Western camo pattern

The blaze orange debate has been going on for years. Animals don't see color as well as we do but blaze colors (chartruese or orange) stand out as a very unusual bright spot which really hurts your ability to blend into anything but snow. When blaze orange was required by some states I found that I had to become much better at hiding to be an efficient hunter. Any study like the ones done to prove blaze orange cannot be seen by deer is flawed anyways. If you realize how science works you would know that most discoveries and truth are discovered by accident by very unscientific people, then science studies it to see why it works. The other way around is usually bogus. Learn to hide, learn to move, learn how to work the wind.
 
Deer and similar animals see the ultraviolet glow not the orange color. That's why modern hunting specific detergents to not contain UV brighteners.

In terms of camo patterns, deer and similar animals can not see detail from long distance. Get farther than 30 yards or so and all they see from the various camo patterns are blobs of brown, so you might as well be wearing blobs of brown.

The most effective patterns I've ever seen or used are the newer patterns with dramatic contrasts, such as swaths of white background. Such contrasting areas break up the human shape, which is the THIRD biggest problem, after scent and motion.

Anyone who thinks that blaze orange and other bright colors, without motion or scent problems, spook animals makes me think they haven't done much hunting. I can't begin to guess how many animals I've had within FEET of me while I'm wearing orange. Motion and scent spook animals, they don't care about colors.

Even turkeys, which CAN see color, don't care about orange unless the orange moves.
 
This is going to sound like a lie, but I'll tell it anyway. I was hunting in the pine forest of eastern NC wearing a full orange sweat shirt. At some point I laid down on the ground and took a nap. When I woke up I had a doe standing no more than five feet away, looking at this pumpkin on the ground I suppose.

But, my common sense tells me that any animal will be able to see a large uniform colored object move easier than a broken up pattern, regardless of what color they perceive.
 
Brian, I've actually done lots of hunting and spent month's in the field in tent camps. I went into Forestry and Wildlife Biology after graduating from a 2 year course of study in your state. Paul Smith's College in Paul Smith', N.Y..
No I did not cut the "Leaning Pine" down it was done many years after by a drunken wannabee logger. :D

You need to ask yourself "If blaze orange is so effective at preventing hunting accidents why are so few Game Wardens wearing any blaze?" They need to stay hidden but need to see you easily. Blaze orange is a law enforcement tool.

BTW in the last two years I killed 3 bull elk (7X6, 5X6, 5X5) and 5 mule deer in several western states out of remote tent camps and I'm in my 60's. Four of the deer and one elk with a bow so I think I can hunt. My wife and I (she's 69 and has a heart problem) just killed two mulies in Colorado with archery tackle and I'm going here in Az today to shoot another mulie. The video is on the hunting sub forum. "Colorado Senior Citizen Hunt". On my youtube channel you'll find other hunts. I've only put a few from the last few years up.
 
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Deer and similar animals see the ultraviolet glow not the orange color. That's why modern hunting specific detergents to not contain UV brighteners.
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Regular and Cheer Free powder do not contain these. The Cheer Free also does not contain any scents......

There are also "eco-friendly" brands that do not.

Here's one-

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/video/no-glow

And they show how badly the UV end of the spectrum is is enhanced by putting a black light to a white t-shirt....

Keep in mind that your wash machine is probably pretty full of these right now, as they are not biodegradable. A thorough rinsing is probalbly required.
 
rgrundy said:
Brian, I've actually done lots of hunting and spent month's in the field in tent camps. I went into Forestry and Wildlife Biology after graduating from a 2 year course of study in your state. Paul Smith's College in Paul Smith', N.Y..
No I did not cut the "Leaning Pine" down it was done many years after by a drunken wannabee logger.

You need to ask yourself "If blaze orange is so effective at preventing hunting accidents why are so few Game Wardens wearing any blaze?" They need to stay hidden but need to see you easily. Blaze orange is a law enforcement tool.
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If you've spent that much time in the woods, you SURELY know that animals are not bothered by blaze orange.

The actual reason for the legal requirement is another issue.

I was responding to your assertion that blaze orange makes you "stand out as a very unusual bright spot which really hurts your ability to blend into anything but snow."

I have never seen that to be the case. I have spooked plenty of animals with scent, movement and by being silhouetted against a bright background but I have never seen a single animal spook because of what I would interpret as noticing the orange.

On the other hand, I have had untold numbers of animals, squirrels, grouse, hawks, owls, deer and turkeys, literally within feet and sometimes literally INCHES of me while I've been wearing orange and none of them have appeared to notice.

People often misinterpret other reasons for the animals spooking and assume it must be the orange. UV brighteners are a culprit. Scent and movement, even movement that we didn't know we did, and scent from a swirling breeze from 10 minutes ago, are much more likely to be the culprits.

Point being, in relation to the OP, the pattern you choose is far less important than your scent, movement, silhouette and strategy. In fact, the pattern you choose, if it's among the traditional very dark camo patterns, is essentially irrelevant IMO.

I suggest standing about 30 feet away and squinting while you look at those patterns. They all look the same. Blobs of brown.

Only the newer, high contrast patterns are really different. Even the importance of those absolutely, positively pales into insignificance compared to scent and movement.
 
Brian my wife and I just got back from a high country DIY hunt in Colorado and killed two mule deer. The video is on this forum. She's hunted for years too and has a heart problem. You won't find many 69 year old women killing deer with a bow up there and she has probably killed more big game than most men. I'll go today to kill another mulie here in Az with my bow thenback to Colorado for elk. Yes we do hunt. Alot.
 
Blaze Orange did not keep some knucklehead from using his rifle scope "to see what ya wuz": pointing his rifle at me and my kids on opening morning a few years back......


Even turkeys, which CAN see color, don't care about orange unless the orange moves.
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Not so. I pushed a flock right to my daughter on a narrow creek, trying to drive deer to her. She did not move a muscle, but they caught sight of her about 50 yards up the creek, sounded the alarm and took off flying.
 
Maybe, but they more likely saw her finger move, or head turn slightly.

I've seen animals spook for no apparent reason when I was wearing orange too. I could easily say, "Yep, they're spooked by orange."

Except, I've seen far more animals which pay NO apparent attention to orange from ANY distance, turkeys included.

Turkeys in particular have incredible eyesight. The SLIGHTEST movement will spook them. I have seen them spook from 30 yards or more, apparently because they saw me BLINK, as I could figure no other reason.

I've had turkeys within 10 yards or less while I'm on the ground or in tree stands and wearing orange. They do not seem to respond unless I move.

The difference between orange and not orange is that when you're wearing orange you can't get away with ANYTHING at all, whereas with camo on they sometimes miss slight movements.

That's not the case with deer, IME. They don't care if you're wearing orange or not. They key on movement and scent, not color.

I'm not arguing anyone's experiences, only relating mine and saying that we don't always include other possible scenarios when our preconceived ideas can be blamed. If I think an animal can see orange and doesn't like it and that animal spooks, I blame the orange and discount all the other times when I was wearing orange and the animals DIDN'T spook.
 
Yep, if you hunt where there are birds (everywhere) they can see you and will "tell' on you because they see you as a predator and will alert other game that you will not ever see because of it. If you can read tracks well, you will be able to determine what happened after the fact. Blaze orange saves lives. Mostly deer and elk's lives.
 
Imagine you have a black and white TV if you are old enough to remember those.

Do you not think you can pick out movement of a brighter object against a darker background easier than an object with the same brightness ?
 
Reguardless of the hunter orange vs. camo controversy, hunter orange IS MANDATORY when hunting with anything other than archery equipment in the western states. It simply doesn't matter, you MUST wear hunter orange.
 
Woodland Camo was all there was when I started deer hunting years ago. Now there are so many different patterns. One gets carried away and when it all boils down to deer, it really does not matter.
 
There is such a thing as "pattern recognition", as in, "That stump-looking thing wasn't there, yesterday."

Wildlife biologists have claimed that the wild turkey is among the best of all critters for pattern recognition.
 
Most guys probably already know this, but when deciding on a stand location, the first thing you want, is the darkest, thickest, location that gives you a good field of view. You never want to set up in an open area, because as Art said, that animal will notice something different about an area very quickly. Imagine your own living room. If something appears today, that wasn't there yesterday, your going to notice it pretty quick. Same thing with animals that frequent the same areas often.

As to UV thing under a black light. Your washer and dryer is full of little lint balls, that will stick to your clothes every time you wash and dry. For this reason I have always used a good UV Sports wash, and wash ALL my hunting stuff by hand in a good ole #2 wash tub. Yes it is a little trouble, but it works, and most of my hunting clothing has lasted me for 15 years and better, simply because it is not being washed to death in a washer and dryer.

Just my 2 cents
 
My camo's are Dickies work clothes in grey. I hung them up on hangers outside and used some light grey, white, and black paint. I applied the paint by using a brush dipped into the paint and then slung onto the pants and shirt. It blends in well with granite and if just sitting by trees etc, you appear to be a granite boulder. These have worked well for many years and this year may be the last for them, they are just about worn out. You can bet that I will be looking to make another pair before next year.
 
Red and black plaid is a favorite camo pattern for me.

Jack

muley4.jpg
 
Arm & Hammer makes a dye and perfume free soap that works well or just use washing soda or baking soda. If you must use hunter orange, vests are available with black splotches that break up the solid color while being effective and legal in most states.
 
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