Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: PEARL DRUMS on August 14, 2016, 07:35:25 am
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I have my opinion, but would like to hear more. Do you think bright yellow osage bows scare game away? Specifically, deer? We all see the dead deer pics with a bright yellow bow laying next to it, and we also see plenty of stained and/or skinned bright yellow bows laying next to dead deer. I cant remember ever seeing this topic on here and thought it may be fun.
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I don't think it matters to much. I see a lot of osage limbs snapped off from storm damage exposing the same yellow color. Uprooted trees have the orange roots. The leaves are all shades of yellow and orange in the fall. I've killed a lot of deer in gun season wearing a bright orange hat or vest. Remaining still seems a lot more important than color.
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There are lots of colors in the hunting woods from bright white to flat black. I think movement is more of a detriment than bright natural colors. Deer, like many other animals see in shades of gray so bright yellow probably looks like light gray to deer.
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Ditto what OO and Pat said.....smell and movement I think is the main thing..... But of course I try and put as many odds in my favor as possible.
DBar
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I also think it doesn't really matter a whole bunch. Deer pick up on movement very easily, and they sense of smell is very keen. It seems like when you are really close and they seen or smelt you, they have this sixth sense about them. They just know something isn't right and that puts them on high alert. So, when I am close to deer or elk I make sure the wind is in my face, I only move when they are not looking my way. Also I like to keep my outline broke up.
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I totally agree don't think color matters near as much as shape. Movement and smell biggest things to put on high alert. It's funny sometimes in tractor if you going across field straight at them you would be amazed how close you can get. They hear the sound but there use to that they don't really seem to notice the tractor coming straight towards them but as you get close you can see them watching the thread of the tires moving. They really concentrate on that movement. Of course if you turn tractor and start to move sideways to them as the yuppers say" in a flash there he was gone".
Bjrogg
PS fox seem almost the Same. If the snow is not crunchy you can stand up and slowly walk "sneak straight at them wind in you face. They sleep in the open fields, if you are ready to freeze when they lift their head up to look around (and they will look around) they either don't see you or think you're a post or something. I have gotten less than 30 yards several times before they noticed me and jumped up, I always wait till they get up its more sportsmanship and really fun to see how close you can get. I started doing this with 223 but wasn't enough challenge switched to shotgun have gotten at least 9 fox and 2 coyotes this way. Might have to try bow next but their pretty small target after the fur is off
Bjrogg
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Having rambled on a bit there. After their on full alert anything can do it
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I am pretty sure that studies done by Charles Alseimer (don't remember how his name is spelled) and others showed that deer could differentiate certain colors much more than others, seeing greens and blues better than orange and reds. I think they are spot white movement best as this is what their tail and throat is, allowing them to take cues from one another with the most ease. I have had deer within a few feet of me with no blind or extra cover but wearing a face mask and gloves. Seems like ten yards is as close as I have been without a face mask though. I think they spot the white even without movement as being a little out of place.. A Yellow Osage bow however, I wouldn't hesitate or fret over going ground hunting with one. White is a big no no for me though
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As long as it isn't shiny , I don't worry about it at all. ;) :) I put a last coat of Satin Polly or 000 steel wool on the bows I plan on hunting with.
Pappy
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Good subject.....I try to keep all shine down too no matter what the color.I don't like white though for some reason....lol.Lumberman I believe is right.A deer suffers from a 90% nervous breakdown all of it's life especially during hunting season.If it catches a movement it will stare until it confirms it's dangerous or not,but if the deer smells you during this stare the game is over.It's the clincher.Smelling you before they see you is a clincher too.They trust their nose above all.My hunting clothes stay in a covered barrel when not used with sage and golden rod[plants around me during the fall].
That being said though shots are taken at 5 yards still,and it's good for me to practice those type shots.I've shot right over them before,and visa versa a deer seeing my bow arm move to get a shot too.All together ai'nt nothing like the rush of a close encounter.....lol.Except a couple things which are'nt appropriate to talk about on here......lol.
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I believe a solid shape of the same shade/color will catch their eye even if held still. I've never felt comfortable in any bright colors in the woods. I've shot enough deer with orange on my head, I should know better by now but I don't. I wear minimal legal orange and hide myself during firearms season. All the same, give me muted colors, or even blotchy patterns of any colors.
Lets say deer can see 3 or 4 colors/shades, it doesn't matter what colors they are, but they can differentiate them. Whether the bow appears yellow or not, its still one solid shape to their eyes and that's not good, not up here anyway.
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Keep in mind that deer are designed to see movement, and then react. They also rely on their sense of smell to figure out if the movement they see is a threat or not. Dogs sense of smell makes everything as powerful as we smell skunks, and a deer's sense of smell is 20 times more powerful than that.
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Guess them Yankee deer are sharper than ours, never really had a problem with them seeing my bow unless like I said it was shiny or I was moving it while they were looking in my direction. ;) :) Of course I don't camo up my face either unless I am Turkey hunting, with Turkey it's a whole different ball game around here . No them bad boys can see. :)
Pappy
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I wont lie pappy, our deer are seriously pressured up here and they don't act like deer in other states, except maybe PA where they get pounded for months by millions of hunters. I think Michigan in #2 or #3 in the country for the amount of licensed hunters.
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I'm going to make some more home made camo this fall. I'm going to try to brake up my outline kind of like how the ASAT camo looks. My dye job last year faded out after a couple of washes. I'm going to stitch different shades of fabric on clothes and leave the edges jagged.
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I'm going to make some more home made camo this fall. I'm going to try to brake up my outline kind of like how the ASAT camo looks. My dye job last year faded out after a couple of washes. I'm going to stitch different shades of fabric on clothes and leave the edges jagged.
If that is your route, why not a ghillie suit?
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I don't want that much loose fabric to get caught on brush or my bow string. Plus its pretty warm in early bow season. I would hunt in shorts and a tank top the first couple of weeks if it wasn't for the mosquitos.
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Yep you guys are all right in breaking up your outline.Being the same mottled shade as your background.My ghillie suit makes me look like a clump of brush.I put a camoed nylon band on my bow arm to suppress the suit so my string does'nt hit it.
In Iowa here we can shoot a turkey too in the fall /hen or tom.
Saw a nice buck yesterday morning in the beans by me....hope he makes a residence here.
I'd have to look up the figures but deer harvest numbers and tags are pretty blame high here too.
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I've always used a pair of camo limb socks on the yellow osage hunting bows the first year until the color mellowed with age.I think glare from a shiny finish on a bow is the most important thing to avoid in the deer woods. I first noticed this several years ago when I saw a few flashes of light moving through the woods while in a tree stand. Saw it about 3 times as it got closer before I realized it was my brother approaching and the glare was from the sun hitting his bow limbs, really stood out too. That being said I had killed 3 deer with that same bow before passing it down to him and the finish was not very glossy at all on it but I had always put some of those limb skins/socks on it when I hunted. He did the same a year or two after I told him what I saw that day and eventually killed a deer himself with that bow. Since then I've always put a satin or dull finish on my hunting bows or used the limb socks.
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Thinking I'd paint it black with tung or linseed oil paint, then wax.. though just oil+shellac+wax is probably enough
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I worry a lot more about the smell of the finish that if they can see it or not. :)
Pappy
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no I dont think the bright yellow scares the deer,, anymore than a natural white limb in the forest,,
that being said,,,, I dont think it hurts to put a snake skin or more neutral finish on a bow,
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Don't deer see UV shades better than we do? I would think a UV receptive wood like BL or osage would be more noticeable especially when fresh. I don't think the wood alone would spook a deer, but it would make any movement of the bow more noticeable if the UV did stand out.