Rookie question

[Amonette]

So this upcoming elk season is going to be my 2nd elk season and I am willing to learn anything and everything I can. I have been wondering this for a while and I haven't found an answer anywhere so I figured a forum would be best.

Does anyone have any thoughts on using your red light on your headlamp to help your 3/4am hikes a little easier into the back country? I don't know if this would be completely ridiculous or if it may actually work, so any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Bitterroot Bulls]

Whatever keeps you from tripping over stuff. I always turn mine off and let my eyes adjust well before shooting light.

 

[Jerry]

Unless it is a totally moonless night or heavy timber with no ambient light, I prefer to let my eyes adjust to the dark. That being said there are times when it is so dark or the terrain is so bad that some light is a must. I agree with Bitterroot, anything that you are comfortable with is good. The military still uses red light so it can't be bad.

 

[Amonette]

Thanks guys-

Using your red light helps maintain your visual purple at night and I think I will use it sparingly. My main concern was whether or not elk could see it or if it would spook them easily...

 

[Jerry]

Thanks guys-

Using your red light helps maintain your visual purple at night and I think I will use it sparingly. My main concern was whether or not elk could see it or if it would spook them easily...

Interesting question!! I've never used red light where an elk may have seen it, but used sparingly I doubt it would be an issue.

 

[mthuntress]

I'll let you know in two days I'm heading into the backcountry for a break and I all was bump into some elk.

 

[wolftalonID]

The elk can see very well at night..red lights would be seen by them quite easily. Being they are so different than white, it would be interesting to see how they react to the color differences though. Keep us posted Jen

 

[sclwald]

I am going to comment on this from my military experience. Using darker lights like reds do not allow your pupils to dialate and contract as much taking less time for you to see clearly and adjust. One advantage of using it. Will elk see it? Without a doubt. It is still light. We used colored lights on the flight deck for the reason I stated above and also that the colored light is absorbed into the atmosphere much easier. This making it less visible at longer distances. White light you can see for miles when unobstructed but a red not so much. I use red lights when hunting to preserve my night vision and to also allow the light to not be seen at longer distances. When you turn it on at first it is hard to get used too but after a few minutes your night vision corrects and you can see more than you think you could. Just my two cents.

 

[svmoose]

I use white light, red light, whatever light when I'm hiking in the dark. When I get close to where I am going to start hunting I usually shut it off. If I'm hiking at 4 a.m. I know I've got a good amount of ground to cover, most of it I won't be hunting anyway - make your life easier and use the light.

 

[sclwald]

I use white light, red light, whatever light when I'm hiking in the dark. When I get close to where I am going to start hunting I usually shut it off. If I'm hiking at 4 a.m. I know I've got a good amount of ground to cover, most of it I won't be hunting anyway - make your life easier and use the light.

The exact way I do it.

 

[BigT]

Deer sense colors toward the violet end of the spectrum, so they can see blues and probably even ultraviolet (UV) light. Deer show a slight sensitivity to yellow, but tests indicate that green, orange, and red appear to them as shades of gray. (field and stream)

i would prob go with the red light if you think you will be hiking thru the elk

 

[Drhorsepower]

I go in in the dark, I have a headlamp and will only turn it on if I absolutely need it. I will turn it on crossing a creek or something.

 

[mthuntress]

ok so here's what I found out on my"recon" trip Green work better then red. got to 15 yards of an elk with green and 50ish yards with red.Two different elk on different meadows each meadow was 100 yards wide.Wish it could have been on the same elk that would have been fun!

 

[Amonette]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Pretty much what I was guessing would be the case, except for your field test mthuntress, I never thought about green. So thank you again to everyone and good hunting!

 

[miller1]

I use green when deer hunting and i have had deer scare me to death because the dont react till i get within about 10 to 15 yards of them, its like they dont know what it is so they just stand there.

 

[338ultra]

A lot of the deer breeders here in Texas will use Red lights when they are working the deer through the vaccination barns. They don't see red as well as a lot of other colors. They do pick up the ultraviolet light that is reflected off of clothing or unnatural colors in their surroundings. Thats why you see a Red Glow around Game Cameras at night and also are starting to see quite a bit of camo clothing with Red patterns. The research is showing that deer (in daylight) can distinguish different colors of green and blue, but have a very had time picking out different shades of red. From my understanding of it that's also why wearing hunter orange is not a terrible thing, because it is in the red spectrum (supposedly) and deer don't see it as well. Elk are in the deer family, so I would think some of this would transfer across from whitetail to mule deer to elk.

When going to my deer stand in the morning, I use a red light or walk in the dark. If I know deer will be in a certain area I will shine the red light in their direction. I've walked within 50 yards of 4 or 5 deer with a red light shined at their eyes and they never moved.

 

[dustyboots]

What about blue lights?