Study: Deer May Be Afraid of the Color White

A new study from two researchers in Wyoming suggests that deer may actually be afraid of the color. The study was conducted by Corinna Riginos and Morgan Graham over a three-year period and funded by the Wyoming Department of Transportation as part of a program to assess and prevent deer-vehicle collisions. They tested the effectiveness of highway reflectors by covering them with black or white canvas bags, and leaving some uncovered. The researchers found that exposed reflectors resulted in 32 percent fewer collisions compared to the ones covered with black bags, but the ones with white bags resulted in a similar 33 percent fewer collisions compared to the uncovered ones. “When we covered up the reflectors with a white canvas bag, basically because we just wanted to neutralize the reflectors, we found that the white canvas bag worked better than the reflectors,” Rignios said. Read more in the Outdoor Hub.