Hunting

Why Red Hunting Lights for Nighttime Coyotes?

One of my favorite times to hunt hogs and predators is after dark. There is so much unknown and many variables at nighttime which makes hunting even more interesting and I always welcome the challenge to take on hunting when the sun goes down. I am a bit of a gear hound and love to find products in the vast array of outdoor industry companies that help us perform better in the field.

First of all, I will define what a good hunting flashlight is in today’s competitive flashlight market. Gone are the days of the old school huge hunting light assemblies that had to get tethered to a heavy 6-volt battery. Many strides have been made in CREE LED technology resulting in a lightweight, very bright, long range, aluminum housed flashlight. I have reviewed many other hunting light options on this blog in the past and the trend that has occurred has been lower cost and higher quality than ever before. You also get a choice of either dedicated red, green, white, blue, infrared, or ultraviolet LEDs or flashlights with interchangeable LEDs.

The X.Y Shine dedicated red hunting light (which can be found here: https://amzn.to/2t5KU0W)  I recently reviewed on my YouTube channel is one of my top picks for a coyote flashlight. It is lightweight, durable and one of the brightest red lights I own. Add to that it is around $30 on Amazon and I would say you have a winner. Prefer to hunt hogs with a green flashlight instead? They have one of those too: https://amzn.to/2Tu74Wj – it is also around $30!

So why red versus green color hunting lights for coyotes? There are many theories on this subject. Keep in mind that green lights usually have a longer range than red lights but that does not necessarily make green a better color to use. For one, it is believed that red lights are less visible to coyotes than the green light in the light spectrum. This has proven true in many of my hunting experiences. On the contrary, wild hogs don’t have the same light sensitivity as I have killed more than a few of them using either color. Red lights also seem to do a better job illuminating the eye reflection of the coyote and other predators, which is another reason why I favor red lights for hunting them.

Coyotes are far more sensitive to lights and the shadows they cast so there are some factors to consider here. For one, don’t shine a red light directly in a coyotes eyes as you will risk spooking him. Use the bottom of the halo of your flashlight and slowly bring your weapon-mounted or handheld flashlight down as you aim your scope cross hairs, red dot or iron sights on the coyote. Most red hunting lights will reach out to 150-250 yards which is usually a long enough shot at nighttime in most cases anyway.

Like any hunting pursuit, hunting coyotes takes patience and wisdom that comes through experience. Hopefully these tips on hunting at night using flashlights will aid you in your hunting adventure successes. Much of what I have learned about predator hunting came from a TV show I used to work for in Texarkana, Mac & Prowler’s “Coyote Tales” (www.macandprowler.com). Remember, red lights for coyotes, green or red lights for hogs, and you can get into all kind of discussions as to why that is a preferred color. I write all of this based on my experience in the field and your mileage, of course, may vary. No matter how you choose to approach “hunting the hunters” out there in the great beyond, be safe and have fun chasing coyotes!

Story by Dustin Vaughn Warncke

TF&G Staff

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