1- Spotlight = Circular and not concentrated light beam
2-
Spotlighting or
shining (also
jacklighting) is a method of
huntingHunting is the practice of pursuing living animals for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
nocturnal animalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The opposite, diurnality, is associated with human lifestyle and most familiar animal species. The intermediate crepuscular schedule is also common. Some species are active both during...
s using
off-road vehicleAn off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface.
It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads and a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
s and high-powered lights,
spotlightSpotlight can refer to several types of lighting:* a searchlight* a Followspot, a light used in theatre* several types of stage lighting instrumentIn the media, Spotlight can refer to:* Spotlight , a defunct premium movie channel...
s, lamps or
flashlightA flashlight is a portable electric spotlight that emits light from a small incandescent lightbulb or from one or more light-emitting diodes...
s, that makes special use of the
eyeshineThe tapetum lucidum is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrate animals, that lies immediately behind or sometimes within the retina. It reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light available to the photoreceptors...
revealed by many animals.
The most common vehicles used are light
four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
trucks and
utilitiesA sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. Usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle, some SUVs include the towing...
. A team may consist of three persons, the driver and the shooter and the
spotter.
1- Spotlight = Circular and not concentrated light beam
2-
Spotlighting or
shining (also
jacklighting) is a method of
huntingHunting is the practice of pursuing living animals for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
nocturnal animalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The opposite, diurnality, is associated with human lifestyle and most familiar animal species. The intermediate crepuscular schedule is also common. Some species are active both during...
s using
off-road vehicleAn off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface.
It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads and a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
s and high-powered lights,
spotlightSpotlight can refer to several types of lighting:* a searchlight* a Followspot, a light used in theatre* several types of stage lighting instrumentIn the media, Spotlight can refer to:* Spotlight , a defunct premium movie channel...
s, lamps or
flashlightA flashlight is a portable electric spotlight that emits light from a small incandescent lightbulb or from one or more light-emitting diodes...
s, that makes special use of the
eyeshineThe tapetum lucidum is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrate animals, that lies immediately behind or sometimes within the retina. It reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light available to the photoreceptors...
revealed by many animals.
The most common vehicles used are light
four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
trucks and
utilitiesA sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. Usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle, some SUVs include the towing...
. A team may consist of three persons, the driver and the shooter and the
spotter. The shooter and spotter stand side by side behind the cab, holding onto a bar at the front of the tray or on top of the cab, which allows them a good 360 degree view. The spotter sweeps the surrounding countryside with a powerful hand-held lamp with a tightly focused beam.
Spotlighting can be conducted by two persons where the driver operates the spotlight or alone where the driver spotlights using a remote mounted spotlight or
automotive lightingThe lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides and rear of the vehicle...
and shoots from the driver's seat of the vehicle.
Experienced spotlighters can recognize different animals by the spacing and size of their eyes and the color of their eyeshine. For example, eyeshine is reddish in foxes and bluish in sheep; like sheep, horses and cattle have bluish eyeshine but their eyes are wider spaced and larger.
The spotting and shooting often take place from the moving vehicle. Experienced drivers on familiar territory (such as farmers in their own paddocks) may turn off the vehicle headlights to minimize the distractions.
Spotlighting may also be used as a method of surveying nocturnal fauna. Repeated, frequent spotlighting may have a detrimental effect on animals and is discouraged.
Spotlighting is illegal in many states in North America.
UK and Ireland: lamping
Lamping is a similar practice in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and the
Republic of IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
of hunting at night using powerful lamps and either guns or dogs. It does not always involve vehicles. Its legal status in the UK is complicated by a swathe of different laws relating to firearms and to specific animals. Animals associated with this form of hunting include deer, fox, rabbit, hare and badger.
In the UK, most forms of hunting with dogs have been made illegal by the
Hunting Act 2004The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
but
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit , and the Amami rabbit...
s and
ratRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s were specifically included on a list of exemptions, so that lamping these animals with dogs is still legal. Lamping
foxFox is a common name for many species of carnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail ....
es with dogs has been rendered illegal, but lamping is still possible if shooting. Killing
badgerBadgers, occasionally referred to as brocks, are short-legged, heavy-set carnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are some eight species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
s without a licence is illegal in the UK in any case.
Once an animal has been located with the beam of the light, either it is shot or the dog(s) is/are released.
Although white light is often used for lamping, sometimes a red or orange filter is preferred, as this still makes the animal's eyes reflect back the light but has less negative effect on the
night visionNight vision is the ability to see in a dark environment. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
of the hunters (both humans and dogs).
The dogs used are generally
lurcherThe lurcher is a type of dog. Not a pure breed, it is a hardy, crossbred sighthound, generally a cross between a sighthound and any other breed, usually a pastoral dog or terrier. Collie crosses have always been very popular...
s (cross between a
greyhoundThe greyhound is a breed of hunting dog that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, but with a recent resurgence of popularity increasingly as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a soft and intelligent breed that often becomes attached to its owners...
and a working dog, usually a
collieA collie is a distinctive type of herding dog, ultimately originating in Britain, especially in the upland areas of the north and west. It is a medium-sized, fairly lightly-built dog with a pointed snout, and many types have a distinctive white pattern over the shoulders. Collies are very active...
) or long dogs (cross between two sight hounds, typically a greyhound and a
salukiThe Saluki is perhaps the oldest known breed of domesticated dog. A study published in the May 21, 2004 issue of Science confirms the Saluki's antiquity through DNA analysis identifying it as one of the earliest breeds to diverge from wolves...
), but they can be a cross of many breeds.
Other uses
- Lamping is also used when a light is used to test if a pipe (i.e. sewer pipe) is straight.