White light

[brock ratcliff]

Somewhere on here someone asked about what kind of light everyone uses in the morning. Some said red, some green, some none at all for fear of spooking deer. I mentioned that I use a regular old white light as it DOES NOT scare deer and I also mentioned that I routinely walk right up to them while shining the light on them. I may have been wrong, but I felt like some here may have thought I was full of dirt about that...sorta like years ago when I mentioned that smoke confuses the heck out of deer. So anyway, this morning I took a few pics with my phone. I should have zoomed in a bit as the deer in the pic is all of 10 yards from me, and never moved even after I stopped taking pictures and continued on to my stand for the morning. Keep the light on 'em, and they freeze like frogs. I had my video camera in my pocket but didn't think to use it, next time I will. There were actually two deer bedded in the grassy waterway, but I only took pics of one. Notice in some of the pics she isn't even looking my direction...she is fascinated by her own shadow being cast on the trees behind her!

Buy a white light and stop spooking deer on your way to your morning stands!

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Damn...thanks. I will try it.

 

[brock ratcliff]

This is a pic of the same waterway. In fact where the doe in this pic is standing is just about the exact place the deer were laying this morning. As you can see, those deer saw me coming for a long time and yet laid there and let me pass after taking pics!

 

[Mike]

That's great evidence. Thanks!

 

[RedCloud]

That is awesome right there. Thanks for posting that Brock

 

[Redhunter1012]

That's why I love this site. Great advice Brock

 

[Big_Holla]

Do you find you have to shine the light right at them to keep them from spooking? What I mean is, do deer still blow out of there on occasion if you don't notice them with the flashlight first?

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

I don't know how many times I've walked up close to deer as I was leaving the woods in the dark with my light on. Try using a grunt call when leaving.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Do you find you have to shine the light right at them to keep them from spooking? What I mean is, do deer still blow out of there on occasion if you don't notice them with the flashlight first?

Usually not, as long as the light is on. Its got to be something with their vision because when you turn the light off, they suddenly know there is a man there. With it on, they haven't a clue.

 

[Treed]

Cool......I can't hardly see crap with my red light on anyway.

 

[finelyshedded]

Very cool stuff Brock! Proof is in the pudding!

 

[Hoytmania]

Have you ever had a instance where the light was shining on one deer and there were mother deer you didn't know about, so you focusing the light on the one allowed the others to key in on you and spook.

Also once you see a deer do you just stay focused on the one or do you move the light around to hit all the other deer?

 

[brock ratcliff]

I've walked into a herd of em, walked through the herd and kept on going. They will often trot off a piece, but not "spooked" like they would without a light. They are kinda like nightcrawlers. If you put a really bright beam directly in their eyes they get a little more jittery, like nightcrawlers that will scoot off if you hit them with too bright of a light directly. I usually put the beam right above their head. If deer off to the side spook, they don't spook badly as they just go a short piece to wait on their buddy.
The only way to see their reaction is to just do it. Next time you see some in a field on your way out, shine 'em and walk at them. You'll get close enough to make yourself nervous.

 

[Mike]

Man that's good stuff.

 

[Fullbore]

Very good food for thought, Brock. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[hunter56]

Very good food for thought, Brock. Thanks for sharing this.

Do you just use a plain old flashlight???

 

[Dannmann801]

I was exiting the woods after dark tonight on my atv and damn if a doe didn't walk right out in front of me. Stood there as I drove to within 15 yds before she walked slowly away. She was mesmerized by the light.

Little bittch coulda had the decency to walk past my stand during the day, but noooooo, she was all selfish.

 

[Diane]

Little bittch coulda had the decency to walk past my stand during the day, but noooooo, she was all selfish.

I needed that laugh tonight! :smiley_clap:

 

[hunter56]

Do you use a regular white-yellow beam flashlight?

 

[ImpalaSSpeed96]

I use a red only because they are supposed to be color blind. I can tell you while looking for a deer the other night, one guy had an LED light, the other a white light. The white light is not nearly as noticeable. The LED will grab a deers attention from a long way off if it hits him right...