Can Deer See Trail Camera Flashes?

The right camera can give you an edge in finding the biggest bucks, but the wrong camera might spook your trophy and set you back. If you're not careful, a bright flash can send the deer you're tracking on the run and ruin hours of your hard work. Deer can see camera trail camera flashes, but by using infrared and invisible flash cameras, you can eliminate the risks of spooking deer while scouting.

All trail cameras flash, but you can minimize the chance of spooking deer by using the right technology. There are three common types of flash trail cameras on the market: 

White flash cameras produce full-colored photographs no matter the time of day. If you're camera takes a photo at night and you want full-colored images, white flash cameras can give you a good look at deer. However, these cameras have a high possibility of spooking deer. White flash cameras are best for photographers and researchers and may not have a place in your trail camera gear if you want to minimize the chance of causing the deer to flee. Also, white flash cameras can not be used for security purposes as they will give the camera location away. 

Most trail cameras on the market use infrared flash, which comes in low-glow and no-glow trail camera varieties. No-glow trail cameras are frequently referred to as black or invisible flash or blackout cameras and have very different picture results than regular infrared cameras.

Infrared cameras produce black and white photographs that can give you a clear picture of deer at night. While infrared flash is less likely to spook deer than white flash cameras, the tradeoff comes in non-color photos. Deer cannot see infrared light well, making them significantly less likely to be spooked by infrared trail cameras than white flash. 

Black flash or invisible flash cameras are unique in their ability to take photos with no visible flash. Sometimes called no-glow infrared cameras, black flash cameras use their same technology with a different flash system. Black flashes are invisible to both deer and humans, making them ideal as game and security cameras. 

Compared to infrared flash, invisible flashes have a slightly lower visibility range. They improve stealth in exchange for longer-distance photos. When you choose a black flash camera, you eliminate the visible flash that spooks a deer though. 

Moultrie specializes in cameras that up your stealth game. We carry invisible and long-range low-glow flash cameras with ranges up to 80 feet. Moultrie offers both of these type flashes in its Moultrie Mobile cellular line of cameras that send your photos to your smartphone 24/7. Now you don't even have to go into the woods to retrieve your images which spooks those big bucks even less. Don't worry about your trail camera scaring deer — at Moultrie, we provide quality equipment for those who know hunting is a way of life. 

Visit our online store to see our full collection of cameras.