We often get caught up in the effectiveness of our senses and think every animal sees the world as we do. Some new research shows that although the basics of deer vision are similar to humans, the way deer see the world is much different. Before you head out to the woods on your next hunt, it's nice to know how deer see the world. Sit back and put on your deer goggles.
With the hunting economy running at full speed, you can imagine why so many companies would want to cash in on this knowledge. Touting your camo pattern's ability to fly under the radar of deer vision would correlate to millions of dollars in revenue.
What else can we learn from this, and what are the takeaways for hunters? It's incredible to know that deer, who so often foil our finest plans, would fail an eye exam. It's no wonder why a deer will stare until you move again when it catches your movement. Either that or it decides the risk of waiting to find out what you are isn't worth it. The deer knew it saw something. It just can't tell what in the world it was.
Although deer appear to have poor vision, every hunter's experience has told them otherwise. Meet a guy who hasn't gotten picked off more than a time or two, and you'll look at a guy who hasn't spent much time in the field. So what's the catch?
Deer don't need to be able to pass a vision test or focus clearly on objects. It only needs to spot movement. If deer can catch you moving, they don't need to know what you are, only that you are too close for comfort. If you are lucky enough to infiltrate within 50 yards, things have to go just right if you plan on getting any closer.
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Another essential piece of info hunters can glean from this video is the scope of a deer's visual field. The video segment mentions how a deer's wide-set eyes give it a more significant visual range; they can see more area.
This deer trait is why spot-and-stalk hunters know to move when animals face away from you or lower their heads. It is more important to see a broad panoramic view as a prey animal than humans' predator-style, straight-ahead view.
As hunters, we always strive to learn more about the animals we pursue. Realizing how deer see the world is an essential piece of knowledge. Hunters can use this knowledge to improve their odds of scoring in the woods. Hopefully, understanding how deer see will help you next time you are trying to seal the deal on a kill.
This article was originally published on January 19, 2022.
