Does Camo matter?

[MaxHenderson]

Just starting to bow hunt again in college the budget is slim at best. I found khakis work fine but covering bare skin made the biggest difference despite my hatred for gloves..but as I start buying camo Im trying to avoid patterns that make you look like a black blob from 50 yards away. The blob effect seems very common if you waterfowl hunt and see other peoples boat blinds.

That black blob is insane in Waterfowl, we flew a drone over some pit blinds and it was just a black hole in the ground.


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[86indy]

MaxHenderson it is all too common. To avoid this I like the larger patterns and natural gear pattern (despite their 90s cut of clothing..). Thats just my take on the matter though.

 

[Mountainist]

I heard an interesting podcast on the Hunt Backcountry podcast, it was with the guy who invented the First Lite Cipher pattern among many other. The thing that really with me was the colors that really stick out to deer are grays and blues. For this reason I stick to khakis and greens and the occasional camo shirt. Of course nothing can replace skill...

 

[canyonhunter47]

It’s hard to say that camo pattern makes a huge difference when your pale face (for many of us, at least) sticks out like a sore thumb.

That being said, I wear earth tones and avoid blue and cool grey (Kuiu, Sitka OC). I have some camo shirts of varying quality that I guess don’t hurt, especially closing a stalk. I’m more convinced camo helps with non-cervids like Turkey

 

[Nick Muche]

Nope, sure doesn't.

 

[1shotgear]

Working at 1 SHOT GEAR I get this question at least once a week and with 100 days a year for the last 15 years I spent chasing big game and waterfowl this is what I found.

All elk ,mule deer, and white tails run on the same three needs I want food, I want water, and I want good looking girls. The only thing that will over ride these three needs is their immediate danger instinct. This danger instinct takes over when they hear you, smell you, or see you and then they run like hell. So we as hunters spend our time and money on not triggering their three senses they use to identify us as danger.

In most areas I hunt I will take every advantage I can get and with the camo out now a days you can all but eliminate there sight. I have just spent two many season running around for 10 days on a 11 day hunt not seeing a thing and then the one time I run into a elk he runs off from something as simple as not wearing the right clothing. So if you are in a spot that you will have a lot of encounters and the animals are very forgiving on close calls then you can shoot him in a purple tuxedo if you wanted but I hate telling story's about the one that got away and love talking about the big one on the wall.

 

[Trial153]

I had this one hunt where I can honestly say my camo hat and bino harness bailed me out.

 

[mastercaller70]

I used to think so. Now we focus on the wind and the set up. Using the available terrain to mask our outline and move only when its good to.
I have Kuiu, Firstlite, Sitka, Pnuma...my favorite is the Merino wool solid grey I buy from Costco. I can buy 6 of those shirts for the price of one of the camo ones lol

 

[bbckfh]

Count me in the "not really that important" crowd.

I do think that one can break up larger blobs more effectively with multiple different solids.

 

[deerkiller]

I've told this story dozens of times - Was rifle hunting spikes in Snake River where elk are notoriously wild, was walking up an old skid road, came around a corner, there was a really nice 5 pt. in middle of the trail - I had on a fluorescent orange fake wool shirt (old Cabela's) and loden pants, at 40 yards the only thing that finally moved that bull was when I sounded the cow talk mouth call, he scatted like he was poked in the ass with a broadhead - ONE instance but it made a believer out of me and I've filled my tags every year since then - For ARCHERY ? Yes, I think it's a big advantage - 2 basic rules of HUNTING: #1 Wind is everything #2 WIND IS EVERYTHING ….

 

[Newt]

I think the old adage is if it makes you more confident then do it.

I feel most confident when I’m most comfortable. I’m most comfortable when I’m not worried about ripping a hole in some clothing that I had to take a loan out on.

If I find Camo on sale, great deal, I’ll buy it. But other than that I wear whatever I have that’s comfortable.

My pants of choice the last 2 years have been the wrangler outdoor series stretch pants. I had a few pair that were bison colored, went to get more for this year, and they don’t make them anymore.

What they did have were some new pants, still 4way stretch, just a little different. Turns out the have old school Camo pattern so I bought them. I think they look great actually. So I’ll wear them with whatever wool/synthetic top that feels the best for the day. I’ll have to cover it up with big solid color orange anyways....

 

[Yettiluke]

I don’t think a camo pattern is important as much as outline breakup is.


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[grfox92]

Coming from someone who stand hunted whitetails like a maniac for 12 straight years.......

When I used to wear conventional camo, realtree, mossy oak, ect I used to get visually busted all the time, even at 20-25 feet with good cover, it seemed like the deer were magnetized to me.

I then switched to Predator Fall brown and I could get away with standing in the open hardwoods with no back cover and it seemed deer would look right through me, I dont think I ever got busted out of a tree in that stuff and wore it for 2 straight seasons.

Then I went to no camo at all, I wear earth tone cargo pants and fleece hoodys. I would wear a Cabelas Wooltimate hoody when it was really cold, but other then that not camo at all and I litterally NEVER get busted, Deer look right in my general direction (in a tree) and dont react at all. Not sure why, but thats how It worked out for me.

Im sure out west on a stalk new camo patterns are very beneficial, But I believe the need for camo is very situational.

 

[BrotherBrown]

Tree stand hunting I have had the same experience of camo not mattering. I wear khaki carhartt bibs and even blue plaid shirts and have had whitetails look right at me and go back to feeding. Key is to stay still.

Duck hunting I have a buddy who thinks camo is worthless, so we wear vintage hunting jackets that are close to the grasses we often make the blinds out of. He has no trouble killing ducks.

On the other hand, I agree if I am traveling out of state and spending time off and money on a big hunt, I want every advantage I can get. Hopefully will get after some Elk in 2020, and starting to assemble a full camo kit.

 

[elkduds]

Ungulates have acute vision in the ultraviolet range, much better than humans. If you wash hunting clothing in detergent w UV brighteners, even camo, it stands out to deer/elk like a white shirt under a blacklight. Most major detergent brands have UV brighteners, making clothes appear brighter and cleaner to 2 legged predators. Those detergents also include a bouquet of artificial scents: attractive to people, repulsive to game.

Sportwash and other brands of detergents are made without brighteners and scents.

The structure of ungulate eyes favors recognition of motion over fine detail, because the predators they evolved with are fast-moving. A clown who stays still is less visible to them than a ghillie-suited hunter in motion.

UV and motion sensitivity are proven by research. More speculative is the theory that quadrupeds are less threatening than bipeds, meaning a hunter on horseback, a hunter crawling or crouching is perceived as safer than a standing, walking or running hunter. Cross country skiers and hikers with poles may appear more 4 legged, and less threatening, to elk/deer.