Are Deer Able to See Hunter’s Orange?

Hunters in Michigan wear "Hunter's Orange" when in the field but can deer see the fluorescent blaze orange color?

When Did Hunter's Orange Become Mandatory in Michigan

When I was growing up I remember most hunters wore either red and black plaid jackets and hats or brown jackets and pants. It wasn't until I was a teenager that Michigan hunters were required to wear orange blaze when entering the woods.

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In 1984, Michigan hunters were required to wear fluorescent orange for all types of hunting other than archery deer, spring turkey, and waterfowl.

It's the law for Michigan Hunters to wear at least one prominent piece of blaze-orange clothing visible from all directions. The item can be a cap, hat, vest, jacket, or rain gear. Some hunters use a camouflage mix of blaze orange and other colors. The whole point of this law was to keep hunters safe from getting injured or dying from other hunters shooting in the woods.

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Are Deer Able to See Hunter's Orange?

Many hunters say deer can see hunters' orange but are they mistaken because the deer saw the hunter move or smelled them?

According to the National Deer Association, deer have fewer cones in their retina than humans, so oranges and reds look brown or gray to whitetail deer. The short answer is no deer cannot see hunter's orange.

Deer can see outlines and movement very well but are limited to what colors they can see. When deer look directly at a hunter most of the time it is because the deer's nose pinpointed where the scent was coming from or the animal saw the hunter move.