How Deer and other animals see.

[grandzillaa]

www.atsko.com/book.htm (http://www.atsko.com/book.htm) Here is some good reading on UV rays and the eyes of a deer. By the way this artical can be reproduced without the written consent of the auther as long as credit is given to: ATSKO/SNO-SEAL INC. GORE-TEX is a registered trademark of William L. Gore & Assoc. Thinsulate is a reregistered trademark of 3M Co. Hollofil is a registered trademark E.I.DuPont Co. Abscents deoderizing powder is a registered trademark of UPO. SNO-SEAl.Water Guard, Welt-Seal, Sport-Wash,U-V-Killer,U-V-Shield,U-V-Block,N-O-Dor, and Rapid-Rod are trademarks of ATSKO,Inc.

It is a fact that deer do not see the world as we see it. But some people would rather you believe that the colour or pattern of camouflage they make has the same appearance to deer that it has to a human. How many pages of ads have asked "How many hunters do you see? "What you see" makes absolutely no different at all. It is what deer and other game see that is important, and their eyes are designed to see UV Brighteners as a brilliant bright glow.

Why do camo manufacturers make their camoflage with UV brightening dyes in the fabric? well they have sound business reasons for using fabric already treated with Ultraviolet brightening dye, EVEN THOUGH DEER SEE BRIGHT CAMO EASIER THAN YOU SEE BLAZE ORANGE.


To avoid brighteners, choose a camouflage that bears a Hang-Tag saying it was manufactured free of brighteners and wash only with SPORT-WASH LAUNDRY DETERGENT to keep it UV brightener free.


Anyway it is something to think about.

[grandzillaa]

Did you know....Because the placement of the eye is on the side and front of a deer's face, they can see 310 degrees. Thanks to the horizontal, slit pupil that enchances the quality of vision in this wide field. Becareful of any little movement that you make for you well be easily detected.

[HuntingDan]

Grandzilla,

This is exactly what I was telling you and Bigbore about last summer at 936. And my experience would tend to back it up - I've noticed a big difference in my ability to move around game without being noticed ever since I started washing my hunting clothes using the same product that you referenced, which was about ten years ago. I wear blaze when I hunt and I seem to be able move around easily without spooking deer (and other animals – coyotes, rabbits, porcupines, etc.) while my close friend who wears camo (washed with ordinary laundry detergent) spooks the crap out of all animals. I have another friend who is a wildlife biologist specializing in ungulates, and he has indicated to me that he strongly believes this to be true as well.

Dan

[bignose]

Grandzilla

I agree - this season I washed all my hunting clothes in a hunting formula (non-brightener) wash. One time I was kneeling at the side of a logging track, in view of some mulies but not moving, in ex-army camos, and a couple of does came up (from upwind) to within 15 feet of me, wondering what I was (they were clearly aware I was something 'different', but couldn't figure out what, and weren't spooked). I'm sure if I'd been wearing something washed in UV brighteners that wouldn't have happened.

Unfortunately, the buck that was with them kept out to sight, until later when I got him.

[grandzillaa]

HuntingDan, since that day you talked to Bigbore and I out in 936 I began to ponder the UV thing alot. This and articals like this is very convinceing evidence. I will buy UV killer,uv blooker etc, this coming fall, perhaps before then during a scouting trip I well use it. Thanks for opening my eyes to the UV thing.



Did you know.... birds have all the spectral vision capabillities of humans plus the blue and ultraviolet vision of deer?

[Duffy4]

I don't know if I "believe" the contents of this article. Are these manufacturers trying to make you buy their products with a lie from their payed off scientist? Does Al Gore have anything to do with "Gore-Tex"? Where is rugatika? I'm sure he can dig something up from his trash bag.

Robin

[Cordur]

I'm not sure I understand the entire article. Does this mean that you could check your clothes with a black light to see if there is much of a UV response? I know for example with blue jeans and most denims for that matter, there is quite a bit of UV glow from a black light but not much with other fabrics (and they are all washed with standard detergent).

[winged1]

No, the blacklight thing doesn't indicate UV reflectivitey. There is a way to measure UV reflectance, although maybe not too practical unless you have an old pinhole camera about.

Ortho, and panchromatic films are UV sensitive. If you capture an image, then capture the same image using a UV filter, you will notice the difference in UV content of that image when looking at the prints side by side. You can take it further by digitizing the images, superimposing, and subtracting one from the other. This will leave you with an 'UV' image.

Here's the problem; glass is a UV filter, so glass lenses are not used for the first image (hence the pinhole). Glass can be used for the second image (<280nm), or 2A/B/E filters (<400nm).

[ontario ellen]

Hi lil brother

I have a new computer. Just wanted to let you know I'm back.
We'll be able to chat now. I took a picture of a deer swimming in the river out front our place the other day. I called Al, yelling for him to hurry and see the dead deer floating by. Turns out it was alive and from checking out it's tracks he ran over the cliff into the river and was having a hard time getting back on shore. It was 30 below that day. There was ice on either side of river and only narrow open water in middle. Al followed it to see where it would come out. Al did not have camera with him but I did manage to get photo of it from living room window when it was in river.

[ontario ellen]

Lil bro is . . . grandzillaa
message from ellen

[grandzillaa]

I tried the black light thing and the one coat with the light coloured hard wood trees stood out. The trees glowed the leaves were not that bad. Anyhow if the UV Killer does work then that is good for me, for as you know by reading my posts I try to get as close as possible to all the deer. All the deer I harvest except one deer, were around 75yrds or less. That is why I would try the stuff, if it works fine, but if not then I am through with it. But I will give it some time and tests.

[ontario ellen]

Hello Grandzillaa

[Tree Guy]

bump

[GoonBag]

Great, informative post Grand. Question, though. Where are you guys picking up this "Sport Wash" detergent? Wholesale, CT, Wal-mart? I'd like to try it out on my new camo pants I bought for the upcoming season.

[Tree Guy]

Hey Goon, I've seen it in the Wholesale in Calgary, but that's the only place that I have looked. I doubt that Wal-Mart carries it.

Kinda gets a guy to thinkin' about past experiences in the dark doesn't it!

Tree

[GoonBag]

Hey Tree, thanks man. I'm going to pick up some of that for sure. I'm still pretty new to the whole hunting thing so I'll take all of the help I can get. 8o

[joelvca]

What ever happened to just washing with just baking soda, washing soda, and/or plain borax? They're odor eliminators and have no brighteners.

Joel

[grandzillaa]

joelva there is nothing wrong with doing that, in fact I found a homemade scent killer in a hunting mag. last year. I truly believe that it works. I gave the formula to LiLsundance and he liked it as will. So if you and bignose want the foemula I can pm you on the EZ board or send you a E-mail.

Bignose, if you find it hard to fine that special hunting detergent, then do the poor man's way and by unscented Sunlight or unscented Tide and add baking soda to the wash as well. Thats a good start. Thats what I do at times and it does kill the scent. Then I apply the home made scent killer.

Last fall was the most exciting season I ever had. Imagine the deer coming to me, now that's a switch. If your ever out hunting and you see a deer you can shoot or you can't shoot do to no tag, or wrong wmu, then kneel down that helps. If it spotted you before you had the chance to kneel then stand motionless until it looks in another direction or begins feeding again. Then kneel, if it can be shot, and you feel that the deer is close enough, and you know that you can make the shot then go for it, but if it is still to far away, then continue to try getting closer a little at a time, kneeling if needs be. If it is a deer you can't kill then, here is your chance to practise, here is your chance to see if the UV and/or the scent killer works, but remember movement plays a key role. They do detect movement very,very well.

I can't say how this would work on super wide open field deer, but it works for me up here in the bush of 337,328,339,330 etc..:D

[joelvca]

>joelva there is nothing wrong with doing that, in fact I found a homemade scent killer in a hunting mag. last year. I truly believe that it works. I gave the formula to LiLsundance and he liked it as will. So if you and bignose want the foemula I can pm you on the EZ board or send you a E-mail.<

Yes, please - either PM or e-mail. As I try to shift more to using traditional muzzleloaders, and possibly get back into bowhunting, I need all the help I can get.

Thanks,
Joel

p.s. - a Google (or other) search for >deer color vision< turns up a number of articles.

[grandzillaa]

Hey joelvca that first artical by Brian was good. He figures that scent killer and movement are far more important than the camo or blase orange you ware. He figures your better useing a darker camo rather than a lighter camo. He also noted that deer see UV rays better in the morning and evening hours....which of course is when you see more deer activity.

This is not a popular subject as many don't buy into this UV thing, but you can still gain some good info from reading such articals. Like the man said" lighter clothing reflects brightnest more than a darker clothing." That is something to concider. Well I shall read more on this subject on Google.

PS....Thankyou for the tip.:D