What to wear hunting?

[Mick Smith]

While we're all discussing the finer aspects of what we carry and why and also our favourite footwear, I was thinking "why stop there, this is too much fun".

Is it too silly to discuss our favourite bowhunting clothing? I don't think so.
I take my clothing very seriously. In fact I've got quite a bit of clothing bought especially for bowhunting.

I've got clothing thats suitable for summer outback pig hunting ranging right through to winter sambar in the mountains. I don't know how much I've spent over the years, but it would probably be around a grand or more.

TROUSERS:
I found the hardest aspect of having an effective wardrobe was in the area of trousers. The old jeans just don't cut it. They're too hot when its hot and too cold when its cold. When they get wet they take forever to dry out. In hot weather I like to wear yakka shorts. If I want some protection in hot weather I go for long yakka pants in the light brown/khaki colour.

For serious cold weather hunting I can't go past trousers made from polar fleece. I've got a couple of pairs of New Zealand made Ridgeline trousers. They have a water shedding ability making them warm even in rain, plus they are very quiet. If its super cold I'll wear thermal long johns underneath.

JUMPERS:
I reckon you just can't go past polar fleece jumpers. They're so warm and quiet. I've got them ranging from very thin to very luxurious and warm and from olive green to camo.

SHIRTS:
You can tell that you're a "lost case" when 99% of all your shirts are khaki, green, or brown. In hot weather I just wear T shirts like everyone else. In cold weather I just wear a long sleeved thermal shirt with a jumper on top.

JACKETS:
This is where the most fun is. I just love hunting jackets! Most times my jacket is the only camo thing I wear. I hate driving to my hunting location and having to buy petrol wearing camo clothing, with a jacket you can just put it on when you get there. My favourite jackets came from Cabela's in the US. They have a massive range. I've got waterproof ones in camo too.

On reflection this post might be a bit silly, but then again, so am I. Sorry about that.

I hope some of you may find it interesting though. I would be very interested to hear what others wear.

Mick

[New2bows]

Well Mick,
As I'm really getting into the 'spot and stalk' thing with bowhunting I've also got into the clothing/camo thing.
As I have been a rifle shooter for a fair while I've always had some camo about, and khaki colours throughout the wardrobe. However I was always able to get 'close enough' to shoot, even with a rabbit I have been able to get to at least 10 meters in the open just goin real slow.
But I think that now that I have to get in close regularly and amongst animals in herds and groups that look out for each other my need for better hunting clothing is obvious.
Actually, I have made myself a '3D' type of camo top, to save $$ and to see if I could make something that'd work. The attached photo doesn't look that good, though in real life it goes really well indeed. Last week I had at least 10 roos hop pleasently along RIGHT infront of me, they didn't even no I was there. Haha, I now know what that 'undetected' feeling is like!

Rory

[Mick Smith]

Hey Rory, I'm sure your 3D suit would work just fine. How do you go with the string hitting the fabric on release? I suppose you could wear an arm guard. I've got an ordinary camo jacket with very loose arms that I have to wear my arm guard with, otherwise I lose too much "oommph" and the arrow falls short.

I've often thought seriously about buying a 3D suit. They would have to be the ultimate in camo clothing for getting real close to your prey. I believe they're generally nice and cool too, thanks to the mesh base.

I'm sure that with the amount of effort your've put in and just by the plain outright passion that you've obviously got, you will be grassing game with that Hoyt before you know it. Good luck mate

Mick

[TRASH]

Gday Mick
The best pants i have worn was a pair karate pants.
I got the bride to unpick a pair of Butcho's old ones and trace the pattern.
Then made them up in a light cotton for out here in the heat. The beauty of them is they have a diamond in the crutch as oposed to your ordinary pants.This gives you heaps more movement in your legs for duck waddling up to pigs, straddling logs while trying to keep your head lower than 3 feet off the ground. Where as your jeans ect want to split up the fork. The dam problem is we gcant find the pattern anymore and my pants are getting a little thin

[New2bows]

Mick,
the inner of my left arm and left side of my chest have much shorter peices. I've shot a fair few arrows with it on now, (haha even stalkin around in the backyard!!) and it goes prety well.

Rory

[patch]

hey rory wheres the bow its out of your hand whats wrong lovers tiff or does she need some time to herself

[New2bows]

No, it's in its bed asleep. I kiss it to bed every time I put it down!

rory

[Mick Smith]

Trash, I can see why you like the Karate pants, especially when dyed a nice dead grass colour. They would give you the freedom needed for difficult stalks. I've got a couple of pairs of trackie daks that are made of a T-shirt type of material. Nice and thin. They stretch very easily and give a lot of freedom of movement too, plus they're nice and cool. One pair is in that Gum Leaf camo pattern and they blend into savannah type country very well. On the negative side, they're not very tough and wouldn't be up to pushing through prickles and stuff.

I had a look on the Cabela's site last night and under their latest products they had some 3D suits. What makes these ones interesting from my point of view is they are made of lightweight material like T-shirts. I reckon they would be close to ideal for up your way. Very effective and cool, that is, if you wanted to spend about US$80 for a set. I think I'd rather spend my money on other stuff though.

See ya mate!

Mick

[stace]

Mick
Like you I don't like to drive to my spot in camo,(camo normally stored in a duffle bag with gum leaves installed)Even to the extent of between blocks ocassionally
I also hunt in shorts with camo pants over the top(usually Auscam )or if a short quick hunt a pair of green (depending on terrain)long King Gees with an Auscam top (top off Auscam Overalls with legs cut off to form a type of jacket)
Auscam pants were made for me in the track suit pattern years ago ,they allow more movement than the standard store bought camo
A serious all day hunt with deer involved will probably see me in a 3D leaf camo Advantage ? Nice and cool ,near impossible to see unless caught mid stride
However the property owner can stroll around with all green work clothes on almost up to deer and they will ignore him ,If spotted in camo they know you are out of place . AND a rattly cruiser ute If I drive in in a quiet cruiser they run . There's something there THINK!
Have been up to 20 feet away from a very battered fallow stag sleeping off his bruisers in my 3D leaf .Couldn't get my camera out in time but stood there talking to him for a couple of minutes while he tried to work out what I was . Rue couldn't work out who I was talking to!
cheers
stace

[Mick Smith]

Stace thanks for the reply. I think you may be a little more concious of keeping your hunting clothes odour free then I am, but I try to keep them as scent free as possible. I suppose that you, like me, wash your deer hunting clothes in wool mix or plain soap to avoid the ultra brighteners in normal clothes washing detergent.

I'd say your hunting clobber would be geared to hunting in warmer weather generally than mine. It gets mighty cold down here in Victoria during the main hunting season.

The farmer who owns my best deer hunting property often says to me that he sees both red and fallow deer often when cruising about the farm on his tractor. They hardly take any notice of him. Anything else and they take off like a shot. Maybe I need a tractor

I nearly always wear one of my hunting jackets. They are unlined and lightweight so I can just put them on over whatever I'm wearing at the time and I'm ready to go. I have jackets in different American camo patterns. I reckon "Realtree Advantage" with its browns, blends in well with summer foliage and I like "Seclusion" for greener more lush environments.

Actually, I'm thinking about starting another new thread about underwear and what type and colour we should all be wearing nah not really.
Its easy to get carried away at times, but I find it interesting to see what others wear hunting. You're never too old to learn something new.

Mick

[stace]

Mick
Yeah mate it probably a tad warmer up here than where you are .
It can get bloody cold but usually not for extended periods
If it does get cold I usually use thermals and keep the camo as thin as possible
How would a Case with Stand attached AC in the cab .stereo all the good gear be?

Cheers
stace

[Stickbow Hunter]

Mick,

I used to wear Auscam and some other camo but stopped wearing it sometime around 1997 I think. I stopped simply because I didn't like the look of camo clothing and still don't.

I wear a checked cotton or cotton blend long sleeved shirt in hot weather and (yes Hubris) a checked flannel shirt in cooler weather. I don't have very good skin so the long sleeves protect me from the sun and scrathces and bumps. I wear R.M. Williams jeans that are a pale green colour. I also wear an Akubra hat. Simple but seems to work for me.

Jeff

[coach]

Here is mine the wife made


She's a clever woman

[erron]

Coach,

your wife is indeed accomplished, but clever? Mate, she married you?



Seriously, that is a fine job, and though I'm not a fan of camo myself, this is every bit as good as anything commercial i've seen. She ought to consider making them to sell!

Erron

[Rue]

Coach,
Not a bad set of camo, cheaper than buying it I am sure. The picture of you and the goat looks like you are doing some high country hunting.
Rick

[coach]

Erron , we talked about making it to sell but it takes her a fair while to make and the price would be high. It's not like a sweatshop
Rue , yes mate the mountains around Mudgee are very steep and painful.

[Mick Smith]

I thought I was being a bit anal when I started this thread. Glad I did though, would never have learned about karate pants or Coach's and Rory's 3D suits or a host of other interesting goodies if I hadn't.

As far a camo goes, I'm in two minds. I feel that its effective but only to a very limited extent. Its movement that makes us detectable to game, whether we wear camo or not. I normally don't care all that much about what people think of me, more so as I get older, but I still feel like a bloody idiot wearing camo especially when I meet non-hunters in the field.

Out of all the clothing that I've bought for hunting, only about half would actually be camoflaged, the rest is just a plain olive green or desert tan. I haven't noticed any practical difference in the field between the two when it comes to the crunch.

I've got no doubt that Jeff in his red flannelette shirt would be a lot less likely to end up getting shot by some trigger happy rifle shooter.

Anyway my thanks to everybody for posting a reply.

Mick

[Hood]

I went to Spotlight (girly craft and fabric shop) with the wife the other day and found heaps of different camo patterns and colours (even pink camo Coach)
Some would work well but others were just way to busy and would blob out.
They also had Auscam flysheet material (like tent fabric) for $10 meter would make a great poncho or rain cover over camp.

Mick

[coach]

Thats where we found the camo Mick.

(even pink camo Coach)

You mean like this

[Buford]

I have it on good authority that the pick camo was designed so the wearer can stalk into, and be completely undetected by the patrons of a beauty salon!

[Mick Smith]

Coach,

Nice bag mate. I dunno whether it would go with the nurses uniform though. My wife does a lot of sewing too, maybe I can get her started on similar projects....hhmmm.. I wouldn't mind a new soft bow case.

Mick,

What was the auscam flysheet material made of, canvas or polyester?

Mick

[jindydiver]

That Spotlight joint is a classic hey. I was in there looking for some gear and came across some camo material that was just perfect for my son. I bought some and my wife made some PJ's with it. My son loves it, it looks a lot like the old Vietnam tiger stripe until you look up close and the pattern in made up of little black helicopters .

[Buford]

Mick, if its the same stuff i have seen, i think its polyester. feels like a tent fly.

buford

[Hood]

Thats the stuff Jeff

Mick

[Hood]

Yeah the stuff is polyester. There are also some other camo stuff that the tag says that it is canvas.

until you look up close and the pattern in made up of little black helicopters

there is also one thats pink and up close it's betterflys.

I'm gonna get some of the other material (not the pink butterflys) to make some limb socks for teh bow.

Mick

[Mick Smith]

Mick,

I've been on the lookout for a good material to use to make some bow socks. I mean the type of bow socks you have on your bow when hunting. I was thinking of lycra. Its nice and stretchy but very lightweight. Trouble is, it doesn't come in good camo colours.

I've seen bow socks advertised in US tackle shops that are made out of "spandex" whatever that is. You've probably seen them too. They come in three patterns including "snakeskin" which looks the best to me. They're about US$14 each.

If you find something that might be suitable, please give me a hoy.

Mick

[Hood]

If you find something that might be suitable, please give me a hoy.

Not a prob mate will do.

Mick

[coach]

A light cotton would do the same Mick Smith

[erron]

My son loves it, it looks a lot like the old Vietnam tiger stripe until you look up close and the pattern in made up of little black helicopters

I found a t-shirt that was a camo pattern constructed from naked women outlines! It really looked the deal at a distance, too! Told the wife about it and she gave one of those looks, know what I mean?



Erron

[patch]

well im lazy i wear advantage or the gum leaf patten it works