Thread: Interesting article on deer vision

https://www.fieldandstream.com/hunti...on-slow-motion

Juicy bit:

Last year, I talked renowned research scientist Dr. Karl Miller, former professor at the UGA Deer Lab. He brought up the topic of flicker fusion rates (FF), also known as critical flicker frequency. FF rates determine an animal's ability to process visual information in one location, called temporal resolution. It’s measured by the frequency at which a flashing light appears to go steady. The higher this FF rate is for a species, the more information they can visually process per second. Numerous animal studies have shown that high FF rates mean a moving object is less likely to be blurred, and as a result, an animal's ability to determine its nature, direction, and velocity is increased. This is exactly what a prey species, like a whitetail deer, needs to survive in an environment full of dangerous predators with fangs, bows, and bullets—the ability to assess threats and quickly react to save their hides.

For humans the rate averages around 60 Hz in well-lit conditions. According to new studies, it may be up to 120 Hz for whitetail. Throw in the fact that deer are crepuscular (moving most during twilight periods) and have eyes uniquely suited to see in these low light conditions, and this makes their ability to see motion “up to four times ours” according to Miller. They are basically observing up to four subjective moments of reality per unit of time compared to our one. In other words, they are basically seeing in slow motion. This obviously gives deer an edge, and it means that any motion we make is magnified significantly to a deer compared to our perception of it.