how important is camo pattern?

[xjohnsenx]

Hello, I don't post on here to often but I had a question that I was hoping I could get answered. I am going to give bow hunting a shot this year after rifle hunting for many years. I have never had much need for camo but will need some this year. My question is how important is having camo match your surroundings and or each other (i.e. pants and shirt)? I am pretty short so often my options in colors are more limited. Obviously the fancy specific patterns that are coming out now havent always been around. I will be hunting both elk and deer and the habitats they will be in will definitely be different. Thanks for any input anyone may have.

[boneaddict]

Breaking up your outline is more important than a specific pattern.   Sometimes guys have a suit on and stand in a contrasting background.   You stand out like a sore thumb.

[pianoman9701]

I believe that deer and elk are mostly colorblind. I've never tried to match colors, just to have on something with similar lines. I think if you're in the woods and you have camo with woods on it, 

[bear hunter]

I don't wear camo pants just carhartts. I do wear diffrant camo jackets and vests to help brake up my pattern. I use to archery hunt but havn't in many years. I do ML and wear orange camo hat.  The OG hat helps because I wear black carhatts. I just didn't want people glassing me on the other hill side with there scopes thinking Big BLACK BEAR. Trust me my buddy saw black and brown moving 600 yards or so. He glassed and yes it was me "BUT NOT WITH THE SCOPE" and radioed me and saided *censored* you looked like a big bear.  :yike:That got me thinking From than on I wear a orange hat when hunting big game. I don't wear all the same camo. I try to mix it up. Like a hoody and a vest all differant patterns it helps brake you up. Just look at a sold camo pattern and one that is mixed. You blend in more. Thats my opinion.

[turkeyfeather]

As stated before it's more important to just break-up your outline. I wear everything in the same pattern, but I am a little anal about things like that.

[dreamingbig]

Not very important but if you look good then you play good.  I mix up max1 with kuiu and Sitka.  Function is more important than pattern.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Depending on where you hunt, when I hunted east, I liked lighter pants and darker tops, just because when I stood next to a tree in reprod, and that brown/yellow grass and sagebrush, and green trees....
But here on the west side, so often I am waist deep in ferns and salal that I like to reverse the colors
 (green pants, lighter green tops)
But as stated, you want to break up your outline...
For years I been looking for a vertical pattern, as I spend a lot of time in timber, see grey allot, but rarely in camo, and not very many Oak leaves....
Searching for CADPAT...

[MikeWalking]

I believe that deer and elk are mostly colorblind. I've never tried to match colors, just to have on something with similar lines. I think if you're in the woods and ytou have camo with woods on it, 

From what I've read over the years they are mostly color blind but see more of the UV/IR range than people do.  What that means is that they are more sensitive to how light reflects off clothing.  Wash whatever camo you want in UV brightening Tide etc and you will shine next to the trees.  Back in my Army days Rule #1 was break up your outline.   Rule #2 See Rule #1

I thing there's a lot of hype in the camo clothing industry.  Think shades, outline and natural fibers

[dfresh96]

me and a buddy noticed the darker camo sticks out more in open woods (mossy oak), i had a ghost rigde camo that blended well, like my buddy always says trust your camo if your not moving they wont see you.

[Todd_ID]

My opinion is that you're better off worrying about fabric noise than camo pattern.  When you're getting ready to draw on a mature animal at 20 yards, then a red plaid wool coat or a true fleece pull-over is infinitely more valuable than the most of the latest and greatest fabrics being sold now.  There is no such thing as waterproof and silent in the same package.

A big, open pattern breaks up your outline the best, but most of the patterns being sold now do not follow that simple principle.  ASAT is the strangest looking stuff, but I also believe it is the most effective camo pattern sold.

[netcoyote]

I believe movement and eye contact are more important than any particular camo pattern. Stand still and don't try to stare down a critter and they seem to forget you are there...unless they get a whiff of you.
I wondered about camo myself until I saw Jim Shockey sneaking up within a few yards of big game without a stitch of camo. I think the only camo I've seen him wear on any of his shows is maybe a white suit when hunting in snowy terrain.
I still wear some style of break-up pattern but I fret less about it than I once did.

[seth30]

I only wear cotton when hunting for yotes, deer, bear and elk.  I found that it makes almost no noise and being such a pourus material it soaks up cover scents very well.

[jaymark6655]

I believe movement and eye contact are more important than any particular camo pattern. Stand still and don't try to stare down a critter and they seem to forget you are there...unless they get a whiff of you.
I wondered about camo myself until I saw Jim Shockey sneaking up within a few yards of big game without a stitch of camo. I think the only camo I've seen him wear on any of his shows is maybe a white suit when hunting in snowy terrain.
I still wear some style of break-up pattern but I fret less about it than I once did.

  I have gotten under ten yards to deer wear a red t-shirt and blue jeans.  Kind of stayed crouched down, moved really slow when they were eating, stopped when the looked up and stared at the ground looking at them with periphial vision.  It also helps not to move directly at them, but a slowly getting smaller spiral.  Knew a guy back in AR that could catch rabbits by hand, he would just walk in a spiral and the rabbit never realized that he was getting closer. 

[D-Rock425]

Scent control hunting the wind way more important.

[Miles]

Breaking up your outline is more important than a specific pattern.   Sometimes guys have a suit on and stand in a contrasting background.   You stand out like a sore thumb.

Spot on.

[Snapshot]

I never wear the same from top to bottom except when turkey hunting. For mammels I don't think you need anything special, unless your goal is to impress your friends. Turkeys seem to be a different story because they are real good at spotting a human form. To my eye nothing stands out in the woods like an out-of-place person dressed from head to toe in one pattern of camo. Whatever you wear use the available cover (trees, rocks, shrubs, dirt banks) to absorb your form as best you can.

[dreamingbig]

Scent control hunting the wind way more important.

Agreed.  I would add minimizing movement at crunch time.

[Sneaky]

I think it depends on what type of animal you're hunting. Big game animals I would say it is less crucial as long as you have something to break up your outline and pay attention to noise, wind, movement etc. Birds are another story - you have to be able to blend in. I wear different pattern jackets for different spots during waterfowl season 

[h20hunter]

Gonna throw this out there......with a broken up outline of whichever camo you choose and a bit of movement/scent/wind consideration you are good to go. Playing the wind is more important than which type of camo you use. I'm with the general consensus.....break up your outline...watch your movement...hunt safe = good to go.

[D-Rock425]

 

[seth30]

I wear mathcing camo because I buy it together, and I figure with cats they can see a lot better than yotes, and deer.  When your hunting and carry several tags in your pocket...

[Lcl 66 Tinner]

I hunt muzzle for Elk and Deer so I dont know how this camo will work for you. I use the Cabelas Leafy-wear II and it is awesome for breaking up your outline. I like this camo because it is light weight and it goes over your normal clothes, if you get too warm you can strip layers off and put the jacket back on and still be camo'd from head to toe. The material that its made of is like heavy duty screen door mesh so it has no insulating value which makes it nice for those warmer days. I hunt the West side and have been posted up and had my cousin walk within 10ft and never saw me. The full suit costs $100 and they have sales just after hunting season and drop the price to $80

[xjohnsenx]

thanks for all the responses. i will probably end up going with mismatching pieces simply because I can never find my size in things. I looked into the ASAT camo as well and it sounds like it has some pretty good reviews as well as they make some things in merino wool as opposed to synthetics and I am a big fan of wool.

[coachcw]

I think quietis more important than pattern . But dam igood good in all that Sikka Gear !

[seth30]

I think quietis more important than pattern . But dam igood good in all that Sikka Gear !

 

[bow-n-head]

I got a 6pt bull one year in blue jeans and a white t-shirt from less than 15 yards. Just say'n......

[high country]

I find it about as important as cologne

[jnevs23]

I wear green wool pants i picked up at the army surplus and try to get away with a 40 dollar hardwood type camo fleece as long as the cold let's me.  If there is snow I have cheap cotton pants and top hat flits over my other gear. I've found a hat pulled down low with a camo bandana or nylon facemask covering my face helps a ton.  For me being quiet and not being too bulky is more important than a perfect camo match

[seth30]

I find it about as important as cologne

like deer honey

[seth30]

I always try to match my clothes, one less trip to the store, and Im a firm beleiver in blending in with my background.  Never know when Im yote huning, and have a cat come in.  Heck I have called in Humans before

[rosscrazyelk]

I have had this conversation with buddies before. I love camo don't get me wrong I think it looks cool but I pretty sure for big game it makes any difference. I am almost willing to bet that if I was down wind and had uv killer on I could almost wear a bright pink outfit and still stock close enough for a kill. And before you all dare me, no I wont.. well maybe if the money pot was big enough. The uv killer is a good idea and obviously wind is the most important thing.

[fair-chase]

I agree with most of the previous posts. I would just like to add that dull clothing like wool seems to work better than some of the new "high def" camo clothing like sitka. I guess you could dull down the newer patterns with the UV killer but they still seem to shine much more than an organic material like wool. I'm more concerned with the fabric texture than I am the actual pattern. Hope that makes sense.

[washelkhunter]

How about i start the pot at $10 bucks. and i think that nice urban pink camo the teens by at target would look good onyou. but you have to wear a solid flourescent pink toque.

[blackveltbowhunter]

How important is it? Well that depends.... Yea it needs to be quiet and yes the wind will always trump camo And If your tucked into some shadows, have some background behind you, and already are at full draw....then Camo is prolly gonna have a negligible effect on the outcome of the hunt. On the other hand maybe you have done everything right, but just happen to have to cross a couple yards of open space or reposition to take a shot at a bedded buck...... or you got caught in an area with minimal cover your bow isnt drawn and the herd is coming in on a rope. When the bull detects the motion will it blow out of there cuz he recognizes what you are or will he hesitate for the second you need to release an arrow? If selected intelligently, the right camo MAY help you out. If possible camo your face and hands at the very least. 

[TommyH]

The wind is the most important factor, camo is important tho.  I had a bull bugle at me last year and was walking strait up the trail at me, I had to turn real slowly 180 degrees to face him. Every time he put his head in the brush to scrape i would sneak up 5 or so yards. did that 5-6 times and he never knew i was there. I dont think i would have got a shot if i didnt blend well.

[TommyH]

The wind is the most important factor, camo is important tho.  I had a bull bugle at me last year and was walking strait up the trail at me, I had to turn real slowly 180 degrees to face him. Every time he put his head in the brush to scrape i would sneak up 5 or so yards. did that 5-6 times and he never knew i was there. I dont think i would have got a shot if i didnt blend well.

And we had the wind in our favor!

[WAcoyotehunter]

The pattern is not important at all.  I think the tone or shade is somewhat important, but not all that critical.  I wear camo pants because they're made to be quiet, but my top is usually just a fleece or wool sweater- in any color.

Face camo seems to be more important that anything- animals spot our faces quickly and know better than to hang around

[TommyH]

The pattern is not important at all.  I think the tone or shade is somewhat important, but not all that critical.  I wear camo pants because they're made to be quiet, but my top is usually just a fleece or wool sweater- in any color.

Face camo seems to be more important that anything- animals spot our faces quickly and know better than to hang around

  I was going to say that as well but dont know how to spell....balaclava?? never would have got as close without one!

[WAcoyotehunter]

haha- i guess that looks right...I don't know either!