now we have UV

[SilverTip]

i've been reading alot about all the sudden our camo shines when a deer looks at us. I've taken quite a few deer and other game wearing this glow in the dark stuff and was wondering what you guys and gals think of it. What is the camo companys going to do give us our money back.    It reminds me of my golfing days, you buy the latest and greatest clubs ever made and the next time spring rolls around they have come up with something better. They have had to run out of different patterns I bet next year its gonna be UV proof. Lets hear your opinions.

 Billy

   Billy

[vermonster13]

It is the brighteners in certain detergents that cause the glow. Deer eyes are sensitive to blues and not much else in colors, it helps with night-vision and dusk/dawn. Old news.

[Mike Orton]

Don't fear the Daylight Billy.....check out this info page my brother....

 http://www.atsko.com/videopage.html

 

[SilverTip]

so what your say verm is you just have to watch what you wash your close in. I've read that some of the dyes they use was causing it. I usally just use baking soda. thanks for the reply

  Billy

[vermonster13]

Avoid detergents with "Color brighteners" or color safe bleach and you'll be fine. It's less of an issue for treestand hunting than ground hunting also due to the amount of UV skyward.

[SilverTip]

thanks mike, no wonder those gamewardens kept visiting me while coonhunting when I was a kid.

[Tom L]

I was at Gander Mtn. last Saterday and there it was camo with UV protection. I kid you not I saw it with my own eyes.

[Dave Bowers]

ALot of the garment that are made over seas use dyes that are high in uv. Hence the detergents that eliminate the uv glow.

[KSdan]

The claim is that most dyes (like MOST) that they use to make camo have have brighteners in them.  You apparently can NOT get rid of the brighteners by washing in non-UV soap.  You first MUST kill the dye with products like atsko produces.  THEN you must keep them clean with the non-brightening soap.

Makes some sense as to why older trad wools may have been so good as "camo."

This is really OLD news, but you do not hear as much about it anymore.

[KSdan]

By the way- I did see where ASATCAMO products out of Montana is producing and adverstising their products with non-brighteners in the dye.

[blueline]

now you got me concerned about my predator fleece!!!

[bbassi]

forget the light, just hunt!    

[MI_Bowhunter]

People have been hunting animals for many, many , many years before camo clothing was introduced as well as knowledge of UV effects, scent blocking/reducing, etc.

I don't deny that there is some truth to it, I've seen some of the research,  but I also know that fear and panic are great marketing techniques.  

Ultimately, If we don't think we "need" something then they aren't going to sell it.

[George D. Stout]

I think wools are so good because they absorb light and diffuse it; rather than reflect it back like so many fabrics that are used for all types of clothing.  

The problem with research is it usually is biased toward the product, as it is mostly done by the manufacturer or one of their contractors.

And when a product  tells you it has been shown to eliminate "replicated" human scent.  Read that replicated....not real human scent.  We really need to read the fine print and use some common sense.

[SilverTip]

I agree George, I try to wear wool when I can, and I dont plan on making any changes with my camo. I've had pretty good luck with it.

 Billy

[woodchucker]

I've killed lots of deer wearin' "bluejeans" and I can attest that deer are VERY sensitive to "blues" and usualy drop dead very soon afterward.  

[bbassi]

Chuck, don't you freeze to death wearing "bluejeans"?    :D

[Doc Nock]

I was interested to see this article. The big rush on this was some 20 years ago...

From what reading I've done since, yep, a lot of the "dyes" used to print up camo colors are high UV reflective. Deer have tons of "rods" and few cones in their eyes..ergo, better night vision and more attuned to the UV spectrum than color.

I've seen guys question all that "research" based on not being able to ask the deer...     I do trust that you can identify rods/cones in the eye by physical exam hence the "knowledge" on how varied critters see...

Ever notice how a flour org or green safety vest truly "glows" just at twilight?  I figure it's something like that... the UV filtered shots I've seen show a rather glowing "whitish" when there is untreated UV...

Will deer always see it? Doubt it, if you don't move and they don't look at or toward you. I fidgit.

So I tend to buy the silly Atsko spray..soak the cothes I buy if they don't say "NO UV Dyes" in production of this product (which many have in years past) and then never wash with brightening agents.

I use such products year round at home... No dye/No perfume. It's a package deal and I opt for it to avoid perfumes..danged allergies!    

So it's way not new... I even had some "filters" we used in Photog to check for "balance". By using them toward low light, I could see some of the "glow" in products... I bought a cheap ole "Black Light" bulb, put in a trouble light and hung my stuff in the garage many, many years ago and turned it on... Any of you (besides George)  old enough to remember going to a dance with a black light and your white socks glowed flourescent!? Or the lint on your dark pants?    :eek:  

I saw with the blacklight bulb where my clothes "glowed" and spraying the atsko uv killer...let it dry... went away.

What the heck... why not? it's all part of the fun of preparation... required? Doubt it!

Wool's fun...but sometimes too hot... had camo help me blend in and have deer look right through me many times as long as I didn't make eye contact... so I just have fun checking this stuff out and do what feels right...

 

[O.L. Adcock]

I have no doubt there is something to it, especially on the ground in low light conditions. We KNOW they can smell things we can't. We KNOW they can hear things we can't....Yet it's so hard for some to believe they can see things we can't as well. We know they can function in the dark better then we and there is only one light source available, and that's in the UV spectrum....O.L.

[30coupe]

If you don't sit still, it doesn't make much difference. I've walked up one deer while mushroom hunting, wearing a white tee shirt and blue jeans. We had a staredown. Nobody moved until I did. We were at about ten yards.

I had a deer walk right up under my stand, look me over, bob her head, then walk away...well not far away because a snuffer went through both lungs. I was wearing a duck hunting camo jacket and camo cargo pants. I didn't even know at the time that deer could see UV. I just sat very still until the deer started to walk away. When she stopped for one more look, I released an arrow.

They can probably see stuff in the UV spectrum, but if it's not moving, I don't think it makes much difference to them.