What a deer sees - Ladder Stand @ 40yds

[Halftail]

:shocked2: I didn't realize that hunting in some areas was just as bad as going to a War :shocked2:
Can a kevlar suit be bought in Blaze/Camo?

 

[Ron LaClair]

I didn't realize that hunting in some areas was just as bad as going to a War
Can a kevlar suit be bought in Blaze/Camo?

Yep, Here's my blaze orange flack jacket. :grin:

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Here in Michigan when we frist started bow hunting from tree stands the deer did not look up but they sure do now, I like to get just high
enough to be in the canape to break my out line.
:wink: Rocky

 

[BrownBear]

I'm startin to feel like an alien reading this thread! However you guys manage it, be safe first, then figure out how to get your deer.

I've successfully hunted all species of deer in North America in half a dozen states or so. Don't claim to be an expert in any except on my own home hunting grounds, tho.

But I've learned one real important lesson whether wearing FO or not:

Deer see a lot more than we do, but what's more important is what they react to. Once they learn ANYTHING is a bad deal, they're going to react to it. If they don't know it's deadly, they're downright stupid. And they learn fast. This year's hot trick is next year's stupid mistake.

But if you can break a familiar outline, be still, be quiet, be smart about the wind, and be in the right place, you'll get your deer.

Do that, and it doesn't matter what color you wear. Or what kind of blind you use. But give smart deer a clear outline of the human form or a blind, and you'll be eating canned beans all winter.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I am a ground hunter- too many shakey tree stands to trust climbing up in trees. But I take Blaze orange surveyor's tape with me, and put a ring of it around the tree I am standing next to above my head, to that it is visible from all directions, and its above most brush. When I did use a tree stand, I would put tape around the tree under my seat, and over my head to bracket me for "visitors ". My best friend was bow hunting in full camo one Fall, when the upland game season opened. He was in his tree when three guys came towards him hunting phesants. Sure enough, before they got close enough for him to hail them, a bird broke, and they fire right at him. Lukily, he was tied to the tree with a safety harness, and just swung around the back side of the tree and avoided being hit. Pellets were hitting branches all around him.

When they got closer, he called out to them, and told them they were on the wrong property. They left, but he was also done for the day. When I told him about ringing his tree top and bottom with Blaze orange tape, he thought it was a good idea. The last time we talked, he was using a ghillie suit he made, to hunt, and he was on the ground. I don't know if he has yet used the B.O. Tape to warn off other hunters, but he isn't playing with the squirrels anymore.

Be safe.

 

[Pork Chop]

Yep, I've had .22s and shotgun slugs both go rippin' thru the trees at and above my level in treestands 12 - 15 feet high. Had it happen on the ground too. It's a scary feeling! :shocked2:

"This is the AK-47 assault rifle, the preferred weapon of your enemy; and it makes a distinctive sound when fired at you, so remember it"

 

[Halftail]

I didn't realize that hunting in some areas was just as bad as going to a War
Can a kevlar suit be bought in Blaze/Camo?

Yep, Here's my blaze orange flack jacket. :grin:

And you look perfectly safe in that outfit.I must add that it's a good blend of traditional wear with modern safty in mind... :thumbsup:

 

[jethro224]

Yep, I've had .22s and shotgun slugs both go rippin' thru the trees at and above my level in treestands 12 - 15 feet high. Had it happen on the ground too. It's a scary feeling! :shocked2:

"This is the AK-47 assault rifle, the preferred weapon of your enemy; and it makes a distinctive sound when fired at you, so remember it"

It DOES make a distinctive sound,

vvvvvrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiip.....crack!

The first time you hear it you may not realize what it is... until you notice the wakes thru the CRP grass, or the twigs and bark falling, or the extra hole in ya! :shocked2: So long as it wasn't the hole you noticed first, you'll never forget that sound once you hear it.

I like Roundballs stand setup, would use one like that myself, but I wouldn't feel any safer up 12 to 15 feet than I would on the ground. Usually I try to stay low with dirt or a big tree behind me. If lead starts flyin' too close for comfort I will hit the dirt!

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I LIKE THAT ORANGE VEST! DID YOU MAKE IT OR HAVE IT MADE? BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE PERIOD LOOKING BUT WITHIN THE LAW. :thumbsup:

 

[AJFedak]

Since deer see shades of grey I converted the images here to grey scale. This is more like what deer will see.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I LIKE THAT ORANGE VEST! DID YOU MAKE IT OR HAVE IT MADE? BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE PERIOD LOOKING BUT WITHIN THE LAW. :thumbsup:

HalfDan from Bell & Company Traders sells a slick Weskit (waistcoat, vest) in hunter orange, see this link here, bottom of the page.

 

[Halftail]

How do we know that deer see shades of grey?I've seen this said a few places.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

I agree with HalfTail. I have shot a few deer with my bow in bluejeans. Keeping your face covered is more important than your chose of camo.My two cents?? :wink: Rocky

 

[smo]

I was taught to move slowly & watch the wind direction when hunting on the ground.When I tree stand hunt I get high enough to get nose bleed that way I don't have to be as concerned about movement or wind direction unless the deer is in the next county. :wink:

 

[AJFedak]

Deer do not have the color rods in their eyes, therefore shades of grey. First and foremost deer sense odors and then motion. Camo(of some form) helps breakup solid masses and un-natural shapes. As for you face and hands. There is not a "flesh tone" in natural habitat so some form of color change is required.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Deer do not have the color rods in their eyes, therefore shades of grey. First and foremost deer sense odors and then motion. Camo(of some form) helps breakup solid masses and un-natural shapes. As for you face and hands. There is not a "flesh tone" in natural habitat so some form of color change is required.

Deer also have little or no depth perception, because like all prey species, their eyes are set on the sides of their skulls, and not facing forward. They cannot use both eyes, as we do, to triangulate and determine depth. This makes seeing anything well, other than movement, a real problem.

Camo does not have to match the colors of the trees or leaves. In fact, a plaid shirt will work just fine.

As to concerns about skin showing, Movement is much more a problem, than your hands or skin on your face being seen. Its head movement( eye movement, mouth movement, etc), and hand movement that alarms wild animals. Most hunters don't Listen to the small animals in the woods to hear their alarm calls. Most don't learn to move slowly enough to not set off alarm calls. Deer do listen to the squirrels, and birds. So do other predators, like coyotes, and cats. Good hunters do, too.

 

[Ron LaClair]

I LIKE THAT ORANGE VEST! DID YOU MAKE IT OR HAVE IT MADE? BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE PERIOD LOOKING BUT WITHIN THE LAW. :thumbsup:

I bought it from a trader a couple years ago at the Living History show in Kalamazoo Michigan but I can't remember their name. It's all wool, reversible, blaze orange on one side and green on the other.

Sometimes I wear my Wool blaze orange cape/hood over my wool Longhunter shirt. It's warm and is enough orange to satisfy the law.

 

[petemi]

Here in Michigan, we're stuck with hunter orange also, but I have never found it to be a problem. We have 4 permanent, high tree stands build with unpainted pressure treated lumber. The deer often walk directtly under them and never look up. One time, a buddy and I were walking out at first gray light, I was wearing blaze orange coveralls. We were crossing one of our fields behind the house when a nice buck chased a doe a good two hundred yards almost up to our feet. We stood stock still and they never noticed us.

 

[Ron LaClair]

Petemi,

My hunting camp in the UP is in Iron County near Crystal Falls, right on the Brule river. Where are you located?

 

[Rat Trapper]

When I was much younger, I'd climb as high as I could and then wish I was higher. Now I look for great cover to push the stand into. If you have enough cover around you, you do not need to be so damn high. My gun stands are all 10 ft high four legged stands. Treated 4x4's for legs, stand is 4ft by 4 ft square and 5ft high at front and 55 inch at rear. Frame inside is 2x2 and covered with 1/4 inch plywood. Stand and ladder are all painted with a flat black laytex paint. shooting windows are 13 inches high all around. On the outside of the windows is a 2x2 with 1/2 in holes drilled 6" or so apart. In those holes I put pine branches. From the inside I can see out, deer can not see in. I am free to move around as long as I do not make noise. Enough room to reload a Hawken up there if I need more than one deer. If I fall asleep the worse that could happen is I might fall on the floor and even that is not likely. It's warm enough to sit there all day with out a heater. Deer can't see me, so all I have to worry about is the wind. Have enough back up stands so I have that too under control.
When I put these stands up I still look for as much cover (pine trees & etc) as I can find to break up the outline even more.
Roundball's stand meets my stand requirements! Looks like my bow stands.