Hunting Light?

[Old Farmer]

What would be a good light to use for walking into the woods of the mornings deer hunting, and for walking out at night?

 

[cslinger]

Surefire Kroma, Surefire A2 blue LEDs. Anything that will help you track blood trails I would think.

Chris

 

[Patriot]

Like....fore walking to your hunting spot or treestand before sun-up?

I would say any good red or green LED flashlight or incandescent light with red or green filter. You probably know that animals are less jumpy about red or green light and it will also preserve your night vision / low light sensitivity.

 

[BIGIRON]

Red or green. Most outdoor stores sell green SL Stylus for that purpose. The will also probably have GID thumbtacks (no joke) to place in trees to mark your trail for just that purpose. I would also use them, or hivis survey tape, to mark a tracking trail so you can find your way back trom tracking a wounded animal. Experience speaks.

 

[Patriot]

If you're tracking blood these www.xenopuselectronix.com/xeled/index.html UV lights in the 380-385nm range are best. They work much better than blue LEDs or blue filters. I got to witness their performance two years ago while Javalina hunting.

 

[andyr354]

Headlamp would be my vote.

Much easy to carry the gear you need.
I have a priceton tek EOS that I use right now. I wish it had more flood though.

I would use your night vision as much as possible though. If the moon is out you can see pretty well if you give your eyes a while to adjust.

Andy

 

[Bloodnut]

A red or green photon clipped to the cap will do fine. You just need enough light to see where you're stepping. I've been using a SL Stylus for a couple of years now. While it works, the length is a bit unwieldy for clipping on the cap - but I use it anyway because it's what I have. (Finding the 4A batts is a PITA too.) I have also run a SL LED/Incan combo. I may use it this year, but I expect that my 9P/Malkoff light will see some field use this year too.

 

[JohnB]

Up in New England the Streamlight Sidewinder seems to be very popular.
We have a headlamp that was designed for Hunters called the Challenge.
It has Red, Blue and white LED's.

 

[whippoorwill]

Definitely a headlamp and if you need red/blue, etc., I would go with either the Ray O Vac 1AA headlamp (Sportsman Extreme) or the Petzl Tactikka XP. If you are just looking for white, the PT EOS.

Headlamps leave your hands free for guns, climbing stands and if you are lucky, dragging the deer out!

Good luck and don't fall out of the stand!

 

[WDR65]

I too agree with the headlamp suggestion and a compact headlamp with multiple colors like the Rayovac Sportsman extreme mentioned above seems ideal for walking in and out of hunting areas. I also like to have a small bright light on me, last year I carried the old style Surefire L1 and or a U2. This year I will probably carry my Cree L1 with a red filter and the above mentioned headlamp. This an at the minimum thing as I will generally have at least one spare light in my pack or pockets as my hunting partner always seems to forget fresh batteries for his.

I for one am going to take BIGIRON'S advice to heart about the survey tape or reflective tacks as getting turned around a 1/4 mile into brush that you have to crawl through at night with a thunderstorm approaching and your batteries dying is not on my list of things to repeat.

 

[Lee1959]

I carried two lights out hunting this past week. I used an Inova X5 red LED for walking back and forth to the hunting area. I kept a Minimag MAGLED 2 AA on my belt in an Uncle Mikes holster and used it to track and find my buck.

Both worked very well and I would use again any time for this task.

 

[NITEHUNT]

Headlamp is easiest. Keeps hands free for limbs, or a stumble...

 

[skeeterbait]

I have always liked green light for going in to the stand in the morning. Princeton Tec Remix Pro headlamp is what I use this year and really like it. Single strap, small and light weight, single CR123a, gives you the choice of two outputs green flood or 100 lumen white throw, always starts in low green. They are available in red also. Best source I have found is Brightguy.

I am also carrying a Nitecore EC25 with green filter on my belt and that is my brighter light should the need for it arise. So both of the lights I am using have the ability to easily switch from green to white.