What color light is best for coyote hunting?

The answer to this question is not so simple. There are a number of factors that come into play when deciding on the best light color for coyote hunting. Things like whether or not you’re using a spotlight, moonlight, bright moonlight, bright starlight, bright starlight with a red filter, dim starlight with a red filter and dim starlight with a yellow/amber filter all come into play when considering the perfect color for your needs.

The benefits of using a certain color light for coyote hunting

Red light is the best color to use when coyote hunting one hundred percent of the time. Red light washes out human vision making it difficult for people to see what you are doing at night. Coyotes have very sensitive night vision, allowing them to pick up just about any color but red. The problem with standard red lights is that they are not enough brightness needed to spot a coyote from any kind of distance.

A spotlight or other type of handheld flashlight should be used in conjunction with a red filter so that way it’s easier for you to see your surroundings while using the flashlight which will allow you to spot coyotes whether there is cloud cover, bright moonlight or no moonlight whatsoever.

Bright starlight and dim starlight with a red filter are the next best colors to use for coyote hunting. Bright starlight allows you to see what’s in front of you while dim starlight with a red filter will reduce the brightness of your surroundings making it easier to spot coyotes. Coyotes have difficulty picking up bright light or dim light that is filtered through a red lens, allowing you even greater range than standard red light.

Bright moonlight and dim moonlight with a yellow/amber filter are not good choices since they both wash out human vision just like standard red lights but don’t offer the same benefits as bright starlight or dim starlight with a red filter. Coyotes can easily pick up white, green, blue and other bright colors which make spotting them much easier. Bright moonlight and dim moonlight with a yellow/amber filter also make it easier for you to spot coyotes since they don’t wash out human vision.

Standard white light is the worst color light to use when coyote hunting because not only will it wash out human vision making it difficult to see what’s in front of you, but coyotes can easily spot bright colors such as white, green and blue. Coyotes have better night vision than humans so things that we may think are too dark or too bright to be seen by us aren’t necessarily too dark or too bright for them.

The benefits of using specific handheld flashlights and headlamps for coyote hunting:

Standard red lights:  These standard red lights are okay for hunting coyotes but they lack the brightness needed to see them from a long distance. These small handheld flashlights are not really designed for spotting coyotes, although they do work pretty well when used with red filters.

Spotlights:   Spotlights and other types of handheld lights that emit about one or more lumens should be used in conjunction with a red filter so that way it’s easier for you to see your surroundings while using the light which will allow you to spot coyotes whether there is cloud cover, bright moonlight or no moonlight whatsoever. The problem with most standard spotlight outdoors is that they don’t have enough range or beam intensity to carry any kind of distance. You can expect anywhere from about fifteen feet to maybe about one hundred feet of effective range depending on the type of spotlight that you are using.

Headlamps:  You can expect anywhere from about fifteen feet to maybe about two hundred fifty feet of effective range depending on the type of headlamp that you are using and where you stand in terms of light pollution. You will have several different brightness settings so if there is a bright moon, cloud cover or any other ambient light, then turn down the brightness so as not to wash out your own vision making it easier to spot coyotes.

Red filters:  Red filters allow you to see what’s in front of you while decreasing how much ambient light is being projected forward making it easier for you to spot coyotes. Coyotes have difficulty picking up bright light or dim light that is filtered through a red lens, allowing you even greater range than standard red light. 

Bright starlight filters:  Bright starlight allows you to see what’s in front of you while Dim Staright with a red filter will reduce the brightness of your surroundings making it easier to spot coyotes. Coyotes have difficulty picking up bright light or dim light that is filtered through a red lens, allowing you even greater range than standard red light. Bright starlight and dim starlight with a red filter are the next best colors to use for coyote hunting which makes spotting them much easier since they don’t wash out human vision like standard red lights do but don’t offer the same benefits as bright moonlight or dim moonlight with a yellow/amber filter.

Dim Starlight filters:  Dim starlight allows you to see what’s in front of you while reducing the brightness which makes spotting coyotes much easier. Coyotes have difficulty picking up bright light or dim light that is filtered through a red lens, allowing you even greater range than standard red light. Bright starlight and dim starlight with a red filter are the next best colors to use for coyote hunting which makes spotting them much easier since they don’t wash out human vision like standard red lights do but don’t offer the same benefits as bright moonlight or dim moonlight with a yellow/amber filter.

It is not recommended that you use green headlights when coyote hunting since they will actually increase the brightness of your surroundings which is the exact opposite effect that you want. However, there are some coyotes that can see green light and it may benefit to use green headlights if you’re trying to kill a specific coyote that is more aware than others of different colors such as red light (standard), bright starlight, dim starlight with a red filter and bright moonlight with a yellow/amber filter.

The benefits of using LED flashlights and headlamps for coyote hunting:

LED lights:  From low powered handhelds like keychain LED lights and tactical weapons lights (which can be mounted on rifles) all the way up to high tech headlamps capable of putting out incredibly high amounts of light, LED lights are one of today’s hottest technologies for all kinds of applications.

One of the most popular uses for these kinds of lights is in everything from tactical weapon flashlights to headlamps. The reason they are so popular is because LEDs have a lifespan that can range anywhere from -25 years on low powered keychain LED flashlights to around 10-15 years with most headlamps using this technology. You won’t need to go out and buy another set of replacement batteries or bulbs saving you not only money but also time which you can spend doing more important things like coyote hunting instead!

Their compact size makes them easy to use since you can stick them hats, rifle scopes, backpack straps, gun stocks or even your head so you can use both hands to operate the rifle. The toughest challenge for shooters using this kind of technology is zeroing in their sights since they need to be able to hold still long enough for their eyes to adjust properly and then you’ll have the perfect shot every time!