I’ve read articles before about how deer see in the ultra-violet range, and that a lot of clothes and laundry detergents have UV brighteners added to them which deer can see. I never gave it much thought, but the other night while buying lightbulbs at Lowes I saw a blacklight bulb for $3.88. Since it was so cheap I decided on a whim to buy it and try it out on my camo. I screwed the bulb into my troublelight, opened up my rubbermaid container where I store my camo, and shined the black light on it.
Boy was I surprised at what I saw! Most of the clothes weren’t effected by it, but some of the clothes really shined! Funny, the “urban camo” shorts I bought from the young mens department at Kohl’s fared better than the hunting camo I bought at Bass Pro, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and other hunting stores. Hats and gloves were among the worst offenders, as was my fanny pack that I carry my gear. The absolute worst was my favorite hunting shirt! (See the attached photo.)
Thinking back to a couple of hunts in which I wore that shirt, I wondered how the deer picked me off so easily, given that I was twenty-five feet up in the foliage of a maple tree, or well hidden behind some brush in a ground blind. They didn’t spook much when they saw me, but they definitely gave me a look that said “what in the heck is that?” Now I know why: I was glowing like a dang nite lite!
You might want to invest $4 in a black light bulb and look at your clothing. They sell them at Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart – I’ve even seen them in the grocery store.
