What Colors Do Deer See Best?

The fact that they can see only the colors blue and green has been around for years.

Many hunters were questioning this fact, but at the end of the day, the answer is yes.

It would sound like a great relief if the only deer weren't sensitive to UV bright objects and movement.

And if their sense of smell is 500 to 1,000 times more sensitive than humans.

So, let’s see what we can overcome and use these few advantages at our disposal.

Leave Your Blue Jeans At Home:

This interesting fact is not something the hunters stumbled upon through endless trial and error but a scientifically proven fact.

In recent research concerning the behavioral measure of the light-adapted visual sensitivity of white-tailed deer, the scientists have observed seven deer in a series of forced-choice discrimination tests.

The results confirmed the previous estimates – deer have great sensitivity to short wavelength colors like blue and green.

In a specific capacity, they are even sensitive to ultraviolet light.

So, for a start – if you want to score a good game, be sure to leave your blue jeans at home.

UV Detection:

Now, covering yourself in colors deer show low sensitivity will give you some advantage while closing in.

But, deer are also extremely sensitive to UV brightness, and hunting gears consist of several pieces that reflect this range of the light spectrum.

Be Careful With UV Brighteners

This problem is only even worse because even some popular laundry detergents feature UV brighteners making the hunting clothes look cleaner and brighter.

Since you are trying to take down the agile and alert white-tail deer, this is something you should avoid.

But How?

Well, there are a couple of ways to cheat your way out of this problem.

The first one would be to use some of the “UV Killer” sprays designed to dampen and block UV reflections. They require a bit more money on the table but do absolute wonders in real-life scenarios.

If you are not ready to pay this extra price, skip detergents that use the UV brighteners and turn you into a lighting flare for all dears within a mile.

In either of the cases, be sure to check your camo with a UV blacklight. If you are experiencing excessive glowing spots, replacing the gear may solve the problem without additional investments.

Turn Yourself Into A Silent Ninja:

Finally, we have to mention deer's extreme sensitivity to sound and movement, which is a disadvantage you can't magically solve with a run of some spray.

Mastering the art of sneaking up to the prey and taking it down silently requires years of practice, so you ought to go through your share of trial and error.

But, performing slower movements or standing completely still while aiming will give you a good start.

Conclusion

We hope these few tips gave you some heads up regarding the white-tailed deer.

This species is a challenging prey with incredibly sharp senses. But, it has some weaknesses we can exploit. So, ditch the blue and happy hunting.