> I can’t believe how tolerant those critters are of the blinding beam

lights and strobes do not deter animals
the light just makes it harder for them to see you
and harder for them to see their escape route

if you shine a light at an aggressive dog, it will use its nose to keep track of where you are, it does not matter if you are hidden behind a flashlight

to deter a dog, or skunk, or raccoon, you need to use something that irritates their nose or eyes
for example Pepper Spray, or a squirt gun loaded with ammonia water

plain water in a squirt gun, will startle a dog, but as soon as he realizes it does not hurt, he will resume the attack

Plain water on an aggressive Raccoon, is an invitation for him to wash his hands, before he eats you.

So, unfortunately, NO, a flashlight will not deter animals.

And, if you shine a light at a bird, it cant see where to fly to, it freezes until the light is gone, so they can see their escape route.