Fall 2023

By Terry W. Johnson

Photos by Jimmy Jacobs

Most serious deer hunters carefully prepare for the deer hunting season weeks ahead of opening day.  For generations these steps have included sighting in their rifle, scouting the area they plan to hunt, and selecting just the right spot to erect their deer stand.  However, research conducted by University of Georgia scientists changed all that.  There findings suggest that the clothes worn while hunting may affect whether or not they bring home a deer. Knowing this, savvy deer hunters have added the selection of proper hunting attire to the preseason list of things to do.

       The biologists compared the structure of the human eye to that of the white-tailed deer.  They were particularly interested in learning how light waves are sent to the brain.  What they discovered was that deer have two sets of photoreceptors whereas we have three. Consequently, this prevents deer from seeing as many colors as we do.  Humans detect wavelengths concentrated in the center of the blue spectrum through the red spectrum, whereas whitetails perceive only those wavelengths extending from the lower end of the blue spectrum through the bottom end of the red spectrum. 

The bottom line is objects that are red and orange appear as being green. In addition, to a white-tailed deer, blues are far more vibrant than they appear to us.  In addition, whitetails are capable of detecting shades of blue that we cannot see.  This is bad news for hunters that often hunt in blue jeans.

Deer hunting in blue jeans is an invitation to be seen by you quarry.

       In case you were wondering, the hunter orange-colored clothing we are all required to wear while deer hunting is more than likely perceived by deer as a gray to brown.

       As you might imagine, these findings set the hunting clothing manufactures back on their heels.  Up until that time,  they meticulously designed their camouflaged patterns to allow hunters to “blend” into their environment. Ironically, in some cases, the dyes used in the manufacturing of the clothing actually made hunters more visible to deer.  Instead of producing clothing that were pleasing to the eye of the hunter, many have now changed direction and are making clothing from the perspective of what the world looks like through the eyes of a deer.

       However, properly designed clothing is only part of the equation.  Researchers have also learned that deer are able to detect the residue left behind by clothing washed in detergents containing UV brighteners.  These additives are incorporated in  washing detergents to make our clothes appear brighter and cleaner.  However, to a deer, outer garments washed in them can result in a hunter standing out like a neon sign.  Dr. Bradly Cohen and his associates at the University of Georgia found that deer can perceive Ultraviolet brighteners far better than hunters.  In fact, deer cannot see red and orange-colored clothing as well as we can unless they contain UV brighteners.

       To make matters worse, the unnatural scents found in laundry detergents can be detected by deer from some distance away.

       How are 21st century deer hunters responding to these findings?  One of the first things many of them are doing is throwing away their old camouflage hunting clothing and replacing it with outerwear made from new synthetic fibers impregnated with dyes that cannot be seen as easily by deer.  Some clothing makers are even redesigning their camouflage patterns using digital pixel patterns developed by the United States Army.

       Other hunters are now washing their clothing in unscented laundry detergents that do not contain UV brighteners.  Such products are available from merchandizers specializing in hunting gear. In fact, some hunters will hand wash their clothing instead of using an automatic washing machine used to wash their family’s clothes.  Others add baking soda in the final rinse before drying.   In an additional effort to ensure they will not be contaminated, they will not dry their closing in a dryer.  Instead, they will dry them on a clothesline. This is followed up by storing the clothing in a sealed bag.

       Some even go to the extent of not wearing their hunting clothes while driving to their hunting lands.  If they have to stop on the way to fill their tank with gas, they do so wearing disposable gloves.

Has that doe seen or smelled you?

       Just to be sure they have done everything they can to eliminate human scent, they will spray their sleeping bag, and hunting equipment with sprays designed to mask human and other foreign scents lingering on their clothing or gear.

       Do all of these extra precautions guarantee that they will bag a deer? No.  However, one thing is for certain, they cannot hurt.  It makes sense that, if we take the sport of deer hunting seriously, we should try to take advantage of our ever-expanding understanding of how white-tailed deer perceive the world. Only time will tell if all of these precautions really work.

       As for me, I am not ready to go to the extreme some hunters are embracing to bag a deer.  However, one thing is for certain, I will definitely never wear blue jeans on a deer hunt again.

Terry Johnson is a past Director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, non-game wildlife program and a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. He makes his home in Forsyth and can be contacted at tjwoodduck@bellsouth.net.