How important really is camo?

[MagicBH]

I got to wondering after seeing lots of pictures in the Asbell contest thread of hunters wearing their gear.

I have always used wool under layers (any pattern) and a camo wool (Columbia) outer suit.

Have you ever been in a situation where not wearing camo has cost you a shot opportunity?

or:

Is it all hype.

PS - This is in regards to whitetail deer, not turkeys.

[Crested Finger]

I think motion is more important that camo. I just use natural colors that match the area im hunting. Lots of light browns, greens, and grey. Dickies canvas work pants come in all those colors and protect me cactus and scrapes.

[Crested Finger]

double post

[Jerry Jeffer]

Camo is not needed, just sit still. Any muted color, and natural fibes like wool work great. I was recently checking out my friend standing in the woods wearing carhartds, I could barely see him.

[Thumper Dunker]

Some times I think you need to hide your face but not necessarily with cammo, an earth tone hanky works. I hunt mostly in my work stuff . Dickies carpenter pants and old earth tone shirts.

[Pheonixarcher]

It depends on the game, and your set up. For birds, it is absolutely necessary. But for deer, absolutely not. As long as you have some way to conceal your movement, you can wear a Santa clause suit and still have deer come within feet of you. (Pretty sure there is a YouTube video of someone doing this exact thing.) Any sort of camo (commercial or plaids/neutral tones) that helps to not draw attention to your outline (think non glaring or uv bright materials) will better your odds of staying un-detected, but is NOT necessary for deer hunting. Asbel, or other WOOL plaids are as good as it gets for softening your outline.

[bamboo]

go hunt!!

[tracker12]

Nope!  Movement and knowing the wind is the key.

[VA Elite]

I don't think camo makes a huge difference... I do believe that anything that breaks your outline up is more important. I remember those older dan Fitzgerald videos of him bowhuntng in jeans and black/red plaid shirts

[J. Cook]

Necessary?  No.  But I still wear camo because it helps MY confidence.  I like camo, so I wear it.  Plenty of opportunities are blown while wearing camo, just as plenty of deer are killed wearing blue jeans and a solid color blaze orange jacket.  There are many variables to going undetected...camo (or concealment) is just one them.

[woodchucker]

Necessary.....??? NO!!!!!

However... In the words of Duck Commander, Jase Robertson "When you add Camo to anything... You automaticly make it Cooler"      

(your mileage may vary)

[bear bowman]

This, in my opinion, falls into the same category of the scent elimination products and lures. Some people will swear by a certain thing because it worked for them once or numerous times.
In the end, if it makes you more confident, go for it.

[centaur]

Absolutely necessary for turkeys? Maybe not. This is one of several that have met their doom with me wearing non camo. I have camo, but I don't find it to be mandatory for anything, turkeys included.
 

[DaveT1963]

Absolutely on the other side of fence.  Yes animal can and will be killed wearing anything.  But I guarantee you my camo has worked to fool a deer after they spot me numerous times.  I know that when I wear my all predator kill suit or my ASAT leafy wear I get away with a lot more movement.  Do you have to have it?  Nope.  Does it help - absolutely.

[ebeard]

I still wear my camo pants, because they are the quietest pair I own, but I've been mounting my own rebellion against all the expensive camo and scent elimination products that everyone says are so necessary.  I love my wool Asbel pullover and feel confident when wearing it that as long as I'm smart, I can remain invisible to deer.  As far as scent elimination, I bath with ivory soap and store my hunting clothes with baking soda and had deer within 10 yards last week that didn't smell me.  Unfortunately, I think I got a little impatient and drew the bow before his head was fully turned away, and he caught me.  Would have happened if I had been wearing camo also.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Originally posted by centaur:
Absolutely necessary for turkeys? Maybe not. This is one of several that have met their doom with me wearing non camo. I have camo, but I don't find it to be mandatory for anything, turkeys included.
     

X2

Tracy

[KentuckyTJ]

Like stated, matching your background is key. Light clothes on light background and dark clothes with a dark background disguises your close quarters movement at the moment of truth. Light camo on a dark background is bad. Dark came on a light background is bad also. I do think the leafy wear helps breakup your outline better. But if it doesn't match the background they will spot you when moving.

I once killed a deer while it was looking at me (stand squeek). I was tucked back into a big thick cedar tree. It was deer thirty with light fading. I had on dark green solid pants and a dark camo long sleeve t-shirt. She was looking at me as I drew. She never flinched until the arrow passed through her. Was her non reaction from the camp? Absolutely not, it was because of matching the lightness of the background while moving.

[ChuckC]

It depends on the animal, its mood, whether they are hard hunted or naive.

Got busted last night, on the ground, wearing a ghillie suit that has a lot of critters under its belt.  Dang doe spotted something that she just didn't like at maybe 20 yards, then walked almost right up to me, staring and head bobbing the whole way.  Finally at much less than 10 yards, she decided it was enough and left, taking the other doe with.

The other doe, if alone, was fixing to get shot, but not with ol' nosey right in front of me.

I have had deer walk by while wearing blue jeans and a flannel shirt, and have had them do other weird things.

Heck, years ago I had a couple does ( mother and last years fawn I think) that caught me up in a tree, in a small copse of trees in the marsh.  

Every single evening after that when I was out there I would see those two come down the trail, then split up, one going around down wind, the other SNEAKING thru the thick stuff...looking for me like it was a game.  Oh did I want to shoot those two.
ChuckC

[MnFn]

This year I have been blest with an abundance of deer.  I have been in my stand with 10 or more deer in my vacinity, multiple times. Some ten yards away.

So, the numbers are there.  The only time I spooked them was when in uncooperative shift in wind got me busted.  This year I have really tried to take care of business by controlling everything I can.

I have placed a ladder stand about four higher than normal.  Trying to hunt only when the wind is right for that stand. Using scent free soap on everything, me included.

I have been wearing camo, and first time for me some face paint.  But when the temperature has really dropped I have put on my Asbell plaid green pullover.  No difference noted between that and the camo.

[Roger Norris]

The only thing I intentionally wear camo for is turkey's.  

I do have a few garments....mainly pants. ..that I wear that have a camo pattern. But I wear them because they are great pant, not for thier pattern.

Camouflage is a concept,  not a pattern