Color blindness
Whitetail Deer
All, I shot my 80th deer today. Bow kills 63 and gun at 17. Today was a gun kill. I am so thankful for my friends and family who help me track! I took a lung shot on todays deer (40 yd shot), and it took off…. I went to the shot, saw hair and blood. I tracked for 30/40 yards (saw the run for 60+) I lost the track at the 40 yd mark.
I called my uncle, he came to help. He took up the trail, and I peered ahead in case we jumped him. He walked for 150 yards on a quick pace as blood was everywhere.
I still looked out ahead, only 3 times did he stop to see a change in direction, it was a pause not a stop.
I can’t see RED. It has been such a struggle ALL my hunting career. It has made me better in some ways as I choose great shot opportunities, I don’t chance rain, and if I know no one can support me I may choose not to go.
I have started researching color blindness glasses. Has anyone tried them? I have bought all the flashlights and sprays over the years and none do it.
My uncle could see blood 20 yards out ahead of him,. My son did some color blindness tests on me today and it’s not god.
I know I am not alone how do all of you handle it?
I go get help. I am color blind for green. Brown, and red. No chance tracking a shot deer. Buddy can spot a turkey red head a quarter mile away, I can just see turkeys.
I am red/green color blind. It really sucks for deer hunting. I've killed north of 160 deer with a bow and have only blood trailed a couple in new snow. ALL the others were not blood trailed or not by me. I am usually alone and just go looking for a dead deer on my own. I have definitely lost deer others would have found. I have had friends blood trail for me probably less than 5 times in my life and I am always absolutely amazed at what they see that I do not. A blood spot on a leaf or the side of a tree looks just like every other spot on the leaf to me. It's terrible. I can sometimes see wet blood shine with a light at night but that is not reliable at all.
I feel your pain. It is a serious limitation that I have never allowed to stop me from bowhunting. I read very mixed reviews on the glasses and just find it hard to believe they will magically transform things for me. Have never tried them. I don't like dogs - at all and don't have many bowhunting friends. I simply do the best I can and let the cards fall where they may.
Shooting straight helps alot! Good luck. For me, every single deer I shoot that doesn't fall in sight turns into a grid search.
Hell I didn't even know turkeys had red heads. When was someone gonna tell me that???
I'm the same way. I did buy the Enchroma glasses and they're awesome. They made red POP and fall colors are amazing. They aren't very useful in low light though. Too dark .
I have mild color blindness in red, green, brown as well. I tried the glasses specifically for blood trailing, I finally got to try them out and the blood absolutely disappeared with them on so they didn't work for me. Ymmv.. I almost do better at night when the flashlight gleams off the wet blood. But yes, it's frustrating as hell not to be a decent tracker because of it.
Red-green plus additional deficiency for me. Man it's so frustrating...
I am red/green colorblind. I also have trouble with blue and purple. Anyway, I have glasses and they do work. Have not blood trailed with them but they do bring out colors that I cannot normally see.
I would suggest buying them from a place you can return them if they don’t work. You’ll know if you have the right lens when you put them on. Try lenses until you get the right ones. Mine kind of have a pinkish lens. I do not wear them all the time as it is kind of sensory overload for me and gives me a headache. I will say that yes, we are missing amazing things but hey it’s how we’ve always seen things. Good luck in your search and don’t be frustrated. May take a few different lenses before you find the right ones.
FYI. I tried about three different ones including two from Enchroma before I found some online with the lens I needed.
Mine and my brothers look like this….
What kind are they? I’d like to try them as well
I'm not color blind, and shame on me for not being aware that some people are and would have a difficult time tracking.
I hope that you find something that helps. Good luck.
Our son is color blind - everything fades together. Several years ago, we purchased a pair of the glasses. I can't remember what brand they were - wife purchased online. A bit spendy at a little over $600. Worth every penny to us. He called us one day and said that he and his wife were driving in a light rain/mist - told us that was the first time he has ever seen a rainbow - made my wife tear up.
He said he can't wear them when it's dark out - the glasses are just to dark. To me they look like a pair of dark sunglasses.
I am red/green colorblind which is a big disadvantage for a hunter. I bought a pair of the Skopt glasses that are specifically designed for colorblind hunters. They have helped me a lot. I am still not as good of a tracker as my son or buddy but I can see blood. I think they cost about $100 and were well worth it in my opinion.
I don’t think mine have a name brand….
I am red/green/brown color blind..Huge disadvantage for a bowhunter/tracking. I've arrowed well over a hundred critters and recovered only the ones that hit the ground in view from my stand. It's a must to have sons, grandkids, wife, and friends to help track. Beyond frustrating as all i really do while tracking is " Last blood guy". I've tried the expensive glasses but minimal to no help.
If I was color blind I would look into the new tag trackers that sit in the arrow nock. Does not help your gun hunt but this is the Bowsite
I am red/green color blind. I have blood trailed deer and found them if they are pumping it out. Otherwise pay very close attention to where they ran and listen very carefully. If the hit is decent I can usually walk to the last place I saw them and find them. Less than perfect hits I need help. Haven’t tried the glasses yet as they are mixed reviews. Have tried the sprays and usually figure out I am looking at blood before I spray it, at that point the spray is not needed. I love pass throughs so I get two holes especially from a tree stand. It seems to be an every other generational thing, my grandfather was CB, my dad is fine, my brother and I are CB, my kids were fine, my grandsons are CB. And it affects way more males than females.
Starfire I'm not familiar with the product. What exactly does it do? I rifle hunt as well as bowhunt but rarely need to bloodtrail unless it's bowhunting
XTM tracking nock. I saw it on the Innovative Outdoorsman youtube channel.
I’m colorblind. I just shoot my bow every single day so I know I will make good shots on animals to watch them fall. I can see the wetness of the blood, but have a hard time seeing that it’s red. If the blood has dried, forget it. I haven’t ever waited to bloodtrail dried blood on any deer I’ve shot, but have tried with other guys’ deer and I’m of little to no help.
Starfire worth a look but I'll keep my color vision girlfriend just in case. Lol
I don’t have true red/green color blindness. Shades of brown, dark red and grey give me trouble. So dark blood on leaves is trouble.
I have purchased blood trailing lights, but haven’t put them to the test yet. Best solution I have found so far is bring a female to track! (My daughters can out track me any day of the week)
Well I had to track a deer tonight but luckily we have snow and it was easy. Walked right to it. No colorblind glasses needed.
I may try to buy glasses at a place I can return them. The brand names above that I have seem are Skopt or Enchroma. I bet an eye doctor could give recommendations but I have not been to one recently. True disadvantage, but out of all my friends no one spots a turned up leaf better than me! Thanks for the input, and be sure to take the best shot you get not the first.
Bought a pair of glasses, fake “theatre” blood and will do some testing. Will update if it is any better for me.
I bought the Skopt glasses. Helps a little. I go fetch my wife, helps a lot!
Thanks longbows! Let us know
Dark red can be an issue for me. Maple leaves can also be an issue. If I slow down I'm ok, it's when I start getting antsy and looking ahead and not really paying attention to the trail that I start losing it.
I was manager of a dry rubber plant. I had to give employees a test for color recognition. You could not work in that department if you were color blind. The rubber was graded by color. It was normally white to several shades of yellow and was packaged and sold in 50 pound bales. The color determined the price. I was surprised at how many people were color blind and didn't know it. I put them in other departments.
