discrete getting into the stand. I never have vision issues (not sure what I need night vision for while sitting still in a stand waiting for first light anyway but it's never been an issue whatsoever).


Well ok then. I hope you feel better. I think this pretty much wraps up this 9 year old thread.


----------

