# Are you wearing camouflage clothes at shooting wildlife?



## xps (Mar 31, 2016)

Many of my friends are wearing camouflage clothes for shooting wildlife. Does this make sense?

I was recently looking for some (camouflage) clothes in an hunting shop, but I do not know, if it is worth to buy these expensive clothes. What do you wear at shooting wildlife?


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## Steve Dmark2 (Mar 31, 2016)

Hello,

I personally don't use special clothing. I go out with a green Jacket and a darker pants.
Birds also react to movment. They see you even though you have camouflage clothing.

I normally sit on a small folding stool and put a camouflage mesh over me and the tripod.
Different kind of nets are available in the internet for under 50€.

Cheers.


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## candc (Mar 31, 2016)

Camo clothing is good if you are shooting from some cover like tall grass or trees but it doesn't make any difference if you are out in the open. You need a pop up blind or some netting if you want concealment then.


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## monkey44 (Mar 31, 2016)

Most animals have significantly better color vision that humans - and heightened hearing as well. So, most often, they know we're there before we get there. If we are perceived as a threat, they will respond, if we are not, they'll allow us closer. Many animals in the national and state recreation areas have become attuned to visitors, and ignore all but the jerks. 

It's very unlikely a human can get close to any animal in the wild without detection, camo clothing or not. It takes skill plus animal behavior and habitat knowledge, and most humans do not have that kind of training. 


https://www.quora.com/ Ask it about color-blind in animals. Most can see camo-clothes


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## AdamFichna (Mar 31, 2016)

If you shooting birds than using hides and tents is the best way to get close enough to the bird. If you want to shoot mammals like deers etc. than you dont need any camo because as long as you don't move and the wind is not blowing from behind you the animal won't notice you, but of course hides are the safest and most comfortable way to shoot wildlife


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## [email protected] (Mar 31, 2016)

Animals will often be at their most skittish when they think a person (or other potential predator) appears to be sneaking up on them. This is true to the point where you can often get closer to animals by appearing to merely be walking past, without noticing them. I can get within 40 yards of a wild turkey by playing dumb and picking a line of travel that does not appear to intersect with the bird. But if I crouch and try to sneak up, they'll fly as soon as they notice me, which is perhaps 3 times further away.

All that said, I do wear either camo or appropriate colors to blend in. When I'm being observed, I just make sure that I'm not appearing overly sneaky. The camo helps with animals that are traveling into your area of view. If they see a bright orange piece of clothing, some animals may shy. 

This is all put to nought by my kids, however, who like to go out into the blinds more and more, but also tend to have bright pink boots. My 5-year-old loves the camo sweatshirt I bought her and wears it proudly, along with her bright yellow hat.


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 31, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> I can get within 40 yards of a wild turkey by playing dumb and picking a line of travel that does not appear to intersect with the bird.



Our local 'wild turkeys' are significantly more approachable. I walked up to within 10 yards of one yesterday, had the 70-300mm and had to zoom out. At our house, they walk through our yard when our kids are out playing. 

In some cases, _they_ approach you...at my last place of employment near Children's Hospital in Boston – a fully developed area of medical and resaerch buildings and college campuses – there was a flock of turkeys that would actually peck at people getting out of cabs in front of the building.


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## krisbell (Mar 31, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> Animals will often be at their most skittish when they think a person (or other potential predator) appears to be sneaking up on them. This is true to the point where you can often get closer to animals by appearing to merely be walking past, without noticing them.



+1  I have often found this to be true. I almost always walk steadily at a tangent to the animal and raise my glass up to them while looking away from them. Camo only helps the tiniest amount in these scenarios.


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## Don Haines (Mar 31, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> [email protected] said:
> 
> 
> > I can get within 40 yards of a wild turkey by playing dumb and picking a line of travel that does not appear to intersect with the bird.
> ...


We have lots of wild turkeys where I work, but it is the geese in town that get really close to people...


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 31, 2016)

xps said:


> Many of my friends are wearing camouflage clothes for shooting wildlife. Does this make sense?
> 
> I was recently looking for some (camouflage) clothes in an hunting shop, but I do not know, if it is worth to buy these expensive clothes. What do you wear at shooting wildlife?



Look at it this way. You are supporting a whole industry. We have a huge Cabalas store near us that does a land office business. 

If you want some on the cheap, a store that sells military surplus often has camo clothing for a few dollars. Finding the right size is sometimes a issue.


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## scyrene (Mar 31, 2016)

monkey44 said:


> Most animals have significantly better color vision that humans - and heightened hearing as well. So, most often, they know we're there before we get there. If we are perceived as a threat, they will respond, if we are not, they'll allow us closer. Many animals in the national and state recreation areas have become attuned to visitors, and ignore all but the jerks.
> 
> It's very unlikely a human can get close to any animal in the wild without detection, camo clothing or not. It takes skill plus animal behavior and habitat knowledge, and most humans do not have that kind of training.
> 
> ...



Most *mammals* have much poorer colour vision than humans. Birds and insects have excellent colour vision. Movement is more crucial in my experience, and scent is a key consideration with mammals such as deer.


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## scyrene (Mar 31, 2016)

krisbell said:


> [email protected] said:
> 
> 
> > Animals will often be at their most skittish when they think a person (or other potential predator) appears to be sneaking up on them. This is true to the point where you can often get closer to animals by appearing to merely be walking past, without noticing them.
> ...



Yes, this is my experience too. Some birds will not flush if you are circumspect. But freeze, face them, and point the camera straight at them, and they're off. Subtle alterations to body language are a useful skill gained mostly from experience.


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## scyrene (Mar 31, 2016)

I've never bothered with camouflage. I have a popup hide but have never actually used it.

It does depend what kind of wildlife you're photographing, and what your aims are - I tend to wander and photograph what I see, or sit in fixed bird hides at reserves sometimes. As others have said, behaviour is more crucial than the colours you wear.


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## slclick (Mar 31, 2016)

I just wouldn't wear camo during hunting season. Check your local DWR schedules.


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## surapon (Mar 31, 2016)

xps said:


> Many of my friends are wearing camouflage clothes for shooting wildlife. Does this make sense?
> 
> I was recently looking for some (camouflage) clothes in an hunting shop, but I do not know, if it is worth to buy these expensive clothes. What do you wear at shooting wildlife?




Dear Friend Mr. xps.
" Many of my friends are wearing camouflage clothes for shooting wildlife. "---I live in North Carolina, USA. In Hunting season and in all rural area, when some one use Camouflage dress, They MUST USE THE ORANGE COLOR CAP/ HAT, or Orange color Vest--- To not to be the target in the dark by the Dear Hunters. So many hunters were kill by another hunters. BUT IN THE OPEN LAND AND NOT IN THE HUNTING SEASON---WE CAN WEAR ANY THING THAT WE WANT.
Good Luck.
Surapon


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## kaswindell (Mar 31, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> [email protected] said:
> 
> 
> > I can get within 40 yards of a wild turkey by playing dumb and picking a line of travel that does not appear to intersect with the bird.
> ...



I guess it depends on the human population density. Up in NH they tend to be on the shier side - usually no closer than 20-30 yards before they start to walk away from people.


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## AdamBotond (Mar 31, 2016)

I do wear them for my mammal (deer, boar, fox, etc) photography. They do help somewhat (its certainly better than wearing bright white t-shirt, but there is not that much difference between dark color clothes vs camouflage IMO), however there is a bigger issue with those species: your smell. I found over the last few years that even when they can not see you, they will know your presence. Their sense of smell is just too good. And this a though one to trick... Needless to say, you cannot use after-shaves, cologne, etc. Either way, they will smell you.


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## xps (Apr 1, 2016)

Thank you for all replies!

Maybe it would be the best to stay with green clothes. Watching an very old grandpa sneaking around with an camouflage battle suit would be funny - or dangerous. Not because of the hunters (they are not as trigger-happy as in the US  ), but beacuse of our terroristic fear or our local environmentalist (who are against everything you do). 

A camouflage wrap would be an interesting compromise. Wearing fresh washed, not perfumed clothes, moving by, getting nearer against the wind direction, ignoring the animals. A lot of good tips.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 1, 2016)

We had a couple of wild Moose coming into our yard this Winter. They followed my wife when she went out to feed our chickens, one let her pet its nose. That was pretty scarey. I contacted our local wildlife agent about them, they said that if they did not go away, use a paintball gun to scare them off.

We found that they were brother and sister, and were born in a neighbors field last Spring. They came back about 8 or 10 times, making a 3-4 day circuit of the surrounding farms for several miles. Then, they stopped coming.

Birds are generally shy, except Turkeys and Humming Birds. Humming Birds will sit on my hands if I go out in the late afternoon and cover their perch on our feeder with my hands. They are desperate to fuel up for the night, and that overcomes their fear, at least to that extent. Its mating season for Turkeys now, so they are strutting around, and a big nuisance.


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## Deleted member 91053 (Apr 3, 2016)

I generally use green clothing (nothing specialised) so that I don't stand out too much.However I have found that it is FAR more important to cover my head (balding!) and my hands to mask movement. I am quite certain that the wildlife that I photograph know that I am there, and I am also sure they could't care less, but when they see a pink head and/or hands flailing about they are off like a shot! A comfy black/green/brown hat and some similar gloves have proved more effective than any camo that I have tried except from a portable hide.


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## retroreflection (Apr 3, 2016)

Animals that believe they are in sanctuary are easy to approach. That is rare, and individuals (certainly in geese) can recognize the boundaries of sanctuaries just as well as humans. Two sets of behavior can be exhibited in the same day.
For ordinary circumstances you need to take each species as special cases. They will generally have one sense that triggers flight (I'm not including "escape because everyone else is". Fooling many eyes is always harder than fooling just two.) Turkeys run when they recognize a predator's profile. Deer run when they smell a predator. Squirrels hide from big moving creatures. Etc. Trigger another sense, and they will investigate, usually to put the one sure sense to work. Deer will hear something, circle around to get a good smell, then they run.
Companies like to sell fancy fabrics promising to make you invisible. They are marginally effective. Blinds and ghillie suits both work wonders because they hide the human profile. Moving destroys the effect. Sitting in thick weeds or bushes can be very good. Lying down is another cheap solution. Looking like agricultural workers, or equipment, is another one to try.
As far as scent, your feet, crotch, arm pits, and behind your ears give off the scent that most mammals identify as human. Perfumes, diesel fuel, garlic, chilli peppers, or any other unnatural stink doesn't matter. There are body washes that can help mask your stink, absorbent fabrics, and ozone generators to counteract odors. These add up to significant time and money if you want them to work. Staying clean and downwind is cheaper.
Everything gets nervous when they are being hunted. Sneaking up on them for a better shot almost always looks like hunting. That's where a nonchalant or stupid stroll is better. Eye contact is another sign of aggression. I have a theory that a big shiny lens pointed at a creature can be mistaken for an eye locked onto that creature. A deep lens hood with extra stuff around it to make it not look round seems to help.
Many creatures also have a "stay hidden unless they get too close" strategy. In birds like quail, too close can be surprisingly close. I've felt their wings on my legs as they flush. If you are lucky enough to notice them holding tight, you can get some nice close up shots. It can also be wise to back off and hide. With enough patience, you can be rewarded with them going back to normal behavior.


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## scyrene (Apr 4, 2016)

retroreflection said:


> Animals that believe they are in sanctuary are easy to approach. That is rare, and individuals (certainly in geese) can recognize the boundaries of sanctuaries just as well as humans. Two sets of behavior can be exhibited in the same day.
> For ordinary circumstances you need to take each species as special cases. They will generally have one sense that triggers flight (I'm not including "escape because everyone else is". Fooling many eyes is always harder than fooling just two.) Turkeys run when they recognize a predator's profile. Deer run when they smell a predator. Squirrels hide from big moving creatures. Etc. Trigger another sense, and they will investigate, usually to put the one sure sense to work. Deer will hear something, circle around to get a good smell, then they run.
> Companies like to sell fancy fabrics promising to make you invisible. They are marginally effective. Blinds and ghillie suits both work wonders because they hide the human profile. Moving destroys the effect. Sitting in thick weeds or bushes can be very good. Lying down is another cheap solution. Looking like agricultural workers, or equipment, is another one to try.
> As far as scent, your feet, crotch, arm pits, and behind your ears give off the scent that most mammals identify as human. Perfumes, diesel fuel, garlic, chilli peppers, or any other unnatural stink doesn't matter. There are body washes that can help mask your stink, absorbent fabrics, and ozone generators to counteract odors. These add up to significant time and money if you want them to work. Staying clean and downwind is cheaper.
> ...



This is all excellent advice, thanks for sharing!


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## slclick (Apr 5, 2016)

Nets time I'm wearing my Big Bird costume. This will help fellow focal length limited photographers.


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## takesome1 (Apr 5, 2016)

Shooting small birds not so much.
It would help with birds of prey in flight, or waterfowl.
If you are hunting off the road or in a crowd then no help at all.

For deer and some large game some of the advice so far will hurt your chances. Camo is good but anything that shines under a black light is bad and will stand out like a sore thumb. Some detergents will leave a residue that will do this. The reason is that deer and some other big game see the ultra violet end of the spectrum very well. However colors like orange they do not make out. Your favorite denim Levis will stand out.

Predators you need camouflage and there eye sight is usually superior to ours. However I have always heard many are color blind but if we had eye sight as good as most we would be elite pixel peepers.

Again if you are hunting off the road in Yellowstone, hunting with the local crowd, shooting geese at the local park or hunting turkeys at Fenway Park with Neuro, don't bother.

But normal camo is just mediocre concealment. A ghilli suit or a blind is the way to go.


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