Camouflage

[sundog]

The hill changes colour through the year. Black or too dark stands out as much as too light and some camo patterns darken considerably when wet.
Some of the wetland camo patterns work well early in the year

 

[willie_gunn]

The camo I actually found surprisingly effective on the hill was the Swiss Alpenflage:

 

[Rory]

this thread is great - 4 pages later we can all agree that camouflage works best if it matches the environment!
This is why I have surplus of - US Woodland, USMC Woodland, USMC Desert, Multicam, DPM, Flektarn, Nutria and snow over-suit.

 

[sundog]

I’m having a stalking smock made from Harris tweed as we speak. This is it at final fitting stage last week. My wife would call it ‘ coo shite green’. What do you think Bogtrotter?

 

[enfieldspares]

Here's me in mine with a couple of chickens I've just necked from the hen coop. It is actually not grey as it may look but a yellow and green. Bought for use on a ground that was mostly old tall grass.

 

[Klenchblaize]

The camo I actually found surprisingly effective on the hill was the Swiss Alpenflage:

View attachment 220372

That is so COOL!

K

 

[Hayduke]

this thread is great - 4 pages later we can all agree that camouflage works best if it matches the environment!

That's actually a great result, agreeing, on SD, must be change in the weather, days drawing in, temperatures dropping, getting closer to winter cull / deer season, less grumpy, summer blues over!

 

[NickJ]

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.

One version I heard about the Ghillie suit was that a highland stalker used one to sit over fox dens and when he was called up to the Lovat Scouts in the First World War developed something similar for sniping. Certainly the Boers were some of the first to use sniping and camouflage so the British army could have copied it from them.

I have often wondered about the potential application of a sheep's fleece, the (crazy) Yanks use a wooden cattle cut out to help them stalk Pronghorn on open farmland.

 

[willie_gunn]

One version I heard about the Ghillie suit was that a highland stalker used one to sit over fox dens and when he was called up to the Lovat Scouts in the First World War developed something similar for sniping. Certainly the Boers were some of the first to use sniping and camouflage so the British army could have copied it from them.

I have often wondered about the potential application of a sheep's fleece, the (crazy) Yanks use a wooden cattle cut out to help them stalk Pronghorn on open farmland.

The other week, during the roe rut, I was doing a witnessed stalk. The Candidate had seen a buck following a doe, but to approach it we had to go down the side of a maize cover crop in full view of the deer. Being the Witness I was behind the Candidate, but almost literally breathing down his neck. Remembering a story from the Hill many years ago I walked crouched down, and I am convinced the deer thought we were another animal approaching them, as they looked up at us several times but didn’t spook. Sadly the animals subsequently moved off before a shot presented itself.

The Hill story was that the stalker and the rifle had to go down the slope of a corrie to approach the deer. The stalker carried two sticks in a “V” above his head, whilst the rifle crouched down and grabbed the stalker’s belt. The stag they were stalking paid the price for not realising they were not a just another stag!

 

[Sealgair nam fiadh]

Years ago I was working with a ex para on Lewis, the first time I wore my Swiss Alpenflage jacket he was roaring with laughter saying look at the colour of that thing.
I walked 100 yards away from him and sat down, he said he was astonished that it worked so well.
His DPM para smock just looked like a black blob in comparison.

 

[Stalker62]

His DPM para smock just looked like a black blob in comparison.

One of the Stalkers in Sutherland said black was the worst colour to wear on the hill.

To illustrate the point he indicated a chap across the valley whose attire included a black beanie hat.

It surprisingly (for me) stood out like the proverbial.

 

[bogtrotter]

One of the Stalkers in Sutherland said black was the worst colour to wear on the hill.

To illustrate the point he indicated a chap across the valley whose attire included a black beanie hat.

It surprisingly (for me) stood out like the proverbial.

Yes stands out very much, thats the trouble with loden it's fine when dry but turns black when wet you will pick out a man
a mile away on the hill in wet loden.

 

[bogtrotter]

I’m having a stalking smock made from Harris tweed as we speak. This is it at final fitting stage last week. My wife would call it ‘ coo shite green’. What do you think Bogtrotter?
View attachment 220377

I don't know, I can't see you!

 

[Foxyboy43]

The other week, during the roe rut, I was doing a witnessed stalk. The Candidate had seen a buck following a doe, but to approach it we had to go down the side of a maize cover crop in full view of the deer. Being the Witness I was behind the Candidate, but almost literally breathing down his neck. Remembering a story from the Hill many years ago I walked crouched down, and I am convinced the deer thought we were another animal approaching them, as they looked up at us several times but didn’t spook. Sadly the animals subsequently moved off before a shot presented itself.

The Hill story was that the stalker and the rifle had to go down the slope of a corrie to approach the deer. The stalker carried two sticks in a “V” above his head, whilst the rifle crouched down and grabbed the stalker’s belt. The stag they were stalking paid the price for not realising they were not a just another stag!

Aye. I used this to effect some years ago when out for the first time with the stalker (now a great pal) and we were sheltering behind a large rock some 400yards of dead ground short of a group of stags. The old boys were on guard duty and lying maybe 30 feet higher than the rest and we thought we were banjaxed. With nothing to lose I suggested the pantomime horse routine with him walking upright and me bowed over holding on to his belt. This we did, with much laughter, running commentary and walking at an oblique angle to the herd. Long story short it worked an absolute treat but the hot tip - do not look at the beasts - a white face is a killer. It was then that I discovered two things:-
(1) the stalker had Crones disease; and
(2) next time for sure - I will be at the front.
We still laugh about it when we get together at least twice a year in his native Perthshire. Roll on October!,

 

[NickJ]

The other week, during the roe rut, I was doing a witnessed stalk. The Candidate had seen a buck following a doe, but to approach it we had to go down the side of a maize cover crop in full view of the deer. Being the Witness I was behind the Candidate, but almost literally breathing down his neck. Remembering a story from the Hill many years ago I walked crouched down, and I am convinced the deer thought we were another animal approaching them, as they looked up at us several times but didn’t spook. Sadly the animals subsequently moved off before a shot presented itself.

The Hill story was that the stalker and the rifle had to go down the slope of a corrie to approach the deer. The stalker carried two sticks in a “V” above his head, whilst the rifle crouched down and grabbed the stalker’s belt. The stag they were stalking paid the price for not realising they were not a just another stag!

@Moray Outfitting know the ground where I stalked with Patrick S many years ago, dead flat flow country where the only approach was to walk doubled over in a line and pretend you were a bunch of hinds. Exhausting.

 

[Morkai]

I dont think my flecktarn waterproofs work with the orange of the KTM, the keep me dry though.

These are great btw, cheap off ebay.

 

[foxdropper]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned our eyes .Forward facing predator eyes which no amount of camo can hide .Corvids pick upon it even if your wearing the landscape .Deer hate being stared at ,avert your eyes and they carry on routine .
I thought the objective was to stalk in with deer unaware though

 

[John Gryphon]

Y

I’m surprised no one has mentioned our eyes .Forward facing predator eyes which no amount of camo can hide .Corvids pick upon it even if your wearing the landscape .Deer hate being stared at ,avert your eyes and they carry on routine .
I thought the objective was to stalk in with deer unaware though

you can buy camo glasses..true

 

[Morkai]

Y

you can buy camo glasses..true



View attachment 220839

You only qualify to wear these if you have a mullet and singlet.

 

[John Gryphon]

and singlet.

BLUE singlet!