Look at the size of those eyes!!

Man....if an eye that size is dilated.....it's going to capture a LOT of ANY light that's present. It's not surprising AT ALL to me that they see so well at night. they're equipped for the task. Lower the light......more dilated the pupil becomes......more light gathered.

I've been in the woods a LOT in the total darkness. It's pretty amazing how well WE can see in those situations (and look at the size of OUR eyes, in comparison).

The whitetail deer is a VERY worthy adversary.......and the size of their eyes only helps. Nothing these creatures do seems to amaze me, anymore. They are awesome creatures.

Better than you!!!

they see very well . their eyes can optimize the low light much better than we can . It has something to do with the rods and cones in their eyes






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From what I've read, deer see pretty good at night, and it don't surprise me that you'd spook one then. It has something to do with the rods and cones in their eyes. You know how when you see a deer in the dark sometimes and their eyes kinda glow greenish? I think it's sort of like a cat. In general though, deer have mediocre vision, and if they detect you with sight it's usually by spotting motion.

I've also read that deer see the color blue really well, but who knows. lol

Haha, that's funny, I didn't know you already said that. lol

There's no doubt that deer see amazingly well in the dark. When it gets dark, before climbing down from your stand, there's a false feeling of security on our part. Because there is no light, we feel there's a better chance we might not be seen, because we can't see for ourselves. In reality weCAN be seen plain as day.

I'm facinated with how a large buck with a huge antler spread can run full bore through a thick cedar swamp in the dark with no moonand never get hung up, caught up, or even smash into a tree.(I know it happens occasionally, but they disappear so fast through the timber you would never know it)

That's amazing!

(geeky answer continued)

True. The cones in their eyes distinguish colors, but not all of them.
The red/orange end of the spectrum is left out of their eyesight and will appear gray or yellowish. They can see on the other end of the spectrum very well, where the blues and ultraviolets are. It just so happens that those wavelengths (blue and violet)are the ones present when the sun is below the horizon, and it appears to be getting dark to us. Pretty nice design for a primarily nocturnal creature, eh?

Not well. They see shapes maybe. Have had them dance around me thinkink I was something else. Have had them stare right at me in the dark as well and not see me.