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       #Post#: 126--------------------------------------------------
        How Important is Camouflage for Hunting?  
   DIR By: allmanav
       Date: March 19, 2020, 12:08 pm
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       How Important is Camouflage for Hunting?
       Perhaps the least-necessary part of any hunter’s gear is
       camouflage clothing. Yes, it’s true that I usually reach for
       camo clothing when I head out to pursue wild game, but while it
       helps in many situations, it’s not strictly necessary.
       Consider that most of the time, deer hunters are required by law
       to wear bright orange vests to prevent them being shot by other
       hunters… but they still kill deer with those vests on. So if
       your freezer gets low on meat during the COVID-19 coronavirus
       emergency, don’t feel like you need to buy a lot of gear before
       you go hunting for survival.
       Don’t Move!
       What’s more important than camo? Being still. You can blend
       while wearing just about any drab-colored clothing, as long as
       you just stand or sit still. And I’ll happily admit that I have
       trouble doing that… but I know it makes a big difference. I can
       be wearing all the camouflage in the world, but if I can’t be
       still I will be spotted by my prey.
       Sometimes you have to move, of course… but learning to make
       those movements in slow motion can help you get away with a lot,
       even when deer are nearby. So keep your movement to a minimum
       and move slowly when you do move.
       “Blinding” the Game Animals
       To remain hidden from view, the best thing you can do is to hide
       behind something. It may be a screen of brush, a wall of
       palmetto fronds, or a manmade “blind” of some sort. Pretty much
       anything to conceal your movements from the critters.
       It’s best to have these blinds in place for some time prior to
       your actual hunt, to allow animals to get used to seeing them. A
       new blob of color or reasonably large object on the landscape
       will usually be noticed and studied hard by prey animals the
       first time they see them, and it’s to a hunter’s advantage for
       the animals to already have seen (and become accustomed to) it
       before the hunter is actually sitting there behind it, usually
       with head & shoulders exposed.
       The purpose of any blind is to hide, of course — and to hide our
       movements more than anything else. When you sit awaiting game
       for long periods of time you’ll find yourself moving your feet
       to reposition them for comfort, moving your hands to reach for a
       game call, handle your gun, retrieve snacks from pocket or pack…
       and let’s face it: play games on your smart phone to pass the
       time. It’s best to keep that movement unseen.
       Hands & Face
       Years ago, I learned that some sort of cover or color on your
       face and hands can really help you remain undetected by animals.
       Camo makeup or even some dirt or grease rubbed on your face to
       darken it can help prevent it from standing out from the
       background, and some dark-colored gloves on your hands will go a
       long way towards masking your movements.
       Animals react much differently when they think they saw a
       movement than when the know they did.
       What to Wear
       If you have camouflage at your disposal, then by all means use
       it. But don’t worry if you don’t have any; you can still kill
       deer and hogs just like your great-grandfather did — wearing
       khaki work pants and a red checkered shirt. Or, more
       practically, in your black jeans and a dark-colored plaid shirt.
       Wear dark socks instead of white ones, etc. It’s just common
       sense; deer and similar animals are mostly colorblind, but
       bright things will stand out more because they contrast with the
       natural darkness of the woods.
       I’m not talking about snow-covered landscapes, of course. For
       that, wear white clothing or maybe don some kitchen garbage bags
       as an outer layer in a pinch.
       They say turkeys can see colors, so they usually require more
       attention to detail than other game animals when it comes to
       concealment… and turkeys will tolerate less movement than most
       other game.
       Go Get ’em
       No matter what you do, sit as still as possible — and as always,
       happy hunting.
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