Camo question

M

Mikef262

New member
I have just started into hunting. I have some old army woodland camo pants and jacket I got from my dad. Would these be good for deer and turkey hunting? If so I also plan to pick up a matching face cover, and gloves.
 
You'll do fine...if you're still,very still. I think people focus too much on the pattern. In my father's day, no one wore camouflage. But lots of deer and turkeys were killed.
 
Animals care about movement, not color.

Even turkeys don't care about blaze orange unless it moves, and they can see color. They see it move easier than some camo but movement is likely to get you busted either way.

The best camo available isn't one that looks good to people. Those patterns of leaves, sticks, brown, are noting but a man-shaped blob of brown to most animals. You need a pattern that breaks up the human shape by using dramatic contrast in larger areas. Scent Loc Vertigo and ASAT are good examples.

Otherwise, plaid shirts and blue jeans are as good as anything else.

You DO want your face and eyes hidden, and DO NOT make eye contact.
 
For most big game, at rifle distances camo is not needed. Drab colors are just fine. I wouldn't bet on having much success wearing blaze orange around any bird, turkey or waterfowl. Most big game animals see color much differnet than human eyes. They see color, just not the same colors as humans. Birds however see the same colors as humans, only with far better vision.

I usually wear camo for everything though. I know it isn't necessary, but I already have the clothes and gear in camo, so why not use it.
 
The best turkey hunting advice had a list of things , the last was -- Keep still, keep still, keep still !!!
Eyes , yours or the turkey's are attracted to motion !
 
The eyesight of deer is highly over rated. Anything that has pattern, even plaid flannel shirt, works well for deer hunting. The trick to turkey is be still and break up your silhouette. A couple branches stuck in the ground in front of you will work wonders. Smell is the key to deer hunting. If they dont smell you, they never start looking hard for you.
 
Gloves

Any matching camo will do, as deer detect movement more than they do color. Get rubber soled boots, because they are quiet when you step on leaves or twigs. Now about gloves, get the pulsed shooting gloves so you can feel the trigger better. Welcome to hunting!! :D
 
Brian and some of the others are right. Most of the more popular patterns tend to blob with the previously mentioned ASAT being an exception. The pourpose of camo is to make it difficult to focus on you and never draw attention in the first place. Military woodland camo is great. The only problem with it is that it is not great cold weather gear and gets wet three days before it rains. Unfortunately that pattern is almost impossible to get in good foul weather gear.
 
mix

I often mix patterns, one makers pants, anothers top. That gives me a really bold shape and color change change. As noted, many of the designer patterns tend to meld into single colors at any distance. Much of the camo industry seems to be money making.


In the spring, once things green out, for turkeys I often hunt in GI woodland with no regrets. In the fall, or early spring, I keep to grays and browns.

Big believer in gloves (your hands move alot) and broad brimmed hats, which tend to break up the characteristic little head and square shoulders of an upright human.

One stupid thing, I absolutely hate camo clothes and a flourescent orange hat. Unfortunately sometimes required (by law).
 
I think it would be fine for deer and turkey.....Like others said..movement is the biggest obstacle....Minimise that....
 
Like the others said, you will be fine. Way back years ago when I first started deer hunting, all we had was woodland camo....:eek:
 
Any thing that will break up your outline will do just fine. As mentioned, critters are more concerned with movement than any camo pattern you may or may not be wearing. Plaids and dark colors will work too in a pinch.
 
I was going to comment and then read the responses and they basically sum up what i was going to say. One tip for hunting white-tails is dont lock eyes with them. When im sitting in my tree stand its in a big oak tree so deer will come forage for acorns. Every deer hunter knows any mature deer will be nervous and looking around constantly when feeding during the day. If a deer looks at you close 1 eye. All of a deers predators have eyes like humans both eyes on the front of their face. Deer have them on the sides of their head, if a deer sees 2 eyes theyre gonna spook. It sounds goofy but its true.
 
I often hunted in Pop's old BDU hand-me downs growing up and the critters never seemed to mind.

Best thing is to make your outline is broken up, you cover your face, and nothing shines or rattles as you move.
 
I killed this dandy Maryland buck wearing the clothes you can see within the photo. My shirt is not camo but blends into the shadowed forest nicely. My orange cap did not alert the animal at all.

Jack

PaulMarylandbuck.jpg
 
OK,
What is the deal with these Ultra Violet inhibitor products??
This study claims there is a difference.
http://www.northcountrywhitetails.com/articles/whatdodeersee.htm
as for my hunting clothes, well my "Old" Blaze Orange hunting coat has never been laundered, my Grandson wears it now.
My outer clothing goes into duffle bags with balsam and cedar branches.
I cook all the bacon and sausage on the gas grill outside and the outer clothing doesn't come into the shack,
Oh, and did I mention, there is a No Flatuance Rule Also! :rolleyes:
 
Two items I always use when turkey hunting is gloves and face mask.
I have light color skin so it stands out in the shade. I use a bandana or something to cover my nose/mouth area and then wear a mesquito mesh over my head. I also wear light weight camo or dark color gloves to cover my hands.
 
Noise and movement are the things that will get you busted. You go into the woods and you are on the game's home turf. It lives there and knows when something is out of place. Moving around and making noises they aren't use to will cause them to key in on you faster than the clothing you wear. Camo patterns matter to us, not them. I have yet to kill a deer that could tell the difference between Realtree, Mossy Oak or the old Woodland camo patterns.

We have guys in our club that are successful on a regular basis (I'm one) and those that don't ever see anything. I took the son of one of our members with me one evening, we sat up there and 10 minutes in he was bobbing up and down like a "Whack a Mole" game, face shining and red hair. I made him sit still, knocked the shine off with a face mask and had a hammer of a buck come out right at dusk (he and his dad always got out of the stand 30 minutes before dark, come to find out both are afraid of the dark woods :eek:) He was too shook up to take the shot but he saw deer.

Keep still and keep quiet and you could wear a neon shirt and they won't care.
 
While I won't go as far as to say that Camo is worthless it has gotten to the point where I just won't buy it. All the different patterns make little to no difference when compared to it's competition and it's gotten to the point where it's like stickin a tactical moniker on it. Pure marketing.

I do have and wear a camo coat, still have a couple pair of pants, a turkey type vest, etc. Use em only to be able to tell my hunting clothes apart from my workin clothes.

You're woodland camo will do as much as most and better than some. Don't sweat the little things.
 
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