They can see it. How they perceive it is the question.

 

I have had deer just feet from me a few times they are none the wiser .I have read they see it as a dull gray color but who knows.

 

I am the only Maybe vote in the poll. They can not see orange as a color But they can see it as a bright spot. I have posted about what happened to me before on M-S.
I was sitting in thick pines when a doe and 2 fawns came out in a field at 100 yards. I could see in my scope that they were bald. I laid my gun in my lap. They came running right at me running full tilt. At about 30 yards they did an abrupt right turn into the woods. The only thing I can think of for that was I was wearing a bright orange jacket. They must have seen the bright spot in the pines spooking them. I did not move a muscle that would have spooked them.

 

We look for movement. So do all the other forest creatures.

 

I'm convinced they don't have a clue about the orange. Almost seems like I've had less reaction to my orange than I've had camo during bow sitting on the ground. Seems crazy to me, but seen it happen way too many times. I wear a full orange vest too, not camo orange.

 

Where does ultraviolet perception fit in?

 

I'm not sure how anyone knows what a deer can actually see (color wise) but I've always heard that they cannot see the actually color as humans do. It's seen as a bright color as red is seen as a darker color. I use camo blaze for that reason but not really sure I believe what the so called scientists believe and report. Blaze camo covers me legally and for safety purposes so that's what matters also.

 

They do see it - but not like we do. They don' t have as good depth perception as we do. It's part of that head bobbing thing they do - to get depth better.

 

Last time I talked to a deer this subject didn't come up. I haven't had any more notice me in orange than camo. I think that having a camo mask on during bow keeps the shine off my face where as I don't during gun. My belief is it can be like a bright light to them , turkey know the difference when you don't cover your face. Imo

 

What background behind the orange?
How much U.V. enhancer in the color/material?
Is the test item moving?

To know for sure test a domestic deer with a treat reward each time for choosing the orange over another color.
Then repeat it with another deer.

I've had orange items that when not used I didn' t get busted with. One item wasa particular hat.
I have a picture somewhere of a racoon I trapped and myself and the red (not hunter orange ten mile cloth) orange knit hat I'm wearing is glowing like it is radioactive and hot!

My camo/orange bib with a hat besides has worked the best. Solid hats of late.
Of course I'd rather something else did but if it ain't broke I haven't got to fixing it yet.
In the blind I wear orange hats.

Wave the right orange flag at the right deer at the right time and distance and it will see it.

 

What if deer do see orange or invisible spectrum colors, but they just aren’t conditioned to run away from my smelly carcass yet?

I don’t think deer see orange, but several deers’ reaction to me—when absolutely busted that they saw me—varied from the expected “snort and run like he11.”

 

As long as it isn’t moving they don’t care. For 100 million years people have been hunting deer without camouflage. Than maybe 45 years ago a guy started selling it and now people believe it’s necessary.

They see orange but just like red and black plaid, or solid buckskin, or a bare chest, they don’t mind as long as it isn’t moving.

 

This year was so facking hot and I don't have any camo for that. So I just wore regular clothes a couple times in the stand. Had absolutely zero reactions to not having camo.

Deer eye suck, they see movement and patterns, if you can blend in you are good.

 

I don't think they see the color but I always wear my old sun faded orange because my thoughts are they pick up uv like Forest Meisters statement

 

I've been picked off wearing solid orange hats without snowcover. Never with snowcover though. I'm guessing they perceive it as a lighter / brighter color in their vision.

 

One thing we do here that the neighbors don’t seem to get…

Field across the road full of deer all bow season haven’t seen a deer on it since but I can plainly see three bright orange dots in the trees around the field that were not there earlier. So I’m not convinced the deer are seeing orange but I am they are seeing something different.

So I told my crew to leave an orange hat in his stands all season so the deer are used to it.

Besides it makes the neighbors worry.

 

They see blue, not orange. UV Blue.

Thats why Bud Light drinkers drive Jags, because they can't kill deer.

 

Just Google it...here's one article on the subject matter. Hint, don't wear blue?

What Colors Can Deer See? | Field & Stream

Ever ask yourself, "What colors can deer see?" Here's a breakdown, plus everything else a hunter should know about deer vision.

www.fieldandstream.com

 

One year it was so warm I wore my blue bib overalls instead of hunting cloths, and killed one of my better bucks. I was in a box blind though, so they didn't see it.

 

Once the guns bang a bit and there's a big influx of human intrusion, deer buckle the chinstrap. They are much more aware of their surroundings than in say, October. My observation is they will pick you off by sight scent or sound much more the later it gets in the season. Don't think orange factors into it much.

 

When the orange first came out I bought a knit hat. I was in my blind which had been there for several years. A big doe stepped out of the swamp and went nuts. Every deer that came that saw me and bolted. I talked to my Dad that night and we decided to try and experiment. I wore my old hat the next day and got no reaction but if I took the orange hat out of my pocket and raised it up where they could see it when they looked my way they were gone. After that I wore the orange to the blind or when we were driving deer but put on the old one while sitting.

 

From everything that I’ve read deer see blaze orange as basically a bright light tanish color.

So technically they don’t see it as blaze orange but it isn’t a completely natural color either. Obviously if you sit still and are able to break up your outline deer usually will not see you but blaze orange is less than ideal for concealment.

 

Many decades ago in the 70's/80's.

Game Warden Harris in Saginaw County checked us while Pheasant hunting with a new hire by his side.

First year or so of mandatory orange.

I hated the mandate.

Asked me where mine was and I casually mentioned it must have fallen off...

Got a warning and a nod.

The Government telling me what to wear never set well with me besides the USMC.

Never liked a lot of them pricks either I guess.

 

I think they see it as something similar to white, so I hate wearing orange before snow comes down.

I've been busted still hunting to my hunting spots before snow wearing an orange vest and hat from a lot further away, many times I just hear them running off.

After the snow falls and I put on snow camo with the same orange vest and hat I can get a lot closer. The deer can still see something is off if I'm in the open but for the most part that hesitation has given me good shots as they stare at me trying to figure out what they are looking at.

I've also noticed they seem to spot blue, just from my observations. I hunted with a guy about 10 years ago that liked wearing a baby blue hat and he was always getting busted no matter what way the wind was coming from...could have been a coincidence but I won't wear any blue into the woods after seeing deer spooked like that.

 

My orange has always been just my hat, and I've never been busted based on color. Just movement, sound, and scent. The surest way to get busted is to cock the hammer of a lever action or side hammer muzzleloader without silencing it.

 

Just watch a video on YouTube of how deer see color. They perceive it as a grey/green color that blends quite well with how they see natural foliage

 

I’ve read that they see it as white/dirty (grey ish) off white, I’ve also read that they see blue colors best,,, as far as orange goes I hate wearing it and when I get to where I’m headed (Hyde) I remove it (hat over hat),,, I spent my whole working life (Hunting of sorts) with a goal of total concealment and to move about undetected.