5 Benefits of LED Lights on an Electric Hunting Vehicle

If you searched for hunting cart lights, here's what matters on a purpose-built electric hunting vehicle. Good lighting gets you to the stand before first light and back out after dark safely, and the right color can help you stay less noticeable to game. Here are five real benefits of LED lights on an electric hunting UTV, and how to choose between white, red, and green.

1. Low battery draw

On an electric hunting vehicle, everything runs off the same battery that drives you down the trail. LEDs use far less electricity than older incandescent bulbs for the same light; the U.S. Department of Energy notes LEDs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. Less power to the lights leaves more for the drive in and out.

2. Red light for night hunting

Red light is a common choice for walking in and moving around a stand before daylight. Deer see blue and green best and are much less sensitive to long red wavelengths, so red light is less noticeable to them than white. It is not invisible, though. A bright red light shone directly at deer can still be seen, so keep it low and brief. Red light also helps protect your own night vision, because the rod cells your eyes use in the dark are relatively insensitive to red.

3. Green light for hog hunting

Green light is popular with hog and predator hunters because it gives the human eye a lot of usable brightness. The tradeoff: research on pig cone pigments suggests hogs can see green light, and deer detect green more easily than red, too. Read can deer see green light before you pick a color for whitetail.

4. Safer trips to and from the stand

Most stand trips happen in the dark: before sunrise and after the last shooting light. A good white light helps you spot stumps, washouts, low limbs, and fence lines on the trail, and helps others see you on shared farm roads. Trail Buggy® offers an optional dual-color light bar in white/red or white/green, so you can run white for the drive and switch to red or green near the stand.

5. Durability in the field

LEDs are solid-state, with no filament to break, so they handle rough trails and vibration better than old-style bulbs, and they have a long service life. That matters on a vehicle that spends its time in timber, mud, and cold mornings.

Choosing lights for your electric hunting UTV

• White for driving and safety on the trail.
• Red for the final approach and around the stand, where you want to be less noticeable to deer.
• Green for hog and predator work where you need more usable light, knowing hogs likely see it.

Trail Buggy® is a purpose-built electric hunting UTV: 58" wide and 121" long (XL 138"), narrower than full-size, with at least 20-25 miles of range and full-body licensed camo. If you have questions about lighting or which setup fits your property, contact us.