Ill do this too. Hold it clenched in my hand and crack my fingers just far enough to let sliver of light out.
I have a Browning that is my main go to headlamp, clear/red/green in sufficient lumens and another brand as a back up .... I use red most of the time in/out, green very seldom, clear for tracking .....
I use a red or green light to get to and from my stands always. Deer aren't stupid, light or no light, they hear you walking through the woods, breaking a limb, etc. so why not just use one and avoid as many limbs as you can?
The idea that deer can't see red or green lights always amuses me. Sure, they may see some colors better than others, but you bet your bottom dollar they can see a light of some sort, regardless of color. On top of that, deer can see in the dark as well as we can all see during daylight. The idea that not using a light somehow hides you from the deer seeing you is nothing more than a lie we tell ourselves to make us feel sneaky. In my experience, deer are generally much more tolerant of humans at night than during the daytime - regardless of what type of light you may be holding or wearing on your head. We can all guess as to the reason why, but I've always felt that it's nothing more than the simplest answer: they don't have many encounters with people at night, and when they do, the people usually can't see them so if they just hold still, the "danger" passes without incident. I want to get to my stand as quickly and with as little noise as possible in the mornings. I use a nice bright white headlamp, so I know where I'm going, and I'm not needlessly stumbling into the unknown or stepping on stuff that I shouldn't be.
In my mind, I'm a stealth ninja, and no animal sees, hears, or smells me on my dark approach to the stand. Then I drop my release, and it hits my stand and every stick on the way down.
Justin thats spot on. Light is light, no matter the color. I like red personally.. makes me feel like a special ops or navy seal sneaking into the tree. If you've ever had a friend walking to you in the dark with a light, a white beam of light is way more easy to see. Not saying its wrong, but I know with a red light, there isn't much of a beam from a distance. Its not as intense. That and keep the bloody thing pointed toward the ground and not blazing through the timber.. lol.
I was always under the impression the red / green simply made it easier for ones eyes to acclimate back to the dark once turning the light off.
If you're hunting the midwest, where, lets face it, the deer are kind of dumb out there... lol... use the biggest, highest lumen light you can legally buy... If you hunt in places that deer aren't as tolerant of pressure and big shiny lights.. you might wanna tone it down and use red or green.. And yes, the red and green is super convenient for those nocturnal bucks that you can't quite catch in daylight.
