Fieldcraft How Good is Your Camouflage?

[Longshot231]

I'm not really bragging but still cannot help but boast a little bit. This last weekend, I went hunting for squirrels in a public area designated for such activity.

It is by a public lake and the surrounding area is designated for hunting. I used an air rifle. Due to the short range of the weapon, it as well as myself was camouflaged from head to toe.

On several occasions, hikers roaming the forests walked within a few yards of me. If it looked like someone was going to walk right on top of me, I raised my hand to alert them as I didn't want to startle them. For the ones that passed by, I didn't do anything to see what happened.

One couple walked by with their dog which didn't alert on me!

A few other hunters didn't notice me until I waved. Because they were armed, and out of common courtesy for another hunter, I didn't want to startle them as well.

So, how good is your camouflage? Any interesting stories? Other than what most of us already know, does anyone have any interesting tips or tricks?

 

[Eli17L]

This may be more about the current state of human awareness.
And to answer your question mine is ok not great. I'm in open country now and its not as easy as it was in east Texas.
I spend most of my hunting season observing other hunters trying to sneak onto my land and only 1 out of 100 has camo thats hard to detect. Tried to catch that 1 guy just to find out what he was wearing.

 

[diggler1833]

How good at you at playing the wind with your scent, and staying still?

One dog isn't bad, but humans are one of the least situationally aware species on the planet. If the wind was in your favor, the dog gets a pass.

I hunt from the ground mostly (no blind), and have had a handful of squirrels within two yards, an owl at three yards, coyote at 10, and buck at seven yards this year. Have had many young bucks and does at 15-20 stop and bob and weave at me before casually continuing on. Have also been busted by a doe this year at 150 yards because I turned my head to look around.

However on those days where the wind shifted, I haven't seen a thing no matter how disciplined I was.

I wear hooded leafy suits with full face coverings, gloves etc...

 

[BoltRunner]

My camo is probably better than anyone you'll ever meet, went on a hunting trip in the Jungle of Central America in 1987 and the animal we were hunting couldn't even pic me up with thermal imaging. I used mud and some other surrounding material to keep hidden until I eventually killed him with a huge log that I dropped on him...

 

[Ronws]

Get in the choppah! Now!

 

[Longshot231]

How good at you at playing the wind with your scent, and staying still?

One dog isn't bad, but humans are one of the least situationally aware species on the planet. If the wind was in your favor, the dog gets a pass.

I hunt from the ground mostly (no blind), and have had a handful of squirrels within two yards, an owl at three yards, coyote at 10, and buck at seven yards this year. Have had many young bucks and does at 15-20 stop and bob and weave at me before casually continuing on. Have also been busted by a doe this year at 150 yards because I turned my head to look around.

However on those days where the wind shifted, I haven't seen a thing no matter how disciplined I was.

I wear hooded leafy suits with full face coverings, gloves etc...

I'm usually pretty good as far as scent goes. Like you, there have been various critters get close. There was even a chipmunk that came over to sit on my lap while I was sitting by some deadfall one day. Seriously, that really happened.

Like you, some deer have been within a few yards of me and oblivious to my presence and other times look at me from the other side of the county and head for Mexico when I blinked.

I agree that human beings are the least aware than other living creatures. I rarely hunt on public land that is so frequently traversed. So it's amusing when it happens that people don't notice me.

I had a ghillie suit at one time which I never had any hope for in the forest as there were too many thorns, briars and branches to get tangled up in.

I wore it a couple of times while hunting ground hogs in open fields but decided it was still too hot and cumbersome to mess with.

Do you have any problems with the leafy suits getting tangled up in vegetation or branches in the forest?

I looked at these camo covers in the store. What I like about these is that they are mesh with the leaves sewn on and very lightweight and take up very little room in a pack. The problem that I have with pre-made tarps or covers is that they are all rectangular with clean lines at the edges. They should be irregular edges to help blend in with the terrain.

https://www.theghilliesuits.com/titan-leafy-camouflage-blanket-blind-cover.html

Sometimes, I lay prone if the ground is dry enough or have a small camo mat to lay on. On those occasions, I'm practically invisible to game and humans. The disadvantage is limited visibility even when the field of view is clear. Staying warm in cold weather while prone is also difficult.

Once while hunting varmints while everything was covered with snow, I was covered head to toe in white camo. The rifle was covered in white as well. I watched a heard of a couple dozen deer from about 100 yards away.

They were oblivious to my presence. Something spooked them and they all ran toward me to get away from whatever frightened them. It was the first time in my life that I thought I was going to get run over by some deer. Fortunately, they all ran past me as if I were a mound of snow in the middle of the field.

 

[Ronws]

I wear some camo but more importantly, I try to be as still as possible.

 

[diggler1833]

I'm usually pretty good as far as scent goes. Like you, there have been various critters get close. There was even a chipmunk that came over to sit on my lap while I was sitting by some deadfall one day. Seriously, that really happened.

Like you, some deer have been within a few yards of me and oblivious to my presence and other times look at me from the other side of the county and head for Mexico when I blinked.

I agree that human beings are the least aware than other living creatures. I rarely hunt on public land that is so frequently traversed. So it's amusing when it happens that people don't notice me.

I had a ghillie suit at one time which I never had any hope for in the forest as there were too many thorns, briars and branches to get tangled up in.

I wore it a couple of times while hunting ground hogs in open fields but decided it was still too hot and cumbersome to mess with.

Do you have any problems with the leafy suits getting tangled up in vegetation or branches in the forest?

I looked at these camo covers in the store. What I like about these is that they are mesh with the leaves sewn on and very lightweight and take up very little room in a pack. The problem that I have with pre-made tarps or covers is that they are all rectangular with clean lines at the edges. They should be irregular edges to help blend in with the terrain.

https://www.theghilliesuits.com/titan-leafy-camouflage-blanket-blind-cover.html

Sometimes, I lay prone if the ground is dry enough or have a small camo mat to lay on. On those occasions, I'm practically invisible to game and humans. The disadvantage is limited visibility even when the field of view is clear. Staying warm in cold weather while prone is also difficult.

Once while hunting varmints while everything was covered with snow, I was covered head to toe in white camo. The rifle was covered in white as well. I watched a heard of a couple dozen deer from about 100 yards away.

They were oblivious to my presence. Something spooked them and they all ran toward me to get away from whatever frightened them. It was the first time in my life that I thought I was going to get run over by some deer. Fortunately, they all ran past me as if I were a mound of snow in the middle of the field.

The leafy suits do well until you get into greenbriars and blackberry bushes (the worst). I actually like them because they are cooler for warmer weather season openers, and with just a good shirt and pair of pants are relatively mosquito proof.

I actually have two Titan sets, and they do quite well. However my first buck (hoping for one more) this year was killed with a $35 cheap set I found on Gunbroker. Buck was taken at 21 yards from the ground as he crossed a lane.

They still don't make up for poor movement discipline or not paying attention to the wind, but they offer enough concealment to get within easy bow range.

 

[Longshot231]

The leafy suits do well until you get into greenbriars and blackberry bushes (the worst). I actually like them because they are cooler for warmer weather season openers, and with just a good shirt and pair of pants are relatively mosquito proof.

I actually have two Titan sets, and they do quite well. However my first buck (hoping for one more) this year was killed with a $35 cheap set I found on Gunbroker. Buck was taken at 21 yards from the ground as he crossed a lane.

They still don't make up for poor movement discipline or not paying attention to the wind, but they offer enough concealment to get within easy bow range.

View attachment 7737005

I actually have one leafy suit but it's too dark. The Titan products look like they have better patterns.

 

[diggler1833]

I actually have one leafy suit but it's too dark. The Titan products look like they have better patterns.

One of mine is Realtree Edge, the other Mossy Oak Bottomland.

 

[Trapshooter12]

I made a Ghille suit a few years back. Mostly because my wife said I couldn't make one.
While calling Coyotes I was able to call Crows and Ravens within shotgun range.
With regular camo they fly by three to four hundred yards out.
I used Teal dye for my green and it came out to dark. The next batch for some reason I don't remember why I filled the five gallon bucket up with water and the green came out matching the Sage around here.

 

[MK20]

You would be surprised how good basic multicam is. Just be still.

 

[diggler1833]

You can be 25' up in a tree too in Gucci-flage and a "I love soft tacos" ball cap, and you'll do just fine.

 

[308pirate]

I wear hooded leafy suits with full face coverings, gloves etc...

I saw you the other day on the sidewalk

 

[Longrangeprecision762]

 

[Longshot231]

You would be surprised how good basic multicam is. Just be still.

I think that the multicam is a modern derivation of the German Flecktarn.

 

[MK20]

If you are out in the desert around Las Vegas and you stop moving while wearing multicam, someone can know exactly where you are and still not be able to see you. I have seen this in person.

 

[diggler1833]

I saw you the other day on the sidewalk

I knew I was setting myself up for a headshot when I replied to this thread...

 

[TurboTrout]

For tree rat?

As a kid I wore whatever I got out of school wearing, pile the little fuckers up till I got bored, never considered it hunting, more like boredom, and never thought about camo or scent

Shit, go to Starbucks and they’ll practically steal your food off the table, I used to shoot them off my girls bird feeders, one would plop dead by another, I’d break the barrel, load another pellet and the dumb fucker was still standing next to his dead as all hell buddy.

 

[Longshot231]

Has anyone ever noticed that the manufacturers of camouflage clothing are engaging in deceptive practices?

In a lot of their pictures, they only show trees, rocks, grass, bushes or other vegetation

 

[hlee]

Had a doe whitetail stick her head into the box blind I was sitting in. The camo seemed to be working…

 

[hlee]

while your camp may have been good, evading hikers is no feat.

My BiL amd I were elk hunting in CO a few years ago and made almost no effort to camouflage. 400 sq in of hunter orange is required anyway, so I just went with earth tones. Sitting near a trail overlooking a meadow, we were past by a few pairs of hikers. As the last bits of daylight were fading, one of the pairs came back down the trail and we stood up to make the hike back to camp. They both nearly jumped off the trail in surprise. Note, we were both wearing blaze orange vests and hats…

 

[powdahound76]

Paging @psinclair

Please post your camo from one of the Monsters you nabbed with a bow.

I remember it from the days before Scout

 

[hlee]

Paging @psinclair

Please post your camo from one of the Monsters you nabbed with a bow.

I remember it from the days before Scout

White tee shirt and blue jeans held up by suspenders. But, he was hiding behind a Wyatt Earp mustache, if my memory is correct...

 

[roostercogburn98]

So I shouldn’t wear my 20 dollar wranglers and a T-shirt to the deer woods?

 

[powdahound76]

White tee shirt and blue jeans held up by suspenders. But, he was hiding behind a Wyatt Earp mustache, if my memory is correct...

Friggin red suspenders.

Worthy of any thread about camo IMO

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Good discussion.... Depends on the season... General, all around is Tiger Stripe. But when the snow drops down it's time to change, again.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Good discussion.... Depends on the season... General, all around is Tiger Stripe. But when the snow drops down it's time to change, again.

I call BS the army ACU was the best design ever

 

[pmclaine]

If you are out in the desert around Las Vegas and you stop moving while wearing multicam, someone can know exactly where you are and still not be able to see you. I have seen this in person.

But if you saw it did it really work?

 

[hlee]

If you are out in the desert around Las Vegas and you stop moving while wearing multicam, someone can know exactly where you are and still not be able to see you. I have seen this in person.

While the human eye is exceptional at detecting motion, and our color perception an general visual acuity are both second to none (except the Pronghorn with their 8x binocular vision), the human brain is surprisingly poor at distinguishing objects that are at rest. Hell, steel targets will disappear in the background if you’re not careful…

 

[pmclaine]

Read something that we see things in "pixelated" blocks of information.....that's why we have moved to digicams.

Wondered if that was due to training over 75 years of television watching.

I have come to the idea that colors in nature tend to be brighter and crazier than we expect them to be. Take a real look at foliage it's not as subdued as we think it is to require camo to be and there is bright lime green, bright yellows and purple shades in nature.

That's my camo perspective living in the northeast. Desert southwest more flats I guess but even rocks and such seem to vary so much in color.

Not advocating Belgian camo pattern unless its expected to work along the lines of warship dazzle but...

I loves me some of this in the northeast......

 

[RedTimber]

For anyone that wants to use this

 

[ninjapig]

Made this one as a project with my kid

 

[HousePlant]

My deer hunting "camo" consists of a matching set of "camo" oversized clothes from Cabelas above my real clothes (warm or otherwise).

My buddy walked right past me twice and even looked seemingly right at me a few weeks ago. Couldn't see me behind bush. Deer walked by a few hours later. Didn't want any of them so I farted and they ran away. I'm more worried about making noise. It's hard not to when you eat beans...

 

[Ronws]

From what I can understand, deer do not see reds and oranges as red and orange because they lack the receptors for that. Also, because of how their eyes are set, they are not strong on stereo vision like humans are, so they are crap at depth or distance perception. But they notice movement. So, to see what a deer sees, look at something that does NOT have orange or red in it and close one eye. Fortunately, for deer, their sense of smell is strong as all get out. And it does not matter what you shower with or what scent killer you spray on, you will smell like a primate with soap and scent hider. So, you might as well take a regular shower and regular deoderant and after shave that all smell flowery. Because their environments are flowers. And stay downwind of them. If you have a property enter opposite the wind. That is, with a north wind, enter at the south of the property and face north.

 

[Ronws]

My deer hunting "camo" consists of a matching set of "camo" oversized clothes from Cabelas above my real clothes (warm or otherwise).

My buddy walked right past me twice and even looked seemingly right at me a few weeks ago. Couldn't see me behind bush. Deer walked by a few hours later. Didn't want any of them so I farted and they ran away. I'm more worried about making noise. It's hard not to when you eat beans...

My flatulence is used as an enhanced interrogation technique. People will divulge secrets in order to NOT suffer the awful aroma of my anus.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

 

[Longshot231]

My flatulence is used as an enhanced interrogation technique. People will divulge secrets in order to NOT suffer the awful aroma of my anus.

I'll bet that you like to ride in crowded elevators.

 

[Ronws]

I'll be that you like to ride in crowded elevators.

Especially if there is an old lady, a grandma, in there. I can look at her cross eyed and act like she did it. Then get off the elevator. YOLO.