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Motion Light Question #7613746 09/23/19 02:23 PM
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SMatthews Offline OP
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About two weeks ago, I put an ASF Lil Squealer light near my feeder. It's set to stay on low then get brighter when the motion sensor is triggered. Out of every 10 pictures I get of pigs, one may be of them in the lighted zone and they don't stay in it for long. If I move it closer to the feeder, it's still somewhat of a directional light, so they could set it off and still stay out of the lighted zone. It's getting too close to show time for me to fool with adjusting it now, but I'm curious if anyone else has seen pigs react this way to the motion lights.


The end game is going to be installing a set of Sniper Lights and lighting up the entire area in January. I just wanted to try this for the time being because it was cheap. If it worked, great, if not, it was a cheap test.

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7613799 09/23/19 03:21 PM
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Are you illuminating your feeder or not? The hogs will feed in an illuminated area. Hogs will be where the food is.


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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: Double Naught Spy] #7613867 09/23/19 04:29 PM
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SMatthews Offline OP
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The light is about 20' away from the feeder, so half of it's lit, the other half isn't. They're concentrating on the non-lit side and spending very little time on the lit side. It's a stand and fill feeder, so I can't mount anything below it in order to get 360 degree coverage. It has been interesting to watch. They'll trigger the light, then go to the unlit side. They don't run off, but they do seem to notice when it's on. The light is green, so I'd be interested to see if they responded the same way to red, but this light doesn't have a red light option.

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7613950 09/23/19 05:48 PM
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It often takes a few weeks. Usually only big smart boars avoid.


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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7613975 09/23/19 06:08 PM
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I've found the cheapest way for me is to take a 2x4 or 2x6 and bury one end in the ground. I mount one of the porch lights from Harbor freight on it that works off of a solar charger and they light up the area pretty good from a distance. They have a built in motion detector as well, and you can pick up one for for about 20 bucks. I have some of them out in the woods that have lasted for years now.

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: TenTenWhitetails] #7614000 09/23/19 06:34 PM
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SMatthews Offline OP
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Originally Posted by TenTenWhitetails
It often takes a few weeks. Usually only big smart boars avoid.



That's exactly what I'm seeing. There's a sounder in and out every 5-10 days, same group every time, mostly sows and piglets. They're all over the place, especially the smaller ones. Two solo boars come and go regularly, but they mostly stay on the dark side of the feeder. It's been interesting to watch. Who knows what they see for light, but they absolutely can tell the difference.

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7614043 09/23/19 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by SMatthews
The light is about 20' away from the feeder, so half of it's lit, the other half isn't. They're concentrating on the non-lit side and spending very little time on the lit side. It's a stand and fill feeder, so I can't mount anything below it in order to get 360 degree coverage. It has been interesting to watch. They'll trigger the light, then go to the unlit side. They don't run off, but they do seem to notice when it's on. The light is green, so I'd be interested to see if they responded the same way to red, but this light doesn't have a red light option.



LOL, of course they notice when it is on. Hogs are not blind. Yes, they even see red and green light. They may not be able to tell the difference between red or green but they see the light.

I would turn the light so that the entire feeder is lit and not just half of it. The hogs want the food.


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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7614104 09/23/19 08:21 PM
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I've been running green LED solar lights for 10 years. The hogs have all gotten accustom to the green lights and I don't see those issues of some not coming into the lights. The all go to where the corn is. My lights stay on all night. My posts are decaying and starting to fall over so I'll be sinking some 2 or 2.5" pipe in the ground with the new foam stuff for post holes.

I'm also switching over to red lights. We have a bunch of red hog sniper nights and one green light on our scopes for walk abouts as we call them. A big pack of hogs could care less when we hit them with red spot light. However, a single bore usually bolts with either the green or red spot light, lights them up.

I just purchased some of the LED solar spot lights for lighting up garage areas and what have you. They come with their own mounting pole. Paid $74 for each, and they put out 4500 lumen. I took the lens cover off and put a red piece of transparent plastic film over the LED's and put the cover back on. It's a lot cheaper than the red hog flood lights on the markey. Going to mount them this weekend. Even with the red cover, they're way brighter than the green led lights we've been using for 10 years. I'm sure the hogs will get use to the red light very quickly.

Time will tell


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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7614139 09/23/19 09:02 PM
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I mounted motion lights on the feeder (stand/fill). They want the corn and don't mind the lights. Quickly acclimated to the lights.


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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7614141 09/23/19 09:04 PM
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Hogs can see marginally into the green spectrum. I've been using hog lights for as long as they have been around (having made my own 20 years ago).

For feeder lights:

If you want the best 'chance' at not spooking hogs use red.

The trouble most folks create for themselves when using hog lights is placing them too low (angle of incidence), this will result in lighting up the side of the hog and casting a huge 'shadow' behind it...which is one of the things that scares them. It also insures the hogs WILL see the source of the light and hogs tend to shy away from anything NEW they see.

If there is ONE thing I would encourage folks to do...it is place your hogs lights as high up and and close to the bait site as you can. You want the light to shine downward and cast as much of a circular pattern as possible. This keeps shadows to a minimum, you can still see the hogs just fine and the hogs are much less concerned about a foreign object that is well above them.

I also recommend you do NOT use motion lights at all. Use lights on a photocell. The reason for this is that hogs will spook more often when suddenly illuminated. IF you have the light already on....they will see it from a distance (when approaching) and decide to walk under it or not. There is no reason to have to wait weeks to 'condition' your hogs. Some are more sensitive to walking under/feeding under a light than others. Nearly all of them will get used to it over time. But I can tell you..where I hunt, there is no way hogs are going to be around for weeks (usually not more than days) for me to wait for them to accept a light.

I mount mine high, they are on from dusk until dawn unless I disconnect them. I have about 60/40 percent rate of hogs coming directly in and under the lights (red) the FIRST time they encounter them. More often than not...they will. Had to learn this the hard way years ago.

Light intensity is another thing that matters. I don't care what the 'experts' say and certainly NOT the folks selling hog lights. Yes, hogs don't 'see' red (and some wave lengths of green) the way we do. And it doesn't matter...because hogs could give a damn about color, what they DO see is some form of light intensity and the shadows it creates.

Those of us that hunt the woods at night (not open fields) are all too aware of how 'spooky' hogs become when there is a moon out. On dark nights...hogs are much calmer and seemingly less alert. Get your light(s) up high....use just enough light to be able to see the hogs, they aren't auditioning for a play and don't need to shine like diamonds for you to be able to get a good shot.


Last edited by flintknapper; 09/23/19 09:06 PM.

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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: Double Naught Spy] #7614160 09/23/19 09:28 PM
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SMatthews Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy
Originally Posted by SMatthews
The light is about 20' away from the feeder, so half of it's lit, the other half isn't. They're concentrating on the non-lit side and spending very little time on the lit side. It's a stand and fill feeder, so I can't mount anything below it in order to get 360 degree coverage. It has been interesting to watch. They'll trigger the light, then go to the unlit side. They don't run off, but they do seem to notice when it's on. The light is green, so I'd be interested to see if they responded the same way to red, but this light doesn't have a red light option.



LOL, of course they notice when it is on. Hogs are not blind. Yes, they even see red and green light. They may not be able to tell the difference between red or green but they see the light.

I would turn the light so that the entire feeder is lit and not just half of it. The hogs want the food.



The light isn't strong enough to illuminate the entire throw area, or at least the motion setting isn't strong enough to pick up motion over the entire area. If I moved it to 5' away from the feeder, aimed straight at it, it would light that 5', then cast a huge shadow on the other side. Not ideal. This isn't meant to be an indictment on the ASF light. It's bright when the motion triggers it. You can set it to go full blast at dusk and not use the motion feature at all. In that instance, I'd bet pigs would be at the food, regardless of the light. On a small light like this, however, the battery run time is pretty short. They might just wait on the battery to die and get there once it's completely dark. I'd have to get a bigger light, which I eventually intend to do. If the whole throw area is lit, there's no dark side to feast on. To your point, problem solved. This light was just a short term deal. I have plenty of gadgets set up to know when they're at the feeder. This was just supposed to make it easier to get more light on them for a better shot. It still eventually may do just that.

That's really not the point. The point was, many claims have been made that pigs can't see red light or green light. It's not about them being blind, it was about their reaction to the light. I didn't expect to see them react this way. At the end of the day, red, white or green, it seems to be more about what the pigs are used to, not necessarily the hue of the lights. This light has only been up two weeks, so in two more weeks, it may be just another thing to them, but watching the "adjustment" to it being there has been interesting.

It also further illustrates these being strange creatures. I have a green light on my scope. I've put it on groups that didn't budge when I put it on them. I've put it on groups that bolt like they got hit with a cattle prod as soon as it hits them. Again, it's been interesting, and sometimes frustrating!

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: Double Naught Spy] #7614268 09/23/19 11:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy
Originally Posted by SMatthews
The light is about 20' away from the feeder, so half of it's lit, the other half isn't. They're concentrating on the non-lit side and spending very little time on the lit side. It's a stand and fill feeder, so I can't mount anything below it in order to get 360 degree coverage. It has been interesting to watch. They'll trigger the light, then go to the unlit side. They don't run off, but they do seem to notice when it's on. The light is green, so I'd be interested to see if they responded the same way to red, but this light doesn't have a red light option.



LOL, of course they notice when it is on. Hogs are not blind. Yes, they even see red and green light. They may not be able to tell the difference between red or green but they see the light.

I would turn the light so that the entire feeder is lit and not just half of it. The hogs want the food.

THIS


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Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7614850 09/24/19 03:52 PM
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SMatthews Offline OP
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Great info, guys. Thanks for the feedback!

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7617017 09/26/19 05:28 PM
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I had the same problem as you but with the larger ASF boar light. I ended up buying a second one - which was not a good idea. I think the light coming on from one triggers the motion sensor on the other and vice versa. They were both acting weird coming on and off randomly when there was nothing under the light.

Figured I'd mention this in case you consider that route. Ended up moving the second one to another feeder and relocating the first to illuminate more of the area right under the feeder.

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: SMatthews] #7617731 09/27/19 02:34 PM
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Took the hogs a few weeks to get used to green light at feeder. At first they would feed just outside of light. Eventually, they all came in and didn't care.

Re: Motion Light Question [Re: illest23] #7617930 09/27/19 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by illest23
Took the hogs a few weeks to get used to green light at feeder. At first they would feed just outside of light. Eventually, they all came in and didn't care.


Typical experience. So why wait a FEW WEEKS for hogs to adjust.

Use a RED light and mount it up HIGH folks. Shoot your hogs in days (maybe the same night).

In the span of a 'few weeks' they might move on, have babies or be bred. And all the time...you know they are tearing up something.


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