Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: ThomMedic on July 06, 2020, 04:37:55 PM

Title: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: ThomMedic on July 06, 2020, 04:37:55 PM: Purchased a red light from Amazon (made in China). I got great range out it, came with a rifle adapter and a switch for the pistol grip. Affordable. However it seems that the coyotes might be detecting it before we detect them. Twice Elk repeatedly would stop feeding and look directly at us. Several times there were packs close to us but nothing got came in despite all the scent suppression and such. Is there a specific wavelength of red light that is undetectable to a coyote? Other than a target what I am missing?

Second Thought, what animal would produce an urine type of oder? On at least two occasions we set up at night and then after an hour or so I would smell something of a heavy urine like smell. After a few minutes it would disappear. Yes I did check my boots to make sure a pocket gopher didn't pee on me.

Thanks for any insight shared.
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: Thermal Predator Control on July 06, 2020, 10:03:00 PM: Your on the right track brother. I’ve hunted with lights and nightvision with an IR illumator for years. It is very frustrating and personally unproductive with lights. I would recommend saving your money and buy nightvision or thermal. Once you can see at night you can see there reactions when they scent you. During summer and fall I use a skunk scent that is very strong but very familiar to coyotes. I put a couple drops on a cotton ball in a sealed jar, then open it on stand. Good luck
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: j_h_nimrod on July 06, 2020, 10:34:05 PM: I don’t know how to measure light wavelength, but have seen animals completely unaware with some lights but really take notice of others. I have noticed animals really take no notice of a very bright, high Kelvin white LED but run at a dim red LED.
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: ThomMedic on July 07, 2020, 10:27:19 AM: Thanks for for the input, appreciated.
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: WSU on July 07, 2020, 10:49:30 AM: I have a red Wicked light and coyotes don't seem to notice it.
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: davef on July 18, 2020, 02:09:12 PM: i used to work with a guy that did predator management for the state and he said just use a white light. not sure how it works but i know he killed a lot of coyotes regularly
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: Okanagan on July 18, 2020, 07:32:31 PM: A night time coyote caller who was very good at it told me that he used a white light, and never put it directly on an animal till within a fraction of second of the shot. He would call in darkness for a minute or two at a time, then sweep around with a spotlight aimed up in the air enough that only the dimmest fringe of the beam lit the ground. That is enough to reflect eyes.

He would let an animal approach, usually working with a team of 2 people, and when the shooter had his sights on the animal, he would say “Burn him” or some such signal, and only then would the light operator dip the light directly on to the critter. He estimated that most coyotes gave the shooter about a half second to shoot before bolting.

FWIW.

I haven’t called much at night but used that fringe technique to call in a pack of four coyotes from a measured quarter mile (fence line to fence line where I hunkered into a fence post). One approached to within 6 feet and the other three hung back at about 20 feet, nervous. Wasn't legal to shoot at night in that locale, so I called them to experiment.

Bobcats seem less concerned about light. Also, I called a cougar one night on the Peninsula that seemed to have no fear of approaching a dim red LED light but would retreat the instant I switched on a weak white spotlight with more range.
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: AL WORRELLS KID on July 18, 2020, 07:44:37 PM: [quote author=ThomMedic
what animal would produce an urine type of odor? On at least two occasions we set up at night and then after an hour or so I would smell something of a heavy urine like smell. After a few minutes it would disappear. Yes I did check my boots to make sure a pocket gopher didn't pee on me.
[/quote]

ThomMedic, You have heard of Wiley Coyote?
It sounds like you had been accosted by his cousin "Sneaky Fox," when you were looking the other way, (not once but twice.) :chuckle:
Don't feel bad, more than once I have painstakingly set out Fox traps, only to return to a snapped trap with Mr. Foxes calling card (#2) left on top of it. :yike:
(Keep your eyes peeled, them Critters are fast!)
Doug
"Fool me Once, Shame on you, Fool me Twice,...Shame on me!"

"
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: Lucky1 on July 18, 2020, 09:37:06 PM: My experience is somewhat limited. I have shot coyotes using white, red and green light. The young dumb ones stand around and let you shoot them with any light. I also shoot them pretty close to suburbia, they may be more accustomed to artificial light from cars and houses etc, so they aren’t as spooky. I think green is best for not scaring them. I recently got set up with a thermal scope. Killed one with it so far. If you can swing it, it’s effective and fun.
Title: Re: Red lights, real red lights, and bad smells
Post by: ThomMedic on July 23, 2020, 05:21:16 PM: Great replies thank you. "Al Worrell"s Kid - great video and picture, explains a lot about Washington politics.