In the world of hunting, camouflage isn’t only confined to your apparel and accessories. More than donning hues and patterns that match the terrain, it’s a way of seeing and stalking your game undetected.
Camouflage goes beyond what you’re wearing as it includes controlled equipment and discreet equipment to blend with the environment. It’s the stealthy behavior that makes a hunt successful.
So, whether you’re a newbie in the hunting sport or a seasoned professional hunter, camouflage can be an effective way for you to zero in on the kill and come out victorious. Wearing the appropriate type of camouflage helps you catch ducks, turkeys, deer, or any other type of wild game.
Camouflage As A Hunting Art
Camouflage conceals you from your prey so you blend into the environment and even disrupt your outline. It’s the art of being there without being seen—using clothes, netting, and other accessories.
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Basics
Hunters know the most effective camouflage helps them stalk and even get close to their game without being seen. While there are plenty of camouflage patterns, colors, and styles available at stores like the Camo Netting Store, you need to know which will be the most suitable to where you’ll hunt and track your prey.
It’s best to consider the type of animal you’ll be hunting. Animals perceive colors differently and also have various reactions to human movement. Ducks and other birds see colors well so it’s best to pattern your camo with the color of tall and lightly colored reeds. Turkeys, on other hand, are often hunted in the spring, and shades of green and dark shadows can conceal you.
Hunters should also know deer, elk, and other big game animals have difficulty seeing yellow, orange, and red hues but they can easily spot your outline amidst the foliage. Wearing camo patterns that break up your outline works well during deer hunting season.
When it comes to hunting predatory animals such as wolves and coyotes, camo netting can make a decent blind. A professional hunter may even wear a Ghillie or 3D suit when you’re stationary for long periods.
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Blend In
Camouflage helps you hide in plain sight by mimicking natural elements like leaves, branches, trees, and grass. It also helps hunters resemble their game’s surroundings—brush, marsh, snow, and woodland. There are four common types of camouflage being used in by professional hunters and based on the vegetation and terrain of the area.
Woodland camouflage allows hunters to merge seamlessly into their forest surroundings. During the early season, green and leafy patterns work best while in late fall or early spring, camouflage in hues of browns and yellows resonate with late fall or early spring.
Your location and hunting technique can also influence your camouflage choice. When you’re up in the trees, contrasting patterns of limbs and sky conceal you better while spot-and-track hunting requires break-up camouflage that makes it harder for the game to spot and sense your movement.
Brush camouflage works with dirt and dry terrain. It mimics the color and pattern of dried grass and branches to confuse animals and help you close in. Marsh camouflage is site-specific and features various grasses, reeds, and other elements in waterfowl environments.
Snow camo combines white with darker colors to limit contrasts. You can also mix snow camouflage with other types when you’re hunting during the late season.
Hunting regions in the United States can also influence what type of camo you’ll need. North areas are suitable for tree stand hunting while the south is covered with lush green vegetation. The eastern hunting range is the most diverse, so you would need a versatile camo print and pattern. In contrast, woodland and brush camo blends well in the west region.
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Break Up
Aside from mimicking the environment, camouflage can also make you untraceable with stripes, patches, spots, or a combination of all these. Digital or pixelized camouflage disrupts your outline to confuse the game into thinking you’re a natural part of their surroundings. Wearing camouflage outfits helps conceal your human figure so it’s easier to track the game and go for the kill.
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Camouflage All Over
Clothes are only half of the camouflage equation, as you’ll need matching accessories to make it effective. Bags, tarps, and netting should be in the same pattern. You can even conceal your hunting equipment with an identical design or with some foliage.
When it comes to exposed skin, you can use camo paint on your face, neck, and hands to break your head’s outline and to minimize glare. When you’re using camo paint, choose two or three shades and paint in irregular patterns. An alternative is to wear a bandanna or a hat to obscure your face and head from the animals you’re trailing.
Camouflage Your Tools
Remember, you need to make sure everything is camouflaged, including your tools and weapons. A lot of hunters nowadays will make sure they use the right attachments for their hunting tools. For example, if you were using a Benelli M4 and had a Benelli M4 Magazine Extension you’d have to make sure it was camouflaged in line with the rest of your gear and equipment. One tiny mistake can see your whole effort ruined entirely, so make sure you put aside some time to make sure you and your equipment are all looking the same and in line with the terrain you’ll be hunting in.
Conclusion
Camouflage is the art of not being there while hunting. Using mimicry and break-up patterns suitable to your hunting grounds ensures that you’re unnoticed by your prey as you stalk and strike.
When considering which pattern to choose, it pays to know the behavior of your game and their color perception so you can blend with the environment. Aside from this, camouflage also extends to your hunting equipment and accessories to provide a totally effective stealthy hunting look.
