When thinking of hunting, people most often associate it with big game or turkeys, right? But there are many other animals that hunters seem worthwhile quarry. One of them is raccoons. However, unlike other big game hunting sports, coon hunting has to be operated at night because it’s the time when raccoons care most active. To get a successful trip, apart from raccoon hunting skills and powerful coonhounds, it’s essential that you have a few good coon hunting lights. They will help you a lot when walking through the woods and leading your dogs, even taking accurate shots in the dark.
While some hunters prefer using the hand-held hunting lamps, others choose a hands-free device for their safety and hunting efficiency. Each kind of lamps has its own strength and specific purpose. But among a wide range of lights, along with recent advancements in technology, it’s quite difficult for you to pick ones to fit your style of hunting. In this article, I’ll show you notices when choosing good coon hunting lights.
But first …
Let’s consider.
What should your lights need?
Technology has created giant strides in hunting over the past decade. Currently, hunting gears are over minimalist functions. Thus, before going to the hardware, you should do a little bit of research, in which remember the following key things to get the best ones:
- Lightweight: You have to lug around a hunting light during the whole trip. You might think comfort is not a big deal. But imagine that a bulky lamp is on your head, too heavy, too cumbersome. Of course, leading to an ineffective trip which no one wants. So pick a lightweight one to save your energy and have an enjoyable hunt.
- Long-life batteries: Carry big and uncomfortable batteries or hunt without light. But don’t worry, now a hunting light with long battery life can help you. Now you can forget the pocket full of batteries.
- Long distance: One of raccoon characteristics that you have to remember is they will do everything to evade humans. A hunting light with a weak beam requires you to get closer to your target to see it. And it’ll scare raccoon away. So you should choose ones with a beam powerful enough to spot the coon.
- Good brightness: Raccoon usually excellently hide in trees to avoid humans. Thus, only high-intensity light will work well for your hunting sessions.
Types of coon hunting lights
There are a few different types of lights which hunters use on their coon hunts. Each one has its features. You can only need one type of lights, or 2, 3 types. It depends on the way you hunt and which lights will meet your requirements. So learning the specific functions for each type to determine the best coon hunting lights for you.
Scope mounted gun lights
As its name, these lights are designed to be attached to the scopes of your rifles. Some of them look like compact flashlights with adapter brackets or mounts on the light’s body. Their function is similar to the standard handheld flashlight, but they allow you to adjust beam intensity and width and switch on/off the pressure. These lights come in different colors, such as red, green, and yellow. Because of being mounted on the gun, a heavy object on your rifle could throw off your aim. So, you should be mindful of its weight when buying a gun light.
LED headlamp style lights
For this type, LED lights are used for headlamps, which comfortably attach to your head and shine a bright beam at whatever you’re facing. Thanks to hands-free and lightweight, it’s a must-have item if you have to walk long distances through the woods on your hunts. Now your hands are free to carry other equipment, lead your coonhound, make the call, but still avoid injury from tripping over brush.
Handheld spotlights
This item is popular among traditional hunters who don’t concern with new hunting technology. But it’s still needed to spot elusive raccoon in the treetops or thick brush, because it’s very powerful and flexible. To operate some handheld spotlights, you may need long life batteries. But others can be best used with the cigarette adapter in your vehicle. With the compact shape, you can carry it in your pack, on your belt, on your ATV, or in your truck. But the only thing you have to care is that handheld spotlights require a free hand to operate. Promptly clip the light to your belt or your raccoon is gone.
Hybrid flashlights
The hybrid flashlight can be used as a traditional handheld item or a mounted gun lights using a special adapter bracket. But it’s slightly bulkier than normal gun mounted lights.
Red vs Green LED hunting lights?
Using LED is common in hunting, especially coon hunting. But the question is which color of LED hunting light works best. Red or green? Each color has different pros and cons, and depends on animal characteristics.
The red light puts the least amount of strain on human natural night vision, so you can hunt longer at night. This is also the reason that many coon hunters choose it. On top of that, the red lights have the least detrimental effect on animals. Red does not make an animal spooked. In fact, it can calm and attract raccoon.
Meanwhile, green LED lights provide longer distances, especially under a rifle scope. With the green one, the human eye can discern more detail and contrast. Thus, you can find the green LED lights on night vision systems. But the green light can spook some types of animals more than others, such as deer. Fortunately, the raccoon is not spooked at the sight of green light.
Whatever red or green light, you should remember that only turn the light on just before lowering your rifle to take aim. It’ll give you a quality shot.
Get Started Hunting
Raccoon hunting is an exciting experience, in which a good light plays an important role. It allows you be ready during the whole hunt. Nothing will kill your hunt faster than losing the light source. Currently, in the market, there are many types of coon hunting lights. You should pick those which are powerful enough to spot a raccoon and fit your hunting style. And to find the best light for you, it may take a little bit of time to test a few out.
If you’re someone who is keen on hunting life, don’t skip these tips, they’ll make your trip better than ever. You may also want to see our list of top 5 powerful coon hunting lights.
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