Thread: Camouflage?

Movement is key to being seen by deer.

Here you are MB:

Meant to be mimms2 instead of MD in post#16 - edit system ‘failed to function’

Originally Posted by mimms2

Ummmm... Not sure if I want to know what the D stands for...

I wouldn't be generally concerned by slings, as long as you're not moving faster than the trees... tis but a branch in the breeze

I thought initially that MickyDuck had made the post.

And I’ve seen slings swaying to and fro after the stalker himself had stopped moving, on a windless day it stood out.

I don't where camo cloths as such but the one thing i find is covering up bare skin. A face mask is a must and even a old pair of crap thermals just to cover the bare legs.
Even hunting on the farm a face covering makes a difference

I have actually come full circle on this myself. I used to detest the stuff, thinking that one looked too much like a 'tool' dressed on it.

I now have no doubt it can help, especially when trying to hide in plain sight !!

As has been said bare skin will stand out a mile off, just ask any duck shooter



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THINK it was Fred Bear...American bowhunting legend said"the best camoflage is..sit still and shut up"

Originally Posted by Phil_H

I'm actually with @Trout on this one.

Ask what the best camouflage is and I would say "being still".

I have had three very good examples where I have been sitting out in the open in normal work clothes and once in a hooded puffer jacket when I have had close encounters with deer.

On all occasions I have been very lucky to have seen them first, if only by a second, and just gone into an absolute freeze state. The closest encounter was no more that 15 meters away. I was sitting on a camp stool between two flax plants when a 10 or 12 pointer stag came into my peripheral vision on my left. I froze....didn't even turn my eyeballs, hence I was never sure whether he was 10 or 12 points and didn't even blink. He spent about 30 seconds or more staring directly at me whilst I just continued with my 1000 ft unblinking stare. He eventually moved on in front of me but kept turning back to look at me.

What did I learn from all of these experiences? They can see you and that is not a problem.....but if there is absolutely no movement and the wind is in the right direction they might be suspicious but they just don't know what you are and will eventually move on

My take on it is movement is everything, regardless of how minute it is. What you look like is of little importance. My thoughts at least. Happy for anyone to convince me otherwise.

Cheers
Phil

I’m with this too. I have never owned Camo hunting gear as I don’t like the look when out in public. I have had numerous encounters with deer at close range whilst wearing drab greens where I stood dead still and deer looked at me and then just went about their business. Quite a few with my old lab Sam in plain view but motionless too.

So, for me movement is far more of a giveaway than clothing.

Last summer i was quietly walking along a small hill top above a matagari covered hill side.Looking for a couple of big red spikers i seen earlyier.Just to my left 2 pairs of antler rose over the tussocks brour.I froze,2 big spikers were walking across in front of me about 40 yds away,they carried on feeding abit,looked at me now n then walking slowly.It was a warm morning in my shorts and short sleeve shirt.It was a great to be so close to them till i lifted my left arm abit,they stopped in their tracks,staired a bit then gone.I couldnv shot them both but i enjoyed the moment just watching them.I couldv worn any colour and it wouldnt have bothered them till i slightly lifted my arm.

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned UV yet. Most game animals are very sensitive to colour in the UV spectrum past blue. Problem is most mainstream clothes washing powder/liquids have UV brighteners in them, and emit this "colour" once washed in the product.

The fix is to change to a washing product that doesn't have these brighteners, eg Ecostore laundry liquid. My mate who's a viticulturist did just that and found that pest starlings in the vineyard no longer flared away from his hide in the hedge. He's utterly convinced it made a big difference. Previously they'd flare off before coming into range even though he thought he was pretty well hidden in the hedge.

I insist my wife uses the non-brightener stuff on my hunting clothes. Costs nothing, in fact much of this stuff is cheaper than std products and washes just as well.

Agree with the guys on movement being key... I've never been into any camo, something about it just doesn't do it for me, but each to their own. 95% of my hunting is done in a pair of Swazi stubbies and a $10 short sleeve blaze orange t-shirt and have had many close encounters up close in the bush with animals staring at me for long periods. Would be interesting to try some camo for comparison but I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything!

Been hunting for over 40 years. Only time I've really worn camo gear is while game bird shooting and even then only occasionaly. When hunting animals it's mostly bush shooting with some river-flats and open area work. Have worn jeans and shirt/swannie to shorts and tee-shirt and had reasonable success over the years, eg. approx. 4000 goats over last seven years plus numerous deer and pigs. After plenty of up close and personal encounters, within touching distance, with animals I believe movement and scent are what give you away. Camo gear is for catching hunters and their wallets in hunting stores. Previous to about the mid-eighties we, as hunters, didn't really have to worry about the fact that gamebirds and animals, especially deer, could see in the ultra-violet spectrum. Laundry detergent didn't tend to have brighteners in them like today to make our clothes look like new. Just my 2 cents worth, wear whatever does it for you.

How important is camo clothing? Hahaha, well its not the clothing that makes a hunter.
I don't have a sence of fashion either, nor do I dress to fit someone's concepts of what looks good. I've mostly worn green in some from and would say the last twenty old years the army has dressed me cheaply and it happens to be camo! but I mix up the top end abit.
It turns out pretty good for me, being involved in pest control and being up close and personal! in a day it could be rabbits or geese and now duck season, it's all been said! hands, face, movement the biggest and the Ultraviolet spectrum and there is plenty of information on that. I think the bow hunters are more aware of breaking up outline.
There was a time when it was red and blue Swanndri and that gear is still around with us today,
Gear has got lighter with the ability to take sweet away, there's all sorts of kit you can be hyped into. But what's your need for some of it? the hills are to high for me now. So I don't need a great pack, but I do need a good sleep if out hunting over night, even that's rear. 4x4 and slippers now, well almost.
What you hunt, where you hunt, may dictate what you wear. I've ran down hills to get back to camp before dark and ran smack into deer, I've crept along deer trails looking like a leaf and came on deer! Do I wear camo for deer? not really, but it does help in hunting, is my personal thought! As it covers all sort of situation you can find yourself in. That's why duck shooter's try and conceal themselves and some know nothing about ultraviolet and wonder why ducks flare up.
Did alot of goat culling they are silly, but keen eyed.
So I guess if you ask yourself the questions, which you have, but now you want some sort of sence of opinion on it.
So here it is! What was camo made for? And if you come up with disguising personnel or something, you would be right. Then the next question is disguising something, going to help you? Hope to process helps.
KH

Originally Posted by woods223

Been hunting for over 40 years. Only time I've really worn camo gear is while game bird shooting and even then only occasionaly. When hunting animals it's mostly bush shooting with some river-flats and open area work. Have worn jeans and shirt/swannie to shorts and tee-shirt and had reasonable success over the years, eg. approx. 4000 goats over last seven years plus numerous deer and pigs. After plenty of up close and personal encounters, within touching distance, with animals I believe movement and scent are what give you away. Camo gear is for catching hunters and their wallets in hunting stores. Previous to about the mid-eighties we, as hunters, didn't really have to worry about the fact that gamebirds and animals, especially deer, could see in the ultra-violet spectrum. Laundry detergent didn't tend to have brighteners in them like today to make our clothes look like new. Just my 2 cents worth, wear whatever does it for you.

Catching yr wallets is right,$400 to $500 for a camo jacket f/o,my old black rugby shorts,faded grey green swanny and benny the go.Gota have good foot wear tho.

Many times out hunting or duck shooting I have wished I had brown skin