Camouflage

[bogtrotter]

The topic of camouflage has come up on here fairly often.
The above photo shows how you can merge into the background this photo of me was taken at random no conscious decision to try and hide , the background is heather and grass neither
of which was thick enough to hide me.
I was wearing my tweeds consisting of plus fours green background with a contrasting green line deerstalker the same and as the weather was warm no jacket but a brushed cotton shirt
in a heather colour with a green check.
I have always said that traditional tweeds of a similar colour to the local background is as good if not better than any modern camouflage pattern and I think this photo proves it with the notable exception of my hand, which proves how much skin tone stands out , and my skin is not particularly light I was about to say tanned but weather beaten might be more accurate,
so a lesson to be learned there.

 

[Freeforester]

Here’s me in my snow suit..











It works well especially when it is coming down.

 

[Tim.243]

Here’s me in my snow suit..











It works well especially when it is coming down.

Is that white hot....

 

[sundog]

My camo suit is for sale. Any offers
View attachment 220097View attachment 220097
No time wasters please.

 

[Foxyboy43]

The topic of camouflage has come up on here fairly often.View attachment 220082
The above photo shows how you can merge into the background this photo of me was taken at random no conscious decision to try and hide , the background is heather and grass neither
of which was thick enough to hide me.
I was wearing my tweeds consisting of plus fours green background with a contrasting green line deerstalker the same and as the weather was warm no jacket but a brushed cotton shirt
in a heather colour with a green check.
I have always said that traditional tweeds of a similar colour to the local background is as good if not better than any modern camouflage pattern and I think this photo proves it with the notable exception of my hand, which proves how much skin tone stands out , and my skin is not particularly light I was about to say tanned but weather beaten might be more accurate,
so a lesson to be learned there.

Interesting picture and observation too. I do not recall why, but I always thought the tweed was designed to merge with the background? Indeed in a recent episode of Meateater (yes, yes I know) the main man, in the spirit of Brigadoon (younger members - grandfather consultation time again) was kitted out in tweeds including a Deerstalker hat (god bless americans - lord how I laughed) in a rather posh looking tailors and I seem to recall (dangerous) that the tailor told him that tweeds were selected to match specific background colours and time of year. It could have been a leg-pull at SR's expense of course but it does seem to stack up......
Other opinions are available....
Incoming!!!!

 

[User00040]

Are deer not colourblind to some extent?

I think 'camo' patterns are more likely to not work as the design can never be ideal. Might be perfect in one scenario and terrible in another.

For example, in an Asian primary rainforest/jungle where the canopy is so thick that even GPS/ Sat phones don't work well, most of the ground is shaded and hence full of dead leaves (brown/tan).

The British Army DPM Desert Pattern actually worked best:


as the 'proper' DPM jungle pattern (a light green with some contrast) was simply too busy...



For me, movement (or the lack of it), contrast (don't skyline yourself) and shade (very hard to see from light into dark and vice versa) are the priorities.

I'm not sure about the history of the 'Ghille suit' @bogtrotter , all the stories say they were inspired by users in the Highlands but I have never seen or heard of such things being used in Scotland... maybe for poachers?

 

[sundog]

..

 

[Foxyboy43]

Aye and then of course there is the american requirment to wear high-viz, usually on top of your camouflage suit. It does suggest that deer don't quite see things the way we do but I have heard that on opening day in the US whitetails can be heard laughing very loudly!

 

[bogtrotter]

Are deer not colourblind to some extent?

I think 'camo' patterns are more likely to not work as the design can never be ideal. Might be perfect in one scenario and terrible in another.

For example, in an Asian primary rainforest/jungle where the canopy is so thick that even GPS/ Sat phones don't work well, most of the ground is shaded and hence full of dead leaves (brown/tan).

The British Army DPM Desert Pattern actually worked best:
View attachment 220098

as the 'proper' DPM jungle pattern (a light green with some contrast) was simply too busy...

View attachment 220099

For me, movement (or the lack of it), contrast (don't skyline yourself) and shade (very hard to see from light into dark and vice versa) are the priorities.

I'm not sure about the history of the 'Ghille suit' @bogtrotter , all the stories say they were inspired by users in the Highlands but I have never seen or heard of such things being used in Scotland... maybe for poachers?

 

[sundog]

 

[bogtrotter]

Deer are colour blind to an extent, but not as how many people think of colour blindness, they can't see in the red spectrum which is why hi-viz can be and is worn in some countries yellow is probably as far into the red spectrum as they can see they can't differentiate between reds and green but can see other colours well enough
shades of blue in particular.
Estate tweeds work well where they were designed for but might not work so well in other areas.
As for the Ghillie suit I have also heard that story but don't know if it's true have never known of, any stalker using one, not a Ghillie suit but I did know a stalker who had a couple of sheep skins sown together that he would throw over his back on occasion when crawling into beasts [ there were a lot of sheep on the ground] not sure how
successful it was but he swore by it.
He was also known for telling tall tales.

 

[opticron1]

Interesting picture and observation too. I do not recall why, but I always thought the tweed was designed to merge with the background? Indeed in a recent episode of Meateater (yes, yes I know) the main man, in the spirit of Brigadoon (younger members - grandfather consultation time again) was kitted out in tweeds including a Deerstalker hat (god bless americans - lord how I laughed) in a rather posh looking tailors and I seem to recall (dangerous) that the tailor told him that tweeds were selected to match specific background colours and time of year. It could have been a leg-pull at SR's expense of course but it does seem to stack up......
Other opinions are available....
Incoming!!!!

The tailor may well have been on the ball with his/her/their recommendations..... Traditionally the plaid would have been dyed in whatever local colours were available from the local flora or created from ash/charcoal/minerals, so there might well have been a local camouflage element involved. Then of course the gradual change to "estate" tweeds and the Walter Scott approach to plaid when it became trendy again - leading to the current crop of fine Tweeds in any colour(s) you want - including well known football teams, but I can't see that going well on the hill - more of a Wedding thing!
I was always told the best camouflage is the one that doesn't get seen at all by the target.....

 

[Ant ler]

Tweed certainly has its place that is for sure. Nice to wear at times. Standard green and browns seem to do the trick. I don't see the need to go all marine/army when stalking.

 

[Silvius]

Nice picture. For me it really shows how something that disrupts the sillhouette really hides one. It also shows why gloves are a good idea. I think that had the grass not been there, the picture would be fairly clear.

Those who hate thermals won't know what I mean (because there is simply no way you could have this experience) but how often do you see a deer as clear as day on a thermal when it is in a bush or behind some coppiced stems but you look for what feels like forever until you can see it in the scope, even though you know exactly where it is. Then once you have made it out, suddenly the brain puts the pictue together and its clear, even though earlier you just couldn't find it. Its because the thin stuff in front of the deer broke up the sillhouette and your brain had to look for what it could recognise -a ruminating jaw, an eye, an antler being the usual give aways.

What I would be interested to know is how well do bushes hide us from deer? Pretty well I htink but I sometimes suspect that the bushes hide them from us better than they hide us from them because we as predators make out quarry sillhouettes while they as prey see movement first and foremost and while they may pause for a brief moment trying to work out the source of the movement, they make off when they see movement whether or not they identify the cause.

 

[countrryboy]

I can always mind being on fox drives with a face veil and gloves on and the ammount of deer that would walk very close to u giving u a right staring at and only beginning to run when they got downwind.
As others have said its the movement and white face/hands that give u away most often

I mind 1 time i was perched far back with the rifle on a sunny day and wot stood out right round the wood was everyones gun barrels glinting in the sun could see them for half a mile or more at far side of wood.

 

[bogtrotter]

Silvius is on the money, its about breaking up your outline I am well hidden in the photo yet the grass is only a few
thin stems no way enough to hide behind but when combined with the colours I was wearing which matched the surroundings, it is enough to break up my outline and I practically dissapear.
I can assure you that where that was taken is a very open bit of hillside where you really stuggle to find any cover
My hand just emphasises the fact that something clashes if it was not for the hand I would be really difficult to see
but of course once you have seen the full picture you can't unsee it.
This was not the intention of the photographer only saw it when looking at the photos later and thought some
might be interested in the effect .

 

[scotch_egg]

Check out this hunting blind.

RHINO 180 - SEE THROUGH BLIND 5-Hub Design

FeraDyne Outdoors, is the manufacturer of the leading brands of Rage® broadheads, Muzzy® broadheads and bowfishing equipment, Carbon Express® arrows, crossbows, and accessories, Nockturnal® lighted nocks, Tru-Fire® releases, BLOCK® targets, GlenDel® targets, Shooter™ 3D targets, Black Hole™...

rhinoblinds.com

 

[John Gryphon]

I was wearing my tweeds consisting of plus fours green background with a contrasting green line deerstalker the same and as the weather was warm no jacket but a brushed cotton shirt

If you are happy with that you can improve no end by wearing fingerless mittens/gloves also as the back of the hands reflect a real shine when moving them.

 

[FISH BOY]

Last month I was lucky enough to be out with a very knowledgeable guy whos been stalking for almost 50 years - lives and breathes it.

We were in the wood, wind was in our favour and we saw them approach from about 100yards. Having seen and ID them, we went into dead still mode. The six fallow does meandered towards us up to about 40 yards - no need for binos and the movement as they were so close we just froze watching them.

At 40 yards they just stopped, all staring in our direction. They gazed for over a minute at us intently and then bolted with haste.

Neither of us moved a muscle and were completely covered from head to toe - wind was cutting across us so dont think they winded us.

Anyway afterwards, he mentioned that he believes that they know the forrest intimately, not every tree per se , but know when somethings out of place or different.
Having had many close encounters where however concealed you are they always seem to stare straight through you - I like the idea of it.

 

[Hayduke]

I concur FB and have seen it a number of times. It is as if they have an inbuilt or ancestral memory of their territory.
But I have also had them within five to ten metres and just not seen me (until too late!).