Slim Pickins

another factor is where the camera is setup. Like GrumpyTom has noticed on a trail when the whiteflash begins to go off deer avoid the area. When I set my cameras up over a corn pile I get pictures of the same deer as long as there is corn. I believe there is no way the deer are happy about a bright flash blinding them in the middle of the night but they tolerate it for an easy meal.

Snoogsdad

I do not believe the white flash spooks deer to a large extent from my experience although I think there could be the odd deer that may shy away from it.

I've spoken to a wildlife biologist that was involved in one study and knows of another study that both determined that the deer that jumped came back when they could not associate any harm with the flash. When no harm came from the flash and other deer were still standing there they then settled down.

I also e-mailed three digital trail camera manufacturers that were selling IR cameras and asked them if they had done any studies or if they knew of any studies that showed that the white flash spooked deer. Two did not answer me and the other stated that they had not done any study and that their field people did not think that the white flash spooked deer. This company said that when they stated that the white flash could spook game they were talking about bears.

RackLuster

The flash definitely spooks deer. I've seen in it happen. I've left my camera on while hunting and as soon as a doe got a bright flash in her face she bolted. Deer are the most skitish animals on the planet!

Does flash scare deer? - YES!

Primitive Weapon

I don't mean to offend you but that statement seems a little ignorant. Just because deer "A" isn't spooked by the flash doesn't mean that deer "B" won't be spooked by it.

Hoytteen

i think it depends on if the deer has been hunted hard or not...if it is hunted hard, they spook....simple

doughboysigep

did you read my second statement?????

CamoCop

i dunno about the flash BUT here in Florida it is legal to shine deer at night as long as you do not possess any firearms. we use to shine deer with 2 million candle watt power q-beams and that did not bother the deer. they would just stand/sit/lay there no matter how many times you took the light off of them and put it back on them. they paid it no attention, if they were feeding they would just continue feeding. some of these deer were close as some were far away but with that much light on them...they couldn't judge how close the source was.

zmschillin

It is hard to say but i always thought it did, but now I dont know. I have two pics of the same doe just one min. apart although something has her attention she did not run after the first flash. sory about the quality in the first pic. my camera does this sometimes.

GrumpyTom

This debate will go on and on forever. There is basiclly no test that could put this to bed with definate evidence one way or another. A trail cam will only show what is infront of the camera, but not the deer off to the side that could become spooked. Everyone understands that most of the time, the old, large bucks, are the last to come by, letting the does and young to go first. How can you tell if these older larrger bucks are skirtting the cameras becasue of the flash, you can't really unless you see it happening with tracks in the snow or with your own eyes. I have read reports (more then one) where a hunter that had a trail camera close to his stand and watched bucks skirt the camera when it started to tack pictures as dusk.

Will it spook all deer ............ NO!!!!!!!!
Will it spook some deer ....... YES!!!!!!!

You need to deciede what you want in a camera, if it is for scoutting, then to be the least intrusive to your area and to get the most reliable results from the camera, I believe the IR cams are the best. But if ou only want pictures and do not really care if you spook the odd deer, then use a white flash camera, you will be ok.