Deer vision and camo
09-22-2015, 06:09 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
Deer vision and camo
There is a lot to be learned about how and what deer see. I have researched everything I can get my hands on as it relates to a deer’s vision. Reading studies, watching videos, listening to researchers has taught me a lot. Reading threads on hunting forums tells me most hunters still are not up to speed in regards to what/how deer see.
Deer do not view their world in black and white. They see color, most notable within the blue spectrum and yellow as well as UV. Their low light advantage comes at a cost in regards to what we would consider a form of colorblindness but they see color. That same low light vision also comes at a cost in regards to image clarity. They don’t see as well as we think. Their best defense is their ability to spot movement which is why guys wearing blue jeans washed with UV brighteners are still killing deer.
That horizontal pupil is their downfall as it relates to treestand hunters. Their vision is better at the horizon and worse above and below their straight forward gaze.
Camo (like fishing lures) is made to catch the eyes and pocket books of people. It means squat to deer. They don’t see like we see. If you donned a wild pattern and super colorful Hawaiian shirt, you would look like an idiot to most hunters but to a deer, you would look no different than had you dropped big $$$$ on some overpriced camo brand. We still have that army camo mentality that makes us think because it fools human eyes and hides us from other hunters, it must also be working for deer. We fail to consider that humans are trichromatic while deer are dichromatic.
In almost 40 years of hunting deer with gun and bow, I have had deer look right at (and through) me while wearing solid blaze orange and blue jeans and not become alarmed. Why? Because I didn’t move. Think about this "movement" when you are decoying since its key to decoying success. They cant even find a motionless deer look-alike unless it moves.
That being said, I like camo (even if its meaningless in regards to a deers eyes) because I also hunt other critters like bear and turkey (who see color and movement like no other animal but again movement is the key).
I make a lot of my camo or buy bargain basement/on sale/ yard sale camo. Its just not important. Last weekend I had a few occasions over a couple days where deer bedded between 6 feet and 20 yards of me in wide open trees while sitting in a ladder stand. All of them looked right at me at some point. None of them cared. None of them bolted or even stomped. I didnt move, they didnt care.
On cold mornings, My worst enemy is a ray of sunlight and frosty breath. Every exhale produces that misty, moving cloud that gives me away. Opening weekend it got me noticed by a doe and then later a buck. I wish I could fix that because I stopped worrying about camo a long time ago. Worry more about movement, sound and scent.
We buy camo for the human eye (nothing wrong with that if you want to hide from other people and as hunters we do that to some degree) but from a deer's standpoint, all the below patterns would be equally effective.
top row Corrected for deer's vision.
Some videos to watch.
Sales pitch coupled with good thinking.
Not as useful but some wisdom
Sale pitch and science.
almost useful
http://outdoorchannel.com/article.as...letype=article
http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/20...deer-eyesight/
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/vi...icwdm_usdanwrc
http://www.petersenshunting.com/deer...ht-whitetails/
http://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/big...-see-and-hear/
Deer do not view their world in black and white. They see color, most notable within the blue spectrum and yellow as well as UV. Their low light advantage comes at a cost in regards to what we would consider a form of colorblindness but they see color. That same low light vision also comes at a cost in regards to image clarity. They don’t see as well as we think. Their best defense is their ability to spot movement which is why guys wearing blue jeans washed with UV brighteners are still killing deer.
That horizontal pupil is their downfall as it relates to treestand hunters. Their vision is better at the horizon and worse above and below their straight forward gaze.
Camo (like fishing lures) is made to catch the eyes and pocket books of people. It means squat to deer. They don’t see like we see. If you donned a wild pattern and super colorful Hawaiian shirt, you would look like an idiot to most hunters but to a deer, you would look no different than had you dropped big $$$$ on some overpriced camo brand. We still have that army camo mentality that makes us think because it fools human eyes and hides us from other hunters, it must also be working for deer. We fail to consider that humans are trichromatic while deer are dichromatic.
In almost 40 years of hunting deer with gun and bow, I have had deer look right at (and through) me while wearing solid blaze orange and blue jeans and not become alarmed. Why? Because I didn’t move. Think about this "movement" when you are decoying since its key to decoying success. They cant even find a motionless deer look-alike unless it moves.
That being said, I like camo (even if its meaningless in regards to a deers eyes) because I also hunt other critters like bear and turkey (who see color and movement like no other animal but again movement is the key).
I make a lot of my camo or buy bargain basement/on sale/ yard sale camo. Its just not important. Last weekend I had a few occasions over a couple days where deer bedded between 6 feet and 20 yards of me in wide open trees while sitting in a ladder stand. All of them looked right at me at some point. None of them cared. None of them bolted or even stomped. I didnt move, they didnt care.
On cold mornings, My worst enemy is a ray of sunlight and frosty breath. Every exhale produces that misty, moving cloud that gives me away. Opening weekend it got me noticed by a doe and then later a buck. I wish I could fix that because I stopped worrying about camo a long time ago. Worry more about movement, sound and scent.
We buy camo for the human eye (nothing wrong with that if you want to hide from other people and as hunters we do that to some degree) but from a deer's standpoint, all the below patterns would be equally effective.
top row Corrected for deer's vision.
Some videos to watch.
Sales pitch coupled with good thinking.
Not as useful but some wisdom
Sale pitch and science.
almost useful
http://outdoorchannel.com/article.as...letype=article
http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/20...deer-eyesight/
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/vi...icwdm_usdanwrc
http://www.petersenshunting.com/deer...ht-whitetails/
http://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/big...-see-and-hear/
Last edited by DIY_guy; 09-22-2015 at 09:04 AM.
09-22-2015, 09:36 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
I use it myself. I make most of my own camo but I dont just make it for deer hunting. I dont have deer dedicated camo. I hunt other animals with better eyesight where I think it means more. Ive made guillie suits, leafy jackets and pants, etc but mainly for turkey. For deer it does no harm (and in regards to deer that is the primary goal in concealment).
09-22-2015, 09:46 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
I use it myself. I make most of my own camo but I dont just make it for deer hunting. I dont have deer dedicated camo. I hunt other animals with better eyesight where I think it means more. Ive made guillie suits, leafy jackets and pants, etc but mainly for turkey. For deer it does no harm (and in regards to deer that is the primary goal in concealment).
Only "type" of camo I buy now.....................
I buy various color schemes based on the terrain I am hunting in.
For me coyotes / bobcats are the main objective !
09-22-2015, 12:41 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
To me in the woods the camo outfits would stand out much less than the other 2 in the adjusted for deer vision picture.
I don't overly worry about camo when deer hunting and Movement is certainly key but lets not outsmart ourselves here.....patterns that match our background stand out less than patterns that don't
I don't overly worry about camo when deer hunting and Movement is certainly key but lets not outsmart ourselves here.....patterns that match our background stand out less than patterns that don't
Last edited by rockport; 09-23-2015 at 09:00 AM.
09-23-2015, 06:19 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: MS
Posts: 343
I would think being close up, 10 to 40 yards from a deer, would be more of a concern on movement for deer not to see you than from 100 to 200 yards. My guess was wrong! haha Now scent, on the other hand, would definitely be more a concern close up rather than far off, but still need to cover your scent & hunt the wind either way. Great post, DIY!
09-23-2015, 07:13 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 188
i bought new outterwear last year and being well aware of how deer see the world through their eyes have resolved that my camo serves 3 purposes.
in order of importance to me:
1. scent profile - the locals in the towns around the parts that i hunt scoff at me for wearing "fancy camo" being the work shirts and blue jeans they wear work just fine. true, but 9 out of 10 of them hunt primarily from a truck whereas i am walking or shooting from a blind or stand while playing the wind. my hunting gear is just that, hunting gear. i don't don it until i am leaving my vehicle to hit the field and it comes off when i am leaving the field. i laugh every time i'm at cabelas and i see guys wearing camo around the store that they don't think twice about using when they hunt too.
2. insulation - slowly but surely i buy clothes to hunt exclusively in and don't ever wear "street clothes" underneath my gear and concentrate on buying good materials that won't make waiting on an animal a soggy wet, shivering chore.
3. break up - while it has merit i don't rely on my camo to make me invisible but a little extra doesn't hurt.
bottom line, hiding from the animals nose and being quiet should be every hunters main concern when hunting deer.
in order of importance to me:
1. scent profile - the locals in the towns around the parts that i hunt scoff at me for wearing "fancy camo" being the work shirts and blue jeans they wear work just fine. true, but 9 out of 10 of them hunt primarily from a truck whereas i am walking or shooting from a blind or stand while playing the wind. my hunting gear is just that, hunting gear. i don't don it until i am leaving my vehicle to hit the field and it comes off when i am leaving the field. i laugh every time i'm at cabelas and i see guys wearing camo around the store that they don't think twice about using when they hunt too.
2. insulation - slowly but surely i buy clothes to hunt exclusively in and don't ever wear "street clothes" underneath my gear and concentrate on buying good materials that won't make waiting on an animal a soggy wet, shivering chore.
3. break up - while it has merit i don't rely on my camo to make me invisible but a little extra doesn't hurt.
bottom line, hiding from the animals nose and being quiet should be every hunters main concern when hunting deer.
09-23-2015, 09:25 AM
#10
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
I say it doesn't matter. Just stay still and kill deer in a plaid shirt while others are dropping big coin on the next greatest pattern.