Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bow Hunting => Topic started by: ICEMAN113 on February 17, 2009, 10:39:48 PM

Title: Best camo
Post by: ICEMAN113 on February 17, 2009, 10:39:48 PM: Im new to bowhuntin and i live in western washington and jsut curious what camo paterns are the best for this area??
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: MIKEXRAY on February 18, 2009, 05:50:12 AM: I have two or three patterns, depends whats on sale. I don't notice any difference as far as animals spotting me. I've had it all on in situations & if you stay motionless I think they are all good. I mostly own the mossy oak new pattern but shot my 07 mulie wearing the green camo with big black squiggly lines on it ( don't know the name ) , so in 08 I wore that the most thinking it was lucky. I think they are all good & any will work fine to break up your out line. Don't forget a headnet.
Side note: I didn't start killing anything until I started practicing scent control. I don't believe in scent lock clothing, but I wash my clothes in the detergent & keep it in a closed container until I'm in my hunting area. I also spray shoes, shower etc. I hunted five years without success & then took precautions two years ago & success rate sky rocketed. Welcome to the sport. Mike
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: JBar on February 18, 2009, 06:01:40 AM: Welcome to the sight 113. Predator deception green works well for me or even Realtree max1. But if I had to choose one it would be the predator camo.

JBar
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 18, 2009, 09:08:57 AM: good ol mossy oak break up
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: Antlershed on February 18, 2009, 09:11:20 AM: Has anybody tried the Mossy Oak Treestand? I have always used regular Mossy Oak, but I was looking at the tree stand version and thinking it might blend in pretty well around here.
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: gasman on February 18, 2009, 01:00:45 PM: I believe the most important part of camo is matching the color to the area you are at. Western Wa, more greens, Easter WA, more Browns. It all depends on where you hunt.

Some areas in E.W. I will camo up with Brown or tan camo pants and green camo jacket. To match more of the surroundings.
In W.W. i will stay with green camo with some darker tones to match the thicker darker forest.

Secent Controll is the absolute #1 on the list thou. You can blend in as best you can, but if they smell you, It's Over.........................
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: Antlershed on February 18, 2009, 01:01:42 PM: Quote from: gasman on February 18, 2009, 01:00:45 PM
Secent Controll is the absolute #1 on the list thou. You can blend in as best you can, but if they smell you, It's Over.........................
I just use some of the sprays...no need to waste your money on that scent lok garbage...
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: foambeetle on February 18, 2009, 03:59:23 PM: Not sure there is a 'best,' scent and movement being the kryptonite to any 'super' camo (as has been discussed) . . . your silhouette is also obviously a give away to try and avoid.

But I will say I do really like the new MO Treestand pattern, it is overall lighter and less likely to 'blob' in a variety of situations, and it has a good open, outline-breaking pattern . . . had a bull stare right through me last fall at about 40 yds. (bad angle, no shot) in a situation where I had very limited cover, I even got away w/ a little movement . . . then some cows that circled got my wind and game over - but I was happy w/ the camo as I 'think' it did its part nicely. And for me, that is part of the package when hunting, as confidence in your camo - like any other piece of gear - can only help, even if maybe it is not really playing as big a role as we might think. With that said, I've used many types of camo, but for multi-purpose use I always try to avoid those that are 'dark' and too 'busy.'

Some guys swear by the leafy stuff, but I've yet to try it - thinking about giving some a try in '09 for a change of pace. Predator and A.S.A.T. make some great versatile patterns to look into and many very accomplished bowhunters swear by them, they're just not as commercially available in the marketplace in a variety of outlets/products/prices as the Realtree and Mossy Oak products. :twocents:

. . . it will be interesting to see if the Gore Opti-fade pattern gets traction in the marketplace . . . ??
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: funkster on February 18, 2009, 04:27:03 PM: I really like the camo patterns of predator camo. Their camo really hides your silhouette very good. However, I am not a fan of their quality. After a few times out in the field the neck and cuffs stretch out and the shirt is done. The pants seem to hold up much better than the shirts do and I usually end up buying a few shirts a year. I feel it is worth it because the pattern matches so well for the westside. I am going to start my under armour collection this year,that stuff really works for the early season heat but man is it expensive.
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: bowsandhose on February 18, 2009, 04:30:51 PM: i like predator the best
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: JBar on February 18, 2009, 04:38:43 PM: Though I have not had any problems with my Predator I did buy mine a few years ago when the green deception first came out. Quality does seem to have slipped since I purchased mine. Fortunately I have enough to hold me over. I have a jacket in the MO Treestand and it seems like it will be a good camo for brush and open country. As far as the Optifade from Gore, well I'm not sure I'll jump on that bandwagon quite yet. I've seen it up close and I've seen the science of nothing video on it but since the only company I know producing it is Sitka Gear I might need to save my pennies and wait for some true feedback from guys in the field. My :twocents:

JBar
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: RUTNBULL1 on February 18, 2009, 08:46:25 PM: As many others have already stated upon the thread #1- Scent control first, before worrying about clothing. Enough said on that and back to camo. My wife is going to have a Cabelas Camo Sale she told me this Spring, I guess she is tired of the bin's full of camo in the basement, garage, closet, oh you get the point. I have many variations of patterns and brands, and some I've never even wore. I have Mossy oak, Realtree, Max-1, Vanish-West, Mossy oak Break-up, Mossy- Oak Treestand, AP etc. I have started to consolidate all my camo this winter and previously after each hunting season in order to seperate my higher quality and mid level camo. As most of us around the N.W. know, we all hunt more than one season and are confronted with variable conditions with the weather. So I have started over the last four years buying one higher quality piece of clothing (one pattern-jacket/pants, shirts...) each year to date. This way I can avoid buying two to three sub-grade camo outfits each year or every other year because they breakdown,fade, or just plain develop holes from wear and tear. The cost of those two to three outfits were around $185.00 to $200.00 a piece for medium quality clothing that were so called waterproof or water resistent. Didn't make much sense when you could buy quality clothes jacket and pants for around $450.00 to $500.00 a full outfit and get five plus years from the higher quality. So this is what I've narrowed it down too.

Wet or inclimate weather clothing: Mossy Oak Breakup APX, Rivers West ( not to breathable though), Cabelas Dry Plus, Cabelas MT050, and my last edition SITKA MO Treestand( Nimbus and 90%-Awesome pattern and Camo.)

Early Season and Mild & Dryer climate: Cabelas Mossy oak breakup chamois shirt and pants, Cabelas Microtex pants and shirt, even have some mesh outfits for those really warm days. And my lighter weight Sitka 90%.
Under Armour, and other base layers for almost all seasons. As for the Sitka Gear very top notch gear and durable outerwear, it is pliable and moves easily with you and it is not big and bulky. I have way to many other brands and patterns to mention some in new and some hardly even worn. I guess it is time for the Sale! :P
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: bowhuntin on February 18, 2009, 09:16:59 PM: Quote from: bowsandhose on February 18, 2009, 04:30:51 PM
i like predator the best

:yeah:
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: colockumelk on February 18, 2009, 09:45:16 PM: I think if I hunted W. Washington with all those douglas firs I'd get the Seclusion 3D Konifer. Since the pattern is based around fir/pine trees and not the leafy stuff. A friend of mine has it and it works really well. If you hunted the middle of the state my Mossy Oak New Break Up pattern works really really well. I use that because I hunt up high in the timber and also in the sage. It is an excellant all around pattern. The key to it all is staying still. There's many videos where an animal is looking at a guy from 3 ft away and doesn't know he's there. If he'd have moved it would have been all over.

What you need to know is that big game animals don't see the colors that well. Their instintcs and their eyes are more geared toward detecting movement. When their standing there that's what they're trying to do is see any movement. A few years back I had a buck 10 yds from me looking at me. It was during my wifes antlerless rifle season and we both had hunter orange on. He knew something wasn't right so he'd try to psych me by glancing off or acting like he was gonna turn and walk and then quickly snap his head back. He was trying to get me to move. If they could detect colors half way decent the hunter orange would have tipped him off and he'd have been gone. The number one rule is scent control and don't move. In the end camo is just a personnel preference.
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: @RCHER on February 18, 2009, 11:28:13 PM: #1 most important camo...keep the wind in your face. Nothing else comes close to being as important.

You can get away with a lot of mistakes out there, but when critters wind you, the game is over.

For camo clothing, I wear Ghost camo. Ridge Ghost is perfect for our timber country, and Prairie Ghost is great for the sage. RealTree AP and Predator are also good choices.

Wind direction. :tup:
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: archery288 on February 19, 2009, 07:29:53 AM: I would agree with most of these comments as keeping the wind in your face is your number one goal! If you can do that your odds already went up. Secondly, I used to be a believer in all this scent control stuff and I had a ton of scent blocker clothing and I am not sure that I believe in it that much anymore... Not saying it doesn't help, but I focus on staying down wind and haven't really had an issue of animals smelling me if you pay attention to business... Movement as stated above is the key! If you are motionless you are golden - simple as that! This year the bull I shot was coming down the hill towards me and I was sitting in a shortsleeve shirt with no face paint on or anything to cover my arms and I waited until my bull went behind a tree before I drew at 15 yards and he never even knew I was there. So once again if you don't move and get the wind right you are going to be fine.

As for the camo options all my camo is in Realtree AP.. I thought it blended in rather well this year in the timber and I will continue to use it next year..
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: Intruder on February 19, 2009, 01:43:01 PM: Predator rules :rockin: I like the old style in green and brown the best.

ASAT is very good too as is the Cabelas Outfitter camo.
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: mossback91 on February 19, 2009, 02:40:21 PM: Im not sure really I think I like the Kings camo cause its pretty stylish stuff :chuckle:

I dont know if it helps alot......although my seclusion 3d open country hides me form my buddies in the sagebrush grassland type areas.......they couldnt see me until I waved at them :chuckle:

Movement and wind in your face is the best camo..........I have been in blue wrnaglers a white t shirt and had an orange vest on and got close enough to some deer to basically poke em with my rifle......too bad they werent big just does and a spike......
Title: Re: Best camo
Post by: coldsteel3d on February 21, 2009, 06:00:58 PM: You can't beat the predator prints as far as blending in to your surroundings, but there quality and the fact that it is only offered on cotton is crap, and i own a lot of it but i am in the process of buying sitka gear in realtree a couple hundred dollars at a time. Just wish someone would offer predator on high quality material.