Wearing Camo While Hunting

[Tennessee Hayre]

I have not had the chance to go through all of the threads of this forum so I do not know if this subject has been talked about. What is your take on the subject of (Hunting With Camo). By that do you feel it give's the hunter an edge. Your Thoughts

[FWiedner]

Depends on what and where you are hunting.

[horsesoldier03]

I have deer hunted with and without camouflage. I have no issues hunting without it when useing a firearm. However with a bow, I would strongly encourage it. When it comes to duck hunting, YOU BETTER HAVE GOOD CAMO!

[Tennessee Hayre]

I am a deer hunter here in tennessee. I have always believed a deer has bad eye sight see's in shades of gray like most of you and relies on smell and movement. but also knows every tree and bush in their area and if you do not blend into the terrain you become a point of interest to be checked out in other words. If not properly dressed i feel even though one may have bagged many deer without camo could have scored many more with that extra edge( Wearing Camo).

[AJMD429]

When I sit at the picnic table at the edge of the woods behind my house, under the 'shelter house' roof (in the rain sometimes!) and read a book, I just wear my Carharts, since everything I'm up against is brown anyway, and I just pick up the gun when I see a deer and shoot...

When I want to hunt the 'sporting' way, I usually wear camoflauge in the deer stand, but I'm not convinced it matters; I've gotten several deer wearing blue jeans and an old coat.

I DO think old stuff works better (less shine, less bright colors), and I DO think deer hear noise (they actually put VELCRO on a hunting jacket I have!). As far as SMELL, the deer are supposedly great at it, but around where I hunt, we walk in the woods all the time, and there is farm equipment all over, and so on, so I don't think deer are spooked by smell of humans the way they might be in a large tract of uninhabeted land.

Lots of hunters around here launder any human sweat smell out of their clothes, camo or not, but may hang them in the barn so they smell more like horse 'bedding' than humans. (Politicians exempted, they smell the same )

[kimwcook]

I recently wrote a short story reference this very subject here not too long ago. One of our new deputies is an avid varmint/coyote hunter as he picked it up from his father. This last January he was out in a remote part of the county hunting coyotes, he was wearing just camo. He was using an electronic varmint call. It's very realistic, it could even be from real coyotes I don't know. Anyway, long story short a guy saw something moving in the sagebrush and our deputy at approximately 80 yards with a 30-06. Hit him in the small of the back and exited his abdomen. It shattered three vertebrae, blew out parts of both large and small intestine and severed a number of nerves to his legs. He still can't pick up his right foot. He's going through intensive physical therapy to get him to at least be able to regain some type of mobility.

In a hypothetical world I don't think a person should have to wear hunter orange hunting anything. One of the canons of hunting is it's the ultimate responsibility of the person hunting to know what they're shooting at. If everyone would honestly and ethically adhere to that rule no one would be shot accidentally or it would be extremely rare. But, given the world and people who don't live by the code I will wear hunter orange anytime out hunting anything anymore. It just isn't worth being mistaken for something you're not. Plus, most animals are color blind in one sense or another and it's how you place yourself and movement they spot. At least in my experience.

Just be safe out there guys. Not just for you and your families, but for everyone.

[Tennessee Hayre]

Good post (Kimwcook) you have a point. For the record when i talk about camo, I am talking about dark clothing,orange with black tiger strips not just Mossy oak ..etc.. I am assuming everyone is wear some kind of blazing orange markings. I wear at least a hat and gloves with blazing orange. I am luckly enough to get to hunt on private land so most of the time i don't wear the vest. and ya if you hunt off your back porch , I guess it really would not matter what you wore. I have a friend that has taken deer shooting out the bathroom window while taking care of business early in the morning before going to work.. But if you have to step out into the bush things change when you are looking for the big bucks. I want every edge i can get. Their was a guy i talk to once that said he does not wear camo for the deer he wears it for the game warden, he said no one wants to get caught hunting with out a license

[kimwcook]

Tennessee, I had a conversation years ago with a father and son hunting team about sound shots. I was totally ignorant, I was around 22, to what a sound shot was. Before the conversation ended I knew was it was and I stayed in camp and drank whiskey for the rest of the trip. I just knew I was going to be shot off my seat at any moment.

[Pisgah]

AFter 45 years of deer hunting, I am convinced that being still, and moving as slowly and quietly as possible when you must move, are far more important than what you're wearing. Deer are going to see you if they look in your direction, camo or no camo. Stay still and they will examine you for a while, then go on about their business. Move, or make noise, and the game is up. In any case, we are required to wear blaze orange which, to my mind, sort of negates any tiny advantage camo might grant -- even if they don't see the orange, they can't help seeing the bright spot it creates.

[Tennessee Hayre]

You must have been on one of them wild turkey hunts!!!

[Hobie]

The brother of a friend of mine was out hunting with a party. They were all bunched up crossing a fence, safely I might add, when he decided to cross under rather than through the fence because it gave his rather ample physique more room. Now, here's this fellow dressed in one of those blaze orange jump suits with matching hat and he's surrounded by a bunch of yakking compatriots similarly dressed. He starts to crawl under the wire and... HE'S SHOT! Why? The fellow that shot him swears and be darned that he thought he was a deer. WHY? Because he saw the WHITE SOCKS exposed when his pants rode up his ankles a bit as he tried to crawl under the fence. NONE of the other clues dissuaded this paen to modern child rearing. He was genuinely surprised that he had not hit a deer as he ran up to the party. The fellow was a good shot, I suppose, as the bullet entered the white sock just above the ankle and exited the upper calf muscle. He must also have been a fair wage earner as well as he paid for all the medical care...

[Tennessee Hayre]

Pisgah, that is a fact. But i still love my camo, It must be a mind thing. I was hunting last year out next to (land between the Lakes) in Dover Tn, and i remember a red fox came and sit down about 10 feet away from me on top of a log . I was camo from head to toe and i watched him for about 5 or 10 mins and then whispered to him he turned and looked at me and was in shock he got up them sit down and then got up again and slowly trotted away looking over his back at me. It was so funny. Had i not been wearing camo he never would have got that close. Another hunting Story

[rjohns94]

Early season bow, I use camo. Early muzzleloader, I use period clothing and blaze orange. Gun season, I use Filson gray/black plaid with blaze orange vest., late season bow or muzzleloader, same filson gray/black plaid or period dress.

[Griff]

Wearing hunter orange is no guarantee of not being shot while hunting, and not wearing it may provide the necessary concealment it its not accidental. Both are too long a story to relate here.

[AJMD429]

I have a friend that has taken deer shooting out the bathroom window while taking care of business early in the morning before going to work..

Now THAT is taking care of business double time!

I hunt on land a three families own which adjoins, and we are all careful to let each other know where we hunt and when, and we all will politely escort off the property anyone who isn't "one of us" - nonetheless, before I hunt, I'll often drive the perimeter and see if any vehicles are parked where it looks like they're trespassing. I don't like surprises when I'm hunting.

[Chuck 100 yd]

kimwcook reminded me of a thing my friend did once. We had been in camp for just a few hours when a bunch of guys pulled up and looked as if they were going to just move right in and set up camp right next to us.

One guy asked my friend if we were seeing any deer. My friend said no BUT I have had a few GOOD sound shots. Those guys got in their rig and headed out post haste.

[Tennessee Hayre]

Their is goverment hunting land next to where i hunt and during the first week of deer season i hunt right below the ridge line next to the road facing out overlooking the low areas if you can understand that, staying out of the line of fire. Later in the season i venture out deeper into the forest. Everyone has already got their deer by then and I am the only one out there for the most part. Just to play it safe.

[Old Ironsights]

I look at all those old Hunt Camp Pics from the late 90s, teens & 20s and see...

Flanel. And lots of dead deer.

Ok, so there were more deer then. Maybe.

Just watching the deer here in IN over the past 5 years and I see a couple of important things:

The deer are looking UP... trying to see Stands.

The deer are alerting on metallic noise, not "crunch".

The deer I shot in IN last season were absoultely befuddled by me. After all, hunters aren't supposed to be on the ground and wearing orange. THey are supposed to be in a tree & wearing UberDryScentControlLockCamoGear v.3.4 - With Added T7!

Maybe that's why they stood there looking quizzical and let me shoot them. 2 does in less than a minute. shock:

Frankly, I look at what 90% of the hunters have been doing for the past 5 years and do the opposite. It confuses the game.

[JReed]

I wear cammo when hunting. I dont wear it to hide from deer when deer hunting I wear it because my my cammies are comfortable and I like the extra pocket space. Now for varmints its cammo head to toe coyotes have very good eye sight.

[scr83jp]

After WW2 our soldiers returned home with their olive drab fatigues which they wore to kill nazis,japs, facists very successfully .All of my friends hunted deer,bear,elk,moose,birds,rabbits in the same outfits successfully.A few friends of mine hunted the kaibab area of AZ and spoke to another bowman who always wore levis & a plaid shirt until he arrowed a pope & young record mule deer,the next year they saw him he was decked out in full camo,the explanation was his sponsors provided them.

[iceman]

Where I hunt you must use orange when hunting with a firearm. I have been standing in an open field and have had deer look at me and wonder what i was. As long as i didn't move all was well. My Dad used to say a deer need 2 out of 3 senses say danger before fleeing. ie sight sound or sound smell etc. If you are careful about wind and scent and don't run around you see all kinds of deer when you wear orange. When hunter population is high I feel more comfortable in orange. just my .02 Canadian

[Old Ironsights]

...A few friends of mine hunted the kaibab area of AZ and spoke to another bowman who always wore levis & a plaid shirt until he arrowed a pope & young record mule deer,the next year they saw him he was decked out in full camo,the explanation was his sponsors provided them.

And there's your answer.

People want to sell stuff, therefore stuff gets sold as being essential...

Kinda like you "must" buy/shoot a .489 UberMagWunderBoomer because a .30-30/.357 just can't possibly have enough energy for anything but chipmunks...

[gamekeeper]

I don't need Cammo, I'm still green from lookin' at all those durn COMBO'S!!!!!

[DerekR]

I wear camo, but I'm not as funny about it as I used to be. I now prefer Mil-surp woodland camo pants because i can get them cheap, they are tough and comfortable. For turkey it matters more than with deer, IMO. I feel like the camo allows me to get away with more movement than i could without....and I ain't real good at being still sometimes!

[Hillbilly]

I hunt in work clothes most of the time. Wranglers, western shirts, sometimes Carrharts if it's cold enough. I will wear a blaze vest and ball cap... I can see how some sound hunters mistake a western hat for a rack.

My dad would never let us wear white socks at all when hunting... I guess he had heard about guys shooting socks or other white fabric they though was a flagging deer.

We have a nice peice of private ranch to hunt this year in OK... the local 'yotes are pretty sloppy and so far this spring I have walked up on deer who seem to be pretty used to cattle and feed trucks etc that wander about the place.

I cant wait to rehab this broken leg and get scouting again.

Jeff

[Slick13]

I have not had the chance to go through all of the threads of this forum so I do not know if this subject has been talked about. What is your take on the subject of (Hunting With Camo). By that do you feel it give's the hunter an edge. Your Thoughts

It's a must for waterfowl and turkey. In my three years of deer hunting I've found that being still and quiet is most important. Dressed in regular clothes with a blaze orange vest and cap on, I've been on the ground and had deer get within 20 yards of me.

Saturday I was at my trap club mowing the grass and stopped to have a cigarette. I'm puffing away and looking up at the moon out in the middle of the day. I happen to look off to my right and 50 or 60 yards away there's two deer watching me. Once they knew I'd seen them, they trotted away slowly. The racket of the mower running and the smell of cigarette smoke didn't stop them from coming out of the woods and getting that close to me. Last summer I was at the range shooting my pistol before a club meeting. Took a break to talk to some friends and while we're standing there a deer comes out of the woods and trots across the range. The 9mm fire five minutes beforehand didn't stop him from coming our way.

~Michael

[Blackhawk]

I go primal and hunt in nothing and with nothing but my barehands. J/K

I wear jeans and flannels still. But blaze oragne as well.

Johnny

[Rod WMG]

I've said this before in similar ways in several places, but here goes:

I think camo is helpful in some instances, as in turkey/varmint hunting. Not absolutely essential, but helpful.

But I wear camo because the stuff I want to hunt in mostly only comes in that variation; in short it sells because, I think, of TV and countless DVD's where men sit concealed in blinds to hunt and still are encased in camo from head to boots.

If the weather is warm enough I wear contrasty plaid shirts of neutral hues. Otherwise, I break out the warm camo. I guess the plaids are a form of camo as I try to match the terrain/vegetation with them, but I don't feel like a fashion whore with them on...more like Al Borlan, I guess.

I've sat on a Montana mountain trail and had mule deer does come so close I could touch them while wearing an orange cap and vest. They were nervous and knew I was out of place, but they didn't spook. Texas whitetail have been less nervous about the orange.

I don't know how we hunted without scent cover and attractants and camo. But countless numbers did in years past and were successful. Sorta makes you think.

[Tennessee Hayre]

Ted Nugent (Uncle Ted), said he liked wearing Camo because the Anti-Hunters hated it. I guess that would be another reason to wear it.

[geobru]

I wear a red plaid wool coat when I'm far enough back from the road to be away from other hunters. (That's over 3 miles) Otherwise, I wear a lightweight hunter orange vest. One time when I was deer hunting, I was kneeling on a rock outcrop watching a bull elf on the hillside below. Five cows decided to climb up the hill and one laid down on a nother outcrop about 30 feet away. I didn't move, and knelt there in agony for about 10 minutes before one of the other cows finally crossed my track and spooked the band back over the hill. For deer and elk, color is no handicap. Not true though for other quarry, where camo is a plus.

[scr83jp]

I wear camo, but I'm not as funny about it as I used to be. I now prefer Mil-surp woodland camo pants because i can get them cheap, they are tough and comfortable. For turkey it matters more than with deer, IMO. I feel like the camo allows me to get away with more movement than i could without....and I ain't real good at being still sometimes!

I was sitting against a fire damaged tree with a sage cap,no face cover & blaze orange vest while my apache guide was against another burned tree bare faced,we were very still & watched about 60 turkeys walk down a dirt road not 50 feet from us heading to a tank they were oblivious of our presence,so much for all of the turkey camo!

[Comal Forge]

I think it really depends on whether it's public or private land because as the stories here have stated, the two legged critters are the ones to look out for.

My uncle loved to hunt deer and wild turkey with an old double shotgun and he was very successful. He always wore blue overalls, leather laced boots, an old leather bomber jacket when it was cold and a leather cap. Most of his shirts were denim chambray. My grandfather always wore khaki pants and flannel shirts. They always told me to keep my mouth shut, stay downwind and move as little as possible. They thought camo was for soldiers but not required for hunting anything we had in Central Texas.

[CEMENTHEAD]

If you can sit still or are decent at still hunting you can get away with plain old jeans and a sweat shirt w/ orange of course.

Me ? I'm no good at either Sometimes the blind squirrel finds an acorn too!

[Old Ironsights]

If you can sit still or are decent at still hunting you can get away with plain old jeans and a sweat shirt w/ orange of course....Me ? I'm no good at either Sometimes the blind squirrel finds an acorn too!

Dang CH. Now you're gonna make me post the Ugly.



Killed 3 deer last year at ranges from 110 to 30 yds wearing this stuff and stomping around on the ground.

... and my pic has a Levergun in it.

[Rusty]

When I took my son to our state's hunter safety course the warden that taught the class told of one time when he was hunting with a friend. They were headed back to camp for lunch when his buddy needed to step off the path for a minute to relieve himself. He dropped his pants and someone proceeded to shoot him. When the guilty shooter came out of the woods and saw what he'd done all he could say was " I saw white, I saw white." The warden said for that reason he won't even pack anything white in his gear when he goes to the woods.

As for turkey hunting, one of the best turkey hunters in our state always hunted bare footed and in plaid shirts. when asked why he never wore camo he answered "A guy could get killed wearin that stuff." I still have my Tom Gaskins turkey call.

I wear my 300 sq. inches of hunter orange to stay legal after than anything I put on is fair game.

[Old Ironsights]

I've never understood the "I saw white" excuse (and it IS an excuse).

How many people actually think shooting a deer in the butt is a good idea?

[JohnnyReb]

IMHO, the only time camo is necessary is hunting waterfowl and turkey. I guess birds can see colors or at least contrast.

I have some property in for duck hunting in Canada and if a hunter has bagged his limit then he will sometimes put on a bright piece of clothing to "steer" the ducks past him toward another group. When wearing the bright color, it is very obvious that they can see you.

[El Chivo]

Thank goodness the deer out here aren't whitetails. Their butts are black and tan mostly.

I wear the blaze orange vest and hat, with jeans. I've only shot one deer, this was from about 20 yards, and I walked up on him. There were leaves between us, I was looking and he wasn't.

Last season I sat behind a sparse bush wearing orange and watched a spike buck and his sister eat for 45 minutes. They didn't see me until I stood up to leave. As I watched him, I saw him look straight at me several times. But he didn't get concerned, and kept right on eating.

My new hat is a Propper that I dyed orange, so it's various shades of orange. I also want to velcro some blaze orange leaves on it. My theory is to break up the shapes, but keep the color.

[buckeyeshooter]

I think it depends on where you are hunting and how wary the game is. In the east where I live-- if a deer sees you move or just sees you-- they are gone! When I was in the Rockies-- deer would stand and look at me like they did not know what a human was. I do'nt think you would need camo there-- as they didn't run off.

[samsi]

I like to dress like a deer - usually works, I only get shot about every 3rd time out. j/k

Seriously, it's usually green Carharts, though I do wash 'em in unscented Arm & Hammer laundry detergent. Seems to work for me.

[Comal Forge]

The funniest deer story about camo I've experienced is this one: About ten years ago, I was drawn for a lottery hunt in South Texas for hogs and coyotes. These state sponsored hunts are very specific and nothing other than target animals are allowed to be taken. It was a handguns only hunt but the wardens decided at the last minute to allow rifles - although silly me did what he was told and only brought my 6-1/2" M29. The other guys on the pasture brought rifles and could take long shots so they climbed into tree blinds but I went into the heavy brush and sat on a sendero (that's a bulldozed road for you Yankees).

About 30 minutes before dark, I saw a very nice South Texas buck working toward me down the road - maybe 190 on the hoof and wide 10 point rack. I was sitting on a portable camp stool in clear view wearing blaze orange over Carhartt overalls with pistol on hip. It was very crisp that day and no wind so he did not smell me. He kept coming and at about 5 yds, finally stopped and stared. By this point, I had watched him for ten minutes and could not resist myself so stood up and yelled "Hey, deer!" while waving both hands. The buck jumped about 10 feet straight up and looked like a cartoon character with legs going all different directions. He took off at a full tilt through the thickest brush you can imagine and I heard him crashing for a good minute or so.

It was pretty funny - my wife said he's still cussin' me...

[Buffboy]

I have a feeling I'm going to be using camo a lot for hunting. I don't as a rule except for bowhunting but an internet friend's husband was issued new uniforms(lifer, Staff Sargent, in Germany). She asked if I'd be interested in some his old BDUs they didn't have room for anymore. I told her yes, I never turn down free, and if they didn't fit, I'd find them a good home. Yesterday an over stuffed duffle weighing about 60# shows up in the mail. About 14 complete (including Ts & covers) in both the old woodland/jungle(60%) and desert(40%). They all fit me . Yup, think I'm gonna be wearing some camo.

[Old Ironsights]

LOL! Comal Forge

[t.r.]

This photo was taken in 1995; its an e-version of a glossy photo but quality is less than ideal.

My Dad bought this wool plaid hunting coat in 1952. He toppled many animals across Wyoming & Nebraska while wearing it.

Dad passed this coat to me in 1994 and it has brought me much luck as well. Dad always told us that animals don't see plaid and it breaks up the human outline quite well indeed. Movement, outline, sound, and scent are factors that spook animals.

I'm not convinced that camo clothing is needed for success. But if a guy wants durable clothes for hunting, the new camo items appear well made. I'll stay with wool plaid indefinitely.

TR

[sore shoulder]

I think it depends on where you are hunting and how wary the game is. In the east where I live-- if a deer sees you move or just sees you-- they are gone! When I was in the Rockies-- deer would stand and look at me like they did not know what a human was. I do'nt think you would need camo there-- as they didn't run off.

Last elk hunt I walked right up to a feeding doe on my way back to camp and had a converstion with her. She would feed a little then look at me some while chewing, then go back to feeding. She nev er moved and was still in the same spot afer I walked off.

[Pete 22]

I was brought up hunting in the Woolrich classic black and red pattern, parka and pants with 16" high rubber boots...big enough to layer 2 heavy pair of thick socks underneath. I was also taught that NOTHING was more important then wind direction. Cover scent was hanging your hunting cloths out in the dairy barn! This is what I've worn for 35 years. Appropriate amounts of blaze orange to comply legally have been added as needed, and fortunately still hunt that same farm today with my son. I consider myself very lucky.

With all that being said I do go over to camo for archery(same boots though).....but I have to say that this thread got me thinking about going "camo free" this fall.....at least for a few hunts. I remember my first rifle buck and he was killed maybe 10 giant steps from where I sat......well within bow range....but this all harps back to the importance of wind direction.

Pete 22

[Old Ironsights]

I... I remember my first rifle buck and he was killed maybe 10 giant steps from where I sat......well within bow range....but this all harps back to the importance of wind direction.

Pete 22

Gotta agree with you there. Scent free soap, scent free antipersperant, then spray yourself down with "Deer Dander" or similar natural cover scent.

The does I shot at about 35/40 yds were looking right at me and the breeze was in their favor. I swear they were asking each other why somthing that smelled like a deer didn't look like one - just before I shot them.

[oldmax]

My first hunting coat was army surplus O/D green , that was 55 years ago,
It went down to my ankles....
My current hunting coat ( & Pants ) , you guessed it, Army surplus o/d green.
( all made in USA )
But , an orange blaze vest is required plus a Blaze Hat, Next they will require a flashing strobe.
Probably won't make any difference. The idgits will still shoot ya...

What REALLY P'O's me, Is the Hunters that use the rifle scope to check
you out, Like a Deer is going to be in Blaze....

[Tennessee Hayre]

This is my hunting costume, with a little 100lb doe last year 2007. I wrapped my .308 with Camo wrap. If you look close you can see the hole in the shoulder, Don't like this kind of shot but it worked.[img][img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn59 ... 000091.jpg[/img][/img]

[20cows]

I don't think I HAVE any camo.

Except a horse.

Apparently we don't look human on the back of one of those, as I've ridden up on several critters I couldn't have walked up to.