How important really is camo?

[30coupe]

Originally posted by Roger Norris:
The only thing I intentionally wear camo for is turkey's.  

I do have a few garments....mainly pants. ..that I wear that have a camo pattern. But I wear them because they are great pant, not for thier pattern.

Camouflage is a concept,  not a pattern

What Roger said! I would add that wool plaid IS camo for deer.

[Sam McMichael]

The longer I hunt, the less I feel camo is necessary. I used to wear it all the time, but I don't feel at all unprepared without it now.

Being still and hunting the wind are probably the best forms of camo we have.

I read of an interesting observation made in the early days, referring to the WWII Marine camo. It was found that a stationary soldier was very hard to see, but when moving it seemed to make him stand out more than the standard solid green uniform.

This past Monday I had 2 deer look right at me without noticing me. I was wearing a plaid wool pullover and solid green pants.

[Covey]

My opinion, camo is absolutely over rated. With that said, I still wear cotton camo bdu pants. They are cheap, comfortable and I like pockets. I buy a lot of cheap wool from the goodwill. I probably have less than hundred dollars in my entire hunting wardrobe... Besides my boots!

[old_goat2]

Motion is what gives you away, breaking up your outline whether it's with plaid, natural foliage, ground blinds, some camo pattern or any combination of the above is what will get you a shot in my opinion. Not washing EVER whatever it is you are wearing in detergents with UV brighteners is probably the most important thing of ALL, especially when talking turkey hunting!

[fujimo]

camo? no
but being able to disguise your human shape- super advantageous!!
that why i love my leafy suit.
its lighter than a ghillie suit- can use it in the rain, cool for the summer- its not the camo pattern that makes it work- but rather that it  turns you into a "blob"- thats what works- and it  makes your movement more forgiving.- and movement is imperative with archery!!
i made my own out of some khaki light weight cotton- works just as well- but i dont like getting wet in it- and our hunting seasons are WET!!!

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

And then there's snow camo! It does indeed make a difference...

[7 Lakes]

I switched years ago from following the latest, can't do without, new fangled stuff.  Trips to Goodwill are like Christmas as a youngster, you never knew what you'd find. So far this summer I found 2 Filson Mackinaw Cruisers, a $340 item new.  $2.50 this summer, full price.  

I now wear some of the finest, softest wool clothing made for just a few bucks.  

Good year wool clothing and hunting into the wind seems to do it.

[MnFn]

I will have to try it this year.  I guess if you can stand the cold in Manitoba, I should be able to stand the cold in North Dakota.

Wished I would have kept a set of winter whites from my Army days in the 172 Arctic Light Infantry Brigade.  Would have worked well.

[MnFn]

Double past.

[MnFn]

fat fingers

[Kris]

ooops got away on me...

[Kris]

Camo is for hunters and the folks that market it.  I wear it...do you need it?  No.  It has more to to do with the material and dyes that are used IMO.
 
Anything wool or mostly "wool-ish" in texture w/o pizzazz colors should have very low detection to most animals.  It is the absorption of light into the fabric that seems important.

Kris

[Hoyt]

I don't think you have to use camo to fool deer..some of the time, but I'm a true believer in ASAT.

Many times I've been in a stand about 8' high with nothing between me and deer as close as 1 step from tree and not got busted.

Happened again yesterday afternoon at 6:00pm I hear two little thuds and think to myself a deer just jumped that ditch behind me. I didn't get my head turned all the way around and there was a 4pt walking straight towards me at about 10 steps.

I had trimmed a couple of big limbs when I got up and as he got directly under me he put his head down and smelled the limbs. Went on semi alert and no more than 10' between us and me wide open facing him he stares at me. Then just turns and walks away downwind. I use a Bee Smoker and smoke my clothes and it does work too..has several times this season.

Everything the same and me with no camo I think I  would have gotten busted..with anything but ASAT I think I probably would have. Almost same scenario happened a couple wks ago with same ending..just walked away.

[mark Willoughby]

I said good by to cammo this year all I wear is a plad shirt and
Earth green pants works like a charm every time

[30coupe]

Originally posted by Hoyt:
I don't think you have to use camo to fool deer..some of the time, but I'm a true believer in ASAT.

Many times I've been in a stand about 8' high with nothing between me and deer as close as 1 step from tree and not got busted.

Happened again yesterday afternoon at 6:00pm I hear two little thuds and think to myself a deer just jumped that ditch behind me. I didn't get my head turned all the way around and there was a 4pt walking straight towards me at about 10 steps.

I had trimmed a couple of big limbs when I got up and as he got directly under me he put his head down and smelled the limbs. Went on semi alert and no more than 10' between us and me wide open facing him he stares at me. Then just turns and walks away downwind. I use a Bee Smoker and smoke my clothes and it does work too..has several times this season.

Everything the same and me with no camo I think I  would have gotten busted..with anything but ASAT I think I probably would have. Almost same scenario happened a couple wks ago with same ending..just walked away.

I've had very similar experiences while wearing wool plaid and Cabela's wooltimate jacket and pants. Not much of a camo pattern on the wooltimate, but the wooly texture must make you about invisible to deer. I have an old black, brown, and grey wool plaid jacket that I wear most of the time until it gets cold enough to don the wooltimate. I haven't found a warmer hunting garment. I just wish they made it in bibs instead of cargo pants.

[Hoyt]

Originally posted by 30coupe:
 

Originally posted by Hoyt:
I don't think you have to use camo to fool deer..some of the time, but I'm a true believer in ASAT.

Many times I've been in a stand about 8' high with nothing between me and deer as close as 1 step from tree and not got busted.

Happened again yesterday afternoon at 6:00pm I hear two little thuds and think to myself a deer just jumped that ditch behind me. I didn't get my head turned all the way around and there was a 4pt walking straight towards me at about 10 steps.

I had trimmed a couple of big limbs when I got up and as he got directly under me he put his head down and smelled the limbs. Went on semi alert and no more than 10' between us and me wide open facing him he stares at me. Then just turns and walks away downwind. I use a Bee Smoker and smoke my clothes and it does work too..has several times this season.

Everything the same and me with no camo I think I  would have gotten busted..with anything but ASAT I think I probably would have. Almost same scenario happened a couple wks ago with same ending..just walked away.

I've had very similar experiences while wearing wool plaid and Cabela's wooltimate jacket and pants. Not much of a camo pattern on the wooltimate, but the wooly texture must make you about invisible to deer. I have an old black, brown, and grey wool plaid jacket that I wear most of the time until it gets cold enough to don the wooltimate. I haven't found a warmer hunting garment. I just wish they made it in bibs instead of cargo pants. [/b]

I've also had "similar" experiences wearing solid red coat, hat, etc., but there are times when I know I should have been picked out no matter what. Those times I know I should have and didn't I've always been wearing ASAT.

I know some Tree Saddle users who hang off a bare tree that swear by it also.

I had an ASAT Field Shirt draped across a bare fence 10 ft. from my tent one yr and didn't notice it for a couple of weeks. A friend passed me by on a grassy road shoulder after a hunt..said he didn't see me.

I could be all wrong, but it's one of the few gimmicks (the pattern) or whatever that I believe works.

I switch over to Cabela's Wooltimate and Berber Fleece with Outfitters Camo during the cold months.

Just can't make myself pay what the cold weather ASAT cost.

[Whip]

Does it need to be commercial camo to be effective?  No,  not at all.  But I do agree there are some basics that do in fact help.  
As TJ said,  pay attention to and match your background as seen from the deers perspective.  In some cases you might need to blend in more with the sky than anything.  In other cases,  like a cedar tree,  you need to be very dark and almost a solid blob.  In most places that i hunt I like large open patterns with lots of contrast.   Some of the Abell wools are excellent and I have a good assortment.   I also agree that there is a benefit in how wool absorbs light rather than shine as some fabrics can.
As for the commercial patterns I do use them often as well.  Predator and ASAT are two of the best and work well in a variety of situations.   To me, in my areas, the very worst are some of the darker photo realistic patterns.  They look great on a clothes rack but streams back 30 yards and they become a solid blob.

[RecurveRookie]

I wear a semi-ghillie suit and face paint.  I wanna give myself the best chance of getting really close.  I have had 2 hogs at 16 yds and a deer at 40 yds look right at me, then go on, and there was no cover between us.  I still hunt mostly, and I wanna be able to stalk if necessary.  I think it makes a big difference.

Deer and turkeys will get very close when I use the 'Bush in a Bag', I still find that when it is time to shoot that I need to get on with it and not slowly wave my bow around much prior to shooting.