Can a flashlight scare off an agressive animal?

I've read many times on here that good flashlights can temporarily blind a person that may be a threat to you. But what about animals? Anyone every hear of someone scaring off a bear or big cat or wolf, etc., using a bright flashlight? I would think it should work, just never heard of any stories like this. Anyone have any info?

Maybe one of those big HID lights - hell, it would scare me - or perhaps deer in headlight look.

This is one of the reasons I like the more powerful Incan or HID lights. I have scared off stray dogs, racoons, skunks, cats every time with my 800+ Bulb Lumen lights. They can't see squat, and while most nocturnal animals rely more on smell, this has been surprisingly effective. No idea with bear, wolf, etc. It's also possible that the sight/smell of a human is more responsible....but seeing how painful these lights are....I have to assume a similar reaction with many animals. One wild dog ran into a tree while retreating....apparently from being so blinded.

I wouldn't want to count on it but if you have nothing else it would certainly be worth a try. It's my feeling that if it's dark and you have a bright light to shine in an animals face he will have an instinctive fear of coming closer to that which it cannot see. A blinded animal or one which can't see what it intends to attack I believe would be less likely to approach because of the unknown but I'm sure that depends a lot also on that particular animals temperment. I scared off a huge raccoon (probably close to 70 pounds) one time as it was about to enter my RV which had the door open but a screen door closed. There was food, my cat and GF inside. Raccoons can be aggressive but probably not as much so as a bear, cougar and some other animals. It would probably help to hold the light up high as possible to while shining it right into their eyes. This will make you look much bigger to them. I would recommend if you are going to be in an area with dangerous animals to have other means of protection also.

Even though we go camping a lot I've never had the opportunity to try this. So it's got me curious, which is why I started this thread. My dog doesn't even flinch around flashlights, although I would never shine one at her eyes. I guess she is just used to them.

But it sure would be worth a try to light-up an agressive animal in the eyes rather than have to shoot it with a gun.

LuxLuthor said:

This is one of the reasons I like the more powerful Incan or HID lights. I have scared off stray dogs, racoons, skunks, cats every time with my 800+ Bulb Lumen lights. They can't see squat, and while most nocturnal animals rely more on smell, this has been surprisingly effective. No idea with bear, wolf, etc. It's also possible that the sight/smell of a human is more responsible....but seeing how painful these lights are....I have to assume a similar reaction with many animals. One wild dog ran into a tree while retreating....apparently from being so blinded.

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Well I guess that does it. I'm going to have to add one of our custom modders high powered flame throwers to my back pack. Adding now to the growing want list. C'mon Lux - you gotta buy my house with the underground eternally dark room so I can start buying lights again

KingGlamis said:

But what about animals? Anyone every hear of someone scaring off a bear or big cat or wolf, etc., using a bright flashlight? I would think it should work, just never heard of any stories like this. Anyone have any info?

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Smaller animals, maybe. Coons, possums, skunks, coyotes, foxes, etc. tend to freeze and just stare into my light. If I approach while making some noise, they usually will retreat.

Bigger animals, I doubt it. Black bears in areas where they often encounter humans may even be attracted by artificial lights. A CPF member from Alaska says the big bears up there are largely indifferent to flashlights. Dogs seem to experience little discomfort from bright lights shined into their eyes, even approaching to lick the flashlight lens.

None of the bigger animals requires the use of their vision to attack and maul you. If one decides to attack, a bright light isn't going to be more than a slight inconvenience to the animal.

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Animals have a natural aversion to fire. Perhaps the creation of an artificial wooden torch in the same color temp and flicker will scare some animals. Nah, they probably sense the heat or lack of.

Actually, there's already an interesting thread with a similar subject:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/109849

I have scared off a skunk with a raised tail using a SureFire M4. Of course, skunks prefer to run than to spray, and this one had a wide open space and an "enemy" that was more than happy to back away slowly and let it go any direction it liked -- provided it was away from the M4.

There was s story on Surefire's web site a while ago about a water buffalo being scared (not sure about the details) by one of their sub 100Lumen lights (IF I remember correctly, it was a while ago).

I think that many of us have had successful experiences with small animals. My XO3 kept a skunk moving in a desirable direction.....Away from me.

But as others have stated, I would never EXPECT that it would work with any animal, especially one that can hurt you. I work with dogs and I can assure you that a dog that has rearranging your body parts on its mind is very unlikely to be persuaded by the output of most of the lights we normally carry. Now substitute a mountain lion or a bear for the dog and the risk increases proportionally.

If you are in a situation where you could get hurt and there is a different viable alternative I would use that first and only use the flashlight if it was all you had left. If nothing else using it to deliver a jab to the eye of "whatever" might buy you a little time.

Small/medium and curious animals maybe. I'm not sure it'd work with a large and/or determined predator.


While in South Africa, we spotted a hyena outside our camp (no fencing). It would duck behind some fallen branches every time I shone my light in its direction. Whether that's an example of deterrence, or plain annoyance at a light being shined in its eyes I'll never know.

most rural animals tend to be startled and freeze for a few seconds when you shine a light on them. making a noise will likely get them to retreat.
for larger animals, i don't know. we don't have any bears or other heavy predators around here, so never had the chance to try i suppose.

i wouldn't rely on it, but if i knew it was going in for the kill, i would definitely try it. i suggest something more convincing to stop them though. shotgun with some deer slugs, or heavy caliber rifle maybe.

GreySave said:

I can assure you that a dog that has rearranging your body parts on its mind is very unlikely to be persuaded by the output of most of the lights we normally carry. Now substitute a mountain lion or a bear for the dog and the risk increases proportionally.

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I'm not interested in a light as a way to combat a charging animal, so much as in convincing it not to charge in the first place. If I come face to face with a larger predator on a dark trail and we are standing still staring at each other, it seems like putting a lot of light on it might help convince it to turn off the trail and head into the brush, or to allow me to back away slowly. It may decrease the likelihood it will identify me as prey. Prey usually doesn't output hundreds of lumens.

On the other hand, once an animal is charging me, blinding it will not be my first choice. If all I had was a light, I'd be a lot more likely to try to stab the bear in an eye with it.

In all cases, reducing the chance of an actual physical confrontation is the primary goal, and where I think use of lumens may have some benefit. Once there is actual physical engagement, lumen power seems to me to become nearly useless -- aside from hopefully letting me see where that eye is.

In any event, animals don't need to see to attack effectively. Most of the ones we worry about would beat us at hide and seek -- blind -- most of the time. Hiding AND seeking.

The best way to avoid being hurt in a fight is to avoid participating in it -- if you can.

I have heard of a few instances of a predator being scared off by a light. On a show called "Hunter and Hunted" on the National Geographic channel...they were recounting how some guys in Saskatchewan CA, were walking through the woods at night looking for their missing friend. They lit up some eyes, probably a wolf, and it ran off, or at least retreated back into the woods a ways.

I should point out, though, that that wolf or one of its buddies (remember wolves are territorial, so you won't find a bunch of random wolves in an area) had already killed the missing guy, so they weren't hard up for food or anything (the guy's body was partially eaten when found) and wild animals don't just go around attacking people for no reason, so there wasn't much motivation for it to stick around. But most wolves have a natural fear of humans, so unless the wolf in question has lost its fear of humans, your mere presence would probably be effective.

And I read a story on Surefire's site about a few coyotes being scared off by an L1.

But on the other hand, I remember an incident in California where a cougar killed (and ate) one person, mauled another a few days later, and the cops went out looking for it in the darkness. From what I heard, the cougar wasn't particularly afraid of their flashlights. In fact, they made it sound like it may have been looking to make one of the cops its prey, but the cops had a thermal imager equipped chopper on their side. In another incident in Canada, a cougar attacked a young girl in broad daylight with numerous people around. I seriously doubt a flashlight would have been effective there. If you're wondering if the girl was okay, she was wearing a life preserver, which protected her neck from the bites and the girl's mom eventually managed to chase it off.

I don't know about jaguars. There aren't many in the US yet, but if cougars here and big cats in Africa are any indication, they probably won't be concerned with flashlights, either. Of course, cougars and jaguars are both stealthy ambush predators, so if they decide to attack you, you probably won't have a chance to use your flashlight. Better to have a knife.

All in all, I think it probably comes down to how familiar the animal is with humans. The more familiar it is, the less likely it is to be afraid.

And if you do happen to encounter a bear, be sure not to use a Pelican light.

so far no aggressive animals to test on for me. i did see a neighborhood cat. i shined the light in it's eyes, nothing. i put it on strobe, nothing either.
oh well.

I think most animals, especially the canine & bear families rely mostly on their sense of smell....it comes online wayyyy before they even open their eyes as a newborn. As such, I agree if an animal is charging as in looking for a meal, or protecting offspring.....you need a more effective form of protection such as pepper spray, taser, stun gun, or kill it dead gun.

I'm also giving my examples using like FM's custom Carley 43W 1500 BL type light that has ALWAYS driven away all those animals I encounter regularly. That was not true with skunks and several dogs when I only used my SF M4 (MN61), as it is not what I consider "painfully bright."

When I BRIEFLY WAVE my M4 at my own dog, he doesn't move. When I even more BRIEFLY wave my 1500L light, he ALWAYS turns his head to avert from it. (I gave him a treat for his contribution :kiss: )

Unless shows like National Geographic used a MaxaBeam to test animals reactions, the kind of lights I'm talking about in my post are not likely available for them to see these kinds of effects.

Interesting to see this again. I guess it's a continuing theme here. We were having our communications field day last weekend. I arrived home at 2am to find a coyote (big eastern ...not like the smaller western coyote) in the yard. He walked slowly towards me. I still had my 35w costco HID light with me. He really flinched when I lit him up. He turned away, stopped and then made a run for it. I could tell that this amount of light was probably painful for him to stare at. I would be hesitant to rely on lesser lights in this situation. Most of us don't carry a monster like this too often.

Then again, this is CPF......maybe you do :thinking:

Wait till I get my Maxabeam next week. The vermin will be vaporized where they stand! LOL! It's bad enough when a skunk sprays near your yard...but when they spray your dog. OMG!