Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Looking like a dark blob- reconsidering my opinion on camo

Best camo I’ve ever seen is an old green and black Woolrich coat my dad wears. It’s not the straight checkered pattern but has different sizes and the colors kind of overlap. It probably wouldn’t work as well in other places, but it kicks ass in the conifers of north Idaho. He becomes almost invisible when he holds still.

Some of the original camouflage from the 80’s seemed to be more effective than a lot of the newer stuff.

The best use of camo is to hide from other people.

Only used the atko wash once , usually hose down my hunting clothes a couple days before season with spray
Take them off at the end of the day and put them in vehicle
The ole lady is a heavy smoker
I know I’m pissing into the wind by doing this , but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy 😀
I have seen a marked difference since I started using the atko
Seldom get busted anymore
I hunt from stands and make shift ground blinds
And occasionally stalk , which negates the atko
Because of movement
Some areas are some what thick and it might take 30-45 minutes to move a 100 yds , espeacially if I’m in a productive area
In the end of the day we all do it our way and we love every minute of it
So with that , wish you all the best of luck
Kenneth

Much to the chagrin of the wife my 'camo/outer hunting clothes' reside on the porch for the better part of two months.

IMO as long as one isn't wearing dark solids and limits movement deer won't notice if not already looking for you.

Wearing fashionable camo is a great identifying sign to become a mark for theft. Those dressed head to toe in matching designer camo in this season's hottest look very likely have a pickup (with topper) full of expensive outdoor gear.

You left out the blue painter's tape on the gun barrel. I hear they see that from miles away.

Apparently, blue is on the spectrum that deer see very well.

Moot point up here, once rifle season starts, anybody in the woods, must wear a minimum of 400sq inches of hunter orange on their upper body + complete head covering in hunter orange, also.

Still kill stuff, it's about the wind, scent & movement !

Let me throw in a few more data points on this topic.

I've got a spot on the back of the house, where I go and sit in the evening and watch deer. Imagine a 2-person lifeguard chair. I'll go out and have my evening cocktail and sit with the binos. This time of year, I usually get a floorshow starting around a half-hour before sunset. The east field has nearly 500 yards of observable pasture. The south field has less than 300 yards.

My normal attire these days are bib overalls and a white T-shirt and white tube socks. The deer know I frequent the spot. They look for me as soon as they come out in the field. I've learned that they key on the white shirt and socks. If any bit of that shirt is showing, the deer get hinky. Now that the evenings are cooler, I'm wearing a jacket, usually a brown barn coat. That coat has to be buttoned up so no white shows, and I can't move my feet around so my socks show. If I do, I'm setting off deer at the farthest extent of my viewing. If I'm well covered, the deer may come and graze within 50 yards of the house.

The other point I wanted to make is that the key to any camo is that the viewer has a hard time perceiving the wearer. When I'm wearing white socks and a white T-shirt, it's easy for the deer to form the gestalt of a human. Back when I bow hunted, I usually wore a camo poncho-- either the one I showed y'all in the previous post or something similar. When I was in it, sitting or standing, it was very hard for anything to resolve the shape into a human form. It isn't just that you need to have splotchy colors and shapes, you need to change the shape you present so the viewer can't pick it up. For hunting Kentucky during rifle season, I just switched to a hunter orange poncho. Believe it or not, the deer really didn't give a hoot about me. Orange blobs just don't register as humans.

So how do I manage in the Orange Clown Suit? Mostly I succeed through concealment. On my treestands, I've got camo plastic shower curtains secured to the shooting rails. On my tower blind, I have burlap camo backed with black opaque landscape fabric.

Idaho doesn't require any orange on hunters 18 and older. They recommend it but don't require it. That's as it should be - individual choice.
However, we have many miles of hiking/biking trails in our mountains, many of which go through some prime hunting habitat. No mention of orange on hikers and bikers is ever made. I'm a hunter and I have the gun. I'm unlikely to shoot myself no matter what I'm wearing. It's the hikers who are in danger from careless hunters.

Maybe they can smell your feet and torso when you don't cover up and you just think they're seeing you, but, really, they're smelling you?? (grin)

Camo.. I have had some great hunting in a bright orange grundens rain jacket.

I am very particular about my camo, without it I can never seem to shoot a deer.
Here's a few that I would have missed had I not been wearing the best camouflage available. ( grin)
Cat

The best camo in the world is only good if it matches your background. Might be great in one place and ten feet away your busted.

Will game animals get confused and leary when the green leaves on a tree turn vibrant red, orange , or yellow in the fall ? ---- Smell and movement ===your #1 enemy

KUIU or similar patterns. Large blocks of color and lighter colors to contrast with darker ones. Mossy Oak type camo all turns into one dark blob.

catnthehat basically has the same old school approach with the large block plaid.

No surprise that rifle hunters laugh and joke about the need for camo. I'd much rather hear from Archers on this issue. I really don't much care what rifle hunters think about camo

My pop used to wear tiger stripe in upstate NY. I'm partially color blind, I guess they call it color lazy. I had a hard time picking him up when he stopped walking.

I also wear different camo to really break up my outline

I'm an archery hunter. Post-rut when the leaves are off the trees it is much easier to get busted. I believe they see movement and hear movement more than anything. When a guy is wearing your standard "Mossy Oak/Real Tree" it is very dark compared to the sky at your back. It is also very reflective because the average guy doesn't consider using just plain water or a UV-dampening detergent. While I have killed deer with my bow in "normal" clothes, purpose-built camo seems to be quieter and offer more range of motion for the archer. It is also important for clothes to be properly fitted. A loose hoodie can be disastrous in the stand when drawing a bow. Don't ask me how I know. For what its worth, I like the Sitka Elevated II pattern jackets designed for bow hunting. During gun season, I don't really care.