GFA's recent article in TBM about lessons learned

[Overspined]

I just read the article G Fred wrote in the most TBM (I know, I am a little slow) and he spoke a lot about getting busted by deer and stand location.  A couple of things really stood out in that article that I couldn't ignore (forgive me if I can't remember them all).  First, this was from the guy who wrote the book on hunting on the ground...but beyond that, there were a few others.  He talked about not using camo, only plaids.  I am not into the latest and greatest, but when I hunt on the ground, it takes a special set-up to truly go unnoticed...even with camo.  I hunt where there are a lot of deer, and a lot of hunters here in Michigan.  They are smart! Last year I posted about the deer I shot that looked in trees as much as she looked at the ground.  I think without some sort of effective camo, ground hunting is just that much more difficult.  

So, why continue to not wear camo, and preach about how great plaid is?? I guess it is more traditional, but the deer today are good at figuring out human figures.  I recently bought a used ghillie to do some more ground hunting, but with deer it is tough unless you really "set-up" way ahead of the season. I usually hunt the fresh sign so I don't prepare stand sites very often.  It would help if I did.

I disagree with him about where to have the cover.  I prefer the cover in front of me, not behind me. Anytime I have it behind me, the deer seem much more likely to spot me.  I now hollow out deadfalls, bushes, etc and get totally out of sight and just shoot out of "holes" that I nip out.  I have really cut the number of times I get noticed and now I regularly take cell phone pics they get so close without seeing me.  I also let them walk by before shooting which gets their eyes out of the equation.

Another thing was getting too close, I run into the same issue with whitetails, so I prefer to typically hunt bucks from trees because when does are coming in groups of 3-5, I am run over most of the time as they wander.  If bucks are around, they are alerted as the does either finally smell me, or I shoot one...One thing I do now a ton is try and prevent them from the possibility of even getting downwind.  Not always easy, but using water, obstructions, blowdowns, etc behind me (downwind) has helped some.

Many other points he made I agree with, I always enjoy his articles.

Any one else have opinions...?

[ti-guy]

Depends where you hunt.Prey animals adapt,a yukon moose that has never seen a human being in his life react a lot different  when sighting a hunter than those found here in our backyard.I  think the hunter has to adapt his strategy to the prey.I think more ccamo and hiding is perfect for the most wary and plaid for calmer prey.It's not always true but...just my tought.

[Stickbow]

I did not read the article but I will comment on the points you made.

Personaly setting up with brush behind me instead of in front of works well for me on Deer and Elk. For me a good backstop is hard to beat and I can stay mobile, I sit on my butt and dig my heels in and clear away all the duff and then kneel.

As far as camo goes, sometimes I do and sometimes I dont. Certainly not a trad thing for me but my raingear is camo, so bad weather I am usually camoed, otherwise it is wool plaid. Its not a cool thing its just what has worked for me for a long time. But then again the Deer I hunt are probably not as educated as yours.

I have found reading articles that you take some advice and leave some, differant strokes for differant folks. Although I never pictured G. Fred as a tree stander.

[Overspined]

I agree with the animal pressure dictating how much you need to worry.  He lives in Michigan too now...they are smart here. The elk in Colorado don't seem nearly as wise, nor do the deer in Indiana.  I hunt from the ground about as much as a stand in Indiana, and always on the ground in Colorado with good success.

[rraming]

I enjoyed the article and it reminded me of my own senario. I got a little relaxed a few years ago, saying to myself "I can't remember the last time I got busted by a deer" that season I got busted twice. I have now gone back to showers the morning before, my camo hunting clothes in an air tight bin sprayed with high tech stuff, me changing after the truck is parked and spraying down again - etc..etc..That's what it takes on public land here (Minnesota) to shoot some 1 1/2" year old deer. You get relaxed and think plaid and no scent control works and believe it, your busted! I'll finish my novel by saying each hunter's perspective of animals and the wilderness will vary from hunter to hunter depending on the area and animals they hunt - Fred is good stuff (and now a hall of fame'er - how sweet is that!)

Originally posted by Overspined:
.........  I hunt where there are a lot of deer, and a lot of hunters here in Michigan.  They are smart! Last year I posted about the deer I shot that looked in trees as much as she looked at the ground.  I think without some sort of effective camo, ground hunting is just that much more difficult.  

So, why continue to not wear camo, and preach about how great plaid is?? I guess it is more traditional, but the deer today are good at figuring out human figures.  
Any one else have opinions...?

Yeah, everybody has opinions..some are good for everybody and some are just personal...and that is good too.

I have hunted whitetails for almost 38 years in Michigan exclusively except for one hunt in Wyoming back in 1976.

The deer in many areas of Michigan are well educated and do, in fact, search the trees for their nemesis.  That is one reason I want to explore other states for deer and other species of big game.  I agree wholeheartedly with your post because your experience has been my experience, nearly line for line.

[rdoggsilva]

I have used a cotton and wool plaid shirt for hunting since the 60's. In California and now Utah, our deer seasons are in the late summer. Oh yes I have been busted a time or two, but still hunt in plaid. All of my hunting is on the ground either still hunting or ground blind. I always put my blind in front of me,has always worked that way. Each one of us has to do it our own way. Just have fun doing it.

[sloaf]

As for camo blending in with cover my 2 cents is with a macro pattern like predator or ASAT cover in front is better which lends to ground hunting.  The light spots in the pattern tend to have a spotlight effect with background material that is darker.  More Green homogenous camo patterns do very well with darker background material which is why the major camo manufacturers are still in business.  They work in trees.  These are general observations and situations vary.

[SteveB]

Can't say you wear plaid instead of camo as plaid is a form of camo.

[calgarychef]

The problem with hiding behind cover instead of in front of it, is you have to rise over it to shoot or shoot through the holes.  I dunno about you but the holes aren't often in the right place for me to shoot through.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

"So, why continue to not wear camo, and preach about how great plaid is??"

Camo is not about a pattern, it's a concept. I also live/hunt in Michigan, and rarely wear a commercial camo pattern. I kill plenty of deer, and have plenty of opportunity.  Plaid wool has a camo effect, as does solid color wools, by the way. But you can't rely just on a fabrics pattern for your camo. You need to think about your background, your foreground, the shadows...everything.

A heavy background has the advantage of hiding your silouhette. Any foreground cover I use is really just to block the movement of my feet and legs. I don't want it so thick and big that I have to move a lot to draw the bow. Shadows? If you aren't in one, move.

[hvyhitter]

The only time I get busted anymore is when I screw up. Either by moving when I shouldnt or by my set up, letting the deer get downwind. This is with high pressured public land OHIO whitetails. I use both camo and plaid and as long as I was still and downwind and had something to break up my outline(front or back) they would look right through me.

[Gary Logsdon]

Haven't read the article yet . . . I've taken my share of pressured deer from high and low and have come to the same conclusions as bowhunters of old; success in remaining "hidden" from wary-eyed whitetails has more to do with movement, breaking up the human shape, and sometimes just keeping yourself back in the shadows. For me, background cover can help with all of that.   I don't like cover in front of me as it blocks my view and can make drawing the bow silently next to impossible.  Plaids ARE camo and when combined in rough surfaced materials - like wool, shine is almost totally eliminated as the fabric seems to "absorb" the light.  As the very least light becomes highly diffused.

[Skipmaster1]

I went shed hunting the other day with my buddy and he had on a grey wool shirt with black threads in it as well. His upper body was just about invisible at almost any distance. Had to look for his brown carhartt pants to pick him out, even while moving. i will be getting a shirt like that for late season next year! Way better than commercial camo...

[Overspined]

I am not mocking plaid, I am sure it is fine.  I do prefer wool as well for reasons everyone mentioned.  But I am saying that if and when I get busted on a regular basis, something is wrong.  I have hunted so much for pressured whitetails at this point that I know that on the ground, movement and ANYthing out of place gets noticed. If I sit in a stand of Pines I will get busted on the ground unless standing behind the trunk of a tree for example. They just pick out "out of place" objects too easy, so if camo even helps a little, I am wearing it! Typically asat on the ground. I am going to try ghillie too.

[Overspined]

Obviously in trees it is generally not a big deal what u wear, but where you position in the "canopy".  One evening I remember taking a risk on a very small tree and I must have looked like a lollipop, every deer that came through would stop to look.  When it was dark, there were about a dozen all checking me out! Lol. Oops

[smoke1953]

I just look as far as the deer coat itself. Is that camo as we traditionally see it depicted? Yet it's extremely effective when my eye is trying to locate them in cover.

[Wary Buck]

Was a good article as usual.  I've actually done more hunting off the ground in recent years than I have since my very earliest seasons, and have had some fair success.  One key issue with hunting from the ground is the number of deer you're seeing.  If you're not seeing large numbers of deer, you only have to maybe fool that first deer.  But on the other hand if you're seeing high numbers of deer, it is highly likely some does/fawns will come by before the buck you really want does, and it's hard to avoid being busted the more eyes, ears and noses there are.

[Overspined]

Wary Buck,

agreed, and dang, that is a great buck in your pic there! very cool looking.

Smoke, agreed that the brown of deer and the simple flat grey seem to disappear quite nicely in the woods.  I have just seen some wool plaid that really just doesn't look like it would have any better look than black.