Choosing the proper feeder light may seem fairly intuitive. However, there are several different types of feeder lights and there are several factors to consider when choosing the best light for your needs. For example, are you only going to be hunting hogs during the night at this feeder? Are you going to hunt deer there during the day? How far are you going to be sitting from the feeder? Are you trying to kill as many hogs as you can or are you after that big boar? All of those questions are important. This guide will try to help you pick a light that will accommodate all your needs.
Defined Terms
Before getting to the top picks, we need to define some terms. Products may be called different things depending on where you’re shopping and who manufactures them. For purposes of this guide, however, the term “feeder light” and “bait light” have the following meaning:
- Feeder light means a light that is designed to mount to a feeder; and
- Bait light means a light that is designed to mount either on a poll or a tree shining horizontally towards a feeder or over bait on the ground.
The most important factors I like to consider are (1) light color; (2) where the light is meant to be placed; and (3) how large of an area its beam covers (see below for why all this matters).
Feeder Light Top Picks
The feeder light I think most universally satisfies all the factor’s listed above and is my top pick is the Kill Light made by Elusive Wildlife Technologies. This light has motion sensors, it mounts to the bottom of the feeder and shines downward, and covers 30-40 feet around the feeder. This light is also available in a beefed-up version that is extra bright – the Kill Light Extreme Bright. Check it out, here as well.
One great feature the Kill Light has is its ability to fade out to its full brightness. Rather than coming on at its full brightness, it comes on dim and slowly brightens. This can help keep the animals calmer as the light comes on.
I recommend choosing the red version over any color, but I strongly recommend red or green over white. Red is my first choice because it shows up the least intense to most animals. Green is good if you only plan to hunt hogs because they do not see as well as other animals that may be around the feeder. But if you plan to hunt other animals in the day time at the feeder, red will likely mitigate the chance of causing the animals to be nervous. White is bright and helps you see the animals, but it is much more likely to spook them. See the article I wrote, here, on choosing the best light color if you want to learn more.
If your feeder set-up will accommodate a feeder light, one advantage they have over bait lights is that they shine from above, casting a beam out over the feed, rather than from the side. This helps things look more natural to the animals which, in theory, should keep them calmer. This might be the type of light to consider if you’re after that big boar. You can get post mounts, like this one, if your feeder isn’t designed for a light.
Bait Light Top Pick
For a high-quality bait light, my top pick is the Blind Side R Feeder/Bait Light also made by Elusive Wildlife Technologies available, here.
While no light is perfect for every situation, The Blind Side R Feeder/Bait Light is a well-rounded product that can help you see your target with little effort needed to set it up.
Again, a bait light is best if you need something to mount to the side of the feeder or you will be mounting it in various places and you need a good universal mounting system.
If you’ve ever used a trail camera, setting up this light will be second nature because it works similar to a trail camera – it even looks like one. Simply mount it to a tree, post, or other structure near your bait and let the light do the rest.
This light will light up animals up to 30 yards away, which is a fairly long distance for any feeder/bait light. One reason I recommend this light is its dual activation mode feature. It can be manually powered on for continuous light or set to a motion activated mode to conserve battery and help keep the animals calm.
When set to motion activated mode, the light will remain lit up as long as there is motion. Once there is no motion within proximity to the light’s sensors, the light remains on for 20 seconds and then shuts off. This will significantly help preserve the 4 D Cell batteries on which the light runs.
However, if you want the place to stay lit before or after the motion begins within the beams, simply switch it to the manual mode and it will not turn off until you switch it back off. This might be helpful if you’re just after those smaller hogs and want to eliminate as many as possible for population control.
Unfortunately, it does not have the gradual brightening feature that the Kill Light has, which is one thing I would like to see added to the product.
The Blind Side R comes with mounting hardware and a strap. It is available in red, green, and white. Again, I recommend red over green and white, but I strongly recommend green over white for the same reasons given above.
Conclusion
There are several options available for feeder/bait lights. There are some very cheap options and some more expensive ones. While the cheaper products may do the job for a while, I recommend investing in the higher quality products such as the ones I’ve discussed here if you plan to take your night hunting seriously.
In addition to a feeder light, I recommend also equipping your weapon with a high-quality light that you can switch on and off in case you need a bit of extra help identifying your target after the feeder/bait light comes on. If you’re interested in other useful gear like weapon lights, check out my recommended gear pages, here.