check your camo with a blacklight

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nchunter
Posts: 197
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:48 pm
Location: Piedmont, North Carolina

check your camo with a blacklight

Post by nchunter »

Anyone ever check your camo with a blacklight?

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.

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A.W
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Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 6:30 pm
Location: Toronto, Ontario.

Post by A.W »

[img]http://photobucket.com/albums/b38/allan_w_/th_tinybuck3hj1.gif[/img]

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NZ Hunter
Posts: 168
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:32 am
Location: New Zealand

Post by NZ Hunter »

I find from experience while bush stalking, you must have the wind right in your face or from the front quater directions. No scent free soaps can hide you body scent or breath scent, get the wind right and save your money from all these gimmicks.
Howevwr UV is important, if you wash your camo clothes in brightners you will stand out like dog balls to a deer, deer eyesight is very sensative to uv light, your clothes will glow to a deer if you wash your clothes with the average detergent.
If it feels good, DO IT.
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