Deer vision

[maineac]

Several years ago while taking a bowhunter safety class with a buddy to help encourage him in the sport I met a local man who was teaching the course.  He brought in a lens he had purchased that filtered out the wavelengths of light deer can't see.  According to a study done on whitetails that had been sedated they discovered that deer do not have color vision cones that perceive red.  The do have cones that perceive some green and blue.  It was amazing to see different shirts or pants light up on other people taking the course.

I contacted him and bought one of the lenses.  The other day I started playing with it while out stump shooting.  I think it will be fun to put my favorite clothes through the test to see what they look like in ground blinds and tree stands.  Here are some sample picts.  It is going to have to cool down a lot before I can start putting on my wools and other clothes.

Here are a couple of picts in the yard to show how reds drop out
 

 

Here are a couple in a ground blind.

 

 

Of course this lens can't make the uv show up as well as it does for deer since our eyes filter it out and deer's eyes do not.

[Adam S. Daugherty]

In my opinion it is all about the cover.  If you got good cover it dont make a hill of beans what you are wearing.  More deer are killed every year with people wearing almost glow in the dark hunter orange than anything.  I have probably killed as many deer bowhunting within 15 yards wearing hunter orange during gun seasons as I have during bow season when not required.  However you will seldom find me in a tree or on the ground where I am not hidden with cover.

That lens is interesting.  Will be neat to see some of the other pictures you take as they come in.  Would be neat to see the difference of another picture from your ground blind if you put some cover behind your left side and built up the cover in the front to about bow hand height.

Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing it with us and hope more pictures come.

And if you ever get lost, looks like your shorthair can point you out.

[Zradix]

Cool pics!
What type of lens is it?

Thanks

[maineac]

The lens is called "Deer Eye".  It would screw on a SLR type lens.  I have a smaller point and shoot and hang it on the extended lens.

Adam blaze orange, depending on the dyes used drops out in terms of color from a deer's perspective. According to the info that came with the lens if the orange is derived using  yellow and red, it drops out to a dull yellow.  If red, orange blue and violet are used it flares up to the deer.  I will include some blaze when I start taking pictures closer to the fall for those who bow hunt during rifle season.  I'll have to take some in sporting goods stores to see if I can find differences between manufacturers.

I agree with the cover idea.  Behind is a lot of spruce branches I cut off a blow down last year. The needles have fallen off since I made the blind last summer. I can see a difference in how it looks between the two pictures. With the deer eye I look more exposed.  I fluffed up the front branches after I took the picts.

[Adam S. Daugherty]

cool deal, keep some pictures coming later on this year.  and best of luck this season to you.