Combo Questions re walking to the stand in the AM

[Mescalero]

Saturday morning my trusty headlamp of probably 15 years finally went kaput at the truck as I was gearing up. Luckily I had a handheld flashlight for the walk in, but its batteries went dead just as I got to my tree. Sunday morning I used another headlamp that I had at home, but that is only white light. My trusty headlamp was white and green light and I've always walked in with the green light. First question, do you use white light or green or red light in the morning walking to your stand? I'm strongly considering trying to find a green light head lamp for this weekend.

Second question, on my walk in Sunday morning, I got blown at by a deer at a pretty fair distance. I assume she was blowing at me after hearing me (or seeing my white light, which I had set on the lowest setting, but it was still strong light). Not sure how far away she was, maybe 100 yards, maybe farther. I didn't see any deer Sunday morning and am wondering if that is why. I don't think so, as the weekend prior I was hunting from the ground (couldn't find a suitable tree for my climber in this one part of public land) and got blown at in early morning day light. The group of 3 or more deer ran and I grunted (probably 35-50 yards away) and the deer came back, but never close enough for a shot with my bow. They couldn't figure out who or what I was. I grunted a few more times hoping to get one to come closer, but they never did.

 

[Spurhunter]

My headlamp has a red light in addition to the white. I've never tried green. I really like the red light as far as not spooking deer or turkeys. However, during gun season I usually use a white light. I'm just too nervous with all the accidental shootings that happen every year.

 

[catman529]

Doesn't really matter what color light you use. It's more the sound of you walking breaking sticks, and the smell if a deer is downwind, that spooks em. Last month I was walking in quietly down a creek bed in Kentucky with my white headlamp on looking for my tree and a doe walked right up to me without a care in the world. She finally ran off when I started walking again and she realized what I was. Don't overthink it, deer blow for a lot of reasons, could be the light or could be something else.

My favorite way to walk in is with no light at all, but on the really dark mornings in thick woods I'll use the white light so I don't step on every dang stick on the ground.

 

[medic]

I have always used a white light while walking in the dark in the woods unless it is a trail that I know for sure there are not any holes to step in. If I spoke a deer I figure I couldn't have shot it anyways in the dark.

 

[megalomaniac]

It all depends on where you are hunting. Don't hunt a spot in the dark where deer are bedded close on your way in. If that's where you want to hunt, you may want to sneak in just after light to see. If you bump deer, don't sweat it. But don't overhunt that spot either. Repetitively bumping deer will push them away.

What catman said is right... its not as much the color of the light or no light at all... but rather the sound (which will alarm deer but not spook them) or worse if they get your scent (which will completely spook them) on your way in

 

[BSK]

I use green because I have cateye tacks leading to stands, and the green light makes them glow like emeralds. Very easy to see. Red light is actually better for deer not seeing it as they don't have red color receptors in their eyes.

As for the deer blowing at you. I've been busted and blown at many a time and still seen deer later in the hunt. Just coincidence you didn't see any deer that hunt.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

If the white light bothers you and you can't find a green or red, you can probably find clear red or green tape to cover the lens with. Deer will blow at a leaf in the wind if it startles them. Try not stepping on or tripping over every limb in the trail and that's about all you can hope for. Even with some light, I still walk in watching more where I'm going rather than looking ahead too much, especially since I had a friend step in a hole and break his leg in three places a couple years ago.

 

[cbhunter]

Cannot recall last time I used a light going in or out of the woods. Granted I'm pretty familiar with the places I hunt. I hate using lights but understand that some people have no choice

 

[bloodtrailing]

Uh can't deer see in the dark therefore they don't see a light but a guy with a gun.

 

[Snake]

Doesn't really matter what color light you use. It's more the sound of you walking breaking sticks, and the smell if a deer is downwind, that spooks em. Last month I was walking in quietly down a creek bed in Kentucky with my white headlamp on looking for my tree and a doe walked right up to me without a care in the world. She finally ran off when I started walking again and she realized what I was. Don't overthink it, deer blow for a lot of reasons, could be the light or could be something else.

My favorite way to walk in is with no light at all, but on the really dark mornings in thick woods I'll use the white light so I don't step on every dang stick on the ground.

I always use the white light the brighter the better for me . I've walked right up to deer , did that twice already this year. The sound you make can as Catman mentioned or if they get wind of you if mostly why they bust you .

 

[Mescalero]

Love this site. Always good, helpful information. I'm hunting public land so often I'm hunting a new to me places. I'm focused on the ground trying to step over sticks and branches and to avoid holes, including some doozies I've come across. I think most of my noise comes from breaking through thick stuff with a climber on my back.

 

[catman529]

I always use the white light the brighter the better for me . I've walked right up to deer , did that twice already this year. The sound you make can as Catman mentioned or if they get wind of you if mostly why they bust you .

Yep, brighter lights have the deer in headlights affect. But once they hear you stomping breaking twigs, or get a whiff of you, they don't like it at all.

 

[Methane]

I've always used a green light and I've walked to within 10 feet of deer just standing there looking at me. Freaked me out. I like having a light of any color just to make sure there's not a coon sitting in my stand when I start climbing up, and to see spider webs.

 

[Kyboy]

I have had this happen twice, several years ago I was using a head lamp on a bright whitelight setting, walked up on a buck making a scrape just held the light on him and walked ten yards from him never a care in the world. Second time walked up on a buck bedded and just held the light on him again, I seriously walked 5 yards from him, never paid a bit of attention and ended up shooting over his back later that day.

 

[BSK]

I've always used a green light and I've walked to within 10 feet of deer just standing there looking at me. Freaked me out. I like having a light of any color just to make sure there's not a coon sitting in my stand when I start climbing up, and to see spider webs.

I use green light because it makes cateye tacks glow bright. Last year, walking to my stand, I saw two cateye tacks seemingly out of alignment with the trail of tacks. As I got closer I realized it was a deer's eyes staring at me. I just walked on past at about 10 yards and the deer didn't budge, just let me walk by.

 

[Gravey]

I used to use a green light but no idea what happened to it. On our lease I never use one since I know where I'm going. I do have a headlamp that has 2 white settings and 1 red that I can use if needed.

 

[Rakkin6]

The color of light doesn't matter it all travels the same distance just on different spectrums. I try to use red light if I can only because it does not affect your night vision when you go from red light to no light. Deer can see a red/green/white light at the same distances.

 

[Deer Assassin]

Doesn't really matter what color light you use. It's more the sound of you walking breaking sticks, and the smell if a deer is downwind, that spooks em. Last month I was walking in quietly down a creek bed in Kentucky with my white headlamp on looking for my tree and a doe walked right up to me without a care in the world. She finally ran off when I started walking again and she realized what I was. Don't overthink it, deer blow for a lot of reasons, could be the light or could be something else.

My favorite way to walk in is with no light at all, but on the really dark mornings in thick woods I'll use the white light so I don't step on every dang stick on the ground.

Very accurate

 

[TNDeerGuy]

My favorite way to walk in is no light, or a red light if I need one, but with the wma's around mid-tn you're lucky if you don't see me carrying a lit-up disco ball coming through the woods as I use the light to let some of these public land "hunters" know that I'm not a deer and not to shoot my old butt.

 

[BSK]

The color of light doesn't matter it all travels the same distance just on different spectrums. I try to use red light if I can only because it does not affect your night vision when you go from red light to no light. Deer can see a red/green/white light at the same distances.

Deer have VERY different eye structure than we have. Deer do not have a red receptor in their eyes. They have dichromatic vision while we have trichromatic vision. Deer only have receptors for blue and yellow light. We have receptors for blue, yellow and red.