What Colors Can Deer See?

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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

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https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/what-colors-can-deer-see/
 
there is something missing in the charts. we have trees with red berries that mule deer are coming to eat only when they are i doubt they have a different that attract them ...
 
medvedqc said:
there is something missing in the charts. we have trees with red berries that mule deer are coming to eat only when they are i doubt they have a different that attract them ...
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Smell probably.


I didn't check the link in the OP, but I found a peer reviewed journal article on this topic a few years ago. Basically they have more rods than us but fewer cones. Humans have 3 types of cones but deer only have 2 and lack the one that allows us to see red. But they see blue really good (and for this reason i always avoid blue in my clothes, bag, etc). The additional rods they have give them better low light vision than us.
 
Well they sure can't see red judging by the deer that totalled my last truck, it was bright red and the deer never even started to get off the road.
 
dimeN said:
they certainly see the orange clown suits in fall
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Orange and red isn't magically invisible. They can still see you, it's just not bright orange to them. If you're moving they'll see your movement regardless of blaze orange, camo, or plaid.

Unless it's blue plaid, or one of those blue water camos...
 
It’s all bull#### in the end anyway, play the wind and be still as best you can and it doesn’t really matter what colour you have on. How many times have you seen pics of some old hunter in jeans and a wool plaid with a dead animal? Guy was probably smoking while he shot it lol.
 
dimeN said:
they certainly see the orange clown suits in fall
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Not sure where you got that from? Some years ago in bush, South of Hudson Bay, Sask. I was sitting on a stump and had just lit a cigarette - I did not know there was a game trail maybe 25 feet ahead of me - two whitetail walked out - younger deer just walked on past - and the older doe just totally zero'd on the smoke coming off my cigarette - went on for several minutes until getting hot on my fingers - so I moved the toe of my boot - her hair stood on end and she ran off - I was dressed head to toe in blaze orange - until I moved my boot, I do not think she knew what I was - sitting still, not moving, smoke was drifting towards me (away from her), if not straight up. We were hunting elk - no deer tags.
 
Butcherbill said:
It’s all bull#### in the end anyway, play the wind and be still as best you can and it doesn’t really matter what colour you have on. How many times have you seen pics of some old hunter in jeans and a wool plaid with a dead animal? Guy was probably smoking while he shot it lol.
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While I agree with you hunting has changed and it's dramatically different in different areas. Hunting pressured small woodlots with archery gear camo that breaks up your silhouette helps alot as the deer are always looking for hunters. Opening day vs a week into the season it's like they're a completely different animal.
As for smoking I've shot enough whitetails while smoking cigars to know it doesn't really spook them
 
Butcherbill said:
It’s all bull#### in the end anyway, play the wind and be still as best you can and it doesn’t really matter what colour you have on. How many times have you seen pics of some old hunter in jeans and a wool plaid with a dead animal? Guy was probably smoking while he shot it lol.
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I doubt the guy smoked, but a fellow I knew at the potash mine near Esterhazy, Sask would get nice white tail most every fall - muzzle loader season - sitting in blue jeans, baseball cap, on a folding aluminum lawn chair in some tall grass - near a bush with a valley / coulee beside it. He told me how many times he would have small deer within 25 feet of him - unconcerned - probably unaware that he was even there.

I came to believe that "camo" is sales pitch about hiding yourself from other humans - not from game animals - hard for many to accept that animals see the world in different colours than humans do. I totally believe it is scent, sound and motion that they react to - not colour.
 
Their eyes are apparently sensitive to UV light, while ours are not, which might explain why the deer picked up on the berries that appeared only red to us.
 
I personally think they can see the stainless steel color of rifle barrels. at which angle the glare comes off of them.
 
Butcherbill said:
It’s all bull#### in the end anyway, play the wind and be still as best you can and it doesn’t really matter what colour you have on. How many times have you seen pics of some old hunter in jeans and a wool plaid with a dead animal? Guy was probably smoking while he shot it lol.
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Or taking a dump shot a nice 8 point that way.
 
brybenn said:
While I agree with you hunting has changed and it's dramatically different in different areas. Hunting pressured small woodlots with archery gear camo that breaks up your silhouette helps alot as the deer are always looking for hunters. Opening day vs a week into the season it's like they're a completely different animal.
As for smoking I've shot enough whitetails while smoking cigars to know it doesn't really spook them
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Potashminer said:
I doubt the guy smoked, but a fellow I knew at the potash mine near Esterhazy, Sask would get nice white tail most every fall - muzzle loader season - sitting in blue jeans, baseball cap, on a folding aluminum lawn chair in some tall grass - near a bush with a valley / coulee beside it. He told me how many times he would have small deer within 25 feet of him - unconcerned - probably unaware that he was even there.

I came to believe that "camo" is sales pitch about hiding yourself from other humans - not from game animals - hard for many to accept that animals see the world in different colours than humans do. I totally believe it is scent, sound and motion that they react to - not colour.
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The right camo can definitely help break your silhouette up while sitting or standing still and waiting/watching and I do wear some camo, mainly because I like it and have worn some form of surplus camo since I was a kid lol. I find covering my face and wearing gloves to be helpful as well, I’m sure they stand out to animals, they def notice the added pressure and attention as the season approaches. The moment you move or make noise though, it’s all over.

Although this year I had a doe with a yearling I was watching while looking for a wt buck, her kid was wise to me and put some distance between us. Wind in my favour I walked quietly into the block and stood on a stump out in the open and watched the mom circle back around to me, she came around a bush at 30-40ft and seemed to notice me. She got within 10ft of me sniffing hard, I finally just started talking to her telling her to go find her kid. She finally walked off, was a fun interaction. Wt does we’re open and I had a tag but I just let her go about her way. Sometimes the encounter is worth more than the meat I find, or maybe I’m getting soft lol.

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I wore a dark blue coat and blaze orange vest sitting in the middle of a wheat field and had 2 bucks walk within 10 yards of me! The worst is if your cloths have UV brighteners, even some camo has it!
 
Well personally for me wear what's gonna not get you shot by another hunter period!!!! deer rely on scent and movement i was hunting one year with my brother in-law and he spooked up some does after all the curfuffle i figured we were beat so i headed up the hill to go to the bathroom and as i was squatted a small young doe got so close to me on both sides of me i could see the sweat on her it was pretty cool other then me squatted there with my drawers pulled and my rifle leaning on the stump beside me it wasn't until the wind got between us then that deer took off like the devil had slapped it in the arse
 
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