Ghillie Suit Modifications

[BMN]

After thinking about it for a couple of years I finally added a ghillie suit to the bag of tricks this year. I bought the rancho safari shaggie long coat, 50/50 cotton and burlap in the 4 seasons camo. Before I even tried shooting my bow with the suit on I completely stripped the material off the inside of my bow arm. I shoot left handed so the right arm got a good trim.

 

The suit comes with a nylon strap and buckle in the center of each arm but this still wasn't enough to get the string clearance I needed. Even with all the shaggie material removed I was having trouble with the bow string hitting the mesh jacket. The mesh jacket is big and baggie and I needed something to hold it tight to my arm. To solve this problem I tied elastic head bands along the arm in three places. Two on the forearm and one in the armpit area.

 

To adjust the tightness of the elastic bands I added cord locks to them. The cord locks can be moved to adjust the size of the loop depending on the amount of clothes you might have on under the suit.

 

The next problem I encountered was the size of the attached hood. The hood is LARGE. I can pull it over my head and down past my chin! The hood comes with a draw cord which helps a lot but I was still having problems when I turned my head. As I turned my head to shoot the hood would not turn with me and the side of the hood would cover my right eye. Not the sight picture I wanted! I started working on the hood by trimming all the shaggie material off the edge of the hood. I then took another elastic head band and tied it to the top edge of the hood at three places. When I put the hood on the elastic band goes around my noggin and the edge of the hood is now secured to my forehead. When I turn my head, the hood turns also.

 

I think I finally have all the bugs worked out and I'm really looking forward to using the ghilie suit this fall. If anyone has experienced any problems in the field or has any tips on using a ghillie I would love to hear them.

Bill

[fireman_3311]

Looks like it should work now! I also had to trim some off the inside of me bow arm, and left chest area...plus a few strands around the eyes!

[JC]

Bill, I'm still fine tuning mine but have had the same experience so far as you. I've got the bow arm completely bare and working on a permanent solution (much like yours with elastic) to keep the extra material out of the way. The bow arm area is the only problem I've had with clearance. There was also so much extra mesh material on the arm, it bloused out at the cuff area actually obscuring the view of my draw.

I've got the seperate booniehat/hood and tuck the string behind my left ear so that when I turn my head, the hat turns too..otherwise the hat stays still and you are looking out the side pieces trying to shoot (don't ask me how I know   :p  ) I like your elastic idea there and may get some of the big wide stuff to get a firmer grip on my noggin and try that too. I also cut a good bit out from the front of the hat, again, because of obscured vision.

I am convinced this is an excellent way to hunt, my few trial runs with it in WY at Vance's drilled that into my thick skull. As soon as it gets cool enough here to try it, I'm gonna spend a good bit of time in it and actually kill something with it from the ground (in a bowhunting only area of course).

If I get this thing worked out and it turns out to be as good a tool as I think it will be, I'm gonna build one myself and add in a bunch of blaze orange for use during our cooler gun seasons. Bow hunting from the ground during gun season around here in a ghillie, even on private property, is rolling dice to say the least.

Good luck, let those of us still trying to figure it out know any thing you learn.

[Talondale]

I found a camo ballcap worn backwards underneath helped a lot.  With hood across the middle of the cap and the drawstrap pulled tight the hood staid in place and kept the strands out of my eyes for the most part.  Elastic is a good idea but after awhile it starts to feel uncomfortable around my head.  My armguard helped with keeping the sleeve out of the way.  I trimmed the inside elbow and bicep to about 1".

[T Folts]

I havent trimed mine yet, I used a cut nylon from my arm pit to my elbow and then put on my arm guard. I also use a bungie chord to wrap around the right side of my neck/shoulder and uder my left arm pit across my chest to hold the coat in and away from the bow string, it seems to work for me.

[John Nail]

Word of advice---shoot in the wind. I had miine trimmed also, until the stuff over the chest blew around and caught my string. Deer was 20 yards, but the arrow only went 10. 8^(

[Talondale]

Good thought John.  

[GR]

Get ready for a good laugh, I use a short piece of hose (womens) to keep my suit from getting caught. Works great on the arms, but you still have to trim around the chest area.