What Colors Can Deer See?

[IronNoggin]

Interesting Article:

What Colors Can Deer See?

Hunters used to think that deer were color blind, but the truth is deer can see some colors better than we can



https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/what-colors-can-deer-see/

[janesy]

Funny, when I first started hunting 20 years ago, there was guy in camp that wore an orange and yellow safety jacket with blue jeans. We alway used to joke that he was literally glowing with the only colours deer see well.

[longbow joe]

Did he get ever get a deer....?..l gotz to know

[DuckHunt]

Interesting read. Deer may not see orange, but the a single colored blob in the woods will stand out regardless of the color.

I think UV light in low light conditions may be something deer see that we can't. This is where the UV brighteners in detergents can work against us. Have you ever walked in front of a trail camera at night and let it take a photo of you using the UV LEDs for light? I've noticed that some types of clothing fabric, regardless of the camo pattern can practically glow in the right wavelength of light. While other natural fabrics, like cotton do not. I think it has more to do with the reflectivity they speak of. Maybe some manmade fibers (polyester/nylon/spandex) reflect UV light very well, but cotton doesn't. It may not matter in the bright of the day, but at low light when deer move the most they certainly have the upper hand.

Example: I'm wearing a cotton hat and pants in the photo below and a polyester jacket. To the human eye, they're all the same camo pattern and look identical.

[janesy]

Did he get ever get a deer....?..l gotz to know

Ya he got a button one time

[Boo]

agreed, interesting article. I think that some colours stand out just like florescent colours to humans. But does that deer associate the colour with danger? I guess if that deer was spooked by someone wearing certain colours like flo orange enough times, yes. But more than anything else it will detect movement of any colour that stands out.
In our shop, we had an mechanic that was apparently had monochromatic vision. He only saw back and white and shades in between. He could however tell which colours were which by shades, just like a computer can colour a black and white movie or picture. If I remember correctly, he had problems differentiating between some florescent colours. But other than that, he was able to tell the difference between red, blue, green etc. He knew because he grew up being told what colours he was seeing. I'm pretty certain that no one is telling a deer what was blue and whatever was blue was dangerous.

[AJ01]

First of all.....DON'T LAUGH!!!
This photo is back a few years!! Okay decades!!

Anyway...I had gotten off work one morning. Still had on camo BDU's from the night before. Drove to the place I wanted to hunt. Pulled my old PSE Thunder Flight vertical out of the case, walked to a CHAIR sitting just off a right-of-way, 30 yards from a feeder that had gone off an hour earlier.
November 16th. (My Mom's birthday).

The weather was WARM. Pulled of the BDU top and just had the GREY cotton top on. Pretty much sticking out like a sore thumb.
This buck came in about 30 minutes AFTER I got in the chair. Mind you, this is GROUND level.
He came in thru some cedar brush from my left, stared at me for what seemed like forever, then started looking for tidbits of corn. I don't think I even blinked. He finally gave me a shot, I sent the arrow, and as they say, "the rest is history".

I said all of that to just say this....I think it's movement more than color that gives us away. I killed my best Aoudad Ram wearing a red and black horizontal striped sweater!!
Now mind you, I wouldn't go hunting in a chartreuse suit! BUT, If it's all I had, I think I might give it a try!!!

[DuckHunt]

I said all of that to just say this....I think it's movement more than color that gives us away. I killed my best Aoudad Ram wearing a red and black horizontal striped sweater!!

I think you're right. Two year's in a row I've slept in the first Saturday in December and hit the woods in the late morning to retrieve gear (stands and/or cameras). I still had a buck tag so I brought a gun, but I wasn't really going out to hunt either time.

Dec 3, 2021 @ 11:12am - Blue jeans and a red long-sleeve shirt


Dec 4, 2022 @ 11:02am - Blue jeans, smelly sneakers and a green Virginia Hunters for the Hungry hoodie and a harness (for stand removal)

Both of those days I was on the ground walking to my stands in blue jeans in the late morning and filled my last buck tag. If I still have a buck tag the first Saturday in December this year, I'm sleeping in again. If it ain't broke.

[PaulSpain]

Cool!!
You are a daring man to show that photo!! But I love those photos!
As we say around here, it has rained a lot since then...

[AJ01]

Cool!!
You are a daring man to show that photo!! But I love those photos!
As we say around here, it has rained a lot since then...

Yes Pablo...A LOT!!!

[janesy]

Now mind you, I wouldn't go hunting in a chartreuse suit! BUT, If it's all I had, I think I might give it a try!!!

If it ain't chartreuse, it ain't no use!

[Boo]

Now mind you, I wouldn't go hunting in a chartreuse suit! BUT, If it's all I had, I think I might give it a try!!!

Too much information

[AJ01]

Now mind you, I wouldn't go hunting in a chartreuse suit! BUT, If it's all I had, I think I might give it a try!!!

Too much information

At least I didn't say "Hot Pink"!!!

[Boo]

Now mind you, I wouldn't go hunting in a chartreuse suit! BUT, If it's all I had, I think I might give it a try!!!

Too much information

At least I didn't say "Hot Pink"!!!

That would be Paul's colours, known as pank

[vixenmaster]

Colors in my opinion that stand out would be those with uv, as your in an elevation of ground level to 8-10'. Early morning in dark late afternoon getting dark they may give off a light glow n tick toters would see them. Now they may of maynot give a second look at you. They may head bob trying to get a diff view, of may take to foot stomping trying to see movement. There is the real eye opener movement ! Move if you have to n slow as molasses in the winter would be best when they give you that chance