Ghillie suit material

[jonathan creason]

Ok, so I'm getting ready to buckle down and get started on a ghillie suit.  I know I've waited way too long, and I should have been practicing in it all summer, but some stuff's just got in the way.  Problem is, I'm torn as to which direction I should go for material.  Jute would be much easier on my wallet, but synthetic will be better for my hot-natured butt during our not-so-cool NC bow season.  Does anyone have a compelling argument for either one.  If so, please elaborate and help me make my mind up.

[Brian Krebs]

At the end of this spring bear hunt; but well before it was over; I sat down near my bait pile on a 3 legged chair; leaning against a tree. I was downhill from the bait; and off to one side a little; and a bear came into the bait to my left.
 I hadn't sat there but a few minutes; and there it was; and it stopped and stared at me.
 Then it walked up to me and stared at me. I was bow-tapping close to it.
 In the beginning I could have shot at one point or two- but I could not; and as the bear walked over to the bait; then back at me staring and staring- well I was glad that I was wearing a guillie suit.
 Mine is synthetic; it is mosquito netting with rows of leaves on it; and it broke up my outline really well.
 I had a mosquito net over my face; and the suit top and bottom- and speaking of my bottom; it got closer and closer to the ground; as the chair was sinking into the duff.
 So after a while; I could not have drawn back to shoot if I had too. I would have had to stand; which with my new knee is not an easy - nor a stealth move.
 So I sat there; and for what really seemed about 45 minutes - and after many many times having the bear stare in my face- I decided guillie suits ~DO~ work.
 The reason I voted for synthetic (mosquito netting with leaves)-  is because I was being bitten on the leg by mosquitoes  the whole time the bear was there; and later I counted over 120 welts where the synthetic netting (over my camo pants) had ripped on my good knee.
 Mosquito netting alone over hunting clothes-  breaks up your outline - and the leaves really help break up your outline too.
  I had face paint on my face - and took a photo right after the bear left and I stood up and took off the camo- and moved my chair.
 I wanted to document the look on my face. I was standing on the bear bait when I took the picture; and a picture of the chair from the bait.
 (the chair is resting against the tree - look for the black legs)
 The bear was 1/3 head; 1/3 shoulders; and 1/3 rump.
 My ghillie suit kept me unidentified- at bows length: to a wandering Montana grizzly.....
 I really feel the face paint - including my upper eye lid - kept me from being detected.
     

[Brian Krebs]

argh photo bucket...

[John3]

Even north of you here in MO I don't break out my Shaggie until November for PM hunts.. I will take it in to my set ups in the mornings.. Cool down and put it on when at your set up.... DEADLY as it gets!


John III

[Mudd]

Did I read incorrectly?

This is a quote of a quote I read on the Ghillie Suit Primer thread a day or so ago,......"a well respected Marine/swat sniper I asked when making my ghillie, told me, "forget the stynthetics and use green, gray, tans, and browns.."

It had something to do with how well the light was absorbed and reflected. The jest of it being that the natural jute material did a better job of that.

Please help me be sure I understood correctly.

Thank you!
God bless,Mudd

[Andrew Wesley]

natural jute will look a lot better, but it's super heavy and holds in the heat.
the color advice holds to both synthetics and jute. black, and even some dark greens are to dark.

personally i prefer a synthetic base, with some jute thrown in around the head and shoulder, so you get the best of both worlds.
with critters the human outline is all you have to worry about. they don't think like humans, if they look at you and don't recognize a threat (human silhouette), they are fine.
.. wish i had the picture on this computer to show y'all but when hunting predators with my dad we had a falcon land on the barrel of his rifle. if you can fool the eyes of a falcon, you can fool anything.

here's a pic of mine w/ the mixed materials. many a coyote has fallen within stick distance while wearing this suit. i never hunt without it.