Some info on UV

[Pydpiper]

Seems to becoming more and more obvious how important UV is out in the Field, most guys were not aware of it until they discovered UV light, which is becoming commonplace on today's trail cameras.
I was in to UV light long before I was in to hunting, so I had all the right tools when I began to experiment with it. I did a lot of reading on studies of the vision of deer and learned they see in a spectrum that we don't, so what appears to be dark to us can be very bright to a deer.
I bought my first UV flashlight to seek out and purchase Uranium at garage sales, nothing more than a hobby, my second one was a gift from a customer. UV flashlights can "charge" glow in the dark stuff up instantly, can be handy too.
UV lights are inexpensive and readily accessible, you do not need an expensive light to detect UV. As they get higher in frequency they get more expensive, and also become invisible to the human eye, a very dangerous situation. A persons pupil will not dilate to UV the way it does regular light, although it is the one that does the damage.
I use a small handheld UV flashlight to find my arrows at night, if I lose one I simply return at dark and the fletching is easily visible at 50-75 yards.
Here is mine:



And here is what it does to standard yellow/orange Blazers:



In my gun room I have a full 4' bulb, a novelty at best. I can lay all my hunting clothes on the floor and pick out which ones need to be dealt with, the treated clothes do not show up, the ones containing UV brighteners glow as we have all seen.



Deer see in this spectrum, at least that is what my reading has been telling me, and I did a lot of reading. The first thing that comes to mind is "why was Grandpa so successful hunting in his parka, Grandma never treated his clothes!" My thoughts is simply technology, we didn't have UV issues then, no such thing as a UV brightener when Grandpa was out there. Clothes today are made cheaply and contain fabric that never before existed, it isn't comparable to the junk we buy now and then the chemicals we wash it in.
Here are some graphs on deers vision I have always enjoyed:




UV isn't a make it or break it deal when it comes to hunting, but it is a very present factor that one should make themselves aware of as more and more fabrics are blended in to our clothing.
One more arrow shot:



If you are interested in purchasing a portable UV light, here is a link to a dealer I have been using for years, you have my word he is an honest businessman and you will be well taken care of. Lots of goodies here, like replacement cords for the bows too, every color.
http://www.lighthound.com/12-LED-UV-3xA ... _2578.html

[one shot scott]

Great post pyd! Have you ever found any of your hunting items to glow like some peoples items do when their pic is taken on a trail cam?

[groundpounder]

Good posting Pyd!

[Pydpiper]

Great post pyd! Have you ever found any of your hunting items to glow like some peoples items do when their pic is taken on a trail cam?

Absolutely! All of it was fixed with the exception of one hat that I just couldn't shake the UV from, so I tossed it in the trash.
Almost all my clothes started that bright, it took some work to remove the UV. The hardest thing was my pop-up blind, damn thing looked like a giant snowball when exposed.
You have to remember that deer see like this all the time, not just at night, when we see it.

[Pydpiper]

You are absolutely right Bob, but I think the studies have become far more comprehensive as we escalate in technology. The means they have now to monitor/track deer and their reactions to UV (and other things) has multiplied tenfold in the recent past.
I have had no issues with UV killers and my clothes, matter of fact the stuff I use seems to keep my camo in tip top shape, even as far as it's ability to shed water bypassing any UV issues.
I was having issues with a pop-up blind, deer would step out of the bush and look at my blind and react like they got hit in the head with a rock, of course that was only during certain times of the day, that came to a stop when the blind was treated though. UV is present all during the day, it is at the twilight hours that other lengths of the spectrum begin to vanish. Sorta like getting sun burnt on a cloudy day, it is the UV that our skin is reacting to.
When I was reading I skipped hunting forums, because as you mentioned there is always defiance, I read from people who study deer and various other wildlife who were interested in the vision aspect, not the hunting.

[whdahel]

short of buying that anti uv spray, what can I do to rid the uv reflection on my clothes?? wash with detergent that has no dies or scent????? wifey just washed my camo with the regular darks........ she uses tide or somthing similar. what is the made at home remedy?

[j.krug]

Does using the commonly available hunting laundry soaps like Tinks and Scent Killer 99 reduce/eliminate the UV issues in clothing?
I see on their labels that they don't contain UV brighteners.

[Pydpiper]

Eliminating UV is not the same as "not brightening" UV. If you buy an article of clothing that displays UV switching to a non brightener will not eliminate it.
I do not know any home-brew methods of removing UV though, but I am sure they exist.
If you do research on the net, be sure to look in to UV (ultra violet) not IR (Infrared).
Most detergents on the market for typical cloths contain brighteners, I would suspect a detergent geared towards a hunter would not contain those brighteners, but probably best to check with the manufacturer.

[Pydpiper]

Another cool thing I have found is that I can use dime sized pieces of UV reflective material on trees and make a trail in the bush that only I can see.

[secret]

The easiest way to find a lost arrow...at night with a blacklight!!!! and for all you who use wraps.....much easier to find!

[Pydpiper]

A blacklight is UV, no wraps needed.

The easiest way to find a lost arrow...at night with a blacklight!!!! and for all you who use wraps.....much easier to find!

[bob1961]

do you mean UV flashlight or LED flashlight, i have that same flashlight you have in the picture and it is a different light from it then all my other LED flashlights.......bob

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[Pydpiper]

Both, it is an LED flashlight that emits UV light. A typical LED is what's called a 5mm LED, they can produce any color. Actually ALL LED's make blue light, they are coated in phosphor to create the color we want like a normal white, or red or green.. UV is invisible, but to get a cheap UV light it will appear to have a purple tint to it like in my photos.
The light in my picture is just a cheap china light, the body is used to hold LED's from every variety, it doesn't surprise me you have one that looks like it. I have a few, some white light, some red..
Follow the link at the bottom of my first post, you will see what I mean.

do you mean UV flashlight or LED flashlight, i have that same flashlight you have in the picture and it is a different light from it then all my other LED flashlights.......bob

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[bob1961]

yeah i got that light from walmart that came with red and blue snap on lens to look for blood with the blue one if i remember right....i'll have to check that light out now....it is useless in the dark past 4 feet or any kind of light mist in the air....i haven't touched it in years i have a mini mag as my blood trailing flashlight with the krypton bulb in it still......bob

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[bob1961]

yeah bugs i have older cotton/flannel camo that is so dull, plus i wash them in baking soda to eliminate any phos in the regular clothes detergent.......bob

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