If you're wondering if deer can see your orange hunting vest when hunting, this post is for you. No need to panic; read this post to find out!
Worried To Wear Your Orange Hunting Vest?
Most of the deer hunters I know are aware that wearing an orange hunting vest is an essential measure of safety, especially if there are other hunters around or if you're on public land. But the question that lies inside the mind of an inquisitive hunter is this: Can deer see orange colors?” Some hunters worry that their orange hunting apparel will scare the wary deer away.
Before hunting season begins, a question always seems to surface: Can deer see bright blaze orange colors? This is a topic that engages every deer hunter in an endless discussion in the context of how and what a deer sees.
It is known as blaze orange, safety orange, and hunter orange, and the regulations for wearing this color vary from state to state. But how does wearing an orange hunting vest affect your hunt? Will it improve your hunting, or will it just frighten the suspicious deer away?
Deer's Vision
The answer to our question is: No, a deer cannot see orange the same way humans perceive the color. Deer does see colors but in a very different way than we do.
“Color” is how we perceive light of multiple frequencies and wavelengths thus making up a visible spectrum. Just like what we see in a rainbow.
image via wikipedia
Red is the color on one end of the spectrum having the longest wavelengths visible to the human eye. And having the shortest wavelength on the other end is violet and this is where deer sense colors.
That is why they can see blues and most probably even ultraviolet light. Deer show a flimsy sensitivity to yellow but tests also indicate that green, red and orange appear to them as shades of gray.
Hunter Orange
As hunters, we shouldn't be more concerned or worried about wearing an orange hunting vest. It is more important to think about your silhouette and movement.
The deer may not be good when it comes to fine details or colors but they are extremely good when it comes to detecting outlines and movement within their surroundings.
image via Wikimedia Commons
Most of the seasoned hunters would agree when I say that wearing orange whenever out in the woods is not detrimental to being seen by a deer. It is worn for safety purposes.
The objective is to be seen by other hunters or in the event of an emergency, it will be less difficult to find you in the vast hunting ground.
False Notion
It appears that the safety perspective of wearing an orange hunting vest absolutely surpasses the probability of deer detection for wearing orange apparel.
Deer have limited acuity and inadequate depth perception which is why we shouldn't be more concerned about orange apparel and camo patterns. The thing we must focus on is our movements and scent control for their sense of smell is truly exceptional.
Check out this video for more info about deer hunting, their vision and wearing an orange hunting vest!
If you're going to ask me if I'm going to advise novice hunters to wear their orange hunting vest, then the answer is a resounding YES! Other than being a law in most states it is for you and your fellow hunter's safety. Although our outfits, equipment, and guns play a vital role in hunting, we must not disregard the importance of practice.
If we are armed with knowledge and awesome hunting skills, the odds of success will definitely be in our favor. Hope this article answers one of the age-old hunting questions.
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Looking for more deer hunting adventures? Check out some facts about whitetail deer before heading on to your next hunting game!
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on January 23, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons
