For those of us, who hunt from the ground (without a blind) Do you mix your camo??
I have always worn cotton jeans when hunting. Plain old "blue jeans" when I was a kid.
Sometimes "black jeans" when I had them. Then, I threw a few pair of black jeans in the washing machine, and made "dirt brown huntin' jeans"... Several years ago, I found Wrangler Camo jeans on sale, and bought 4-5 pair.
They are "RealTree Xtra" pattern.
My bow hunting shirt/jacket that I have been wearing for years, is "MossyOak Treestand"
It has a Bottomland background, with a few limbs & leaves.
I also have a brown/black plaid wool shirt, that I sometimes wear. Either alone, or under the MossyOak shirt.
Many times over the years, I have had deer within spitting distance, when wearing this combination.
A "bold" upper pattern, and a "busy" lower pattern. Here are my thoughts...
When we walk through the woods, look around. At eye level, everything looks big and bold.
Tree trunks, limbs, rocks, stumps, logs, deadfalls, treetops, etc...
When we look at the actual forest floor... Everything looks "busy" a combination of leaves, sticks, and undergrowth, that all seems to blend together.
When we walk, we are careful to keep our body movement to a minimum, and slow.
But to walk, (or stalk) we must move our legs and feet. This just can not be helped.
If we are walking, and a deer catches our movement, they may give their position away.
A head pops up, an ear or tail twitch.... If we're lucky and catch this, we stop, and stand still as we can...
The deer may just go back to browsing, but it's on alert. We may need to get closer?
We can try to keep our body rock steady, but our legs must move...
With a "busy" pattern on our legs, to blend in with the forest floor, it's harder for them to detect just "what" moved, and what didn't...??
Just one old woodchucker's wonderings....
Answering this question with "absolutely".
I've had some of my most exciting and best hunting encounters, hunting from a ground blind. Turkeys I will use a tent blind but only for turkeys! For deer, I make all my own. Most often times, MONTHS ahead of season.
When I sit these for deer, I concern myself primarily with what's going on from the waist up.....including hat, face and hands ......all crucial details that must by addressed. This has to do a lot with how I set the blinds up. Always a thick, practically non see thru back wall (the back wall is the most important) and front cover that is tall enough to conceal me sitting but low enough to shoot over from the seated position. I almost always use the leafy 4' x 12' camo leafy blind blanket deals you can get about anywhere for 7 bucks or so. I line the inside blind front wall with that. A deer is gonna see my upper torso, head and hands. As long as my form is broken up, I think the camo could be about anything. Heck I'd try a crazy tie die long sleeve and Cat In The Hats top hat for deer and bet it would break me up enough to the deer to be undetected :biglaugh: In all seriousness, in a ground blind for deer I'll often enough have a hat, shirt/jacket/vest gloves and mask or face paint and it's just a hodge podge of earthy colored shapes, lines and tones (mixed camo). If I'm ever tipped off, it's due to a wind change and scent I'm sure.
I do have a lot of good camo and like to wear it all and sometimes it's hard to choose :laughing:
Almost always. Temperature often dictates the situations. I have numerous jackets and coats of various patterns but seldom vary my pants. However, I do sometimes wear solid color pants with camo or plaid top. I never wear blue jeans anymore. I read somewhere that blue is a color deer can see well. I know plenty of deer have been taken by guys in jeans, so I am not really sure if I believe it is a problem.
I too, shed the "blue jeans" Sam!!
As I said, I now have a good supply of "camo" jeans. :thumbsup:
Yes, they are faded, but just as comfortable as ever!! They are all sprayed down with Permethrin for ticks.
Many times, they're all you will see me in come fall, especially now that I'm RETIRED!! :archer:
Yep. Temperature usually dictates what I wear as well. That being said, most of my pants are solid colors and most of my shirts and jackets are either plaid or camo so I'm usually wearing different patterns top and bottom. Gaitor, if I wear one, and hat are usually different from the rest as well.
It depends on the time of year and place I am hunting. I do not use a pop-up or any type blind, just go in find a nice place and sit. Every once and while I may slightly use what is available out there to "brush around" me. I shed the "big Name Camo" about 20 years ago, and just used Khaki/brown pants and plaid shirts. Then a few years doing that I bit the bullet and bought a ASAT wool pullover when Dayone use to carry it. Where this had two things happened that cemented my belief in the camo pattern, (always known wool was the ultimate material). I walked in one morning, and seem could not find a good place, so played the wind picked two small trees close together and sat on home made torges seat. I had a 9 point buck come by, no more than 8 years, nothing between me and him (not even a blade of grass), I decided nothing to loose, I smoothly swing drew and the arrow went clean through. Afterward, I realized that no other time in my life could I have done that on the ground (no the deer wasn't blind). About two weeks later, just sat on seat checking out a sight and had a flock of turkeys comes in, and fed around me for an hour, one hen got within 3 yards of me, again with nothing but camo on. This cemented that this camo worked. Since then got wool bibs and a cowboy suede shirt and that has been my go to, and covers just about all the weather. I love ground hunting, it is harder, but feel that using your woodsman skills and having these encounters just adds to the hunt. You just cann't beat the flexibility of moving (don't know how many times this made me successful). I still love the view from elevated stands, but more and more a ground guy.
Have been 'cutting myself in half' for a long time....
1st Hog Kill and my Latest Hog Kill.... as you can see, I've been chasing them for years in my 'standard Perdator Spring Green uniform' of choice.
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I also do the same when its cold out.... but opt for my "Grey Wolf Fall Brown" version....
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I almost always have Natur-Gear pants on (brownish mottled color) with Asbell wool, plaid or Predator camo tops. Akubra grey hat.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
I'm going to experiment with a ghillie suit this year.
I wear a leafy jacket on top most of the time. Pants most any thing will work most times.
My camo is so mix and matched and some is so worn and faded. I do like a leafy jacket but don't use it much anymore. Need a new one but most I find are not as green as I like
My camo jeans are really grey anymore and I'm even liable to wear to wear sweat pants or shorts or . . .
Sitting still and breaking up my outline is what I look for in camo. A camo gaiter on my face (several patterns) and a backwards cap.
I have always admired that hat Terry. I wonder if the outline of the head, neck , and shoulders come into play.also.
I've always liked that hat too. It definitely helps break ya up.
I had to make my own....working on a better one for this year
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I wear leafy suit too and got some old faded brown carpenter pants. Started last year and had some very close encounters sometimes to close lol
I've taken 3 deer from the ground. First two times I was wearing Asbell ESB and had either a burlap backdrop or was up against a tree. First photo I took after I shot a Buck from this position, he was 9 yards. I was exposed above the knees. [attachment=1]
This is camo sitting with my back to a tree exposed above the knees
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I was tucked inside a fir tree with a shooting hole/entrance cut out for this one. About a 12 ft shot.
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I just bought the Rancho Safari Deluxe. Hoping for cool weather this season.
I have killed a lot of deer from the ground. I don't get too hung up on camo, and I firmly believe its more for the hunter than for the game. I have taken many deer from the ground in blue jeans and flannel shirts. What little camo I do have is mismatched, old, & faded.
I have a lightweight ASAT pullover fleece shirt I wear over whatever I got on. Pants are green or came cargo pants.
Anything that breaks you up will work.
I use a boonies ghillie hat that breaks up my head n shoulder outline.
Where I hunt, the ground is in the trees and up in the trees is ground level. Steep country.
A couple weeks ago, I was perched 15' above a trail and about 15' back but still sitting on the ground. Had 6 deer coming in a line, hoping there was a buck lagging back at the end somewhere. Lead doe caught my scent in the downward thermal just below me and the gig was up. They never saw me. They all stood around looking for me this way and that way at just about 15 yards away but had no idea where I was. Eventually, caution got the better of them & they walked back the way they came. I was just in some gray pants, a plaid shirt & a gray bucket hat & was standing straight up. I've worn leafy camo jackets before but it was too hot for that. I don't know if it makes a difference for deer.
Sounds like our mountain, John!!
We have many ladder stands around the mountain, but they rarely get used.
Problem is, you're looking 30-40 foot down at a log road, and the deer behind you is looking down at you!! :o
Yea, I keep thinking about buying a stand & then I just can't figure how it would benefit me. Morning thermals mean I have to be downhill. Downhill 10 yards back & 15' up means I'm... Yep... Eye level with the deer again. Doesn't help that our deer don't follow the same routine every day. Or that all the trees are now dead (CA fires). So I stay on the ground.
I mostly wear fleece sometimes same camo (mossy oak breakup country) or woodland camo bdu pants and woodland camo fleece jacket. I airways try to conceal in some cover to break up my outline. I am about to order a leafy suit to use this year. I've heard they work very well.
New and improved tarz inspired hat.
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Tim B
Now THAT, is COOL!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
At 68 I'm kind of liking mostly FLAT Florida these days.