UV Brightners

[erussell]

Been reading a book and it has a section on deers vision. It brings up the whole controversy over whether or not a deer can see ultraviolet light. I think the whole UV brightner controversy is just a ploy to get hunters to buy another hunting product. This statement by John Coulbourn say's

" The notion that deer see ultraviolet wave lenghths better than other mammals inc Humans is unlikely.

He also feels the pictures used in UV advertisements are useless. saying, " No organism with single lens eye could simultaneously focus on red and green and ultraviolet. Either it would see an uv image with a blurred red green haze or the reverse.Not being able to focus on an image or even detect target movement in this region of the of the spectrum means evolution would not select for this capability.Further more the graph seems to have a fabricated curve because its peak at or below 300 milimicron. Such a major discovery would have set the visual reasearch community on its ear."

Dr Silas White say's

" The concept of deer being able to detect clear images from ultraviolet reflections difficult to beleive.

In vertibrate studie so far, in no cases does there appear to be much if any sensetivity to radiant energy in the uv end of the spectrum. Since uv light has such a short wavelenght it is extremely unlikely deer can detect a clearly focused image of uv reflection. it is unlikely that if uv were indeed an adequate stimulas, which is doubtful, deer or humans would be capable of perceiving a crisp image resulting from reflections of such disparate wavelengths as those in the typical deer woods background and uv reflections.

What does everyone else think.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I dont really buy into the UV hype. I dont use the UV wash, and have had deer within 3 feet of me, looking directly at me and didnt seem to be able to tell if I was part of the brush I was sitting in or not. I have also had deer within 20 yards while im wearing Blaze orange, and they werent spooked. I agree that its just another ploy to try and get us to buy more crap.

[Doc]

Yeah, they haven't convinced me yet. I'm always willing to listen, but as long as their arguments are constantly linked with a sales pitch to sell me something, they have a long uphill battle to get me to listen very long.