Trad Gang
Topic Archives => How To - Resources => Topic started by: Guru on April 17, 2010, 05:11:00 AM
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Installment one...
The last few years a real urge to start killing turkeys without my Double Bull has been brewing. Not that there's anything at all "wrong" with killing them out of a blind, heck I really enjoy it! But this urge has grown to the point that this year I'm gonna try to make it happen if I get the opportunity.
I'm still going to hunt out of my blind when I have Cade with me as I still haven't killed a bird while he's been hunting with me. So when he's coming with me, we'll be hunting with the DB. And as much as I want to kill one without the blind this spring, as long as Cade wants to come, he's the priority! So the opportunity to kill one without a blind may not even happen.
But I know that it probably will because of Cade's other commitments to baseball and such. I can't be getting him up at 4:00 on mornings he has a game....he'll be flat wore out!
So anyway, I started researching making my own ghillie suit. You-tube is an almost endless source of ghillie suit information. I looked at a lot of different ways to make them.
I wanted something that was light, not super hot, and something I could slip over my Sitka Gear easy and quickly when setting up, and also a suit that would slip off easily and carry nicely when not in use.
I settled on making it out of just netting for the "base" and would tie my materials to it.
As far as material to make it, I settled in burlap and jute. I know there are "lighter" materials out there, but the burlap was readily available, so I went with it.
The netting base. Fishnet folded over and cut out to the size I wanted then bound on the edges with jute rope pieces. "Head-hole" also cut out of the top...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie1.JPG)
With rit dye, it was easy to get all the colors and shades I wanted in the suit.
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie2.JPG)
I wanted a lot of "texture" in the suit, so that meant using different materials to give it a real "confusing look"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie3.JPG)
"strung" burlap...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie4.JPG)
"stripped" burlap...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie5.JPG)
jute rope...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie6.JPG)
Starting to tie in material. Started on the back side...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie7.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie8.JPG)
More later...
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Great stuff
nice looking work bud
i made one a few years ago but used a light weight jump suit then put the netting on.
worked great only trouble i had has getting rid of the smell of the dye and burlap.
keep it coming
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Looks great Curt.
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This is going to be good :notworthy:
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Originally posted by Stone Knife:
This is going to be good :notworthy:
whoa, yeah - this IS gonna be good, curt's a top notch craftsman in everything he touches!
been thinking hard about '3d' camo as well ...
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Man I told myself I was going to build one over the winter and still haven't started, now you got me jacked up about it again Guru!!
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Looks good Guru. Let us know how you handle the bowstring and left arm relationship. I have not used an armguard with my RS Shaggie, but then I've not taken any shots on game with it yet.
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hey curt looks good i'll bring mine in on mon to show you how its going still can't figure out how to post pics
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Curt you are the man looking good :clapper:
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Looking good Curt...this brings back memories of sitting around in the barracks building these for all our guys in the sniper section. We each had one for all the environments we operated in. All I can say is very effective!
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:thumbsup: Very nice Curt! Been thinkin about makin one myself. Lookin forward to more.
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This is great and i can't wait to see the finished product.
I have been thinking about buying one of these suits because i have always hunted from a stand but would like to try hunting off the ground.
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Sweet, interested to see the finished product.
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Timmy, Looking forward to seeing it bud.
Chris, I saw a video about the snipers and ghillies at your base on Youtube. Pretty cool!
Installment 2:
A couple of things I wanted to mention before going too far. Getting the materials was easy, preparing it was time consuming.
I purchased the "fish netting" from Michael's craft store, along with the "Goop"(glue), and the thick 3 strand jute rope.
The burlap was purchased at Walmart. I think I bought about 5 yards and still have extra. Also bought the Rit dyes at Walmart, dark green, yellow, and brown.
"Stringing"(check youtube) the diff. colors of burlap was the most tedious part of the building.
When I started the back side, I purposely started about 15" up from the bottom of the netting because I figured I'll be sitting down on a stool when turkey hunting anyway. So didn't need it under my butt. I left the netting on though so in case I want to add some burlap at a later time I can.
The sleeves are cut so there about 3/4 sleeves. With the jute/burlap I can add additional length as I see fit.
Bow arm(for me the right arm being left handed) with be left bare netting on the inside so as not to have anything in the way of my bowstring. The chest area on the same side will get sparse jute/burlap and will be trimmed very short.
I'll be wearing my Sitka underneath, so any bare/sparse areas will still be very much "camo'd" thru the netting.
The back almost to the shoulders. I'll leave it like this for now till I see what the hat/vail will cover on the back. Don't want to overlap too much from the hat to the shoulder area(heat)...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie9.JPG)
Starting on the front.....I started tying all the way at the bottom and the bottom most pieces were left a little longer than the rest. I want it to drape over my legs when I sit down...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie10.JPG)
Anyone "thinking about building one", just do it, very easy, can't do it "wrong", and you can make it look anyway you like. All you need it time.
more soon....
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Very nice start Curt. I will be watching this closely for sure!
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:thumbsup: Thanks Curt! i hope this ends up under the "how to" section. Good stuff!
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Installment 3:
With the suit about done as far as tying material to it. It was time to move on the head piece.
I went to Walmart and bought a $7 "boonie type" hat. I found this type hat over a ball cap because with a brim all around, it keeps the material off my ears, and makes it easier to "round out" the head/shoulder area to hide the "human looking" silhouette.
I started by slicing the top of the hat to allow heat to escape easily. Then started tying the netting on band in a couple spots, then cut slits in several spots around the entire brim and tied the netting on there. Trim the netting around the front, leave it a little longer on the sides, and as long as you choose in the back to drape over the back/ shoulder area...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie19.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie20.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie21.JPG)
Kinda goofy looking, but I had to tie back the brim a bit in the front for bowstring clearance. Material is kept short in the front as well so as not to interfere with my bowstring...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie22.JPG)
Could probably add a little more to it, but it's got plenty of texture, and the more I add, I think the hotter it'll get...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie23.JPG)
Up next...Ghillie'n up a glove for my bowhand
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Looking good Curt. Cant wait to see the final pics!
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Looks like you're doing a great job Curt,
but don't forget about deer, I use my galley suit for the first time last year, and I had a deer's nose within 1 foot of the back of my neck. I will never forget that experience, I've never been "busted" so close !, Keep up the good work
Carl
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Thats sweet Curt. You are gonna get a real kick out of sitting in that thing with a few gobblers at your feet. I dare ya to put the dekes about 4 yards from your feet. :eek:
Cant wait to see a action shot when your complete.
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Keep on notting Curt looking good
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Installment 4:
Ghillie'n your gloves, or one glove in this case.
I just wanted to do my bow hand to offer some additional cover out front at full draw, and to also try to help hide some movement.
Get an old glove and a small piece of left over netting. Then get your Goop(or sho-goo) and glue down the edges at several spots around the edge...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie24.JPG)
After the glue dries about an hour or so, start tying in till it's to you liking...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie25.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie26.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie27.JPG)
I ended up trimming some of the length off of the top side so as not to hinder my vision when shooting.
Using this glue on method, you can "ghillie-up" about any piece of clothing you wish to.
Up next...ghillie'n up my bow...
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Thanx for sharing
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Man, theres a dead deer in your driveway! :D
Great thread. I keep thinking about making up a suit. Just haven't gotten around to it yet
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Great thread Guru...I have been trying a screen blind all year after swearing off my pop-up when I don't have the kids. So far 3 half-draws and 3 very gone turkies. This looks much better! Good job!
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Great Job Curt, That thing is real nice! You'll love hunting with it, I made one up last winter out of jute and an old leafy wear suit, can't get over how close you can get to game with it on( too close sometimes) I had turkey in my lap and couldn't shoot last spring, and had it on when I shot my doe in nov. Critters just don't see you!!! Yours came out way nicer than mine!!!
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Great job on the suit and thanks for taking us along. Do you plan on using your regular deer hunting/turkey hunting bow, or will you try for something a little shorter and easier to move around, while sitting so close to the ground?
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That's a great looking suit. Thanks for putting up the buildalong, too, that will be very helpful.
I've been wantiing to do one for a while now, but I really want to use sythetic materials. A good portion of our season here in NC can be pretty warm, and I'm so hot natured I break a sweat just getting out of my truck. Does anybody know where I can find the synthetic materials without buying a kit?
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Guru that suit looks great please let us know how easy it is to shoot while wearing it.
Those thing look like they would be hard to shoot while wearing, thanks.
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Looking closer I think Curt de-capitated that deer with the pink frizbee!
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Looking good Curt. Good luck with it. I love my Ghillie.
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Coming along real nice Curt! Look forward the hunting trip soon to follow!
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Frank, Yes I probably will use it some come this fall. Really looking forward to some close-up encounters with deer.
Jonathan, Do a google search on Ghillie's, I know there's places where you can buy just materials.
Joe, It's not bad at all to shoot with it on. Just need to keep material short or non at all anywhere there's a chance to catch the string.
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Installment 5:
Ghillie'n up my bow....
First off, as you can see the finish is shot on "Timex", these pix were taken a few days ago. In the next day or two, I'll add some camo tape to the limbs and back of the riser. Also have an idea to add a little burlap to the limbs for a little more camo.
Here you can see I've tied strips of burlap, strung burlap, and jute randomly on any part of the riser where it would stay in place...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie28.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie29.JPG)
To cover the quiver hood with material, i first tied some netting to the hood, then tied in my material...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie30.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie31.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie32.JPG)
This part was inspired by Joey Buchanan "Joebuck" and the turkey he killed last week. Joey was using a modified "Hidden Draw" bow blind on his bow. That got me thinking that I needed to come up with something similar.
I wanted it to be easily removable, not "shoot thru"(small hole in the middle to look and shoot thru), and lightweight.
This might be the most effective part of the whole "system"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie33.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie34.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie35.JPG)
Still need to work out a few little bugs, but it works great to hide my draw arm!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zafu0J1YZE
And of course, natural colored feathers on my Carbonwoods...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie36.JPG)
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COOL Thread Curt!
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Man thats a great idea, really keeps your draw arm hidden.
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Great detailed work as per usual Curt.. I'm sure the birds will be in trouble come your season opening. Mid May in NY?
I am after Turkeys in the morning another spring without a blind... I'm hunting my ASAT Ultimate 3D in the morning.
We will see... :banghead:
John III
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That is awesome. You and Joey got some great ideas. Great build along.
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(http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx210/mikemidd/Mobile%20Uploads/041200_082700.jpg)
Heres my ghillie and the $7 dollar wal mart boonie.
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(http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx210/mikemidd/Mobile%20Uploads/041300_114500.jpg)
And my 1st turkey with a bow.. It was awesome
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Figures. I just got a bow I thought I didn't want a quiver on. Pretty slick.
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Great job Curt .... that bow blind video was slick ... good luck to ya
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I had a blast this morning. I called in a nice longbeard to about 25 yds. I was standing leaning on one small tree and looking around another about the same size on my other side. I had buck brush in front of me but nothing behind me. I thought he'd come in that direction but no...lol he came from behind me. I was holding my bow as still as I could but I noticed the broadhead was moving as was my heart...lol He saw something he didn't like.
I had a blast! Maybe tomorrow. I won't be wearing the leafy stuff, it'll be back to my ghuillie.
God bless,Mudd
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Excellent work once again bud!
Those turkeys are in BIG trouble! :thumbsup:
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Curt is a smart rascal!..he has got me wanting to make a ghillie.......i would not bet anyone he doesn't succeed in getting his blindless bird. The man is a thinker!
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Than you fellas, I hope I can inspire some others, like some have inspired me!
Joey, without you posting that pic of your bow blind, I would have never had the idea for mine. I think it's going to be THE most important piece of the puzzle. Now if I can just pull it off :pray:
I'll try to get some pix and video of the "finished product", of the whole system tomorrow.
Just finished putting the camo tape on Timex....
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Okay Curt, only one thing to say . . . U DA MAN!!!! Pretty darn cool. I have never really had the urge to hunt with a gillie, but a this has got me curious, sounds like it wasnt that much of a investment! Who needs a blind, lol. I have been hunting from the ground without a gillie for the last 2 years, and have been very, VERY close, but I think that gillie would create a new meaning of close :) , keep the pics coming!
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I think Curt is a salesman for Jo Anne fabrics or Michael's maybe even the Jute Burlap factory. I want to make one my buddy Chris is already started and I'm willing to bet everyone who has seen this has had the thought of building guille suit.
Curt this s awesome. Just dont wear that thing to Shawn's I'll have to cut you out :laughing: .
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Curt you did some fine work. I bet it will pay off.
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A quick question I bought my ghillie 2 years ago and I can get the smell of burlap out of it I assume that if I can smell the burlap the deer definitely can ... any suggestions?
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Place some "Earth Scent" wafers with it and sotre it in a ZipLock bag or a container. You can also use natural vegetation from your hunting area such as pine fronds or cedar fronds.
Good Luck eveyrone, and have fun getting real up close and personal.
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Cool...Curt is coming from the "Dark Side" to where the light shines! :thumbsup:
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Curt, that bow blind is a great idea. I may build only that and wear some leafy camo I have Well done.
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Good stuff right there!!!
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HH, If the deer can smell the burlap, they're gonna smell you! I suppose if you leave it out in the fresh air, it'll fade eventually. Al's idea sounds pretty good as well to help maksk it a bit. My main concern right now is turkeys, and they can't smell!
Here's a short video showing the whole system(of course I won't be wearing sneakers, and I won't have that chartreuse arrow in my quiver). I think it was well worth the effort!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H16KbtvImWw
Bow with camo tape on it...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie37.JPG)
DB tripod stool I'll use. Backrest is essential!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie38.JPG)
I'll carry the ghillie suit, hat, bow blind, ans stool in this camo duffle while hiking...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ghillie39.JPG)
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Here's a video I did last week just to see how it looked during the building process. I've tweaked a few things since then, and I obviously don't have my hunting cloths on and turkey arrows in my quiver.
But it shows how well the draw arm movement is minimized by the bow blind...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIeqOUwMBMA
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Curt that is great!! I sure could have used one of those on my antelope hunt last year. Might have to make me one. Thanks for posting.
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Trad Gang continues to be a place where I pick up ideas about hunting that I would have never imagined. I love this thread. It is classic Trad Gang ingenuity mixed with some stubborn do it yourself desire. I love it! Great job Curt.
When I first looked at the mini bow arm blind I thought, "that's dumb." "Why did he put all that clutter on the bow." Then I saw what it was for and I was like..."I'm dumb for not thinking about something like that."
Nice work Gentlemen.
Chris
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That bow blind certainly hides your draw Curt! I really like it!
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Most bulap, jute or other Ghillie material that you purchase has been treated with a fire retardant chemical. Factor in the burlap smell, and it can be a dead give-away in the woods. Be cautious when washing you Ghillie suit, you do not want to put it into a washing machine. This will give you one big burlap knot. Instead, fill a slop sink, tub, or anything else big enough to hold it. Add scent eliminator clothing wash, and and water, then let it soak, do not agitate the water. Repeat with clean water several times. Set up several towels outside, and spread it out, like it's a fine sweater, to dry. Place a few rocks on it if it's a windy day. Then you can add whatever scent you want to it, like I posted previously.
You can use baking soda and water as well, but for the first time, I would recommend the scent eliminator wash. Good Luck, great job Curt.
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Curt, that is awesome. I know you are a big fan of the string tracker, are you gonna use that with the suite and bow blind?
From the video, the SS looks like it may be one too many things to deal with. What you thinking?
And thanks for sharing the videos. It's the video that shows the genius of the bow blind!
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Great job on the suit ,the bow blind,and the video. glen
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Thanks fellas :notworthy:
Yes, I without a doubt, plan to use my string tracker!!
"Tweaked" a bit today....I cut the brim of the hat a little shorter on the sides and front. I've been shooting fine with it the other way, But didn't like rubbing against it with my draw hand a full draw....so trimmed it a bit...
I also added some camo tape to the backside of the bow blind so it wouldn't be as "seethru"...something Joey mentioned to me....I listen to Joey :notworthy:
Other than that, I'm shooting real well with it on and I hope to put it to the test this weekend on a 'chuck....we'll see.....
Other than that, something I've been thinking about...
I wonder if a guy could get away with a real short ghillie ? Like something that just comes to mid-chest , still the same sleeves I have, the long hat, ghillie'd bow, and bow blind????
Just thinking out loud...I kinda like to minimize this outfit....thoughts?
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Awesome job Curt
I have been thinking about building a shoot through bow blind. I had seen one years ago that screwed into the stabalizer hole, but I'm thinking of one that mounts to the quiver. It was made out of the camo blind material with the slits cut in it, some sort of cotton I believe. Just put a 4"x6" hole in it to see through and let the arrow clear. with a wire frame you could make it as big or small as needed and once the bow is up there will be little or no movement seen from in front.
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something like this
http://innovativehunter.com/
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Here ya go Greg...
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=087571#000000
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yeah, thats exactly what I'm talking about! The original one I saw was mounted on an umbrella so it could open or close....maybe I'll try one of each
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Guru, how ya shooting with new blind? i know i have to "tune up" every morning with the shoot through method because of perception issue but have you noticed any difference with your Half Cut?
Skipmaster..you might be thinking about the Bow Sniper made by Curt Kitchens from tupelo, ms..He does not make them anymore. i had one long time ago but like most my things i buy "New", i tear them down to Fix and end up breaking mine. i was trying to mount the panel of a Double Bull blind on the Umbrella hub. :rolleyes:
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Again this is really cool and I love that bow blind. I think that it even got better now that Joe chimed in. I was thinking of using chicken wire for the mesh on my bow blind.
Question for Joe or Curt, to me it doesn't seem that important to camo the bow itself w/tape. Since Timex has the skins on it, that seems like enough.
But...what do I know? Thoughts?
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I always hated the hood on my Shaggie.. This thread and seeing Terry's homemade ghillie hat inspired me to make my own today.. All told about a half hour of work and it turned out very well..
GREAT job Curt!!
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Joey, Shohotin' just fine bud. The half blind doesn't throw me "off" at all. Just a little "heavy" feeelin' on that side. Feels like having an extra full quiver load of arrows. I really like it!
Thanx for the inspiration :notworthy:
l-m-g, Timex does have copperhead skins, but the finish(done by me, not Jack) is in real bad shape and has really "whited out" badly in several spots. Some glare there as well. With the cloth camo bow tape, both problems solved!!
Takes about 5 minutes to put on...just stick in on and run a sharp razor blade up both sides to trim and wa-la!
John, Pretty amazing how easy it is to make something like this...the possibilities are endless really.....
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Great job as usual Curt. I've been following this since the first post.
New ghillies, even though they're shaggy have a crisp look to them. Hang it outside in the weather till you're ready to use it & let it "rat up" a little & you'll really disappear.
Congrats on some great craftsmanship & good luck May 1.
Larry
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Curt
Your ingenuity in incorporating that bow blind is inspiring. Now I just have to figure out some modifications to do the same thing on a Hill without a bow quiver. Shouldn't be too tough.
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I was just thinking about making a bow cover with the left over material from my ghillie kit. Never considered a glove. Going to get started on both right now. I made my hat the same because I did not like the hood. I think the burlap strips also add more of a 3-D affect to the whole suit. Thanks for the ideas, GOOD stuff. Next week is the turkey opener here in Pa. I’ll be ready…..
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To cool !! You make one mean lookin bush :)
Great stuff !!
:coffee:
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Joebuck how about a picture of your camo shield the guys might be interested in a different mousetrap
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Here ya go Les.....
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=087571#000000
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curt looks awesome great job bud
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Curt, nice suit and I love that arrow attachment that hides your draw. I thought I would mention that in the new TBM Jeff Lander has some camo tape that has the leafy material. Just food for thought. I'm going to build one this week. Thanks Curt.