UV on clothing and deer vision

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Uncle Lou
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:42 am

The way I understand it, some clothing comes with UV brighteners used during some part of manufacture to help them look nice. Turns out deer studies show they see this stuff pretty well.

Treating clothes with UV brighteners need a UV killer, not just a wash in a detergent without UV brighteners, big difference. Now, once treated with a UV killer you should only use detergents with no UVB. I hope that makes sense.

I blacklighted all my clothes as well, some newer stuff glows, mostly china, and my older stuff does not, mostly old USA made. All my custom made in USA clothes are UV free.

You all can do what you want, but I am not wearing anything that glows to a black light. I also try to avoid chinese RT and MO, they are something else aren't they. Sell you camo that glows :? .


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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:13 am

Boogieman1 wrote:don't risk it hunt naked!


The Deer will be bleating "YUK" :mrgreen:
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:53 am

I've learned alot about UV reflectivity from fly tying articles and vids. Black light will make flourescent colors glow. But not necessarily under UV light. UV enhanced colors don't always glow under black light. But always do under UV light.

Many tiers are using UV light cured epoxies. These epoxies aren't always UV reflective, though some are made to be. It's just that they harden in seconds rather than several minutes. Because of a chemical reaction from the UV light used and what ever it is in the resin.

When tiers are using the UV light to cure the resin. You can see a huge difference between UV enhanced materials. From the non-UV enhanced ones. The enhanced ones really glow brightly.

Also studies were scientists have dissected fish eyes, and those done on deer. Show very similar make ups in the cones and rods in the eyeballs. Especially as far as the UV sight abilities go. I believe it was the number and structure of the rods. Compared to human eyes.

Before I knew any of this. Back in the days that I bowhunted in bluejeans. I had deer peg me in trees. The wind was perfect and I was in amongst plenty of cover. Not skylined either. Stone cold still too. But suddenly they looked right at me. Didn't like what they saw and got outta Dodge. This always happened at low light levels.

So I think there's something to it. When you see enough deer react to you. Either by sight or smell you can tell the difference. This looked way different than having a deer smell me.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby woodswalker » Wed Aug 30, 2017 8:41 am

I have probably killed at least 15 deer that were looking directly at me before I killed them. My tree stand used to be on the edge of a woods with a field on one side. The side with the field was elevated enough so that the deer were not very far below me in the stand but the woods side the deer were 10 to 20 feet below me since it fell away, it was not unusual for the deer in the field side that were 25 to 30 yards away to see me. I just froze and didn't move until they looked away or put their heads down to eat and then I shot them. If people want to worry about UV it is fine with me, I just don't believe it is anything I need to worry about considering the number of deer I have killed without doing all the scent control machinations or worrying about my clothing glowing from UV light. If it gives you more confidence, go for it.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:13 am

woodswalker wrote:I have probably killed at least 15 deer that were looking directly at me before I killed them. My tree stand used to be on the edge of a woods with a field on one side. The side with the field was elevated enough so that the deer were not very far below me in the stand but the woods side the deer were 10 to 20 feet below me since it fell away, it was not unusual for the deer in the field side that were 25 to 30 yards away to see me. I just froze and didn't move until they looked away or put their heads down to eat and then I shot them. If people want to worry about UV it is fine with me, I just don't believe it is anything I need to worry about considering the number of deer I have killed without doing all the scent control machinations or worrying about my clothing glowing from UV light. If it gives you more confidence, go for it.



Pretty much how I feel.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:25 am

woodswalker wrote:I have probably killed at least 15 deer that were looking directly at me before I killed them. My tree stand used to be on the edge of a woods with a field on one side. The side with the field was elevated enough so that the deer were not very far below me in the stand but the woods side the deer were 10 to 20 feet below me since it fell away, it was not unusual for the deer in the field side that were 25 to 30 yards away to see me. I just froze and didn't move until they looked away or put their heads down to eat and then I shot them. If people want to worry about UV it is fine with me, I just don't believe it is anything I need to worry about considering the number of deer I have killed without doing all the scent control machinations or worrying about my clothing glowing from UV light. If it gives you more confidence, go for it.


Unlike true hardcore scent control. Using a UV killing detergent is pretty cheap. I got a couple bottles years ago. Mainly cause the product was also "scent free". Since you only need to treat new clothes. I still got a lot left. Since I quit the scent thing.

My examples above could have been something I couldn't detect. And like I said it was always in low light conditions. Never when their was the brightness from the sun being up. Even including cloudy days. Always at last light.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby brancher147 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:46 am

woodswalker wrote:I never used the stuff, never will, I am not going to help the snake oil salesmen get richer. How many millions of deer and other game have been killed before someone came up with another gimmick to lasso hunters. There is no way of knowing if the stuff works, someone buys some, uses it and kills a deer and they believe it works, it is all anecdotal. Can deer see UV, probably, however, it is movement not color that gives hunters away.


The price of unscented detergent without uv brighteners is the same price as regular detergent. I am with you that it may or may not work or help, but you have to wash your clothes one way or the other, may as well use something that could help if it is the same price... After reading this thread I checked my unscented regular detergent, and guess what, it has uv brighteners. So I looked online for something without uv brighteners and good reviews from hunters and actually found it for cheaper, so if it works as well as regular detergent I will start using this for all my laundry and get rid of old detergent. No use ignoring something that could help.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby john1984 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:12 pm

I remember Dan saying there is natural stuff out in the forests that also shine under a black light.

So you might blend in. I don't believe humans truly know if deer see colors, or what colors. They claim they know but they can't possibly know. Unless they are a deer.

I wash all my clothes in cheap stuff. I must shine like the sun.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Brad » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:05 pm

The same biologist saying the deer can see UV might just be the same ones saying they have 295 million scent receptors :o :think:
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:06 pm

woodswalker wrote:I have probably killed at least 15 deer that were looking directly at me before I killed them. My tree stand used to be on the edge of a woods with a field on one side. The side with the field was elevated enough so that the deer were not very far below me in the stand but the woods side the deer were 10 to 20 feet below me since it fell away, it was not unusual for the deer in the field side that were 25 to 30 yards away to see me. I just froze and didn't move until they looked away or put their heads down to eat and then I shot them. If people want to worry about UV it is fine with me, I just don't believe it is anything I need to worry about considering the number of deer I have killed without doing all the scent control machinations or worrying about my clothing glowing from UV light. If it gives you more confidence, go for it.



Nobody is contesting how many deer you have killed without it. I would bet though that a lot of your stuff doesn't glow. A lot of my stuff doesn't. Especially the stuff that isn't from china and all my older stuff.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:22 pm

My clothes get washed in deer blood, lol. I remember when this craze started back in the late 80s. I don't doubt the stuff works. I just never cared much. I do remember a few instances where I got busted right at dusk over the yrs, so that makes me think a little on stashes point.

Lou, are your stealth strips UV protected? Have you ever checked them?

Honestly I hunt so high most of the time I can move around alot n still don't get busted. Probably not the case for most Beast guys hunting marshes where they can't get high enough.

Good stuff.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:39 pm

I'm about to launch some Camo contacts, tooth paint and dream catchers u hang over your stand as well as beast logo rabbits foot.. These should fill a lot of the voids that haven't been addressed just yet
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:39 pm

oldrank wrote:My clothes get washed in deer blood, lol. I remember when this craze started back in the late 80s. I don't doubt the stuff works. I just never cared much. I do remember a few instances where I got busted right at dusk over the yrs, so that makes me think a little on stashes point.

Lou, are your stealth strips UV protected? Have you ever checked them?

Honestly I hunt so high most of the time I can move around alot n still don't get busted. Probably not the case for most Beast guys hunting marshes where they can't get high enough.

Good stuff.



Of course I have. They are not UV protected, they simply don't have an added UV brightener. People need to understand the difference. Things wont glow unless a UVB is added. I dont add it, my supplier doesn't add it, and therefore, it wont glow unless the user adds it. I am slightly offended you asked that way.

If the user doesn't add it they wont glow. This was very important to me to not make my customers glow. I can't believe the big camo companies did this to their customers.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:44 pm

I'm not totally convinced deer can see the difference, but I still check my clothes and backpack every season prior to the opener and make sure to use detergent with no brighteners.
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Re: UV on clothing and deer vision

Unread postby JoeRE » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:50 pm

I have noticed a distinct difference in how deer spot newer blue jeans than old really faded blue jeans. I am sure the new ones glow to a deer. I see them lock onto me motionless from 50+ yards away when I have worn newer blue jeans. The type of thing that never happens with old faded clothes if I am motionless and not skylined....regardless of camo I might add. I am sure other garments can be similar just an example.

Most of my hunting clothes are very worn and faded so don't think they glow very much any more!


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