Am I color blind?

I have a longtime red-green colorblind friend who, when we were younger, would occasionally stop at streetlights at night thinking they were red lights. He eventually learned the "tone" of colors (whatever that meant). He saw red and green as different tones of gray. In fact he went on to be a professor of art at a large university. Recently though, he didn't notice the blood in his urine, thinking it was darker due to dehydration from all the coffee he drinks. His wife noticed the red! He's just had surgery. Here's hoping.

Brokennock said:

Just a curiosity question.
Have any of you who can't seen blood due to color blindness tried any of the lights that enhance blood and have a low light signature in that phase?
Some of the lights we used, in a world unrelated to the one discussed here, had a secondary red/green combination led set up that allowed medics to see blood better than white light and without causing themselves to be illuminated like a bright white light would.

Something like this,
https://firstlight-usa.com/product/tomahawk-mc/Or this,
https://firstlight-usa.com/product/liberator-stt/maybe?
Maybe there is a less expensive option out there one of you has tried?
I'm not saying you would see the blood as red, but maybe it would enhance it in a way that you would see something that stood out?

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I always carry a Streamlight stylus with the LED Blue ultraviolet light. It is the best color of light for detecting the smallest of blood drops or urine at night. They are very slim, lightweight, and use AAAA batteries. I know of a hunter who is colorblind and it works for him.
Streamlight Stylus

Jedidiah said:

I also have the same red green deficiency. it occurs only in men, 6% of the population. I did not find out until I went into the Service on a "flight" program. They said, LOL, no way you're flying!!!

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As an A&P, crew chief on warbirds and a drone pilot, I understand this completely, however, I have a friend (actually he was my dads best buddy growing up) that was a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying F86's, he went on to be a captain with Continental Air on the west coast after the service and retired from Continental many years later. He is and always has been color blind. I suppose the need for pilots then outweighed the handicap.

Gunny5821 said:

I always carry a Streamlight stylus with the LED Blue ultraviolet light. It is the best color of light for detecting the smallest of blood drops or urine at night. They are very slim, lightweight, and use AAAA batteries. I know of a hunter who is colorblind and it works for him.
Streamlight Stylus

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I've heard old timers say that a carbide light gives off the correct color of light to enhance a blood trail. I have several that I've used for years for camping but never tried trailing with one.

Bullit said:

As an A&P, crew chief on warbirds and a drone pilot, I understand this completely, however, I have a friend (actually he was my dads best buddy growing up) that was a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying F86's, he went on to be a captain with Continental Air on the west coast after the service and retired from Continental many years later. He is and always has been color blind. I suppose the need for pilots then outweighed the handicap.

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Yes, rules and requirements change all the time, especially during a war! During Nam in the beginning Chopper pilots were Officers, towards the end they started making more "warrant" officers because the need for Pilots was so great!

Bullit said:

I've heard old timers say that a carbide light gives off the correct color of light to enhance a blood trail. I have several that I've used for years for camping but never tried trailing with one.

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Makes sense. I believe the carbide lamp has more of a blue tint to the flame.

Yup, I found out I had the Red/Green problem when I enlisted in the Army in '75. Later I became a Colorado State Trooper, in '81, I wore the R/G contact in my left eye. Had a great time when I made traffic stops with it in!!!

Do tracking sprays, such as Night Stalker help at all? I understand it is a form of Luminol that they use at crime scenes.
Night Stalker
Just a thought.

Gunny5821 said:

They are very slim, lightweight, and use AAAA batteries.

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I didn't know that 4A batteries existed before this post. I googled it to make sure it wasn't a typo.

As they say, you learn something new every day.

Patocazador said:

I didn't know that 4A batteries existed before this post. I googled it to make sure it wasn't a typo.

As they say, you learn something new every day.

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I guess they have been around awhile. I bought this little light about 15 years ago and the batteries came with it. It is about the diameter of a stick ballpoint pen, and has a pocket clip.

Jeff Gleason said:

Do tracking sprays, such as Night Stalker help at all? I understand it is a form of Luminol that they use at crime scenes.
Night Stalker
Just a thought.

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I'm quite sure it would show up, but I'd have to have a 50 gallon drum strapped to my back and spray it all over. It's not viable if you are not seeing blood to start with. If I can spot the blood it's usually very obvious it is blood. Much, for me, depends on the surface it lands on and how that contrasts with how I see blood. Daylight aids me considerably as well.

BTW ... as previously mentioned... generic Hydrogen Peroxide will do the same thing at a fraction of the cost. Maybe I could afford a big drum of that!

Net for me...extreme care in shots taken, big caliber or big broadheads on heavy arrows to open big holes to pour out lots of blood, hopefully and usually down in sight so no tracking required.

64Springer said:

You mentioned deer using every last breath.

Hunting in cold weather allows the hunter to see if the deer has oxygen in its lungs or not.

Pull the trigger when condensation is coming from the nostrils, because that deer will have empty lungs.

If the lungs are hit when empty, it's very hard for the deer to take another breath.

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That's a good idea. I've never heard anyone mention this.

Just a week ago my youngest son shot a buck at a mere 15-yards with a 50 caliber conical. You'd think there'd be a blood trail. Nada. Luckily, he was in a high tree stand and was able to watch the deer. He followed the trail it took and looked thoroughly where he last saw it. I was right behind him for the "trailing" and did not see a drop of blood. I even questioned the shot and his instance on seeing the hit. Sure enough, the buck was lying dead a total of around 75-yards from where it was shot. Even at the site of recovery there was no blood on the ground. There was a blood spot at the entry hole behind the shoulder and a lump of stomach mush where the exit was low and behind the ribs. The shot clipped the back of the heart and bottom of both lungs! We all learned something from this recovery. For the color blind - I can't fathom not being able to see or follow and obvious trail - but attention and persistence will pay off!

I am considered color blind. I have failed every color vision test ever given to me. However, I can see some color. I remember one color vision test I took had 100 charts. Letters and numbers were hidden in a series of colored dots. If you had normal color vision you could see those hidden letters and/or numbers. I only got 7 right out of a hundred. Luckily, I can see red and green. I explain it this way --- Crayons come in boxes of 8, 16, 32 and 64. I can distinguish the 8 set OK. Beyond that I am lost.

Gunny5821 said:

I always carry a Streamlight stylus with the LED Blue ultraviolet light.

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I use a small u.v. flashlight at night to spot tomato hornworms at night. They glow purple under u.v. I never thought to use it for following a minor blood trail. Thanks for the tip!

Ames said:

I use a small u.v. flashlight at night to spot tomato hornworms at night. They glow purple under u.v. I never thought to use it for following a minor blood trail. Thanks for the tip!

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Streamlight also makes several true UV penlights, which emits more of a purple light. The UV light doesn't illuminate the visual area as well as the blue led, but the true UV better detects blood and bodily fluids, HVAC leaks and such. The blue penlight's detecting ability is not as strong as their UV lights, but I like it because you can also use it for map or text reading and low light navigation. Whether the blue or UV, blood will show up as more of a opaque black color as it tends to absorb the UV spectrum of light. Other bodily fluids, whether it be human or animal, will fluoresce to some extent, some a bright yellow, some weaker but still detectable. You can tell how well one works by turning off the bathroom light and shining it around or near the toilet, just don't let the wife borrow it or you might end up with latrine duty.

stephenprops1 said:

I am considered color blind. I have failed every color vision test ever given to me. However, I can see some color. I remember one color vision test I took had 100 charts. Letters and numbers were hidden in a series of colored dots. If you had normal color vision you could see those hidden letters and/or numbers. I only got 7 right out of a hundred. Luckily, I can see red and green. I explain it this way --- Crayons come in boxes of 8, 16, 32 and 64. I can distinguish the 8 set OK. Beyond that I am lost.

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I also failed every test they gave me in the Service, they wanted me bad. they used crayons, the dot tests, colored yarn, etc etc. They thought i was faking, until I reminded them, I was a "volunteer" !!! LOL

Yeah I didn’t realize that I had color issues until I joined the army. I have a super hard time seeing blood, where I can’t see it, it looks like a neon sign to my dad. I try very hard to be as proficient with my shots as possible and shoot a lot to help overcome my color issues

When I was flying, I had to get a flight physical annually. And every time, that danged Ishihara color vision test! I believe the FAA thinks color-blindness is something you can catch, like measles or the flu.
I told one Doc that my genes didn't change every year - he laughed and told me to not let the FAA know, as the test added $5 to his pocket every time!

Campbell said:

Yes - I am.
In my early 20’s I discovered I had a “red-green deficiency “. Under most all circumstances I cannot see a blood trail. I learned to base my tracking of wounded animals on signs other than blood. Before discovering my handicap I had lost several animals thinking I had somehow made a horrible shot, when in reality I just couldn’t see drops of blood. Today, I recover animals that others would lose because I can’t rely on a blood trail. Please, I am not preaching, I am only urging those who shoot and “miss” to do a comprehensive and exhaustive search before conceding.

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I have read that during the war in Vietnam red /green color blind soldiers were flown above the jungle canopy to spot enemy camouflage. Apparently there is a difference in gray tones between chlorophyll and green paint.
Hats-off to anybody with that ability at that time.