12-23-2022, 10:34 PM
As I understand it, red light is favored for navigation because it does not destroy a person's night vision. Like the old WWII night fighter pilots waiting in the Ready room to scramble with only red lights permitted. This, given it takes about 15-20 min to fully transfer from day cones to night rods - which is also no coincidence with the time it takes to go from day to night every day. I use a red headtorch when fussing around at night if I can, so when you switch it off to shoot your night vision is still operating at close to 100% and you don't have to wait.
As for using red filters on a white spotlight, my experience is that roos (kangaroos) can see it, but don't seem as spooked as a bright white light. Then again, they can hear you and maybe smell you, especially if you are using a vehicle. While you are shining a red light thinking you have not been seen they knew you were there 10 minutes ago, but have decided to tolerate your use of the same land as long as they don't think you are concentrating on them. If you walk past an owl at night it's happy to sit watching you but the moment it realizes you're paying attention to it (maybe you've stopped and are looking straight at it), it starts agitating and/or takes off. Crows are the same in daylight - happy to let you do your thing 300M away, but the moment you change behavior and start concentrating on them, like take a gun or long stick out the back, they are off. You take a shot or sweep a spotlight around a paddock and all the previously shot-at animals a kilometer away know there is danger about that evening. What I am saying is that I think it is more than just the color of your lights.
One more thing, shining a bright white light about at animals can suddenly make them freeze and look at you for long enough to take the shot if you are working in teams and ready. The lesser lumens of a red light, or IR torch that leaks into the visual spectrum does not do this. I've been on shoots where bright white light is what is needed to see eyes at a distance, whereas otherwise you wouldn't know the animal was there. So you are using your presence to encourage the animal to self-reveal. Some foxes seem less interested in stopping and looking back at you than getting out of there. I have heard some people say that through previous close shaves the smarter animals know not to look at the light - Maybe, but for sure they know that vehicles, humans and lights come with gunfire, and it all represents danger.
As for using red filters on a white spotlight, my experience is that roos (kangaroos) can see it, but don't seem as spooked as a bright white light. Then again, they can hear you and maybe smell you, especially if you are using a vehicle. While you are shining a red light thinking you have not been seen they knew you were there 10 minutes ago, but have decided to tolerate your use of the same land as long as they don't think you are concentrating on them. If you walk past an owl at night it's happy to sit watching you but the moment it realizes you're paying attention to it (maybe you've stopped and are looking straight at it), it starts agitating and/or takes off. Crows are the same in daylight - happy to let you do your thing 300M away, but the moment you change behavior and start concentrating on them, like take a gun or long stick out the back, they are off. You take a shot or sweep a spotlight around a paddock and all the previously shot-at animals a kilometer away know there is danger about that evening. What I am saying is that I think it is more than just the color of your lights.
One more thing, shining a bright white light about at animals can suddenly make them freeze and look at you for long enough to take the shot if you are working in teams and ready. The lesser lumens of a red light, or IR torch that leaks into the visual spectrum does not do this. I've been on shoots where bright white light is what is needed to see eyes at a distance, whereas otherwise you wouldn't know the animal was there. So you are using your presence to encourage the animal to self-reveal. Some foxes seem less interested in stopping and looking back at you than getting out of there. I have heard some people say that through previous close shaves the smarter animals know not to look at the light - Maybe, but for sure they know that vehicles, humans and lights come with gunfire, and it all represents danger.