As a young hunter, I never paid much attention to camouflage clothing.  In fact, almost no one paid much attention to it in the 1960’s and early 1970’s.  The popular camo brands we have today hadn’t been invented yet and the idea of concealment was something we tried to achieve on the cheap – by staying upwind and using natural cover. I usually went into the field with the same comfortable clothes that I wore hiking or fishing – jeans, a wool Pendleton™ topped by a coat or sweater and knit cap.  This outfit was perfect for fall day hunts in Southern California’s San Bernadino Mountains.  At least I thought so at the time.

 Surplus Store Camy 

This perspective began to change with my first visit to a Long Beach “war” surplus store with my dad.  The store’s aisles presented an endless trail of artifacts of the Korean and Second World Wars. Dad was shopping for tents and cots for a summer camping trip.  I was just taking it all in until my gaze fell on moderately-worn green clothing.  Jackets, trousers and shirts in drab green and camouflage patterns.  I was hooked!  I bought my first “camy” shirt in size “too large” for my 12 year old frame  and couldn’t wait until I could wear it on my next hunt.  While I  never detected any great advantage, I did feel more concealed.

Today, I’m all in.  My goal is to get within my effective range, no more than 300 yards, and camouflage clothing certainly helps.  But it is not the only consideration, or even the most important one, in my view, to achieving this goal.     

Deer have excellent vision, hearing, and smell.  Even the best camo pattern is of little value if the hunter’s noisy clothing or odor gives away their presence.  Each sense supplies information that helps qualify a detected movement, shape or color as a potential threat. All of a deer or turkey’s senses must be mitigated to some extent to get within range.   Here are five tips for looking beyond the camo pattern and dressing for success and safety in the field.

 Dress for Safety

First, I urge hunters to dress for safety.  This means wearing the required covering of hunter orange (also called blaze orange), regardless of your choice of  a jacket, vest or full body coverall.   In Nebraska, rifle hunters, fall turkey hunters and archers who hunt during the deer rifle season are required to display at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material on their head, chest and backs.  For all practical purposes, this amounts to little more than a full vest and a hat.

So what does this buy you?  In a nutshell, you get two important things.  First, hunter orange significantly increases the odds that you will be detected by other hunters. This not only alerts other hunters to your presence, but gives them an opportunity to turn away from you.  Knowing where another hunter is set up allows you both to hunt more safely in the same area.  Second, and just as important, hunter orange is just the thing to be wearing when misfortune strikes. In this kind of situation, you want to be seen by emergency rescue personnel.  In the photograph above, the hunter is pictured in a blaze orange jacket and cap that contrasts sharply with the ground.  I also recommend carrying a couple of glow-sticks in case misfortune strikes after dark.

Reducing Noise

Even before choosing a camo pattern, examine the fabric of various brands to learn the difference between quiet and noisy fabrics.  All of us have worn fabrics that sound like sandpaper.  These are usually tossed into the rag bin after their first outing.  Rather than concealing you, such fabrics actually do a better job of announcing your presence to everything within earshot.

Today, all of the most popular camo patterns offered by major manufacturers, such as RealTree™, Mossy Oak™ and SitkaGear,™ offer clothing lines made with new fabrics that are designed to be not only quiet, but also light weight, water and wind proof, unshrinkable and well-fitting.  Game Hide’s Innovative Fabrics line, for example, is designed specifically to reduce noise in the field.  Once you’ve made this leap, I recommend getting rid of any other gear that scratches, rattles, or clinks.

 Reducing Visibility

All camo patterns will break up the human form and help you blend into the environment.  Nothing fancy or expensive is needed.  Indeed, many hunters are successful with just a hunter orange jacket and cap because they know how to avoid detection by the deer’s senses of hearing and smell.  As shown in the photograph below, the author prefers a washed out camo pattern topped by hunter orange cap and jacket.

For pine ridge hunting, I recommend patterns that work well with conifers and lighter colored brush and rocks.  The dominant tree on the pine ridge is the Ponderosa Pine.  An occasional hardwood or cottonwood can be found in our creek bottoms, but not enough to be a factor in choosing a camo pattern. The patterns shown above are from Cabela’s collection, but you can find similar patterns from other major manufacturers and retailers.  Just swipe your mouse over the pattern to see its brand name. Patterns, such as Realtree Max, Camo West Vanish™ and True Timber™, seem to fit in well with most of the terrain. And, while you are at it, don’t forget to invest in neck gaiters or face paint to break up the image of your face and eyes.

Reducing Scent

An effective camo pattern helps, but is of little value if you fail to control your scent.  As a youngster, scent control amounted to little more than washing my clothes in hot water and air drying them outside in the sun.  After they were dry, I sealed up shirts, trousers, socks, and cap in a plastic bag with a cover scent of pine needles or sage.  I never polished my boots and kept them in a separate plastic bag with the same scent.  A little mink oil on the seams was all that was needed for water proofing.  As for the bandana, I usually put it over my mouth to control breath scent and beak up the outline of my face.

Scent control clothing is one of the hottest areas in hunter clothing today.  Manufacturers are now offering brands aimed at reducing a hunter’s scent.  Absent a telltale human odor, an unusual movement or color may not be enough to interrupt browsing or cause a deer to take flight.  In such circumstances, hunters may have a second chance to get that perfect shot.  Manufacturers such as ScentLok®, offer innovative hunting clothing that incorporates high tech approaches to controlling your scent.

Dressing for Comfort

Finally, let’s not forget the importance of dressing for your comfort.  If your clothing is uncomfortable or in the way when you raise your binoculars or rifle, you are going to have a miserable experience.  For hunts in most western regions, this means dressing in layers that can be adjusted as needed.  The concept is simple enough, but often difficult to achieve in light weight, close fitting outfits.  Companies like Sitka Gear, Kuiu and Black Ovis are coming to the rescue, with clothing systems designed in different weights and characteristics for different hunts and seasons.

The author, pictured above, is simply dressed in layers topped by a light weight orange jersey. Thin, flexible shooting gloves allow good trigger feel while keeping hands warm and comfortable.  Trousers are a loose-fitting bib overall, giving maximum comfort and flexibility.  Although I live in blue jeans, I don’t wear them hunting.  I prefer loose-fitting, drab-colored bibs with  cargo-style pockets, brush and knee padding, and draw strings at the ankle.  The latter allows me to tighten the trouser around my ankle to keep prickly grasses out of my socks.  On colder days, a turtle neck undershirt is a welcome addition. Comfortable socks and field boots that you can wear all day complete the outfit.

Although there are no guarantees of success in hunting, dressing comfortably for safety is certainly a good place to start turning the odds in your favor.  Once you have figured out your dress and carry gear, you can then turn your attention back to hunting methods and strategies.