Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer Colorblind - WHEN WILL IT END?

It has been PROVEN that deer are NOT colorblind and it's NOT NEW. Their color vision is different from humans BUT they are not colorblind as MOST THINK!!

The following comes from the Pittsburg Post Gazette, November 22, 2009. Also NOTE the University of Georgia was involved and the article says, "IT IS WRONG TO SAY THAT DEER ARE COLORBLIND".



Deer see the world differently than hunters have assumed for years
November 22, 2009 10:00 AM

By Ben Moyer


A whitetail buck grazed on a hillside in Washington County. Two does nipped grass just above him. The driver of a red pickup truck spotted the deer, 150 yards away, and braked. As the truck stopped, all three deer raised their heads and stared intently toward the intruding vehicle. The driver wondered: "Did those deer see my truck as an alien object? Or, had they simply heard the crunch of tires on gravel and sensed danger when the sound stopped?"

Such encounters happen all the time between humans and deer. Hunters, especially, ponder what deer can see and how to dress in the woods to avoid detection.

Ongoing research shows that hunters have over-simplified how deer see, especially in assuming that deer are "color blind."

In a series of studies at the <<<<University of Georgia,>>>> a research team anesthetized nine deer and recorded electrical responses in the whitetail's eyes to light shone on their retinas. While the retina of the human eye is equipped with a high density of "cone cells" that support color vision across the broad range of hues perceived as blue to red, deer have relatively few cones. Human eyes also have a "filter" which protects the eye from ultra-violet light and helps humans see objects in fine detail.

Deer eyes, though, are packed with far more "rod cells," enabling deer to see well in low light. From a human viewpoint, deer "sacrifice" broad color vision and detail for acute sight at night, dawn and dusk.

<<<<But it is wrong to say that deer are "color blind.">>>>

<<<"What we discovered is that deer are not color blind,>>> although they do see color differently than we do," said Brian Murphy, CEO of the Quality Deer Management Association and a wildlife biologist who participated in the University of Georgia research.

"Deer are essentially red-green color blind like some humans. Their color vision is limited to the short [blue] and middle [green] wavelength colors. As a result, deer likely can distinguish blue from red, but not green from red, or orange from red."

Murphy explained that a deer probably perceives a hunter's blaze orange coat as neutral gray, which, if color were the only visual clue, might always blend in well with natural backgrounds. But the ultra-violet radiance of clothing can "give it away" in a deer's eye, even if color does not.

"It's too simplistic to say that wearing orange will not impact your hunting success," Murphy said. "There is color, then there is the UV radiance off that color, no matter what the color is."

He explained that a deer's ability to see well in the short-wavelength "blue" light of night also enables deer to "pick out" ultra-violet emissions from hunters' clothing. Similarly, a highly reflective material such as a slick raincoat is likely obvious to a deer's eyes, regardless of color.

Hunters became widely aware of UV brightness in recent years, even washing their camouflage clothing in UV "killers."

Murphy points out that some field conditions nullify the UV concern. Bright sunlight, for instance, overwhelms UV reflection, making it appear visually neutral. Murphy also reminds, however, that most hunter-deer encounters happen when deer are most active -- at dusk and dawn -- so precautions........

the article continued too long to post in its entirety.

You can find all of it, if you GOOGLE - Deer Colorblind.

Deer are colorblind. The problem is that most people don't understand what colorblind means.



That is the definition of colorblindness. Most people incorrectly think colorblindness means you see in black and white. Not true. No two people who are colorblind are exactly alike. Deer, as well as colorblind humans do in fact see color, just not the same colors as the majority of humans.

I find myself drawn to wool and heavy denim. At least these past 15 years or so.
Swedish military slacks, usgi blouses, old vintage Sitton plaid jackets and the like.
Most just gets hung on the fence at home for a few days and brushed clean, and clothes they need washing get hot water and borax with an extra spin cycle.
the ultraviolet aspect is interesting. Not to the point of buying new clothes, but, interesting.

Good article. Thanks for posting

Deer are blind to certain aspects of the spectrum, thus they are colorblind to those in the warmer end.

As stated, they are not blind to the cooler end of the spectrum.

Deer are protanopic. That is, they have attenuated red sensitivity. I have an example here:

What do Deer Really See?

Nobody understands color blind other than those of us that are color blind. I see all colors, but according to the tests I am color blind. I do have trouble distinguishing red from green in certain situations, and some dark green cars look black, or charcoal gray. For example, I know a stop sign is red, but if you put it in front of a green tree I probably wouldn't notice it if it weren't for the white line around it.

Actually, I understand exactly what you mean. One of my sons has the red/green thing. I did at an early age, but I grew out of it.

Yeah, I saw green. I saw red. However,red and green in ambiguous circumstances became hard to distinguish. I know I had it at 4, but it was gone by 8. It made it hard to use crayons.

If a deer sees my hunter orange clown suit in the woods, it ends up being about the same color as maple leaves. Furthermore, the fluorescence is gone. It's flatter and more muted. They would barely see the difference between that and say a set of Carhart bibs and a barn coat.

Deer are the definition of color blind. They're blind to some colors.

Some dummies think color blind means you see everything in black and white.

More than you think!

I've seen it in print HERE, and in TV hunting shows.

This is the PURPOSE why I posted the article in the OP.

Deer are NOT colorblind as in 'black &white vision'

Camo clothes helps UNLESS you're wearing blue/white camo. (Whatever they call it)

They said Blaze Orange is probably seen as a neutral gray(which is a color).

But for cryin out loud, HOW LONG is it going to take for a lot of hunters to realize that deer are NOT black/white colorblind???

No idea. I've started threads about this on multiple forums showing what deer can see, but they don't want to believe.

If deer suddenly became not color blind, how many camo clothes makers would go out of business? Could Cabela's survive?

Deer gotta be color blind.

What? How does camo manufacture matter in this?

Camo is no better than the old red and black wool. Plus, you can wear the R&B anywhere without looking like rambo. You just look like an old azz hunter instead.

What?

I've been on the green/black since.........1966ish.

I am color blind Red / Green, Blue / Purple, and some others. Blaze orange doesn't look blaze to me for example, just another color. I believe I am only able to differentiate due to patterns. If I share the same colorblindness as deer camo patterns are required, but the colors are not as necessary as people think.

What I question is the inability for deer to see colored lights. I assume they are just not accustomed to danger associated with various colored lights, but they will eventually adapt.

I got hung up on the red and black in the early 50's, but the green is just as good.

There's something about seeing red and black wool that makes me want to go hunting. Smelling Hoppe's does the same thing.

Well, I know certain generations think that for some reason, but deer see patterns even if they struggle seeing parts of the spectrum.

Some camo is ineffective while others work well. Also, the reason some think that camo doesn't work, besides their emotional connection to something else, is that they are hunting from distance where everything is a gray blob to a deer and motion really becomes key.

Inside 100 yards patterns are effective in breaking up form so that deer flight isn't triggered.

Color and camo are not the same thing.

I didn't say camo doesn't work. I said it's no better than the old plaid. Anything that breaks up our image is good, if the colors are right.