The Science of Sight: What Whitetails Can Really See

[LRRPF52]

http://www.petersenshunting.com/deer/whitetail/science-of-sight-whitetails/

[TKO]

Thank you for the information.

[LRRPF52]

Don't get caught with blue jeans and gimmick camo patterns, especially if you're trying to get in close.

All that grey camo shines like blue UV light to them.

I ran into one of my former instructors at SHOT, who now works for Raytheon. He brought this subject up to me and Joe, which was very informative, so I checked it out and found this and some other articles on it.

[montana]

The sense of smell, noise and movement is the key to hunting. I was sitting down with my back to a tree in my bright hunters orange clothing waiting at the edge of a clearing. A buck slowly appeared not 30 yards away to the front and left of me but the wind was in my favor. He looked right at me but I never moved a muscle. He kept looking at me but eventually crept further and further into the opening. When he was right in the middle of it I jumped up and got him. I know he could see me but since he didn't see movement, hear or smell me, it didn't alarm him.

[ricsmall]

Montana

What did you have on that he saw? Was it the orange or something else such as blue jeans? Just curious.

I've always been intrigued by the different senses of wildlife and how they detect us, whether olfactory, auditory, or sight and like to hear as much experience as possible.

Richard

[howl]

Killed one of my biggest deer wearing blue jeans and a neon yellow wife beater. Most of my hunting clothes are only camo because that's the color those kind of clothes come in. That and camo hides stains. My real camo is sitting in the shade and keeping still.

[rabiddawg]

I jumped up and got him.

Ok, you gonna have to put down your drink and elaborate on this

[Double Naught Spy]

Well, if you are in a fabric camo blind, then wearing camo isn't a problem because you will blend into the blind, LOL.

Cohen said. “The whitetail is the most studied animal on the planet, but there have been few extensive behavioral studies on how deer perceive their world.”

Read more: http://www.petersenshunting.com/deer...#ixzz4Z01xcqrG

BULL.

The article immediately lost credibility with me when the expert stated that the whitetail was the most studied animal on the planet. Rats are probably the most studied non-human vertebrate, followed by mice, both of which have been extensively studied biologically and behaviorally. Of course, humans are more studied and non-vertebrates such as nematodes and fruitflies even more extensively studied.

Deer do see blue and into the UV portion of the spectrum and there have been studies indicating this, but in following the authors' lead to inform the public, let's not overstate the position with outlandish claims that give a false sense of enlightenment.

[sneaky one]

Rods and cones- the human eye has many of one-- deer have many on the other. Deer do see green, white gray black. And , blue.. In orange- you are blue to them. Thanks china...

Camo means nothing to a deers eyes.

A deer in the headlites really is blinded- they panic then jump out in front of your new car- bamm !

With all the fabric brighteners from china on ALL the blaze orange clothing that ships here- we look like bright blue smurfs to the deer--- then they bolt. They are more noticing of movement than most humans also.

Try this- is's my fave-Atsko sport wash-UV killer.

https://www.atsko.com

3 does walked behind me in Nov hunt season- never saw me- barely sniffed me- they were down wind of me also... I was 25 ft. up in a stand-,,, yet same results in a ground blind also. Way cheaper than the high dollar so called scent free clothing.

It's worth a try, $6.00 for 18 washes.

[BjornF16]

Here's another article: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/h...s/200911220291

I've also had deer within 12 yards looking directly at me. Like Montana, I was sitting against large tree with the wind in my favor. Group of deer crossed a clearing from left to right. Not one noticed me from approx 25 yards. They stopped and grazed when the largest doe noticed something amiss and started staring in my direction. She kept moving her head left/right trying to figure out what was not quite right. She walked towards me and stopped at 12 yards. Funny thing was she wasn't really looking at me at that point. She was staring at the tan backpack to my right! After what seemed like minutes, I move my head slowly to look at the rest of group and that spooked her. She ran about 50 yards and stopped to look back. I raised my uncocked muzzle loader to take sight for "practice", then she ran off (only had elk tag).

I had shed my blaze orange vest and hat and was wearing camo only including camo face mask. Only my eyes/glasses we not in camo. The tree I was leaning against was wider than my shoulders.

This was at approx 1000L; plenty of light

[din]

Well, if you are in a fabric camo blind, then wearing camo isn't a problem because you will blend into the blind, LOL.



BULL.

The article immediately lost credibility with me when the expert stated that the whitetail was the most studied animal on the planet. Rats are probably the most studied non-human vertebrate, followed by mice, both of which have been extensively studied biologically and behaviorally. Of course, humans are more studied and non-vertebrates such as nematodes and fruitflies even more extensively studied.

Deer do see blue and into the UV portion of the spectrum and there have been studies indicating this, but in following the authors' lead to inform the public, let's not overstate the position with outlandish claims that give a false sense of enlightenment.

When I first read that I thought it said the most stupid animal on the planet, which I would agree with.

[montana]

Montana

What did you have on that he saw? Was it the orange or something else such as blue jeans? Just curious.

I've always been intrigued by the different senses of wildlife and how they detect us, whether olfactory, auditory, or sight and like to hear as much experience as possible.

Richard

I couldn't say what the deer saw, but it did see me since it continued to look at me on and off as he cautiously entered the little clearing. I probably was wearing my black or tan carhartt pants with my hunter orange coat and stocking hat with my rifle in my lap. I'm sure I stood out from the tree and back ground but like I said the deer never bolted until I moved. I have noticed humans are the same when it comes to movement. Most people wont see an animal until it moves unless they are purposly looking for them.Like humans, animals will change their habits through experience.Animals who see humans every day with little trouble will become almost tame. Animals who are hunted frequently will become very cautious and flighty. If a deer or elk smell you it is over before it begins. I'm sure there are people who have been in the woods when a deer will blow at them. It is their way of sounding an alarm that something is not kosure. Deer can be stupid in our observation but a big mule or white tail is one of the smartest animals I have hunted. They don't get old and big by being stupid LOL. Grouse are another thing!

[montana]

Ok, you gonna have to put down your drink and elaborate on this

I shot him. I almost felt sorry for the deer because I could see he knew something was not quite right when he looked at me. I could tell he was nervous and deciding if he should cross in front of me. I think he was waiting for some movement or smell but he never got any. He took his nervous time but when he was right in the middle of the little clearing I jumped up and I could see his look of O-sh@t but it was too late. He did taste good!

[1075 tech]

Interesting info. Every deer I've shot, I've been wearing blue jeans. My daughter was sitting in a camp chair wrapped in a blue/red checkered blanket when she got her first deer.

[Double Naught Spy]

Interesting info. Every deer I've shot, I've been wearing blue jeans. My daughter was sitting in a camp chair wrapped in a blue/red checkered blanket when she got her first deer.

Yep, and you probably were not acting in an aggressive manner toward the deer before pulling the trigger. The deer may have seen you just fine, but did not perceive you as an immediate threat.

I have come to understand that any animal that doesn't come out and stand broadside in front of a hunter so the hunter can pull the trigger is "smart." Skittish animals are often called "very smart." This isn't really high IQ stuff that would quality as being smart on any real evaluative level, probably somewhere well below that of a 2 year old toddler. Hogs, dogs, and chimps are considered to be very smart animals and their IQs are on the level of that of a 4 year old human child and deer are well below that.

I have also come to understand that many animals are blind, such as deer. Hunters often exclaim, "He couldn't see me. He looked right at me but couldn't see me." No, the deer saw the hunter. After all, you are in the deer's house where the deer lives its entire life in fear of being chasing down and torn apart and eaten. However, the deer can't live its entire life running from everything that could hurt it. That would be biologically unsound. Deer only take flight when they believe they need to take flight. A hunter may have the potential to be a threat, but that does not mean that the hunter is a threat.

Whitetail deer have been successful at being deer for millions of years longer than modern humans have been around. They live by assessing their immediate environment and determining if a threat is present or not. If they determine there is a threat, they leave. Now the vast majority of their threats are from animals that have to come into physical contact with them before harm is done. So deer (whitetail and other species) will often stand and watch predators pass by and so long as the predators do not act in an aggressive manner, the deer do not take flight. Same for when they often see humans and then do run away in terror. It isn't that the deer doesn't see something in its environment, but that of what is seen, it isn't perceived as a threat. No perceived threat means no need to vacate the area. Deer live like this 24/7 and it has been a biologically successful way for them to live. Just because a deer doesn't react to something, doesn't mean it doesn't know it is there.