The Science of Deer Sight
Over at OutdoorHub they have a great article explaining the science behind how deer see. The better we understand our quarry, the better we can prepare to hunt it. It’s that simple.
The short of it?
– Deer are NOT color blind
– Deer have a wide band of vision
– Deer cannot focus on something unless they are looking directly at it in a manner that both eyes can see it
– Deer see fantastically at night for 3 main reasons
– Their eyes have a high density of rods which interpret light
– Their eyes have a reflective substance which effectively doubles the amount of light that reaches the optic nerve
– Their eyes have a slit for a pupil which can allow far more light than our own tunnel-like pupils
I should also note that from a couple of experiences this hunting season, deer generally do not see things that aren’t moving very well. Unless they’ve been spooked via some other sense (I.e., smell or sound), if they spot you and you remain perfectly still, they may well dismiss you as a non-threat and go about their business.