Bump this up again, I will get Brandon to comment on this.
Hey guys,
Brandon Mason here. Since I was a teen I've been enthralled with what ungulates, particularly deer, can and cannot see from a color spectrum standpoint. Many have researched this scientifically and the more it is studied, it appears the larger spectrum of colors they can see. However, they definitely do not see the same colors we see and they definitely do not see just black, white, and shades of gray.
I have taken numerous pictures throughout the years of various camo patterns in color, black and white, sepia, etc. These still don't represent what animals see.
As a general rule, they see shades of greens and blues fairly well and see reds and oranges very poorly. One of the biggest factors in determining whether or not they see you is if your camo or plaid shirt breaks up and destroys your human outline. When I was 16 I entered my first archery season with a white and black large pattern plaid insulated flannel, a camo headnet, old army camo cotton gloves, an old camo oil field hat my dad had given me and a pair of faded blue jeans. I had deer at 10 yards that didn't know what I was. Hunting in that water absorbing clothing, though, was less than desirable.
Fast forward to 2017 and being 40 years old with many archery seasons and camo patterns/clothing being used over the years as all of us have done and the continual evolution of camo amazes me; some good and some bad.
Before we were sponsored by Sitka on the TV show, I had heard many guys sing the praises of Sitka's Optifade Open Country and how they can get away with more simple movements when animals are close than other patterns they've worn. In 2016 and 2017 we have been able to wear the new Subalpine pattern extensively, and as Scott Reekers can attest to when we were bowhunting elk together in WY this year, this pattern DEFINITELY let us get away with more than others we've used. I'm not just saying this because we work with Sitka on many projects. The micro and macro patterns they have implemented in this new pattern are phenomenal by confusing the animals' eyes. The colors in the pattern are fantastic, too, but more important here is the pattern of the colors together itself.
In my experience, camo that has a base of tan, with greens and browns mixed in and moderate black really help to break up and destroy your human outline (much like the old ASAT and Predator patterns). Thankfully due to advancements in gear, we get great camo patterns along with performance fabrics for ultimate gear setups that make backcountry hunting much more pleasurable than our flannel and blue jean days.
The overall take-home message from my rambling here is this: solids blob you out, especially garments above the waist, and can make you stick out like a sore thumb - no matter the animal's level of color acuity. Break up and destroy your human outline and stay away from garments with blue in them and obviously buy the best technical gear you can afford to not only keep you more comfortable while out there, but safe, too.
