Help me with clothing for Hunting please

[Slicer021]

Hey y’all. So there is so much confusion out there in terms of Hunting clothing at least maybe on my part. So it seems like everywhere I look someone says hey wear flannel. The next place says you gotta wear a leaf of ghillie suit. Another say gotta wear ASAT and the next digital only. I am so confused it seems with all this crazy internet info overload. So I am in Eastern NC so thick woods and swamps here mainly. I don’t know because I am completely new to archery and hunting in general but don’t think stalking will be a thing here for me. I believe ground blind or tree stand will be how I hunt mainly here. So for you experienced whitetail hunters what do y’all recommend for beginning my archery and whitetail journey?  Thank y’all very much

[Michael Guran]

Hey Slicer.  I’ve lived/hunted near Raleigh and Charlotte for 20 years, so not exactly E NC, but close enough to know what you’re looking at.  Most of the archery season is there is really warm, (one of the reasons I just moved to the mountains!), so you want something breathable that dries quickly when you sweat.  Flannel would not be a good choice early in the season.  I’m a firm believer that the camo pattern doesn’t matter as much as the fit and quality of the garment.  I’ve killed deer in long sleeve neutral colored fishing shirts.  Later in the season fleece and a wind barrier of some sort are probably all you will need. Look at places like CamoFire and Sierra for good deals on clothing to get you started

[kennym]

For camo, big pattern or you will look like a blob at distance. 

Quiet is a for sure, not sure what temps you will be hunting in but I have some Columbia wool I love for medium temps.  Big pocket on jacket for binos, and 6 pocket pants so I can carry stuff I won't ever need...

The Ghillies work well too , but I about have to carry it in , due to briars and stuff catching it.

Fleece is good too, and a lot of guys like Asbell wool plaid.

Be sure to get an armguard to keep the string off your sleeve, good luck and have fun!!

[JonCagle]

In my opinion clothes are the least important part of the equation when hunting, the reason you get so many answers to your question is because almost anything works! Deer will see your movement if you’re wearing jeans and a t shirt just as much as if your wearing a $1000 set of Sitka gear camo. Any muted colors are fine.

[Matt Quick]

Bow season in eastern NC is short and hot. It’s hard to beat a pair of shorts, a t-shirt with a mesh leafy suit over it. Leafy suits are about $100. Bugs can be really bad down there. Spray your clothes with permanone and invest in two thermacell’s. Invest in a quality 18” rubber boot and hip waders. You may find you’ll use the hip waders more than the boots. Lacrosse is a good affordable brand. It’s nice to have a pair of pants or chaps with the brush buster material for scouting. Lots of briars and thick brush down east.

[Bowguy67]

I’ve taken lots of game W a bow wearing flannels and jeans. The way you’re describing it no animal is gonna be as likely to pick you out with what sounds lots of greenery. Just wear comfortable clothes. Make sure they aren’t noisy

[Sam McMichael]

I agree with Jon Cagle above. More discussion takes place over camo than just about any other topic on TG. Most anything will work. Stay away from patterns that show you up as a blob (also, I don't like solid colors). With that being said, a lot of deer have been killed with clothes that do exactly that. I have had very good success with military surplus camo as well as other commercial patterns. Plaid patterns are just as good as "camo" patterns. In short, clothes are the least important aspect of gearing up. It is much more important that you be still and hunt the wind.

[Deno]

Slicer

You might try hooking up with a NC club in your area also.

https://www.ncbowhunter.com/local_chapter_clubs.html

Deno

[Slicer021]

Awesome thank you all for the advice. Yea it is confusing with all this stuff especially when you are on a budget. Would be nice just to go grab the most expensive stuff there is but I have to be picky with what I get.

[J. Holden]

I've almost exclusively hunted in what I can find on sale at the popular outdoor store near me (B*** P** S****).  I've also hunted a season in First Lite.  No offense to those that love that gear, but I found it to be "fragile" in the areas I hunt.  One thorn bush snag and the stitching started coming apart.  In my opinion it's a wast of money if I'm hunting close to home and I can get dry/warm if the hunt turns south.

That being said, I'm planning to elk hunt in the near future and will invest in clothing and gear that will help make my hunt more safe & comfortable.  But if I'm at home, I don't get carried away with my clothing.

-Jeremy

[Cory Mattson]

Eastern NC bow season is about 3 weeks followed by gun season of 3 months. We bowhunt through the entire hunting season.
Matt Quick has been there and done it. Wear 6 pocket shorts and T Shirts all of September and a good amount of October. Once in a tree slip an ultra lite bug suit or leafy suit - we buy from waterfowl suppliers.
Mid season cotton 6 pocket pants drab non camo - flannel plaid shirts are ok - both from Walmart. Safari type cotton rugged shirts are better, more pockets Khaki color or Olive
Cool mornings and afternoons Fleece is ok - light wool is ok
We never wear Jeans hunting in NC.
I wear a lot of wool after Thanksgiving and I probably own more than the Asbells and none of it is camo and I prefer a lite shirt, medium weight, and a vest using layers of silk and or merino layers as needed under.
I did wear a couple of layers of wool a week ago down east and even a wool vest with a cheap frog top top since it was raining. 
Also agree La Crosse hip boots gotta have
18 inch La Crosse light uninsulated gotta have
Strong hiking boots Keen brand better than all the high dollar custom brands for under half the price
Those Hip boots will get you through heavy morning due most days but look for a synthetic water shedding pants too after you get all this other stuff.
Treat. ALL clothes with Permethrine every two weeks September October November April May
June July August stay out of the woods
YES buy Two Thermacells and always carry these some DEET wipes (not spray) and an extra headnet ALWAYS.

[YosemiteSam]

Don't overthink it.  Wear what keeps you comfortable for the conditions you hunt, prepare for bad weather (whatever that means for the day -- heat, cold, rain, snow, dry, humid, etc.) and layer.  Only time in the woods will tell you what will work best for you.  I do a fair amount of wilderness area hunting so I like merino -- a lot.  I'll take flannel in the summer but not once the temps drop.  A few months ago, I went hiking with a guy who did occasional guiding trips into the Grand Canyon.  He doesn't hunt but we wear a lot of the same gear.

I killed my first bear last summer at 15 yards sitting on the ground with gray BDUs and a camo short sleeve tee shirt.  My hat was just a thin polyester gray bucket hat that I use in warm weather.  I'll do the leafy suit for turkeys but not deer.  I'm more of a plaid guy myself.  I shot my first CA buck wearing BDUs and a khaki running shirt.  Granted, that was a rifle shot.  But it was sill only about 30 yards on a still deer.  I could have been wearing anything (or nothing) & still had that shot.  The buck couldn't have been unaware of my presence but he just wasn't spooked.  I've lost count of the number of deer that have been within 10 yards of me while I'm wearing a tee shirt or some kind of plaid shirt with BDUs.  Jacket-wise, I like the warmth of my wool coat but it's too heavy for backpacking trips or days when it's fairly warm in the afternoon.  So it tends to get left behind a lot.  Down packs up much easier but it is definitely noisier.  Pros/Cons.  Get out & find what works best for you.

[Tajue17]

just my added advice is don't ever over think wearing camo, when you do just think about wearing solid blaze orange and the deer still can't see you, I've shot deer at 10yds from the ground in my work clothes with no mask but I wasn't standing in the open I was nestled into the brush and small trees.... its movement, smell and "loud clothing" that will get you caught,, even the best camo if you can hear it move and make a audible noise when you draw back then expect the deer that are in close to look up and say "oh no you dont" just before you anchor..            and yeah if your up in a tree that's by itself with no leaves and you look like a big dark blob that can and usually will  draw some attention then it becomes a 50/50 if they ignore you or run,, Id at least have a leafy suit on which has worked for me in the past in that situation when theres no hardwoods growing next to a pine.

[Overspined]

For deer wear what you want. They will pic out movement and YOU, so it’s all about where you position yourself to get close. Multi trunk trees, and thick stuff, and putting yourself in positions where it’s hard to determine that there’s anything unusual there. Like in a blowdown. Young bucks you’ll have no problem, old bucks depends on the time of the year, old does are the hardest to fool.

[Tajue17]

For deer wear what you want. They will pic out movement and YOU, so it’s all about where you position yourself to get close. Multi trunk trees, and thick stuff, and putting yourself in positions where it’s hard to determine that there’s anything unusual there. Like in a blowdown. Young bucks you’ll have no problem, old bucks depends on the time of the year, old does are the hardest to fool.

what he said,, seriously once you start getting shots at "Old Mama Does" especially in close,  don't change anything you're doing because they are the hardest to fool and once you master that bucks will seem easy and almost too easy many times.. 

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Quiet and comfortable is the game here. not $ spent.  Also want to mention, get something that will not glow if the sun hits you. Camo pattern doesn't necessarily matter but if your clothes shine at all it can be problematic.  You want to something that absorbs the sun like fleece, wool or cotton depending on local conditions.   

[Markp]

Just want to second that comment on reflectivity.  I see my friend stalking in a HECS shirt, in Arizona, and it simply shines when his shoulder catches the sun. Likewise for a friend in Advantage camo, made of sunshirt, fishing shirt material. Even older cotton blend camo can wash out and reflect as if to appear nearly white, or real light gray. Had an old ASAT shirt that faded so much that it looked sort of off white and black, so not good in dark brown, gray thickets.

I am wearing wool as much as temperatures allow. Cotton over the nylon and polyester sunshirts, for same reason.

I also want to second the comment about movement and cover. I am getting real close, often, in khakis and t-shirts, wool shirt, and my peers are shooting wheelies at over 70 yards, saying that can not get closer...

my two cents.