Hunting camouflage?

[sandsnakes]

HillBill I agree, but on the other hand my partner tends to poke my gear with a pointed stick and ask me if its alive when i get back So if you gotta wash your gear go down this route.

Sandsnakes

 

[traderran]

I just ware blue denim as most are color blind anyway

 

[Chinkapin]

If you suspect you might be beginning to smell a bit (ridiculous thought, I know) just remember that animals are not put off by smells -- they are put off by human, and other predator smells. They are used to smelling all sorts of things in the woods all day, every day. So the trick is to find a plant that is fairly aromatic and crush up some of the leaves and rub them on you and your clothing. Where I live there is spicewood and citronella bushes all over the place. They work great at masking your scent. Virtually anything will do. As I said before though, there are special soaps available for showering with prior to going out, and these are your best bet.

 

[sandsnakes]

I just ware blue denim as most are color blind anyway

Its ok if you can be sure it is not going to rain! Remember the old mountain guide motto of 'cotton kills'.

S

 

[Mad Mike]

As a useful tip
Bung a bag of washing soda in a bucket, soak you gear overnight and then do a cold wash. Do not throw away the bucket of soda, now throw in your billy and cooking pans leave for a couple of days, then rinse off. All of the muck will be gone, works for hexy deposits as well. I have been using the same bucket for about three months now! looks like a black swamp, cleans just fine.

Sandsnakes

I might get away with a bucket in the garage.
Do you use a plastic bucket?

 

[Urban_Dreamer]

I just ware blue denim as most are color blind anyway

Most WHAT are color blind? I don't know about turkys but most birds have a far better developed color sense than us poor humans. We have three cone types (ie see three primary colors) many birds have four. Many of them also see well into the UV region.

Of course it's well known that many mammals only have two cones. However while that might give them something like red/green color blindness in humans, it might not be red and green. Indeed it's likely that the primary colors that many creatures see are vastly different from what we percieve.

The question still remains though, most WHAT are color blind? What do you seek to camouflage yourself from and is trying to blend into the background the best method?

 

[Broch]

The question still remains though, most WHAT are color blind? What do you seek to camouflage yourself from and is trying to blend into the background the best method?

In my case, usually humans - so RealTree works really well

 

[mayobushcraft]

When I was hunting in Florida I used a soap that was made by a company that made hunting products. I will see if I can find the name and ad it later. It was made with no scents or brighteners. Then as soon as I washed and dried my hunting clothes I would store them in a plastic bag with plants and soil for a few days. When I finished hunting for the day I would change before returning to camp and put the clothes back in the bag. That way any scents from the car or camp would not get in the clothes. I would also wash with a scentless soap then use a scentless deodorant as well. When I was traveling in the woods I used a scent pad with fox pee tied to my bootlace. When was on a stand I would remove the scent pad and put it in a ziplock bag and sprinkle doe or buck pee at a spot in a shooting lane at a measured distance then spray some in the air to let the wind disperse the scent. I even use a similar system for spotting wildlife

 

[Chinkapin]

Many of the eastern woodland Native Americans were of the belief that it was the SHADOW of the hunter that alerted the SHADOW of the deer to the presence of the hunter. I expect this stalking method worked pretty well because if you are not only watching where you are but also watching your shadow, you are undoubtedly stalking very stealthily. O.K. That's enough anthropology for today -- Class dismissed!

 

[Twodogs]

Depends what been hunted really ....lol

Twodogs

 

[Glosfisher]

Not wishing to attract metal detectorists when I'm out doing fieldwork on sensitive archaeological sites I tend to dress "tactical" which means, Realtree Hardwoods 20-200 and Mossy Oak Shadow Grass. They both blend brilliantly into ploughed fields and winter vegetation. Quite often people walk right past where I'm working without noticing me; it's normally their dog that finds me first!

 

[Walks with dogs]

I neglected to mention in my previous post the the camo with which I have had the best results. I bought a piece of camo netting, such as would be placed over an artillery piece or truck, etc. This is the type that looks like fishnet with long curvy strips of vinyl. I cut out a rectangle of it and cut a hole in the center for my head and simply wear it like a poncho. I then don my cap with veil and my camo gloves. Then finally, I drape a small piece of it over my head and shoulders. This in effect gives you a ghille suit for practically no money invested. The kind that I have is multipurpose; green on one side brown on the other, so you can tailor it to your surroundings. Another nice feature is that you can carry it in your back pack into the woods, don the whole outfit, hunt, photograph, observer or whatever. Then take it all off, stow it, and walk out. Just wear something subdued underneath that won't show through. By the way, some materials that look subdued in the visual spectrum that we see in are glaringly reflective in the spectrum of many of the animals.

Got a picture of that Chinkapin, I'm intrigued.

Sean

 

[irishlostboy]

ya, the old bpm tends to get some iffy looks off of bushcrafter types, but its cheap as chips, hellishly tough, and blends in well enough that most people and animals dont notice you if you are quiet and still. i use a lot of brit and dutch camo. mainly cos its what i can afford, and also because i play airsoft as well, its best to just use the same stuff for out in the woods with or without an airgun.
the realtree type stuff looks super cool, but is usually quite expensive compared to surplus. i may look into buying the fabric, and just making my own kit out of it.

another thing to think if you want to dissapear, is variations of ghillie suits. i use a ghilli cape and hat rig when airsofting a lot. it works really well. for bushcraft/hunting/animal observation either a cape, throw rug, or bushrag type set-up would work quite well. you will make one for under a tenner in materials no problem. also you get to expand your various craft skills and really stretch the grey matter in the direction of what IS camoflage. good fun.

 

[Chinkapin]

Sorry, Walks with Dogs, I don't currently have a pic of that. By the way, I bought a German Army winter smock/hood that is cut large to fit over your regular clothes. It is made out of a cotton that looks similar to but much heavier that bedsheet material. It has green pine needle clusters scattered about to break up the plain white. In the winter, in a coniferous forest, you will just disappear. I got it military surplus VERY cheap.

 

[Chinkapin]

I neglected to mention that one of my cleverer purchases was British Army woodland camo gas attack suit. It is lined with activated charcoal to neutralize poison gases. But the beauty of it is that it also neutralizes body scents. It is a bit too heavy (warm) for our midwest summers of 110 degrees F but works great in the cooler months. It came in its original sealed pouch and I only paid about 5 dollars for it. At the time nobody knew what to make of them or what possible use they could have.

 

[sandsnakes]

I might get away with a bucket in the garage.
Do you use a plastic bucket?

Yep, i use an old builders plastic bucket that I found in a skip, banged out the cement, its now as clean and shinny as the day it was made.

Sandsnakes

 

[Elines]

I neglected to mention in my previous post the the camo with which I have had the best results. I bought a piece of camo netting, such as would be placed over an artillery piece or truck, etc. This is the type that looks like fishnet with long curvy strips of vinyl. I cut out a rectangle of it and cut a hole in the center for my head and simply wear it like a poncho. I then don my cap with veil and my camo gloves. Then finally, I drape a small piece of it over my head and shoulders. This in effect gives you a ghille suit for practically no money invested. The kind that I have is multipurpose; green on one side brown on the other, so you can tailor it to your surroundings. Another nice feature is that you can carry it in your back pack into the woods, don the whole outfit, hunt, photograph, observer or whatever. Then take it all off, stow it, and walk out. Just wear something subdued underneath that won't show through. By the way, some materials that look subdued in the visual spectrum that we see in are glaringly reflective in the spectrum of many of the animals.

Just come across this thread. Chinkapin's idea is illustrated on Wilderness outfitters - Dave Canterbury at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6uu7RWg5LI&feature=channel_page

Any body know if the following would be the cheapest, most suitable netting to use - it is double sided and the cheapest I have found so far:

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/Pr...23543&prodDesc=CAMOUFLAGE-SCREEN-10[q]X-4[q]7

Endicotts sell a cheaper ?one sided netting - cut to measure - but it seems a bit thin in terms of use for personal camoflage - as it says "Coverage of the Foliage is typically 60% to 75%"

http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=73&products_id=47

?any views/comments - I would want to use if for wildlife observation - not hunting - in English woods (when I can actually find a private wood I can use - still looking)

 

[VtBlackdog]

I just go nekked.