I am still new to this hunting thing and so have knowledge to gain aplenty.
I see plenty of places now selling Hi-vis camo so can I assume that unlike humans deer are colour-blind?
Thanks
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I am still new to this hunting thing and so have knowledge to gain aplenty.
I see plenty of places now selling Hi-vis camo so can I assume that unlike humans deer are colour-blind?
Thanks
Hi-viz camo would have to be for those who are not sure if they want to be seen...or not.
True never thought about it like that
Yes, unlike most humans deer are red green colour blind but the do see UV light.
Can deer see reflective tape?...I do know that dirty orange hi-viz can be similar to red deer colour.
Wash your clothes in uv reducing stuff, stops the halo off your clothes
Yes this is a good point. To be effective it has to be bright and new. But man it works when it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidGunn
yes on the reflective tape....yes they see blue
BUT so do humans which is why it is very safe option for silly times of the year
for what its worth the warehouse stuff seems to be lasting really well and being slightly lighter material it means Im not over heating all the time.
favourite top is a H&F patchy jobbie that has lots of different panels n colours...something everyones eyes will pick up.Ive shit deer wearing my nato blue camo stuff.
It's personal choice Jack. Camo, blaze orange, blue, pink or an old green swannie. Deer see in the UV range which means they see as well in the night as day, your colour pallet doesn't really matter.
Their eyes are particularly sensitive to movement so if you are not moving they pretty much won't see you.
Don't wash your gear in normal washing powder though as they contain UV brighteners, instead use washing soda or nothing at all.
I wear a blaze hat and vest because it keeps Mrs Mac happy mostly. I don't shoot a lot of deer but I've shot em wearing a variety of gear, don't think the deer noticed.
I often look at the full head to toe kuiu types and think man I would feel like a plonker decked out like that. Deer see movement and recognize silhouettes ie: human shape and movement = bad, they actually have pretty piss poor eyesight as far as detail goes. I dont read too much into the whole camo thing, have one camo clothing item (stoney creek Rock pullover) and only bought it because it's a good windproof layer not because its camo. I have played around and came right up on a few deer now out in the open in fading light just having the wind right, getting down on my hands and knees so I dont present as a human, and moving towards them slowly but steadily and they have taken the "curious" course of action rather than the "ahhhhhh! Fuck!! Human!! Run away!!! Course of action . Had a hind a while ago that let me get right in to about 40-50m and she knew I was there alright but was obviously a bit confused as to what exactly I was, she was on full alert but her curiosity made her stick around, gave me a few quiet grunts/barks and stomped her feet a few times and finally kind of moved off more disgruntled than terrified. I was not wearing any camo at the time and believe that camo may give you a slight advantage crossing a face at long range range from the animal but most times it's not really offering you any advantage, doesnt matter how well you blend in the deer is looking for movement against the background and will pick you out anyhow. Have also came into the open before and realised there was a couple of deer against the treeline on the other side of the clearing, just stood absolutely still and they looked up from grazing in my direction a couple of times and never spooked, again not wearing camo but doing my best to stay still and not look like a "toilet sign human outline" and they were quite content.
yep Ryans bang on. Camo and the whole UV sports washing powder thing are the biggest scams out. Get the wind right, move slowly, no ammount of camo or lack of UV will save you if you dont do the basics.
I am with Ryan on this, Deer see movement and recognize silhouettes. If you are hunting tops or open country it doesn't matter how much camo you are wearing even a dress. Get down of the sky line even if the wind is in your face. Even your shadow on a sunny day deer will pick up on that movement even crossing a face. The one thing i find helps me is covering your face up a bit.
Couple years back i stalk in to a clearing and there was 15 old deer on it, one had three legs so decided i would shoot her. After the shot i did not move one bit. Yep for sure the gun was suppressed and they had no idea where that shot come from. A good teen minutes latter i slowly stood up it wasn't till then the deer bolted.
Wasn't movement it was my silhouette which relates to danger for them.
I think of it this way you don't really need the latest flashiest fashion camo out deer don't even wear it and they are hard enough to spot just wear colors they wear
Thanks for everyone's input certainly helps. I am hardly likely to rush out and buy anything just because everything is budgeted for and a is a considered purchase.
An example of silhouettes is when hunting on horseback and coming upon deer, many times the deer will just stand and stare, but the moment you dismount they will bolt...it is as if the horse shape is not a threat to them but the man shape is.
To quote a mate of mine I often wear orange work gear and he is camod up to the eyeballs. His deer deer seem to be running when he sees them and mine are standing still (mostly). The answer is movement and outlining. More important than what you wear. Actually faces and white legs moving are the biggest offenders. As with all this stuff these days you should think more about what you are doing than what you are using. Same applies to rifles, scopes etc etc etc etc etc
If you fly over a riverbed on duckshooting opening day your would see the bits that show up the most. I believe it is the hands and faces shine like beacons??
I have found that the 'Veil' Hunters Element pattern camo makes an enormous difference but all the other patterns make no difference at all. Deer that are resident in an area memorise every tree and bush. When they scan an area if there is a 'new' bush on the hill that will cause alarm, so keep low and sit under a bush or something that breaks the human outline. Even better glass from just inside the bush. Big trout in a pool memorise their surrounds too and will cruise the pool looking for trouble
I have had a hind stare at me with the afternoon sun directly behind me, she never had to lift a hock to shade her eyes like we do, all she would have seen was the top of my head, part of my shoulder and the end on of my barrel, but she knew I was there.
Camo is good for hiding from other people with guns.
I wear gloves, even in warm conditions, movement is your enemy, swing your hands walking, reach to push vegetation out of the way, pick your nose or scratch your bum, point something out to your mate - and your hands are a semaphore to any prey animal. A proper hat that shades your face is a must. I mostly hunt open areas that mean the only way to close the gap sometimes is by crawling or slithering along in plain sight.
Saturday gone - spot two Tahr on a tussock face at 500yd with no real approach, put the dog in a down and crawl forward a few yards and flatten out again, call the dog up and put him in a down again, rinse and repeat lots, taking my time, taking a wee break in each bit of dead ground.My course was a bit random and never directly toward them. 40 minutes later sitting behind a big rock 158 yds from the Tahr with a brew on. Tahr have the best eyes in the business, but my movement type was what they would expect and unhurried, so no alarm
I'm not usually very camo ish and get a kick out of getting close as I can in the open. I don't run bright shiny stainless barrel and action rifles for the same reason.
When meat shooting in the 1970s i wore a blue and black checked Swanny as did hundreds of others. No knowledge of UV visible rays to deer back then. also when running possum poison lines in the bush in winter would often get that being watched feeling to then see a deer standing looking and not breaking in to sudden flight. Was usually movement and upright figure that was the problem. i was also told by an old timer when you're in stalking mode, you're in predator mode which can spook animals
I think that the difference back then re UV was that we did not have the 'UV brighteners' in washing powders like we do nowadays.Quote:
Originally Posted by BSA270
That's it exactly @moahunter outlining and movement are what they see, modern laundry detergent makes your clothing brighter and easier to pick up on in low light ask the Mooseguys that do the calling videos who get up close and personal they'll tell you!Quote:
Originally Posted by Moa Hunter
the only camo I have ever worn hunting is a jacket I had to buy for duck hunting as the owner of the stand insisted that all who use the stand have to be in camo after we started using steel shot - I feel like a right dick every time i put it on. I don't feel the lack of camo has affected my success much if at all. I do wash hunting gear without uv brightners these days