As i am new to bowhunting i have a question. How much camouflage do you really need? I have full "flecktarn" german hunting gear, and a camouflage net and hood. I have read about putting leaves and branches with your gear to mask the scent, but how much is too much? I would like to sharpen my stalking techniques, because i think i won't be able to shoot good enough this season, but reading thru different posts makes me wonder if i realy need all those scent removers , cough suppressors, and high tech (and expensive)stuff? I know not to use strong aftershave and i don't smoke but sometimes it seems you can only spotwildlife if you turn yourself into a tree![&:]

The indians killed MANY MANY deer back in the day.. Did they have all the Gimmicks we have?

I shoot most of my bucks with just camo bibs on and a black/gray shirt jacket underneath, a camo hat and thats it... Play the WIND.. Most important aspect. If they know you are there, your screwed before you even know it.

If your stealth skills are better than mine , and whose aren't , you don't really need camo at all . Generations of hunters have taken millions of deer without it , but it doesn't hurt . Play the wind as Matthewsboy suggested , and always be quieter than the wind noise . Pause often , listen closely , and move slowly .

Flecktar may actually be a somewhat poor choice since the pattern is very dense and "closes up" quickly . The only flecktar pattern that I've ever thought was useable for hunting is their tropical pattern . Here's an example:
Tropical flecktar pattern
It's a good open type Fall pattern for North America , and I hear that they make clothing in it too ...

Personally , I use Realtree Hardwoods and Natural Gear the most , they best suit the terrain that I hunt . I'd love to get a 3-D ASAT suit for it's nonspecific any terrain pattern , but my wife would probably have a cow when she found out how much it was . LOL

That may be true, but deer are a bit more educated these days IMO. I remember when it was pretty much unheard of for deer to look up in trees and that was only 25 years ago. Deer will adapt.

As far as camo, if you are stalking, I'd make sure that my camo matched my surroundings. But the actual ability to stalk will still be more important. Good luck with that, and you may want to ask your question in some traditional forums as well. I'd also add to get yourself a good pair of mocasins.

The "Truth" is.....indians used to cake themselves in mud and paints before hunts. Ceremonial???....OR....were they ahead of their time in utilizing and masking scent control???

I have to agree with most on the camo question, though. I've often posed this question to people I know as "hunters". If you could harvest better, more mature animals by wearing lime green coveralls all the time while in the field....would you do it? "I" think that hunters just like wearing camo. I'll admit it.....I feel more like a hunter in camo than in carhart khakis.....and I KNOW that a grey pair of Carharts would blend in against that ashen tree I'm in this time of year better than realtree.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Jeff

you might want some long sleeved coveralls, but what the indians did is they washed themselves in bear fat (which smelled like you know what) and they hunted during winter seasons so you don't need all of that expensive crap, i'm fine with Arm and Hammer Pet Deodorizer, a couple of calls, a camo t-shirt, a camo mask and net, a camo hat, military style camo pants, and all of the other essential stuff, but a lot of stuff is just not needed

i wear full camo. i have some realtree hardwoods, and some mossy oak. it all depends where im hunting. if your drawing back, or setting up for a shot, and the deer hears you, they'll look. if you blend in good eboughthey will look right back down to the ground, if not youll watch some bouncing white flags. i use it just in case i make a sound, or move a little too much. remember, you want to be invisible to the deer in every way possible.

i camo my bow by wrapping it with that navcom rubber silencer crap. i slip branches and veg under the wraps and create a blind in a way. i also like to break up my neck/head outline on me. the more odd shape i look i think i blend in better. my top and bottoms are never the same camo and i try to set up in places were my flanks are broken up by veg or branches. the down fall of to much veg around you is you have to work around it to make a shot but i always try to really break up my outline and blend in with the surrounding plants.
I will admit though i am a camo junkie and find the whole process fun

unless a deer is really close he WILL NOT see you if you dont move IMO. If they are close enought o see your face, that is a differnt story though.

I use the realtree camoI bought it from walmart. I use a face mask etc. I wash th camo in scent free soap hang outside and then bag. I think the main thing is, is that you got to get the wind in your favor, try to set your stand in a tree with some cover to break up your outline.. works for me