Glasses

[mandi48]

I am near-sighted and i have a stigmatism (spelling) in my left eye. So when i'm driving, watching T.V or just need to see something far away i need to wear my glasses. I was told it was a bad idea to wear them hunting because the light will reflect off of them and spook any near by animals, but  everything is kinda blurry when i don't wear them. i was consider getting contacts for hunting so i didn't have to worry about the lighting. Are glasses really a problem or should i consider getting contacts? 

[weedwalker]

I'm far sighted and wear glasses. I can see pretty good at a distance without them. But sometimes I still wear them hunting. The only problem I have is when I'm wearing a facemask and it's cold outside, my breath fogs up my glasses.

[alscalls]

I never wore glasses til a few years ago......I have bi polar monocular degeneration. They can fix most of it with a very expensive surgery.....I have no insurance so I can not afford that....they say with out it I will eventually get much worse.
My glasses are thick and hunting without them is not an option.
I killed 2 turkeys last year with them on and quite a few deer....And shot at several coyotes and killed one while wearing them.
So like anything else you can adapt to the glasses but I would warn if you are going to hunt with them you must first practice shooting with them as it took me some time to get used to that. Especially with a bow....
And the biggest thing glasses will teach you is .....try not to sit in the sunshine....a good lesson for any hunting...Sit in the shade.

I too modify my face masks for fear of fogging glasses.

[mandi48]

Lately i've been practicing shooting my bow with my glasses on, and it hasn't caused a problem. I used them once last year, but kept forgetting to grab them the next time i'd go hunting, but i also used a gun with a scope last year. Maybe i should try uses my glasses until they really bother me. But i'd hate to have a perfect shot and have the sun reflect of my lenses and spook the deer at the last minute, that would suck!

[Carolina Coyote]

Mandi, Most scopes now days comes with an Ocular adjustment on the eye piece of the scope, I have to wear glasses but never when hunting, I can adjust both scope and binoculars to my vision. Unless you eyesight is real bad you may be able to do the same. cc

[nastygunz]

Ive hunted with glasses all my life and have never spooked anyhting to my knowledge....I think it would have to be pretty rare to have reflections off glasses spook game....Ive popped turkeys from 15 feet with no problem....wearing glasses also protects your eyes somewhat when your shooting or in the woods from twigs, etc....they do fog up in the winter sometimes especially when wearing a mask...but you can buy a anti fog solution for that.....I also wear contacts....they dont fog up and offer much better peripheral vision ...and are not bothered by rain or snow like glasses lenses are...id say your good to go with either one and if you need glasses for tv, driving, etc and things are blurry then you need one or the other for hunting...but as far as spooking game with glasses, imho, thats not an issue.

[mandi48]

thanks every one for the advice. Maybe i'll try the anit-fog stuff nasty was talking about, and if that don't work  i guess i could also try contacts. i was already thinking of getting contacts just  in case i forget my glasses somewhere and then i need them. The one who told me about spooking the deer with her glasses was my hunter ed instructor. maybe it was just a rare mishap...hopefully anyway 

[HaMeR]

I've shot several deer off the ground with a crossbow inside of 20yds & I believe the bolt thru the boiler room scared them way more than my glasses.    You should always set up in the shade. It's not always possible but in that event try to set some brush to at least try to stop the glare. But I wouldn't worry about it. The chances of the wind shifting I think is better than the glare. Also another thing to keep in mind is that when you look THRU the brush or leaves you can see shiny pockets of sunlight. I don't think an animal actually knows that opening is out of place down at the ground. HTH

[nastygunz]

and.... ...
------------------
Anti-Reflective Coatings
To improve both the vision through the lenses and the appearance of the glasses, an anti-reflective coating (also called AR coating) is applied. AR coatings are similar to the coatings found on microscopes and camera lenses. They consist of several layers of metal oxides applied to the front and back lens surfaces. Because of the layering effect, AR coatings sometimes have a hint of green or purple color, depending on the individual manufacturer's formula.

Each layer is scientifically calculated to block reflected light. The result is that you'll see a reduction in glare, annoying reflections and halos around lights. This is a great safety benefit when you're driving at night.

Also, anti-reflective coating reduces both internal and external reflections on the lenses themselves, creating a nicer cosmetic appearance. Internal reflections appear as rings that make lenses look thick. External reflections mask your eyes from a clear, complete view when someone is looking at you. So with an anti-reflective coating, eyeglass lenses appear thin or non-existent, and your eyes look more natural.

Anyone on TV or whose photo is taken often benefits tremendously from the coating, but really, all eyeglass wearers would benefit from an anti-reflective coating from a cosmetic point of view. If you have a strong prescription, you can use the AR coating in conjunction with high-index lenses to make your glasses look and feel as thin as possible.

With sunglass lenses, an AR coating is better applied only to the back surface of the lens (the surface nearest the eye). Because sunglass lenses are so dark, the AR coating can wind up looking smeary on the front surface. Coating the back side helps reduce the reflections of light that enter from behind you and bounce off the surface into your eyes. A back-side coated sun lens is much more comfortable than an uncoated sunglass.
-------------------------------------------
WHOOP THERE IT IS...NO..GLARE OR REFLECTION 
-------------------

http://www.allaboutvision.com/lenses/coatings.htm#ar

[mandi48]

well thats a handy little thing 

[Jimmie in Ky]

BIL hunted withthem for many years until he got contacts. I lost count of the deer he killed at mere feet with a bow. So don't worry about the glasses. You are your own worst enemy when it comes to hunting. Moving at the wrong time or just not in the right spot will do you more harm. Jimmie

[FinsnFur]

Hey Al......bi polar monocular degeneration?  Is that what they are calling it now? Roflmao
I'm thinking Cathrynn had some different names for whatever YOU got.

I'm with HaMeR, Mandi...do your set ups in the shade like your should whenever possible and reflection wont be an issue. Heck you could even wait till your on your stand to put em on, which is where you'll need them most.

[Bills Custom Calls]

I am blind as a bat without my glasses now for the past couple years and I also have bifocals
Now that takes some getting used to but it can be done
Like the others said wear them get used to them and set up in the shade

[Silencer]

Been wearing glasses my whole life, dont sweat it kiddo.   The only probs that I've had have been mentioned about them foggin up when its cold with your mask.
The critters dont seem to notice my bad vision.

[alscalls]

Hey Al......bi polar monocular degeneration?  Is that what they are calling it now? Roflmao
I'm thinking Cathrynn had some different names for whatever YOU got.

I'm with HaMeR, Mandi...do your set ups in the shade like your should whenever possible and reflection wont be an issue. Heck you could even wait till your on your stand to put em on, which is where you'll need them most.

Where is the old NAG anyhow?

[iahntr]

Well you've maybe heard enough to convince ya, but I'll throw mine in
here too. I've had glasses since like the 3rd grade. I've hunted quite
a few different animals in quite a few different situations. I can't think
of once that I can blame the glasses on me being busted, not that I know
of anyways. Like others said, the biggest pain is fogging problems in real
cold weather. Like others also said, stay in the shadows, and also remember
that when putting up a tree stand. Through the years I've made the mistake
of putting up a stand at say mid morning, thought it was great, found out
the first afternoon/evening sitting in it, when the sun was going down I
felt like I was sitting with a spotlight on me until the sun was about set.
I also think a cap really helps to keep your glasses "in the shade" at all times.
If I thought I needed it, I've also used head nets over top too.
 

[Nelson]

I have astigmatism and wear contacts.  One of the contacts is for close up vision,
and the other is for far vision.  The system is called Monovision, and it works great
for me.  Glasses and I don't get along well togetner.  They get sat on, sweat drops
on them and they fog up.  Thank God for contacts!!

Nelson

[Okanagan]

Another ditto that glasses don't spook game, unless maybe you are moving your head a lot in direct sunlight.  However, I could see flashes off my partner's glossy scope and rifle a mile away across a valley when sheep hunting in bright sunlight above timberline one time.  I have BAD astigmatism and pretty severe nearsightedness and started wearing glasses in the third grade also.  I've never gone to contacts and my sons and others who wear them hunting seem to have more trouble with them than my glasses cause me.  My son lost a contact while putting them on or something in his sleeping bag on the second morning of a a three day hunt years ago.  Less trouble nowadays however with the new disposables, etc.  Take some spares.

While wearing glasses I have powder burned an elk I shot (about 4 inches we surmised from the powder burn, certainly in the 3-6 inch range), called a coyote to within easy touching distance, gotten within 2-4 feet of deer, black bear and moose, 10 feet of caribou, about that close to called lynx, etc. all while hunting, not park animals.  So the glasses are not a handicap in that way, though the fogging is a pain in the neck, especially in rain forest where I hunt quite a bit.  I have bought and seldom remember to use anti-fogging stuff.

For years I have worn a fishing cap when hunting, the kind with an extra long and extra wide brim, for fishing in Florida etc.  It is much better at keeping rain off of my glasses than a normal ball cap style, and lets me put on a hood over it better than a hat with brim in back.    The yuppie fishing cap looks dorky, so switch to a regular good 'ol boy ball cap when I stop somewhere for coffee or in my rig and see another hunter coming down the road, though sometimes I forget. 

[mandi48]

well from the sounds of it, i got nutin to worry about 

[nastygunz]

I think you should print all this and send it to that hunters ed lady who told you that in the 1st place......