Hunters need to secure a clear vision of their prey from a fair distance. If you’re unable to spot the game early and enough, you may not have fun and pleasing hunting experience. This is why the right lighting is necessary for a hunt. When you aim to get a clean shot and use a brighter colored light, it may frighten your target. What light do you then use? Many hunters prefer green lights. Now, the question is, why green light for hunting?
What is a Night Hunting Light?
A night light is a kind of light designed for a clear and visible hunting ground at night. This light is not supposed to scare the game or give them any clue of an approaching threat. Since the human eyes are not structured to see in darkness as some animals can, a support system is needed — the light.
However, the white light isn’t the best option for nighttime hunting, even when it illuminates the brightest. It can scare the animal away. This is why many people prefer to use the green light for hunting at night over the white. Nighttime hunting lights are used by most hunters to track, locate, and aim at a coyote, hogs, or even ferrets. The light used may depend on the kind of animal(s) the chaser may be going after.
The Science Behind Animal Colorblindness
No matter the color of light humans sees, they always respond to it, except they are colorblind. This is not the case with animals because they do not perceive colored light the way they do to white lights. The total number of available cones in the human eye retina is not the same as in animals. While humans possess three cones, some animals have just two, and others have just one.
The number of cones available in one’s retina determines how vast the colors perceived will be. Why then should hunters use the green light for hunting at night?
Why Green Light for Hunting?
The simple answer is that the green light will make the animals see nothing at all. If they see anything, it will be a near gray color, like they see every other time.
You must know that even when using green light for hunting, these animals still could tell there were changes in their environment, especially when the light is out suddenly. However, the green light happens to be less pronounced than the white light and will not cause the animal to run.
Can Hogs see Green Light?
While it will make so much sense to hunt with lights to give you a clear view of your track and target, you don’t have to give yourself out and lose everything. Certain colors of lights are not as pronounced as the white lights, and those other colors have a reduced likelihood of frightening away animals. Just like most hunters will battle between red or green light for coyote hunting, the same argument may erupt while chasing hogs.
And yes, both light colors are used for hunting, however, animals differ, and certain colors visible to one may not be visible to the other. For instance, hogs, coyotes, and many other mammals have poor vision and, as such, are colorblind to both red and green colors. It is not the same case with deer, ferrets, monkeys, and ground squirrels that see a wide range of colors.
Now, the red lights in hunting make up the “conventional” light choice for some hunters. The red light tends to appear less pronounced and reduces the chances of frightening the game more than other light colors. To see the hunted animal clearly, one may have to make closer advancements and shot at a closer range.
On the other hand, many hunters prefer using green lights in a hunt, especially when hunting hogs. Hogs are dark and may get easily visible to the hunter using a green light than red. The hunter who may want to take their shots from longer ranges may prefer the green light for better Illumination since using white lights may be too spooky.
In essence, what becomes “best” depends on the species you are hunting and the effect a particular choice of color has on the hunt.
Does Green or Red Lights Matter in Hunting Deer
The deer is different. Its eyes are relatively wider, which makes it notice every bit of movement ongoing in its environment. However, considering that it has a low number of cones in the eyes, they can barely sense any details, most especially from far distances.
Besides, deers are known to have poor sight, implying that they could only fairly sense any lighting. But, hunters need to wear full-color clothes when near the deer. This animal can see or possibly sense lights from short distances and not too long ranges.
Which Color Should I Choose Anyway?
Well, for new hunters, this depends largely on the species of animal you are chasing. If you are hog hunting, you should use green lights for hunting at night. It gives you a clearer view of the hog and will not be a threat to scare away the game. Nevertheless, it causes eye fatigue for the human eye as its brightness is closer to the white light.
Just like we have crow hunting techniques to guide crow hunters, choosing between red or green light for coyote hunting is a choice that must be made. The red light causes lesser fatigue to the eyes when compared to the white and green night hunting lights. It is not as bright as the green light hence being far less threatening.
FAQ
Can deer see green light?
Yes, deer have a clearer sense of vision at night and may notice the rapid change in their environment.
Why do colors matter in hunting?
Many animals are unable to decipher colors as you can. They possess only two cones in their eye retina, which makes them blind to certain colors.
What is wrong with using my regular flashlight?
Torches mostly have white-color lights, and these lights may be too bright for the game. It will also leave a blinding effect on the human eye. So, it is wrong to use it.
Can hogs see green light?
No, hogs are color blind and see everything only in shades of gray. Hence, using the green light for hunting hogs is completely possible.
Why use the green light at night?
Green lights are relatively bright enough for the hunter to sight his game from a distance and not too bright to frighten (or be noticed by) the animals. It can be painful to the human eye when used frequently. But, it isn’t as stressful to the hunter’s eyes as brighter colors after use.
What happens when you suddenly put on the green light?
Despite not seeing green lights, when the green light is used in the environment, the sudden change in the shade of gray may be scary to them.
Wrapping Up
Most animals have failing vision and tend to be blind to colors or certain colors. If you desire to hit straight at your target from a very comfortable range, you’d have to consider a light source that wouldn’t scare your game or expose your presence. To answer the question of ” why green light for hunting,” the answer simply is that using green light helps you achieve a faster kill by illuminating the forest while keeping you hidden from the prey.
