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Am I color blind?

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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.
You are correct. I originally went in for flight school. Red/Green deficiency kept me out, Guess what they had me do instead, Yup! Put you in one of those small single engine Piper types that they could knock down with a rock, and fly about the jungle confirming reconnaissance photos etc!!! What fun! Not!!
 
The first deer I ever shot was with a CF & left no blood at all. She only went 20 yards but we didn't find her until the next day due to all the brush. My buddy wanted to call it but I was determined. Guess that shaped my perspectives. Blood is a bonus.

I've had to track a couple of bears shot in the evening. One didn't leave a single drop of blood or print even though the arrow sailed right through her lungs. Found her about 100 yards away about an hour later. The only sign I got that I was on her trail was a small, fresh turd on a dusty cattle trail about 60 yards away.

It helps me to think about the animal's general direction of travel after being hit, then their likely path, then possible destinations on that path. If the animal runs after the shot, I'm thinking about all those things. Blood is just confirmation that I'm on the right path.

The only time I lost an animal, so far, was a turkey that I had hit in the neck with an air rifle. We found small drops of blood but eventually lost the trail about 200 yards away at the property line. Still bummed about that one. Hope it was the last time I fail to recover an animal but I doubt it will be. All we can do is our absolute best.
I suppose many of us making a shift from color blindness to tracking may seem like a thread hijacking. But not really. After hearing the difficulties faced by the color blind, it is obvious that tracking methods and other observations are essential to those so disabled. At the same time, these are helpful to all of us. It is a big picture method we all need. Sometimes there just isn't any blood and tracks are confused in a jumble of other animal tracks of the same species. Nuthatch mentioned bears, as did I, in an earlier post. Coupled w them rarely leaving a blood trail, even w massive wound channels, there is often no snow to help out. [Spring and fall hunts] Where we hunt black bears on slides in the Rockies, a well hit bear will almost always head downhill in a hurry. A miss will send them scrambling straight sideways, or even uphill, to the trees, which is their natural refuge when they feel up to it. We watch for this. Our black bears are more concerned w grizzlies than humans and anything that startles them sends them packing into the trees. When mortally wounded, angling to the trees downhill works better for them. While probably not as consistent, my general experience w deer is quite similar in mountainous country. Fortunately, our deer don't climb trees. As a fixed rule, deer or bear, we visually mark the location of the hit and always go there first-no matter what. It is our starting point that we can return to when we can't sort things out. Only then do we track in the direction we think the animal headed. Too many times the shooter will be sure his animal exited w several others while, in reality it was already down in the vicinity of where it was shot. After making this mistake, it is very difficult to find the original strike zone. Seen it happen. By going there first, even if no blood can be found, you may find a tuft of hair from an exit wound laying on the ground. Even that can be bloodless. Don't ignore it on that account. Most likely a hit. Sorry about your turkey but the neighbor thought he was quite good. SW
 
I've always done the tracking for other people and have never had to do it for myself until this past season. Hunting with my pistol, I put the crosshairs on him and he went down like a rock. He was standing on an open trail at about 80-90 yds and nosed forward, face first into heavy brush. Never been more 100% sure of a kill than that. Half an hour later I edged over there only to find a few drops of blood on the ground and some smeared on the wild oats. No deer. Tracked him about 150 yds, that was the last blood spot, then about 400 more yards following his trail through the leaves. Then he crossed trails with about a dozen does running in a group and I ended up losing the trail. First deer I've ever wounded and first deer I've ever lost. Damn that hurt. At that moment I wished I hadn't let my little hunting buddy Bullit at home. He could've picked up the trail in a flash. Chances are though, with little blood loss, the buck was still in pretty good shape and most likely made it through the season. Some things like color blindness, lights, infrared are good subs for finding blood, other times just knowing how to track without a blood trail is best, then there are times when nothing, not even a dog, helps. Those are the times you go home kicking yourself because you know there's something out in the woods hurting through the night because of you.
Incidentally, as related to earlier in this thread, it was mentioned that this color blind individual could see the color blue like it glowed. An article I read last year stated that's exactly how deer see. They see the color blue light up like a neon sign. I wonder if deer are color blind to both red and green too. Blaze orange or red doesn't seem to bother them in the least.
 
Although I see red/green normally (I think), I still use hydrogen peroxide and a Coleman lantern at night. I tried one of those night blood finders once and found that an incandescent flashlight worked better. I even bought a "Deer Finder" that was supposed to detect temperature changes and show the increased body temp. of a recently deceased animal over the ambient temp. I used it in bow season when it's almost 90 deg. ambient temp. I found a few rocks but never the deer I shot. I found the deer first and then used the gizmo.
BIG DISAPPOINTMENT .. especially for what it cost.
 
Sadly, I too, am in the red/green color vision issue boat. I can see red and I can see green just fine under most circumstances. But sometimes when they are put next to each other, they blend in. Its more of a lighting or shade issue I would say. However, being a hard core bow hunter for many years, not being able to see blood on the ground most of the time has its challenges.

With that said, I will convey this, and please do not beat me up for stating this.

Due to blood tracking issues for so many years now, I have learned how to read the woods much better. For ways and reasons I cannot understand, much of the time I can see where a hit deer traveled when others do not see a thing. Its almost as if I can see their tracks when none can be seen by others. Sometimes I can walk in places I have never been before and see where deer have walked even if they are not on a path and the leaves have covered up their tracks. This has become obvious time and time again when I had others help trying to find a downed critter. And if I cannot see their tracks or blood, its as if I can know what direction they went anyway. Weird I know, but its true. To be clear, this does not always happen, but much of the time it does. I have killed over 60 deer with arrows and the only way I found many of them, much of the time was by reading the woods and walking where I was sure they went.

This pretty much happens in woods only. Open areas and/or fields are a different story. That's where I have those real "they Lord have mercy" moments.
God has a way of giving us "gifts" to compensate for things we do not have. --- People with color-vision problems can usually see camouflage when normal color vision people cannot see it. When I see other hunters in the field, I can always see them even with their camouflaged outfits. At first, I wondered why everyone thought camouflage was so great. I had no trouble seeing it. Then, I learned the truth. --- My father had the same condition. He served in the U. S. Army in the Korean War. His ability to see camo helped him survive the war. He was a point scout for 12 weeks. He told me the average life expectancy for a point scout back then was 6 weeks. After having done that job for twice the expected survival rate his C. O. took my dad off that duty.
 
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.
I remember that duty / job in the head / latrine. Builds character
GunnyR
 
Can you try a green filter in front of your eyes? The blood should then be dark. Not sure it will work, but a possible work around.
 
Although I see red/green normally (I think), I still use hydrogen peroxide and a Coleman lantern at night. I tried one of those night blood finders once and found that an incandescent flashlight worked better. I even bought a "Deer Finder" that was supposed to detect temperature changes and show the increased body temp. of a recently deceased animal over the ambient temp. I used it in bow season when it's almost 90 deg. ambient temp. I found a few rocks but never the deer I shot. I found the deer first and then used the gizmo.
BIG DISAPPOINTMENT .. especially for what it cost.
Father bought one and I laughed at him which was a poor thing to do.

Took it out side and pointed it at a cow and it could not find a cow.
 
All very interesting, or mostly anyway. Definitely learning something here. My uncle was color blind, can't remember what spectrum,,, but I do know that traffic lights would give him a hard time of they were hung in a non-standard fashion. We have a few in the area that are horizontal. He is/was the only one in the family color blind that I'm aware of.

Thank you for the education gentlemen.
I remember as a kid (before I drove), for the longest time, the yellow and green lights were opposite to me. I had to train myself to see what the correct color was.
 
I remember as a kid (before I drove), for the longest time, the yellow and green lights were opposite to me. I had to train myself to see what the correct color was.
They are supposed to always be hung in the same color orientation so that color blind folks only need to be able to tell which one is lit up.
The horizontal ones that confused my uncle at 1st I believe are always red to the right and green to the left.
 
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.
Dose that mean you have better black and white night vision like the big cats with more black and white receptors instead of colour ones
 
They are supposed to always be hung in the same color orientation so that color blind folks only need to be able to tell which one is lit up.
The horizontal ones that confused my uncle at 1st I believe are always red to the right and green to the left.

That is true, they are in the same order. However, what gets me every once in a while is a single caution light from a distance. Whenever in doubt I slow way down.

I will also add that, depending on each specific traffic light, the color contrast can change quite a bit. Some green lights actually look like dirty white lights to me. And some of the red and yellow lights can be the same. Not much of a problem up close and when driving slower but when traveling faster on some roads it can make it difficult.
 
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Dose that mean you have better black and white night vision like the big cats with more black and white receptors instead of colour ones
No. We don't have more of anything to replace some cones that don't have normal amounts. Plus, it's rods, not cones, that provide night vision. See the attached article.

Degree of color "blindness" varies greatly by individual. For example, I can see red. Hold up a solid red piece of paper and I'll tell you it is red. Now hold up a sheet of paper full of colored dots including red dots and those red dots will become far less acute as red and may actually appear to me as a different color, unless I try to not look at the whole piece of paper but try to focus on single dots one at a time. But that's me. Other people with color DEFICIENCY may have a completely different view of it.

https://www.colourblindawareness.or...vision,see colours containing red accurately.
"The retina of our eyes have two types of light-sensitive nerve cells called rods and cones. They are found in the retina which is the layer at the back of your eye which processes images. Rod cells work in low light conditions to help night vision, but cone cells work in daylight and are responsible for colour discrimination."
 
I apologize about my traffic light reply above. The horizontal lights are red to the driver's left and green to the driver's right. When I just reread it I realized I was picturing it correctly but wrote it backwards.
 
I apologize about my traffic light reply above. The horizontal lights are red to the driver's left and green to the driver's right. When I just reread it I realized I was picturing it correctly but wrote it backwards.
Awe, heck. That's okay. Us color blind folks are used to be confused anyhow. :)
 
I apologize about my traffic light reply above. The horizontal lights are red to the driver's left and green to the driver's right. When I just reread it I realized I was picturing it correctly but wrote it backwards.
I'm used to this happening to me also. There seems to be a slight hick up between my brain housing group
and writing the thoughts , age I guess.
Gunny
 
Im color blind. I have a hard time with blood trails but the lights help me.

Im noticing most people saying they are red/green color blind. But there are actually 4 distinct but common forms of color blindness commonly referred to "red/green."

By far the most common is partial green colorblindness - where the receptors for green are messed so they actually sense a color in between red and green. Its makes it hard to impossible to tell red green and brown apart, it makes blue and purple look the same and its makes pastels hard to sort.
This what I have.
 
I'm not color blind , I don't think. I can see red but I have a hard time picking blood out in anything but snow.

I've had deer run bleeding everywhere and I just will walk past it's trail not able to find blood, even when working through slowly. My friends and family always poke fun at me because I have a hard time finding blood. Lol.

Normally once I do find a little I can get on hands and knees and it starts to appear. The rest of the time I find my critter before I find blood.

Here is some blood I walked past this year and didn't see until I was dragging out. ( With my bow opening day. Only ran ~75 yards) entire blood trail was like pic below, however I found most the blood on the way out.
IMG_20221001_201605142.jpg


For Christmas my dad gave me one of those lights that are supposed to make blood easier to spot. I haven't gotten to test it as I was out of tags when I got it but I'm looking forward to giving it a try next year.

Ps. It's not like my eyesight is bad. I'm young and can see well, although I do have glasses, but I see well without them to shoot open sights well.
 
I would not be surprised if you are a partial deuteranope - someone who doesnt see green right/well.

Thats what I am. I see red - but I have a hard time separating it out from green or brown without looking at it much closer than most people.
 
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