I use one as little as possible. If I can see at all, it stays off, but some of the walking I do to access some of my stands is impossilbe to navigate without some artificial light. I have just about walked into deer when using it so I don' t know how much it scares them, but I still feel better about going in dark.

The only gators I worry about are the ones that may mistake me for a six foot chicken leg. I often have to cross water filled ditches or wade through narrow swamps and creeks to reach my stand sites and more than once Ive shined the flashlight into the water and had gator eyes peering back at me. I then move down a bit and cross elsewhere. EXCEPT for the rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copper heads, coral snakes, pygmy rattlers, timber rattlers, mosquitos, biting flies,
biting gnats, black bears, heat/humidity, impenetrable thick woods, ...........................................Florida hunting is GREAT.[][:' (]

Benhuntin could' nt of said it better

Well, I used the brightest flashlight that I can get my hands on (cheap). I got my tag filled, so I don' t really think it matters as long as you don' t shine the light all over the woods and don' t make loud noises going in.

i use my little browning thunderbug light clip on.works great gives off just a little light just to see what you are doing.never use my light unless i got to.

Embarrassment story
I used to adhere to the no light it spooks the deer theory till I swtiched lands.
I got lost on the way to my stand. I passed it by 100 yards. I had to wait for light to find my stand. I get to about 50 yards from my stand and 3 doe are walking right by it 10 yards in front of my shooting position. Had I been in my stand I would have had a nice fat doe early in the season. There I am 50 yards away and having to wait nearly 30-45 minutes for them to get out of there.

Now I use a mini mag light with finger over cover to only let more light out when I need it. Private land so I use reflective markers every 40-50 yards to point my way.

Nothing worse than having to wait for daylight to find your stand with game right where you figured they would be.

i use a flashlight to and from the stand and don' t have any worries. last season a buddy of mine shot a deer right at last light. we waited an hour and went out looking for it. i was shining my mag light all over the place looking for it, walked up on several different deer. each just looked at me while i shined the light right on them and eventually walked away without concern when i closed within 20 yards. got myself a deer the next day from the same location so it evidently didn' t bother them to much.

I have found that deer are bothered more by noises that come from unidentifiable sources than they are by something they can see that they figure can' t see them. I have walked up on deer in the night and could' ve touched them before they trotted 20 yards away and turned around. I don' t get it, night time: deer have no fear. day time: deer stay clear. I just thought of that, good one eh? Anyway, one time I was leaving my buddies house at dusk and I saw a bunch of deer in a field so I pulled the truck in, put the high beams on and drove right up to them. I stopped about 30 yards away and got out. THey didn' t move. Then I walked toward them and got about 10 yards away before they bolted into the woods. It was the darndest thing I' ve ever seen. And yes I do use a light. Minimag with the hand cupping thing too.

Okay, back in town and able to catch up on the posts....

Interesting perspectives.....I too use a flashlight, too many sticks in the eyes to not use one anymore but I do use one sparingly. I honestly feel that lights don' t bother deer all that much. They are used to lights, and I feel don' t find them threatening. I know too many times deer don' t bust until at the last moment with lights and they' d bust just as well without the light...when your that close, the light doesn' t mean a thing. I wonder what your all perspectives were and no one really hit on where I was going with this thread and that was more scientific in nature. I don' t believe deer have the depth perception to even know how close a light is to them much less do we. I' ve been in the woods and seen distant lights through the trees thinking it was someone with a flashlight only to find out, it' s a distance street light that' s been there all along. I thought it was in the woods with me but it was several hundred yards away....yes, I hunt suburban bucks at times.....I really don' t feel flashlights would ever spook game unless your shining them around in the trees. Shining them down on the ground around your feet sparingly in order to see not to trip on logs, briars, etc....will never spook game, at least that is my findings.

Rob I have to agree with you. I also hunt suburbia and from my stand I can see several lights. One is 3/4 of a mile away and with the trees swaying in the breeze I thought it was a hunter setting up on another spot of mine 200 yds away. I even signaled it with my light to let them know another hunter was present. Boy was I fooled. Up till now no one knew about it , now everyone knows.