Ghillie Suits for calling?

[pacyew]

Have any bowhunters here tried a ghillie suit while calling elk? I've often found the best "blind" for hunting any game is often to be very still and in front of cover rather than to behind or inside of a blind and thus limited in your shooting possibilities.

With elk you've always got multiple pairs of eyeballs to deal with. Any camoflage has to be very good.

What's the best suit? Is there a commercial product that works well or all the best Ghillies hand made?

[chep]

When I found out they made commercial ghillie suits I kind of chuckled. *censored*.. I did some searching on the web and it looks like some of them might be well made though. I couldn't really say for sure unless I bought one and tested it for a season. Do bowhunters really use them very often? I would imagine some designs might be more of a distraction if you were on the move.

I made a couple of suits a long time ago. It took quite a bit of time. I wouldn't be opposed to buying one but I don't see the need for one.

[pacyew]

True, such an elaborate camo system is not needed and I'm not sure at all that I could shoot an arrow from my longbow while wearing a real Ghillie suit. I think most of the commerical varieties are considerably more compact and use the "Ghillie" description a probably a little too freely.

Sisu and I have a buddy in Montana that's used one of the commerical varieties for mule deer for several years now.

[boneaddict]

I would say not neccessary.  I have called more elk into within 10 feet in blue jeans than just about anything else.  I would think the Ghillie would be a bigger hindrance than anything.

[Machias]

I made a pretty nice one out of jute twine, but it is way too hot for elk hunting.  I use it during the winter when there is no snow on for calling in yotes.  It is awesome for that in the sage brush country!  I have also used it in early spring turkey if there is not much vegitation started yet, but even with turkeys it is pretty warm, since I pretty much run and gun for them.

[Krusty]

There is a commercially made ghillie suit that is pretty nice. But I don't know the brand name.

It's made like a hooded bathrobe, and it rolls up and carries like a backpack.
Lots of predator callers use them, they aren't so bulky they impede shooting, and are used by riflemen and archers alike (for archers artificial "bark panels" can be used to flatten the torso, after trimming the ghillie off).

There's a guy named Bruce Clements (sic?) that teaches coyote seminars at the Puyallup Sportsmen's Show, he sells them.

Bearmanric might know how to contact him, and you could also try reposting a topic on ghillies in the predator forum, someone might know the brand name.

I like to use Sneaky Leaves, but I ain't payin' that kinda money!
A trip to a crafts store will get you the same thing (only you have to pull the leaves off the plastic stems yourself), for 1/4 the price.
A trip to Wal*Mart, right after Thanksgiving, and you can get fall leaves for 10 cents a bundle.

Krusty

[rackattack]

I have a friend who bought a new ghillie shirt for archery elk hunting on the westside.  On the very first day of the season we tried hunting some elk in some jack-fir with dead limbs on the lower 5 feet of the trees.  Needless to say when we came out he was wearing a mesh shirt, as all the leaves had be pulled off. .  So, if your going to hunt the west side of the state, the ghillie suit may not be the best choice.

[Krusty]

Ghillie suits for hunting are not intended for walking/stalking in. They are camo for sitting still.

I use mine on the west side, more than the other side of the hill.

It's the very nature of "the thickness", where you might not see your prey until you are within spittin' distance, that the advantage of camoflage is the biggest benefit.

I don't need (ghillie type) camo if I can see hundreds of yards.

Rackattack,

Any of that 3-D stuff, based on clothing patterns (shirts, pants, etc) aren't true ghillie suits.

The whole point of a ghillie suit is to change the outline of a human being.
Anything with arms, that look like arms when you hold them out, with a head on top, defeats the purpose.
My sneaky leaves are pinned to a large replacement salmon net, made from soft black cord, with no arm holes.
Think "cousin It" in leaves, no arms, no head, not even any legs if I sit down.
I put it on when I go to sit down, and I turn it inside-out, and stuff it in a stuffsack when I get up to move.

The hardest animal to fool, with camo, is a human being.
Ghillie suits were developed by miltary snipers, there's way too much good sense there for me to dismiss casually.
Anything, used improperly, will produce poor results.

Krusty

[Ray]

I think ghillie suits could be very useful for sneaking up on elk herds.