How and what color can deer really distinguish

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Bcwn
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How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by Bcwn »

I found this article this morning while staring at my 380 wondering what a deer actually see's through their eyes. Pretty good read, I thought.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/big-bu ... t-deer-see

So what do y'all think about this? Science being what it is I feel as if they have found a good piece of knowledge we hunters can use to our advantage.

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janesy
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by janesy »

The one thing that I have determined for sure, is that if your face is covered and they can't see your eyes well, they will not be spooked(concerned maybe) and you can often wait them out. Provided as well that you don't move. Colour wise I don't get too worked as all of the spots I hunt are or have been farm land, and there are colourful objects spread out all over the place. Every deer I've ever shot I have been wearing a large orange vest. Now they may not be able to see the orange but they certainly can see the solid object in front of a treed backdrop
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longbow joe
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by longbow joe »

Ive read where for some reason the color blue pops out to a deer ... mite be like uv. Related........it was a while ago i read it .........so no blue jeans out there.
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Mister B
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by Mister B »

I also read that somewhere where deer see blue better than any other color. A few years ago I hunted out of box blind next to a feeder pen and the deer never looked at the box with me in it unless I dropped something or they winded me. Feeder pen is 20 yards from the blind. Since the box has been so productive, i now hunt a box blind exclusively and wear black, all over--- hat, shirt etc. I Paint the inside of my box blinds black too. My nightmare 335 works great out of the box.
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by foofoo »

they say the deer can see yellow and blue. im sure a few deer have been harvested in blue jeans :lol: .
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wabi
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by wabi »

Almost all the deer I shoot fail to spot me when I'm wearing blue jeans......
but.....my stand has a skirt to hide my lower body and my blind hides it, too. :lol:

From the longbow hunting days (still hunting) I can tell you blue jeans are a very poor choice for deer hunting. I used to buy black colored jeans in those days, and seldom got "busted", but put on a pair of blue ones and the deer would spot me from a distance. (also a poor choice for most other game)
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nchunterkw
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by nchunterkw »

I use some stuff called UV Killer and all I can say is once I started using it my deer encounters have gotten a lot closer. Many studies have shown that deer can see into the UV spectrum so it makes sense to me. Many clothing dyes contain UV reflecting stuff and many laundry detergents do too. Wanna make white look whiter? Use something that reflect UV (think of a white shirt under a black light).

I guess it's hard to say for sure, but my experience is that that stuff works.

On another note, I was checking cameras last year, and every IR camera pic that I was in (from walking by the camera etc.in early morning or after dark), my cotton or cloth type camo looked camo. But my dry fit stuff looked like a solid blob. So I stopped using dry fit stretchy stuff as a top layer.
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by vixenmaster »

Deer can see orange very well n many other colors as well. Trouble they don't knowed what its called jus what they see that catches their eyes. I have killed many a deer wearin blue jeans pants n jacket thru my younger yrs. Mostly while usin a Firearm
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

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Color? Movement for sure...
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by VixChix »

I also believe that it's good to wear mismatched camo - i.e. tops and bottoms of different patterns.
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nyexhunter
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by nyexhunter »

Orange does not standout to a deer as it does to humans. The red/orange part of the color spectrum is more dull gray to a deer vision based on scientific studies.

I have had deer look right at me walking within 10 feet while I was sitting still on the ground with a favorable wind.

If you wanted to choose the best camoflauge to be invisible to deer, it would be an orange breakup pattern. Problem (also a good thing for safety during gun season) is that you will stand out like a sore thumb to other hunters; you are extremely visible in the woods from a distance to other hunters if you are in blaze orange.

The other parts of being invisible to deer in the woods are: being still, and scent control, which is best accomplished by choosing a location with the wind in your face as you are looking in the direction of the deer moving toward you.

Best of luck to you and be safe.
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by foofoo »

some states dont consider orange camo patterns as part of there square inch requirement. has to be solid orange.im not a fan of wearing it.its not because of the deer.if your in a tree i dont understand it.moving around yes.
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by sproulman »

No in my OPINION from 52 years orange clothing deer do not see only movement/scent ..We have members that wear complete orange suit in bear season and deer walk right by them in open and never see them ..This is why wear orange in my treestand Bucks never see me but it keeps me safe from hunter shooting rifle at running deer.You would not believe times i had hunters shoot and i heard bullets wiss by me and times a hunter with orange on sticks out and I pass up deer running ...walking I never go without orange hat on in archery or muzzleloader season...
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Re: How and what color can deer really distinguish

Post by sproulman »

foofoo wrote:some states dont consider orange camo patterns as part of there square inch requirement. has to be solid orange.im not a fan of wearing it.its not because of the deer.if your in a tree i dont understand it.moving around yes.

hunters have shot hunters for turkey in treestands and on ground too..

we wrap a orange belt aroundour tree when hunting turkeys without orange on .in treestand in gun season I wear orange vest/hat too much shooting at running deer for me ...
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