Will light spook deer.
#23
I use a regular mag light, but i just point it at the ground in front of me.
Story related to the topic-
Last year I was walking to my stand during bow season. It was in a oak hammock and I had almost made it to my ladder stand. I turned off my flashlight and was almost to climb my stand, when I heard an animal breathing very close behind me. I grabbed the flashlight quickly and shined towards the animal- an 8 pt buck less than 15 yds away. When I shined him in the eyes, he had turned and went to walking away slowly. I scampered up the stand quickly and waited; he made a circle and turned right back around to the spot I shined him. He was eating acorns for an agonizing 20 minutes before daylight while I sat in the darkness and listened. As soon as I had enough daylight to see through my hind sight and see my pins, he went to browsing for acorns to my left side. I decided it was now or never, and I came to full draw on him. I shot and he ran 30 yds before expiring.
Moral of the story- Not all deer are spooked by a flashlight!
Story related to the topic-
Last year I was walking to my stand during bow season. It was in a oak hammock and I had almost made it to my ladder stand. I turned off my flashlight and was almost to climb my stand, when I heard an animal breathing very close behind me. I grabbed the flashlight quickly and shined towards the animal- an 8 pt buck less than 15 yds away. When I shined him in the eyes, he had turned and went to walking away slowly. I scampered up the stand quickly and waited; he made a circle and turned right back around to the spot I shined him. He was eating acorns for an agonizing 20 minutes before daylight while I sat in the darkness and listened. As soon as I had enough daylight to see through my hind sight and see my pins, he went to browsing for acorns to my left side. I decided it was now or never, and I came to full draw on him. I shot and he ran 30 yds before expiring.
Moral of the story- Not all deer are spooked by a flashlight!
#24
Way too many ridges and fall-offs in the hills here in WV not to use a light. I'd probably break a leg or fall off a cliff without one. That being said i use red if i am fairly familiar with the territory. White if i don't know much about it
#25
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 9
On my way up to my stand last yr had a doe cross over in fornt of me 30 yards away,all she did was keep walking like I wasnt even there,and that was with a headlamp that has a good spot light on it,I dont use the leds unless I am close to my stand.
#27
i've been using a white light for years with no deer being spooked. a couple weeks ago i walked up on 2 deer while walking to my stand about 45 minutes before daylight. the 2 deer stood there looking at me for about 15 minutes trying to figure out what i was. i'm assuming they did not smell me because they did not associate me with danger until i started walking towards them. i walked up to about 15 yards from them before they finally turned and trotted off. after only being in my stand for 20 or so minutes, the same 2 deer walked under my stand unspooked. i don't think light has anything to do with spooking deer, i think it is a combination of the deer smelling and hearing you. the different color lights are just another gimmick to seperate hunters from their money.
on another note, growing up here in Florida it is legal to shine deer with a spot light. my parents use to take us out to the woods to shine deer as family outtings. out of the hundreds of times we did this and the tens of thousands of deer we seen....not one spooked after being lit up with a 1 million candle watt power spot light. it's your scen and movement that spooks deer, not light.
on another note, growing up here in Florida it is legal to shine deer with a spot light. my parents use to take us out to the woods to shine deer as family outtings. out of the hundreds of times we did this and the tens of thousands of deer we seen....not one spooked after being lit up with a 1 million candle watt power spot light. it's your scen and movement that spooks deer, not light.