to camo or not to camo ... that is thequestion.

[Bob B.]

So I hunt mostly on hte ground with my longbow. I do use camo mostly.  Early season in the CRP, I have a leafy guilly I wear.  If in a tree stand I wear dark grey camo.  I mostly hunt the ground and have camo to blend in with the brush.  Other times I wear a brown/tan flannel shirt or an olive drab wool pullover and brown or olive pants.  

I think not moving, to moving very slowly is the most important, sometimes camo may be to attact the buyer?  Anyway, what are the opinions of trad gang-ers.

Bob.

[Night Wing]

I wear camo. There is some camo clothing where an animal looks right through you. This is why I'm a fan of Predator camo. Other camo, seems like it turns one into a big dark blob instead of breaking up the human form.

[celticknot]

I'm not sure on the matter, I wear camo and I also wear plaid.

[KentuckyTJ]

Ok so you like to hunt from the ground. Lets say you are out there this year, next year or five years from now and this deer walks by you at 15 yards. It's what you hunt for right? Now he's almost to you and just happens to look in your direction and you are standing there just hoping he doesn't make you out. So much can go wrong. Do you want to take the chance that not wearing something camo would mess up your chance at him? Is it really worth it?


     

[Spurs]

I agree that some camo is just a fashion statement, but the days of plaid where just an attempt to adapt the best we could with what we had that best suit the elements and could possibly break up the human outline.  

I agree with TJ.  I love the past and the purest ways, but the Indians would paint or try to mud their bodies so that they could go undetected.  I am all about hunting in camo.  My 2cents

[slivrslingr]

Most animals survive by their noses primarily and use their eyes to look for movement secondarily.  Camo works, no doubt about it, but it's not really necessary, IMO.  Medium color earth tone solid or plaid clothing works just as well.  I've got camo and do wear it, but when it wears out, I won't be replacing it with more camo.  The key to hunting success is hunting the wind, it doesn't matter a bit how camoed up you are if the critter smells you.

[Bjorn]

Camo works much better on humans than animals, that is why the military is so sold on the stuff.  Animals eyes don't work the same as ours. I buy camo, or woodsy colors and think they both work the same.

[Stumpkiller]

Sometimes I wear camo, sometimes not (plaids or solids).  My success or failure does not seem to be linked to either.  I do note even if you wear plaid you should do something to blend your face in.  Maybe that's just me.  ;-)  I wear a beard and sometimes paint or a mesh mask.

Ask yourself: am I wearing camo to impress the deer or my friends or other hunters; or am I not wearing camo to impress the deer or my friends or other hunters.

The deer don't care.    

[Spurs]

I will agree that deer like animals use their noses, but turkeys don't associate smell with danger.  Camo is of the utmost important hunting this quarry.  Don't get me wrong, I am not one to think camo is a must to be successful all the time, but I will use it because it is available. I pay more attention to my camo for turkeys than I do my killing equipment.  I do think that it makes a difference for turkeys unless hunting in a blind.  A blind doesn't move and movement is the best way for a turk to pick you out.

[JDunlap]

I killed four deer this past season -- 3 with a gun...doesn't count I know.. and one w/ my longbow. For all of them I was wearing a pair of old faded overalls that were somewhat "broken up" by stains from crude oil from the oil field which is where I work. On top, i wore a long sleeve camo shirt. The faded overalls blended in well with the tree trunks.
Yet, I do agree that the animal's nose is more important than its eyes.

[huskyarcher]

I wear both, but there is just something about trad bowhunting in plaid ive always been drawn too, most of my plaid is browns and blackish greays but ive done well in red plaid as well.

[Hud]

I'll second what Bjorn and slivrslingr said. I've hunted for many years without camo, mainly in wool plaid.

There are probably more hunters that have hunted without camo than with the stuff, considering that camo was not used much prior to 1957. The first pictures, I remember of Fred Bear with camo where at the time of "Little Delta Hunt". Howard Hill, Art Young, Dr Saxton Pope, Will Compton and many others did not use what we refer to as camo. Ishi hunted his whole life without camo, and mainly without much clothing.

Animals are very good at picking up movement, camo or no camo. I have hunted animals that saw me, and because I avoided looking in their direction, or making eye contact, they did not spook and would continued to feed, or do what they were doing.

Sometimes, I wonder how the industry go so big. It sure made a hit with varmit hunters, turkey hunters and bowhunters. Obviously, it has its advantages when hunting turkey, varmits, or when calling elk.

[chanumpa]

Its obvious to me thatthe whole key to survailance regaurding to camoflage is to break up one solid object.I am a big fan of predator camo and was really impressed with how well Winona camo worked when it first came out.Big blocky patterns work.Now then,how great is it to have success with traditional equipement and only using good old plaids and wool pants,etc.An added degree of difficulty.Does my heart good to see an occasional picture of someone in non camo with an animal.

[Winterhawk1960]

Predator Camo.......ROCKS !!!!!!!!

Winterhawk1960

[legends1]

I wear camo these days,they may not match though

[Bowwild]

Don't stink, be still, don't shine, and opportunity will come knocking. I wear camo that breaks up my outline, at least at bowhunting distances. I think some camo patterns help confuse slight movements the hunter may make.

We don't know as much as we'd like about how animals see. We know about their ability to see in low-light and to detect color (rods, cones, and behaviorial studies).

Our field observations are pretty important but we have to realize individual deer (for example) reactions to movement, shapes, patterns, etc. are ifluneced by that deer's "attitude" and experiences. I have no doubt that most deer see the same thing, but their reaction to visual cues (and other cues) varies between deer and even with the same deer.  Most of us have hunted deer that scan the trees about 15-20' high looking for ...us! They learned that behavior because aerial predation, especially for adult deer and any deer in the east, aren't the norm.

You fellows in Ghillie suits need to be stealthy!  Our deer herds could stop browsing if they come to suspect every bush before they begin to nibble. lol.

[rdoggsilva]

I still use plaid with USA camo pants. But watch and work with the wind and move very, very slow.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I love predator camo.  I have had elk look right thru me from 20 feet. I also love to hunt in plaid and have had the same result with deer.  The real key is no or slow movement and not letting them see your eyes.  Lots of camo patterns don't work and it is often because the fabric is shiny or noisy.

[reddust]

Try hunting Turkeys or Coyotes without camo.

[Jake Diebolt]

I think camo is a good idea...but I think a lot of the stuff that's out there is made for our eyes, and not for deer.

If you read through some hunting magazines these days, they want you to spend $1000 on some carbon-lined ultra-high-res pattern jacket. Not necessary, I think. I've hunted with guys using 20 year old tree bark pattern camo, and they blended in better than I did in somewhat more modern camo.

Camo - yes. Within reason and budget.