I'm want to start doing some predator calling out west. I'm also going on a hog hunt in Feb. I currently don't own any type of lighting system other than spotlights and hand held flashlights. I have a buddy that has a green laser that he really likes and has used to illuminate hogs at night. I've also read about the flashlight style red and green lights. Any advice, recommendations, issues with one or the other, etc.... I'm hoping all of the experience hunters here can educate me on my best option or what to use for which applications. Thanks in advance.

Like humans, but for different reasons, hogs see red less well than green, but they are not great at seeing green. They cannot distinguish red from grey and have difficulty doing it with green. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02767320

This is not to say that they cannot see it when they are lit up with either color, but red seems to catch their attention less.

However, red can be harder to use as a hunter and so green may be a better option, but it will be more likely to disturb the hogs. Especially at longer distances, green may be more useful to you to distinguish the hog more clearly than red which should be beneficial in making a better aimed shot.

this one rocks I love it http://www.opticsplanet.com/streamlight-tlr-1-game-spotter-gun-light.html

There are lots of options...I ordered a Brinyte 900D from dealextreme. They look/feel/work as well, I feel, as the XLR Kill Light....I can't compare it to Wicked or wildcat lights, but the body, the placement of the logo, and the functionality are so similar that I'm willing to bet that they're made at the same place, and are more than likely the same light that the US companies are importing and selling for well over $100.

For $50 you get the light, the normal button end cap, a pressure switch end cap, and the battery/charger. Mounts can be had pretty cheap.

It takes 2-3 weeks to get them in (ignore that 5-7 day shipping that they claim, it's a farce), but with the cost savings I feel that it's worth it. For $50 each you can almost get 3 lights for the same price as the US companies charge for 1. They also have some smaller lights for ~$25.

I got one of the smaller ones and the larger one linked below....with my 3-9x el cheapo weaver scope on my 22 mag, I can easily take shots out to 150 yards, which is about all I'd do with my 22 mag. With the smaller light, it's reduced to maybe 100 yards, but it's nice to have that small light for scanning and the big light for shooting, and it only set me back $75 for the pair. I have 2 more small lights coming in next week to give away as gifts. The smaller light is absolutely perfect for 22's or bow/xbow as well.

Here's the larger light...they also have it in red:

http://usd.dx.com/product/brinyte-900d-c...97#.UsxBffRDuuM

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Anyone have any experience with the XTS green laser for a rifle? A guy I work with has one and uses it to hog hunt, he really likes it. Any advantage using a laser vs. an actual light with a colored lens or LED? I'm all ears, hoping to have some fun with all of this.

I know one guy that has more money that me that likes his laser setup (nd3 subzero) but I've never actually used it or see it work at night. The ND3 is made for that....it looks like the XTS is actually a sight laser and not an illumination tool? I know that particular model (nd3 subzero) costs more than I wanted to spend...way more....but he loves it, and he wouldn't even consider a LED for his rifle.

He does say that the LED's make a better scanning tool than the laser due to better spill, you just cover more area, he says the nd3 is a very specific beam without much spill to catch eye reflections, and that's in line with what I've read about them.

What I can tell you from some of my experience and a lot of research on the subject....a colored LED is going to be better than a white LED with a filter, assuming that the LED's are of the same intensity.

I feel like that applies to other lights as well....the filter is going to drop the intensity of the light, be it LED, halogen, etc, so there's loss just to change the color...which you don't have if the source of the light is the desired color.