Lamping; filter or just variable power lamp?

[rodney]

When lamping rabbits should you use to filter or would a variable power lamp do the job without spooking the quarry?

[Gimlet]

Personally, I use both.

There is no doubt that a red filter is less disturbing to rabbits than white light, but they don't like sudden bright light whatever colour it is.

I use a dimmer switch taped to the fore-end where I can comfortably operate it with the thumb of my leading hand. When making a SLOW sweep of the ground ahead I bring the light up from nothing until I see eye reflection. Then I increase the light only enough to ID and shoot.

I also find that if rabbits are skittish when the light first passes over them it often pays to dim the light immediately and continue sweeping, returning to them after a few seconds. They often freeze and crouch down the second time perhaps thinking they are hidden.

I must admit I've never used an LED lamp, which don't have dimmers just low medium and high settings, so I couldn't say halogen lamps are better, I just like the fine control of a dimmer.

Also I think people are sometimes tempted by too much power for rabbit shooting. Range estimation is much harder at night. If your lamp won't clearly ID beyond 80 yards with a red filter on, then if you can't see it it ain't in range. That is plenty far enough with a 60 yrd zero when most shots will be taken off-hand.

Happy hunting.

[dannywayoflife]

As above I use both filter and dimmer switch horses for courses.

[rodney]

thanks for the advice.

[kent]

Personally, I use both.

There is no doubt that a red filter is less disturbing to rabbits than white light, but they don't like sudden bright light whatever colour it is.

I use a dimmer switch taped to the fore-end where I can comfortably operate it with the thumb of my leading hand. When making a SLOW sweep of the ground ahead I bring the light up from nothing until I see eye reflection. Then I increase the light only enough to ID and shoot.

I also find that if rabbits are skittish when the light first passes over them it often pays to dim the light immediately and continue sweeping, returning to them after a few seconds. They often freeze and crouch down the second time perhaps thinking they are hidden.

I must admit I've never used an LED lamp, which don't have dimmers just low medium and high settings, so I couldn't say halogen lamps are better, I just like the fine control of a dimmer.

Also I think people are sometimes tempted by too much power for rabbit shooting. Range estimation is much harder at night. If your lamp won't clearly ID beyond 80 yards with a red filter on, then if you can't see it it ain't in range. That is plenty far enough with a 60 yrd zero when most shots will be taken off-hand.

Happy hunting.

 

 

the rangefinding lamp thing is something that never struck me, however surely the conditions on the night effect how much can bee seen clearly at a certain range? for instance a little bit of drizzle or a light mist even the state of the moon etc.? thats what i find anyway. i have never been a big believer in coloured filters and think the only thing they realy do is dim an over powerfull lamp some, though many totaly buy into the red filter theory. However light is light unless its infa red as far as i am conserned and if bunnies cant see red why do they not constantly run into the backs of our cars when we break

[Dekers]

I used to use filters but haven't for years, just the dimmer.

 

No reason why you should not have/try both!