First time hunting, do I need camo?

[korie83]

Hey Guys,

This is going to be my first year going hunting, and I'm curious how necessary camo gear is?

I have a bunch of great winter gear I use for camping/hiking etc, but its all black for the most part, with the exception of one of my heavy winter jackets, which is predominatly white.

I figure for snowy days my white heavy jacket would be nearly as good as "snow camo", but I would still probably prefer to wear my good gore-tex Arc'teryx gear, which is all black.

Is this really going to be a problem, and would camo make that much of a difference? If so, is there cheap light breathable jackets I can find to throw over my current gear?

[catnthehat]

Camo? Not needed.
being as Quiet as possible, watching the wind, and using your ears and eyes will go further than wearing camo.
Cat

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

camo? Not needed.
Being as quiet as possible, watching the wind, and using your ears and eyes will go further than wearing camo.
Cat

x 30....

[Donkey Oatey]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

x 30....06

Fixed for ya

[korie83]

Originally Posted by Donkey Oatey

Fixed for ya

x30... 06

Perfect, got one of those, guess thats more important than the camo!

[Mountain Guy]

Not necessary but it does allow you to blend into your surroundings giving you a slight edge.
being motionless and not being sky-lined is far more important than being camo...

[4thredneck]

You don't need camo, but here is a more important question, in the area where I live we are over run with road hunters. When road hunting do you need camo seat covers? And if so does the camo pattern on your seat covers have to match your clothes?























Before anyone gets up in arms I'm not saying the OP is roadhunting, I'm just trying to be funny. I am serious about the road hunters wearing camo in my area though.

[Kurt505]

Watching the wind is THE most important thing you must do, camo isn't going to hurt one bit. Quiet clothing is more important that camo in most situations. If your sitting in a blind, comfort is paramount, the more time you can spend there, the better your odds. It all depends on what kind of hunting you do. If your serious about hunting, buying some wool camo would be a great start for your new hobby. Best of luck to you!

[muleyhunter7]

I wouldnt hunt without it but thats me i love my scent blocker suit its comfortable tons of pockets which i look but theres lots of ppl that hunt without it

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by korie83

Hey Guys,

This is going to be my first year going hunting, and I'm curious how necessary camo gear is?

I have a bunch of great winter gear I use for camping/hiking etc, but its all black for the most part, with the exception of one of my heavy winter jackets, which is predominatly white.

I figure for snowy days my white heavy jacket would be nearly as good as "snow camo", but I would still probably prefer to wear my good gore-tex Arc'teryx gear, which is all black.

Is this really going to be a problem, and would camo make that much of a difference? If so, is there cheap light breathable jackets I can find to throw over my current gear?

Nope.

Its your first year...and hunting is expensive....lots of things to purchase that will be of a much greater benefit to you before camo.

I'd focus on the essentials and put fancy pants way down on the list.
Plus...if you wait until the end of the season...it'll start to come up on sale.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by pesky672

Nope.

Its your first year...and hunting is expensive....lots of things to purchase that will be of a much greater benefit to you before camo.

I'd focus on the essentials and put fancy pants way down on the list.
Plus...if you wait until the end of the season...it'll start to come up on sale.

Good advice....apart from a rifle, ammo, tags , and practice at the range to find your comfort zone and max shooting distance. A good pair of boots and a decent set of Binoculars should get you well on your way!

LC

[wildcat111]

i had a wt doe come right up to my son and i and give us a sniff, this would have never happened with out the camo, i am a true beliver, you can still wear all your hiking clothes just make sure to spray your clothes with a odor killer the night before and i always place them outside overnight so they don't obsorb any of the house scent, then before you leave bag it and put it on when you arrive to your destination. go out and buy a gilley suit, there were light, and will fit right over your clothes, my son and i both do this and it works great. good luck

[AxeMan]

Camo is over-rated IMHO.

I have found over many years of hunting (mostly in the northern timber areas) that camo and being overly quiet can work against you. During the November deer rut, many times a buck will come to a noise and want to get a good look at what is there. I intentionally break the odd stick and and don't slink around too much and many times a curious buck will come out of his way to get a good look at me. We typically even see bucks after shooting one and then make a huge commotion while field dressing it and loading it.

Moose are curious as well and often come to gawk. How many times have we be been cutting firewood with a chainsaw only to have a moose or two come out on the line to see what the heck is going on.

Watch the wind and your scent but the visual and noise I wouldn't get too worried about.

That's my 2 cents.

[IR_mike]

Originally Posted by wildcat111

i had a wt doe come right up to my son and i and give us a sniff, this would have never happened with out the camo, i am a true beliver,

Ive shot a few deer and a moose at very close distances while sitting at clearing edges and at fencelines without camo.

Being quiet and still does it, not the camo.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Good advice....apart from a rifle, ammo, tags , and practice at the range to find your comfort zone and max shooting distance. A good pair of boots and a decent set of Binoculars should get you well on your way!

LC

Yup...and a GPS...a good knife... maps... gas... maybe radios... it all adds up.
I'm pretty much decked out all my major purchases are behind me and I still spend at least 2 or 3 thousand on hunting every year.

Not sure where the OP is from but...if you find yourself out by Fabyan...near Wainwright down the road...the Trading Post usually has lots of bargain discount camo.

Hey...how'd you make out on the elk front?
Any luck?

[fatboyz]

I still wear grey wool pants hunting, and have for the last 25 hrs. Also wore blaze orange when it was required, still is in wainwright. I have had lots of success without camo. I do use some camo, but it isn't as important as being quiet. I don't wear my Arcteryx pants hunting though, too noisy.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by korie83

Hey Guys,

This is going to be my first year going hunting, and I'm curious how necessary camo gear is?

I have a bunch of great winter gear I use for camping/hiking etc, but its all black for the most part, with the exception of one of my heavy winter jackets, which is predominatly white.

I figure for snowy days my white heavy jacket would be nearly as good as "snow camo", but I would still probably prefer to wear my good gore-tex Arc'teryx gear, which is all black.

Is this really going to be a problem, and would camo make that much of a difference? If so, is there cheap light breathable jackets I can find to throw over my current gear?

It is more about wind direction/scent control, your movements and noise. A simple pair of polar fleece top and bottoms will work over top of your normal outer wear.
A good pair of binoculars or boots are more important than camo; put your money towards that.

Store your hunting stuff separate and in a clean plastic bag and don't wear it in the truck while you are driving to your spot eating and drinking and god forbid someone is smoking in the vehicle. The nose of an animal is so sensitive.

Most camo is vogue and over rated.

Good luck with it.....

[west250]

Originally Posted by korie83

Hey Guys,

This is going to be my first year going hunting, and I'm curious how necessary camo gear is?

I have a bunch of great winter gear I use for camping/hiking etc, but its all black for the most part, with the exception of one of my heavy winter jackets, which is predominatly white.

I figure for snowy days my white heavy jacket would be nearly as good as "snow camo", but I would still probably prefer to wear my good gore-tex Arc'teryx gear, which is all black.

Is this really going to be a problem, and would camo make that much of a difference? If so, is there cheap light breathable jackets I can find to throw over my current gear?

Camo is just a fancy version of the red and black plaid jacket. Trick is to wear comfortable, quiet clothes with preferably a bit of pattern break up on top (red and black plaid jacket?).
Stay away from blues - deer can see that colour well, white works good when there's snow on the ground, but not for bare ground hunting. Greens and greys are good as well..

Oh yea, and not too much black, it makes you stand out.. How easy is it to spot black bears?

[bobalong]

Camo is not magic, but like a lot of hunting items you buy, there are things that you want and those that you need. I wear camo, because I believe it helps break up my outline, it still does not allow you to move around all over the place, or ignore the wind (for big game) but if your movements are subtle, I believe it helps.

Most of the items listed in the other posts are things you need more than camo but if you WANT camo, buy it. I have about 5-6 different camo patterns, it has just become part of my hunting gear, just like binos, rangefinder, blinds,calls etc.
Most of my hunting is for geese and I do believe camo in the right pattern helps, and if YOU believe it will help you, then go for it.

I will not presume to know exactly what big game/waterfowl think or see, but to me the right camo in the right foliage should help conceal subtle movement.

[Speckle55]

Originally Posted by korie83

Hey Guys,

This is going to be my first year going hunting, and I'm curious how necessary camo gear is?

I have a bunch of great winter gear I use for camping/hiking etc, but its all black for the most part, with the exception of one of my heavy winter jackets, which is predominatly white.

I figure for snowy days my white heavy jacket would be nearly as good as "snow camo", but I would still probably prefer to wear my good gore-tex Arc'teryx gear, which is all black.

Is this really going to be a problem, and would camo make that much of a difference? If so, is there cheap light breathable jackets I can find to throw over my current gear?

No you don,t need .. this year or ever if you want..

it can help in certain hunting applications though as others have posted

Movement and smell are the most important if walking/stalking.. i do allot of ground blind /and spot and stock so camo is not that important..

this year i have had WT/Elk/Wolf all at 20 yards or less with my street jacket on sitting in a lawn chair and stalk to 20 yds of a 5 by 7 but wind was in my favor and i used ground cover to stalk closer.. here is a pic of him another day ..

David
017.jpg

[Fowl91]

I was within 15 yards of a bull moose three weeks ago with my bow, and i was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He had no clue I was there until I moved to get a clean shot at him.

Long story short; Camo is not necessary and I missed a 15 yard shot. There I said it... lol

Fowl

[xtreme hunter10]

Originally Posted by korie83

Hey Guys,

This is going to be my first year going hunting, and I'm curious how necessary camo gear is?

I have a bunch of great winter gear I use for camping/hiking etc, but its all black for the most part, with the exception of one of my heavy winter jackets, which is predominatly white.

I figure for snowy days my white heavy jacket would be nearly as good as "snow camo", but I would still probably prefer to wear my good gore-tex Arc'teryx gear, which is all black.

Is this really going to be a problem, and would camo make that much of a difference? If so, is there cheap light breathable jackets I can find to throw over my current gear?

you only need camo if your bow hunting. if you can afford it and want to buy only clothing for hunting, then go for it. if not then dont worry about it. I dont know about anyone else, but i didnt start with any camo clothing.