Camo? Bah!!! Humbug!!!

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SunBear

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I have set in plain view, in street clothes, 20 ft from grazing deer for 15 minutes before they decided to move on. I was watching two does, hoping they would draw a buck. No luck, but that moment combined with other accounts I've read convinced me that camo gear is just a big sales gimmick. I still have camo gear only because the warmest gear is camo. Anybody else have thoughts on camo? :neener: to Bill Jordan and all that bunch.
 
It helps with doves, and really helps the most when turkey hunting. Birds see colors; other criters only see the world in shades of gray. FWIW, the biology boffins claim doves avoid the color blue, so don't wear Levis.

I mostly wear nearly-worn-out old khakis; quieter in the brush. None of that nylon "weeeep, weeep, weeep..."

Art
 
The biggest buck I ever saw walked out and never acted like he saw me when I had a white Stetson on. Because I stayed still. It's motion that gives you away. Unless they smell you too.

[Note: I do not wear a white Stetson hunting as to do so would be asking for a "Texas enema" in the head. A black hat works well in this case as long as the legal requirement for orange is met with the vest.]
 
"...It binds and chaffes..." Get some that fit.
"...I have set in plain view..." While hunting or just in the bush? It makes a difference.
"...The best camo is to be still and quiet..." And watch the wind. Movement and scent will give you away every time.
 
I believe personally I may also abandon traditional camo this year. I'm planning on hunting a pair brown of Carhart coveralls and a blaze orange cap.
 
I never use camo and since I hunt on private land no orange either. Never used a tree stand, scents, calls ,rattled antlers or anything else they advertise.How is it I almost always get a deer ??More than anything else movement attracts the deer's [and anyone elses] eye.
 
The only time I've every looked right at a person in the woods and didn't realized it was a person until they moved was when a friend was wearing brown all over. It occured to me then that brown might be a better camo than camo. Brown is the predominate color in the woods from fall to early spring. Even during the spring and summer, there's still quite a it of brown around. Deer are brown and look how hard they are to spot at times.

Chris
 
Camo has it's uses. But they are few and far between.

Camo here is a fashion statement, folks wear it all the time. :barf:

My favorite's are the ones that dress out in full camo, head to toe, then go sit in a fully enclosed stand. :confused:

We even see a few camo trucks around here. Bunch of silliness if you ask me.

Smoke
 
What Art and Smoke said.

I wear blue jeans when I dove hunt, I have pc of burlap over my legs while sitting ,or I am sitting in the brush at the tree line...the one they are flying to. "Almost" made it to roost. :p

I wear neutral earth tone colors. I don't care for the new "gee whiz " fabrics. Wool is warm when wet - and is quiet. My waxed canvas coat , if I tear it , I can re-sew it, re-wax it and go on. Try that that with "gee whiz" fabrics.

Yep birds have great eyesight, don't move and a pc of burlap works, free too. You might want to take off the white label that says "taters" tho'. :p

I found a box of stuff, stuff folks gave me for whatever gift giving day. I gave away a Camo Gortex Coat I never wore ( still had tags on it) Gave away camo chaps, and the Camo shirts are too small. What in the hell good is a camo 4 cell Mag-light? Drop in woods...now what do you look for? I might keep the brown camo fleece backpack ....only because I think my 7 y/o neice could wad some shorts of some folks if she used it . :)

One turkey hunter I know , thought I was nuts ( granted others do as well). Now I don't turkey hunt...I mean I have gone out to piddle and such.

He bought camo burlap like for doing blinds. Used the tater bags and has a homemade ghillie suit. He walks in and out with safety orange. Uses the suit when hunting...with great sucess I might add.

He feels a whole bunch safer getting in a out of woods and , the turkey he bags is "camo'd " until he reaches a safe area.

He gave his turkey camo to SIL , it had begun to " shrink anyway" ...so he saved SIL money with hand - me - downs...and he save monies by not replacing it.

I got some turkey out of the deal.
 
I believe the original poster asked for everyone's "thoughts on camo."

If we sit here and discuss the merits of camo all day, what's it do you Texasbagman? No need to get sarcastic.:rolleyes:
 
Camo catches hunters. Camo clothing makes suppliers rich. Camo does nothing for the hunter. I say your woods craft skills, and knowledge of the animal you are hunting is more important than clothing. Thats my take, other's opinions may vary.

I Killed as many deer and hogs, turkey and ducks in the old days, wearing grey or loden green wool, as I do today wearing brand name camo stuff.
 
I've seen it happen both ways. But in Art's country...worn khaki is camouflage:D Regular woodland type camo would stick out like a strobe light.

Turkeys don't care what I wear...they know that's not a hen. Still learning.

If you're hunting in a blind or a tree stand it's probably moot.

On the ground, I'll take all the advantages I can get

I've wondered about scent in semi-rural and farming areas. The deer are going to run from human scent? They'd be running 24/7 without stop.

I hunt on land where you can hear tractors, loggers, and generators most days.
I smoke in the tree stand. Season before last I shot the limit-10 deer. Last season I only shot three. My roommate shot six and we only have so much room in the freezer. I watched many walk by...with a cigarette in my hand. I was urinating out of the stand too.

Now this probably wouldn't work too well in a true wilderness area. But in farmland deer are hearing truck doors slam, smelling people's smoke and urine, smelling gasoline exhaust, etc. every day all year long. Seems they get pretty blase about it.
 
I wear army surplus most of the time, I refuse to pay the price for a name brand unless it's on sale. I just love the shows on the outdoor channel that shows a West Texas deer hunt on a ranch next to a big feeder. The hunters are all head to toe in the latest stealth name brand camo even though they are sitting inside a little cabin (they call a blind), and are sitting in a comfy chair. I don't get it!!
 
Where I hunt, I'm in a setting where Realtree would work, but I just wear whatever I would normally wear everyday. I may or may not use a rudamentary blind of hogwire laced with white pine boughs, but either way I'm usually sitting where I can be seen against a oak tree trunk. Oh, and cammo and safety orange really don't mix anyway.
 
I wear camo, and vote *for* its usefulness. I am also in an areas where thickets are the norm, and the deer are educated. I think any subdued, somewhat broken camo pattern will work, as would brown Carharts.

One place camo / cover is invaluable in my opinion, is in face-coverings. Whether small game, waterfowl, or big game hunting, I've spotted more hunters from their face glowing in the sunlight than from anything else and I'm sure the wildlife has spotted them too. My success rate on archery (and rifle) deer went up tremendously when I started wearing face-coverings.

I believe that, when it comes to hunting, every little bit helps.

Joel
 
Yeah, sure agree with hiding face-shine.

Still, overall, finding some dull, earth-tone shirts and pants at Goodwill is about as inexpensive and useful as it gets for hunting clothes...That lets you afford really-good boots. :)

Art
 
Face shine...

Although it was not "that cold", I tried a full face ski mask thingie, for duck and deer. Umm not for me....I dribble coffee, the Jerky snags, and that synthetic fabric singes too easy smoking - or trying to light a smoke.

Now using burlap works, either set it in the trees and shoot the deer "thru " the burlap ( Bang ! Surprise!). Using as head gear ....and it wet if don't cause the problems as ski mask. ( able to smoke, drink and eat)

Ahh...bandanas. Cowboys had a purpose for each pc of 'attire'. Bandanas -from robbing trains :p keeping dust out of mouth and nose on the trail, to getting and handling coffee off a fire.

Bandanas - move out place while eating, smoking or having coffee...Easy to go back in place one-handed when time to "hold up" that Greenhead. "Bang ! Stop or I'll shoot." I learnt that from b/w Westerns...:)

Gimmee a 4 bit bandana....wait make that 2 bits...4 /$1 at the thrift store....I thought that was Art getting britches....:p
 
I too laugh at some of the beliefs that camo can turn you into an untouchable ghost. I do however use it regularly. While dull colored clothes can work and do (I have used them in the past and did yesterday dove hunting) camouflage provides a small extra edge and seems to help hide movement a little better. I usually buy my camouflage in the off season and get it pretty cheap, and it does not usually match (except my military BDU's, those babies are comfortable and all the pockets make them great for hunting).
I also like to shoot open sights but use a scope when hunting because of the extra few minutes of shooting light it gives you at the beginning and ending of the day.
Yes, camouflage is overated. Yes, I will continue to use it.
 
One of the reasons that camo works on people is the broken pattern. Somebody sitting still really blends in to the background scenery.

What I've noticed is that guys wearing camo, when they move around, seem to me to stand out more than guys in a dull solid color that matches the background. That is, in winter grasslands with a tan/brown color, khakis don't scream, "Here I am!" the way desert camo does. Same for the more woodlandsdesign camo. Again, let me emphasize that this is during some motion, particularly walking.

So, if I notice this, how about Bambi?

Art
 
Has anyone ever noticed on the TVhunting shows that the sponser's people show up in head to toe camo and the good ole boy guide is in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt with a old white cowboy hat and the dude hunter is following him until he spots the game and then the calls up the camo guy to shoot. Dam those camo guys are lucky that the game didn't see that good ole boy without any camo. And while we are at it how about the charcoal suits, why not just wear a big plastic bag to trap your scent, it would work great if it didn't get any holes in it , naw I guess the hunter would sufficate . But I bet if I could get big camo plastic bags to fit over a hunter from head to toe some idiot would buy them and I would be rich and famous and I could have one of them TV huntin shows. Hell the cough silencer is still on the market, anybody know where I can get some camo plastic. rugerman
 
Sound

Movement - yeah I have to agree. Critters have great sight.

I'm going to invent "silent" sticks , rocks and stuff. I don't care how much camo....

Ever notice how LOUD a itty bitty stick can be? How about that loose rock? :D

I figure a fella could get rich with silent sticks, rocks, trees...."If you build it - they will buy it". :D
 
As long as we're trashing modern technology, I'll weigh in on the carbon suits....

I don't know about you, but I sweat a LOT especially during warm-weather bow hunting. And most of this sweat issues forth from my shiny white forehead. While I think that the carbon suits *could* be effective, it seems to me that most guys are wearing these hot, nasty suits, yet their heads and faces remain uncovered, defeating their purpose.

I've learned a lot about mammalian scenting abilities from watching my two birddogs. If something the size of a human head is oozing sweat / scent / BO, then something as sensitive as a deer's nose is going to smell that, no matter what. I think for these Scent-Lok suits to be effective, that the headcovering HAS to be in place. That said, I also think that the headcovering part of the Scent-Lok suit is the ONLY thing that needs to be in place! Unless you're wearing fishnet mesh all over your body, your plain old hunting clothes (camo or not) do an okay job of locking in your body odor.

I don't use the Scent-Lok stuff, but do adhere to some common sense rules regarding scent-control. I don't get smoke, grease, etc etc, on my hunting clothes, and I liberally douse myself with Scent-Away spray upon leaving for my stand. Once there and settled in, I also give my sweaty head and hat-band a good squirt of the stuff as well to help eliminate any sweat that's accumulated from walking in. So far, this tactic has worked.

Joel
 
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