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Color Blind
Anyone else color blind out there??? I am and blood tracking is tough on a good day and impossible most of the time. Here's some history - I tracked and recovered a deer for the first time last year (I'm 53). It was a doe (morning shot) and she opened up pretty quick and ran a familiar trail. After I found first blood it was pain staking to get to the next and I marked with TP the entire way. After about 10-15 yards she opened up, which made it easier and obviously she was close. All told it was about a 40 yard recovery that took me the better part of an hour. A few weeks before that, I did recover my buck (morning shot), but I had an idea of where I thought I heard him fall. While my buddy was tracking I went ahead and found him. This year I double lunged my buck at around 6:30 pm, found first blood, went about 10 yards and then the weeds got high, the light faded, and I was done. I spent about 30-40 minutes on those first 10 yards and a buddy came and easily trailed it to about 60 yards away in about 15 minutes. So, what do all you other color blind hunters do? A friend got me a pair of glasses for color blindness. I've tried them a few times, but they just don't seem to do anything for me. I hate to interrupt my buddy's hunt, although we do for each other happily, I'd just like to figure a way to be more self sufficient. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome! |
I was hunting with some friends and one of them was color blind and I never knew. It was a rare occasion where we had snow on the ground during hunting season which is rare for this part of Va.. Heard him shoot and asked if he got anything and he wasnt sure. I was nearby so I came over to help him look. He told me he was color blind and couldnt tell if he hit the deer. I walked over to where he shot at it and there was spatters of blood that was easy for me to follow. The snow had been on the ground for a few days and the snow was dirty and he said the blood just looked the same as the dirt to him. That really opened my eyes to how difficult blood trailing is for a color blind person. I suggest you hunt with someone to assist in trailing or have a good friend who can come at a moments notice to help you when needed.
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I you're tracking at night, perhaps one of those color filtered tracking lights would help. If you have color vision, it "lights up" the blood spatters, but even if colorblind, I would suspect the difference in brightness would show up.
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I've never even considered that. But it would certainly be a challenge.
I've got one of those blood tracking lights and it does change the color and make it show up. Differently-not always better but it makes it different and your eyes can catch it. Might be worth looking in to -Jake |
Blood tracking dog.
Mine is only slight though so probably not near as bad for me as one who is totally color blind though. |
I'm color blind in red and brown....I can see the color of a red traffic light, though seeing blood on the brown autumn leaves is sometimes difficult for me.
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Red and green here. I also have trouble seeing blood on the ground. I only hunt with family and they are not colorblind.
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Originally Posted by Red oak
(Post 4364255)
Blood tracking dog.
Mine is only slight though so probably not near as bad for me as one who is totally color blind though. |
I am color blind as well. My difficulty is on wet leaves and the like. Once the leaves have dried I can follow it.. On my moose hunt it wasn't bad as I had my sister start me on the blood trail and then I could follow it right along. So I know it can be difficult to follow. When I loose the blood trail I mark the last place I saw blood and start circling making each circle bigger while looking for where it may have run. I also look for a deer walking with his toes spread.. They tend to do that to help maintain balance when wounded..I hope this helps you.. I have recovered quite a few deer this way..
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Its tough!!!! I love when I have a non colorblind friend with me. Except when they say "man you cant see that blood!!!!" I swear I wanna punch them lol
Ive bought all kind of gadgets that havent helped. I did buy a FLIR Scout and it helps me tremendously! Its very pricey at $500. |
Haha my dad is around your age and always seemed to be somewhat red colour blind. He has much better vision than me ironically but he definitely has trouble with blood trails I can point out an obvious patch of blood and he wont see it at all. He has become very proficient at reading trails to the point where he can find the deer without a blood trail with ease. My best advice would be to take it slow, carefully inspect spots that look wet and even bring a tissue to swab it to see if it's blood, but don't forget to mark every spot so you don't lose where you were! But most importantly watch that deer like a hawk after you shoot it to see the direction it went, if you know the direction you can follow the game trail.
edit: we did buy a seek thermal xr (one of those thermal cameras you attach to your phone). It has been a huge help on occasion but most shots were very clean so the deer were usually found shortly after. |
Sadly, I suffer from the same affliction. My doctor says I have the worst case he’s ever seen. It’s not all bad though, it makes you pay more attention to detail. Generally I will spot game quicker than most and sometimes I even spot deer that are bedded up. My hunting buddies laugh about it all the time. Once I shot a buck and thought I’d hit it. Upon walking the trail the deer had gone down I didn’t see any signs so I returned to where we meet up. I was telling them I wasn’t sure about the shot. They all started laughing because my pants had blood all over them! Anyway wound up with my deer |
Originally Posted by Erno86
(Post 4364275)
I'm color blind in red and brown....I can see the color of a red traffic light, though seeing blood on the brown autumn leaves is sometimes difficult for me.
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Yup... Color blind here as well. The USCG made me a Yeoman (personnel records, H/R, payroll, etc...) and planted my a$$ behind a desk for a career, instead of out on the water running the patrol boats and big cutters or flying a helicopter or airplane. As a kid I always fudged my way through, as I had memorized the Ishihara test booklet (those little colored dots where you see a "number" within the multi colored dots). But the USCG used a Naval Fallant Test and I failed instantly. :(
Anyway, blood in the leaves looks like dirt to me too. It's also the primary reason why I no longer bow hunt. I nailed a real nice basket 6 pointer years ago with my bow. Clean pass through, arrow imbedded into the ground 6" and was covered in red blood (I could see THAT!). But the buck jumped up, did a 180° in the air, and took off. I tried and tried to follow the blood trail and lost it. I searched and searched, and gave up the blood trail idea and started focusing on hoof prints. I searched and searched until sun set, and was just totally heartbroken. :cry: I primarily a rifle hunter and need that 100% guaranteed... BANG... FLOP... type of hit. One shot, one kill. A .308 bullet behind the front leg straight into the chest is all that it takes. |
They do make a blood flash light. Supposed to make blood stand out. I just brought one...
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https://enchroma.com/ Get a pair of these.
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Check the rates on colorblindness the percentage of it in the male population will surprise most for sure. I have it and have always leaned toward our shotgun seasons for ease of recovery, but the affliction affects many men more than women. Red tinted glasses help also a red contact lense is also helpful.
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