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Camo vs solids

Davis21

Davis21

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2018
Messages
362
question to debate- Seems like when deer look up we would want our outline resembling a tree branch.so would we really need a pattern to break our outline up? I’ve also heard the argument that solid colors hide movement a little better than camo. I know deer are sure hard to see when they are still and they don’t have any patterns to em. Just wondering what y’all thought about breaking up outline and blending in vs mimicking a tree limb??...
 
I've been known to wear some expensive gear, especially for hunts in cold weather or backpack hunts. But...my hunting clothing selection has absolutely nothing to do with a specific camo pattern and everything to do with performance. How quiet, how fast does it dry, how does it layer with other garments, etc. Jason is spot on, it's your movement that gives you away most of the time, not your camo pattern or lack of. If you're hanging off a tree that resembles a telephone pole in late season, you'll often get busted without moving. With or without camo.
 
They are amazing critters at camo and picking off a bowhunter trying to look like a limb. I watched a doe the other night for 13 minutes staring at something I never saw. Wish I could be still that long, I'd probably shoot more deer. Never been much for camo except for all the pockets. Most camo bleeds all together at a short distance. Hang a flannel and a camo in a bush and back away 40 yds. Companies make pretty camo w/ nice designs so we'll buy it, not to fool the deer.
 
I’m OCD and like matching camo. Do I honestly think it helps? No! The reason I own so much is best materials and insulation is readily available in camouflage clothing. The most deer killing, blood thirsty hunters I know all wear their cold weather work clothes ie: black or tan Carhartt jackets/ bibs and flannel shirts.
 
Deltahuntr said:
I’m OCD and like matching camo. Do I honestly think it helps? No! The reason I own so much is best materials and insulation is readily available in camouflage clothing. The most deer killing, blood thirsty hunters I know all wear their cold weather work clothes ie: black or tan Carhartt jackets/ bibs and flannel shirts.
Click to expand...
That's it I'm never hunting in camo again. From here on out it's flannels and Carhartt jackets for me
 
I can see how solids could hide movement better. I remember hearing Andre D'aquisto say something along the lines of, take two 55 gallon drums, cover one with your favorite camo and the other in a solid color. Put them 100 yards away and spin them. The camo one will look like a spinning blob and the solid one will be hard to tell it's even moving.
 
I've in the past had to try out the new patterns that come out from year to year. They do look good in the store but that's not where I'm hunting. Most of the camo I've owned over the years is Mossyoak. I don't consider myself as a fan boy but I just like their stuff. I have gone to their bottomland and original bottomland patterns to me they match a tree in most situations. Doe's the camo make me a better hunter? I will say no, but I feel like I look very similar to the bark of the trees I'm usually in. Please ignore the cheesy grin, it was my first hunt out of a saddle. Sorry I don't have a bottomland beanie to complete the my outfit.
 

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I killed my first archery buck at about 5 yards wearing khakis and I'm still killing them in solids today. I truly believe solid gray is the best tree camo there is. I also own a lot of ASAT from when first lite carried it and a few other camo pieces here and there. I truly think camo matters an infinitesimal amount if at all, but it's just an opinion backed by thousands of close range deer encounters over a couple decades.
 
This year I stopped wearing camo and wore what was comfortable and it seamed like the deer did not care. I had several close encounters (deer with in 10 yards and was not picked off once. Ha the buck I killed this year was a 5 yards and looked right at me for 15 sec. put his head down and kept walking his trail. For hear on out I think I am just going to go with comfy weather proof clothing.
 
My goal is to keep the tree trunk between me and the deer until shooting time. But, if a deer comes to the side, I'm hoping I'm set up so there is back cover. Deer see the world really flat and one-dimensional. So, I'm not really trying to "look like a branch". I'm mainly trying to blend into that foliage that might be 15 yards behind me. So, I'm sticking with cammo over solids. But mainly just trying to stay still.....

I don't get too caught up in which pattern and would put comfort/usability over cammo. But, you can usually get both (good cammo and good comfort / usability). I feel like a face mask helps too.

All of this is just based on experience, no real scientific proof/knowledge.
 
I agree that keeping still and quiet are the most important after being down wind. I also agree that performance in the woods should dictate your clothing choices. That being said, I would rather have clothes that are quiet and blend in than those that do not. Give your outer layers the good 'ole fashioned fingernail test. If you can hear it as you scratch at it, game animals will be able too even better. Plus, I like to keep people from knowing where I hunt so if I can blend in to keep others from being "curious" that helps. During gun season that all changes somewhat as I want people to see me for safety reasons and I wear a blaze camo orange vest and blaze orange hat but again, deer do not see those colors as we do. In the grand scheme of things, for me the right clothing for the job is important to me, not the camo pattern.
 
Spent 2 weeks hunting on the plains this year. Seen 30-50 guys probably and everyone of them stuck out like a sore thumb except one. He was carrying a silhouette decoy on his back. He literally disappeared walking away from us.

I told myself right then my hunting clothing was going to change.
 
first lite has a good article on their website about micro/macro patterns.
www.firstlite.com

Camo for Unparalleled Concealment

First Lite Specter™, Fusion™, and Cipher™ are the most versatile camouflage patterns available to hunters due to their careful design and ensured concealment no matter the proximity, season, or terrain.
www.firstlite.com www.firstlite.com
I use the first lite fusion and I love it, I hunt low like 10' most of the time, movement is still key but I have shot a few deer in that camo that were looking my way and I was able to draw and take the shot. Conversely I was busted in an oak by a nice buck this year because I was too high and didn't have a good backdrop so I could have been wearing anything. It also allows me to hunt off the ground if I find a good setup because the pattern very versatile. IMO I look for pattern breakups vs color and anything to breakup my outline. Another good article https://www.hunterselement.com/pages/camouflage-science-learn-how-camo-works
 
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