ASAT, Predator, Max 1, Cabela's Outfitter, Mossy Oak Treestand, Skyline Horizon, Treebark -- depending on when and where I am hunting. Also, when in my groundblinds that are black on the inside, I prefer all black clothing.
For deer the camo pattern is not as important as quiet material, lack of movement and staying downwind. For turkeys everything is about eyesight, so movement, pattern and color are paramount, with quiet material still an issue if the wind is not blowing hard. My biggest complaint with most camo is not which of the good camo patterns I use, but which material makes noise. Still, with turkeys, even the best camo patterns will get you spotted if you don't blend in with the surrounding conditions. For instance, I had turkeys spot me this spring when sitting still in my ASAT leafy suit because I was surrounded by green vegetation and the ASAT was shades of brown and tan. Not a problem for deer, but the turkeys, who can see colors, spotted me from 70 yards away and knew something was wrong. They took off but later came back and spotted me again. I then set up a ground blind that blended into the green vegetation and had no problem with spooking them.
For deer hunting from a treestand, most patterns that work well on the ground will also work well in a tree in the early season when the leaves are on the trees. After the leaves start changing to reds, yellows and browns on deciduous trees, ASAT, Predator, Cabela's Outfitter, Mossy Oak Treestand, good old Treebark, and probably a number of other patterns I haven't used (including the Mountain Mimicry and Optifade used in the Sitka Gear) are good patterns. In the late season when the leaves have all fallen and you mainly see sky with a few branches when you look up, there is nothing that works as well in a treestand as Skyline Horizon camo or some similar pattern. Skyline has a reversible coverall with Horizon on one side for late season treestand hunting and Apparition 2.0 on the other side for late season ground hunting. The coverall is about as versatile as you can get for late season in a fairly light and inexpensive ($80) garment.
I have stood out in the open wearing a white t-shirt and jeans and had does and fawns walk directly towards me with no concern, even though they came within 20 yards and I am sure they saw me. I have successfully hunted in non-camo clothing like others here say they use, and think it can be fine in many conditions. In my five trips to Africa I have never worn camo and have gotten close to many animals, but the animals there do not see a lot of hunters in the areas I was hunting. Hunting deer does not require the ultimate in concealment if you do not care about getting a big, old, cagey buck. But the old ones did not get that way by walking up on hunters that were easily seen. Those bucks (and many old does who are leading groups of deer) are constantly on the watch for danger and know what to look for. They can spot a form that looks out of place, and that is where good camo comes into play in a big way. Overall, I like ASAT and Predator the best for general use because they are so versatile. I am convinced that the open patterns with lots of contrast and fairly distinct lines work the best in the majority of environments, although specialty patterns absolutely have their place and I use them where appropriate.
I wash my clothes exclusively in Sportwash to prevent UV brighteners from getting into my camo. I don't know if deer really do see that stuff, but there is evidence they do. Besides, Sportwash is good for cleaning and getting scents out without adding new ones. I use it for all my laundry, including my daily clothing, bedding, etc.
Sorry about the lengthy post.
Allan
Topic: What's type of camo will you use this hunting season? (Read 1507 times)
