The Science Behind How Deer See

On this episode we interview Gino D'Angelo, Associate Professor of Deer Ecology and Management at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. Gino discusses the latest deer vision research. D'Angelo explains how deer have superior night vision and can see in the UV spectrum, but have limited color perception compared to humans. This impacts how deer perceive movement, contrast, and camouflage. The research shows deer have a very wide field of view, around 300 degrees, and poor depth perception. This means hunters need to focus on breaking up their outline and matching their background, rather than just the color of their camouflage. Elevation, sun position, and minimizing movement are also critical for effective deer stand placement. Gino shares advice for students interested in pursuing careers in natural resource management fields like wildlife biology. Overall, the discussion provides valuable insights for hunters to improve their deer hunting strategies based on the latest deer vision science.