Enigma success!
10-25-2006, 05:37 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: La Porte CityWaterloo Iowa
Posts: 1,589
Enigma success!
To start, this story is from ML season so if the moderators don't feel it belongs in this forum then please move it. Most of the talk about Enigma is on this board so I thought I'd put it here anyway. The story is meant to be a testimonial about the camo, not the weapon used.
The story,
Last Sunday was the last day of the ML season in Iowa.
Larry, his son Chris(who was hunting with his bow) and I went to our favorite hunting ground in NE Iowa.
Larry and Chris took stands we have in a woods behind the farmstead while I went to a stand on the far end of the farm overlooking a cut hayfield on one side and a creek bottomon the other. Igot to my my stand at about 6:30,legal shooting time was about 7:00.
Here is the view to the hayfield that I took the week before.
Here is the view to the creek bottom,also from the week before
I saw nothing until about 9am when I noticed 2 deer on the picked bean field on the other side of the hayfield. I ranged them and the closer one was 138 yards. Yes, a little far for a bow shot but remember, I have my CVA Optima Pro and it is sighted in an inch high at 100 yards. I put the crosshairs on the deer,holding a little high and pull the trigger, BOOM, the deer just kind of looks around. I missed[
]. The deer continue to feed. While I am reloading I am thinking, well this isn't working. I decide that thanks to the hill in the middle of the field I can get closer without the deer being able to see me. I climb down and walk into the hayfield. As I near the top of the little hill in the field I begin to walk all hunched over, closer to the top I end up belly crawling. I get the to crest of the hill and take a peek. Where'd they go? Darn, they must have seen me get down or heard me coming? I get up on my knees for a better look.Nope, there's one of them. I pull the gun up and drop that one.
Now we are getting to the Camo part of the story.
The other deer, at the sound of the shot, hops into the opening that is a tractor driveway between the hay and bean fields. The deer is about 40 yards away from me, looking at me and I am in the middle of a cut hayfield,holding an empty gunwith about as much cover as I would have in the middle of my yard at home. I think, well, at least I got one of them. In spite of the fact that I think there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to pull this off I slowly begin to reload. Now for those of you familar with ML guns, it takes time and a lot of movement to reload. The deer is looking right at me, or should I say "through" me. Bobbing his head from side to side, moving back and forth a few steps, trying to get a different angle on what this thing in the field is. I get a powder vile out of my pocket and pour it down the barrel and get a Powerbelt in the end of the barrel. The deer is still there, looking. Now I have to get the ramrod out of the gun and ram the load home. I am sure to get busted now! Nope, I pull the ramrod out of the gun, lots of movement,turn it around,unscrew the extension in the rod and push the load home. The deer is still trying to figure out what I am.
I lower the gun down towards the ground and get a primer in place. The deer is still there. No snorting,stomping or any other telltale sign that they see you.
I slowly raise the gun to my shoulder, put the crosshairs on the deer and BOOM. Dead deer, 2 dead deer.
I could not believe I pulled it off!
Now keep in mind, these were not adult, Pope and Young deer. They were both young tasty ones and maybe I couldn't have gotten away with what I did with wise old deer?
Maybe the 2nd deer was just one of those "dumb" deer that wouldn't have run off if I was wearing a pink bunny suit for camo? At this point that would all be speculation.
The fact is, I was able to get within 40 yards(bow range)of a deer, in a cut hayfield with 0 cover for 50 yards in any direction, the deer on alert(remember his sister laying there dead not 30 feet away from him)reload a ML rifle,that takes several minutesand shoot him while I wasdressed head to toe in Enigma camo. I am a believer!
Here they are, I know, they are not big deer but they sure will be tasty and it made my season and put venison in my freezer to enjoy.
Here's me from the weekend before in my Enigma camo
I talked to Chuck on Monday and told him I need some insulated Enigma for later in the season. I have been wearing my other camo andScentLok camoas layers under the Enigma but when it gets cold as it does for later in the season I need some more insulation. He is also working on 3D Enigma that should be even better. I want more! A man can never have too much camo!
The story,
Last Sunday was the last day of the ML season in Iowa.
Larry, his son Chris(who was hunting with his bow) and I went to our favorite hunting ground in NE Iowa.
Larry and Chris took stands we have in a woods behind the farmstead while I went to a stand on the far end of the farm overlooking a cut hayfield on one side and a creek bottomon the other. Igot to my my stand at about 6:30,legal shooting time was about 7:00.
Here is the view to the hayfield that I took the week before.
Here is the view to the creek bottom,also from the week before
I saw nothing until about 9am when I noticed 2 deer on the picked bean field on the other side of the hayfield. I ranged them and the closer one was 138 yards. Yes, a little far for a bow shot but remember, I have my CVA Optima Pro and it is sighted in an inch high at 100 yards. I put the crosshairs on the deer,holding a little high and pull the trigger, BOOM, the deer just kind of looks around. I missed[
]. The deer continue to feed. While I am reloading I am thinking, well this isn't working. I decide that thanks to the hill in the middle of the field I can get closer without the deer being able to see me. I climb down and walk into the hayfield. As I near the top of the little hill in the field I begin to walk all hunched over, closer to the top I end up belly crawling. I get the to crest of the hill and take a peek. Where'd they go? Darn, they must have seen me get down or heard me coming? I get up on my knees for a better look.Nope, there's one of them. I pull the gun up and drop that one.Now we are getting to the Camo part of the story.
The other deer, at the sound of the shot, hops into the opening that is a tractor driveway between the hay and bean fields. The deer is about 40 yards away from me, looking at me and I am in the middle of a cut hayfield,holding an empty gunwith about as much cover as I would have in the middle of my yard at home. I think, well, at least I got one of them. In spite of the fact that I think there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to pull this off I slowly begin to reload. Now for those of you familar with ML guns, it takes time and a lot of movement to reload. The deer is looking right at me, or should I say "through" me. Bobbing his head from side to side, moving back and forth a few steps, trying to get a different angle on what this thing in the field is. I get a powder vile out of my pocket and pour it down the barrel and get a Powerbelt in the end of the barrel. The deer is still there, looking. Now I have to get the ramrod out of the gun and ram the load home. I am sure to get busted now! Nope, I pull the ramrod out of the gun, lots of movement,turn it around,unscrew the extension in the rod and push the load home. The deer is still trying to figure out what I am.
I lower the gun down towards the ground and get a primer in place. The deer is still there. No snorting,stomping or any other telltale sign that they see you.
I slowly raise the gun to my shoulder, put the crosshairs on the deer and BOOM. Dead deer, 2 dead deer.
I could not believe I pulled it off!
Now keep in mind, these were not adult, Pope and Young deer. They were both young tasty ones and maybe I couldn't have gotten away with what I did with wise old deer?
Maybe the 2nd deer was just one of those "dumb" deer that wouldn't have run off if I was wearing a pink bunny suit for camo? At this point that would all be speculation.
The fact is, I was able to get within 40 yards(bow range)of a deer, in a cut hayfield with 0 cover for 50 yards in any direction, the deer on alert(remember his sister laying there dead not 30 feet away from him)reload a ML rifle,that takes several minutesand shoot him while I wasdressed head to toe in Enigma camo. I am a believer!
Here they are, I know, they are not big deer but they sure will be tasty and it made my season and put venison in my freezer to enjoy.
Here's me from the weekend before in my Enigma camo
I talked to Chuck on Monday and told him I need some insulated Enigma for later in the season. I have been wearing my other camo andScentLok camoas layers under the Enigma but when it gets cold as it does for later in the season I need some more insulation. He is also working on 3D Enigma that should be even better. I want more! A man can never have too much camo!
10-25-2006, 06:04 AM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Howard PA USA
Posts: 2,221
RE: Enigma success!
Congratulations Buel! Welcome to the Enigma Family. I'm sure you will continue to have many more experiences like this one. Great minds must think alike, in my treestand last night I was just thinking that Chuck needs to make some insulated gear as I sat in 30 degree temps.
10-25-2006, 07:51 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Central PA
Posts: 2,299
RE: Enigma success!
First off, congratulations.
I would also like to see a more in depth comparison with this pattern. I personally do not care for Enigma. The pic above proves that to me more than anything thus far. I don't see any break up ability in that image above. At least not as much as Predator or ASAT. I don't feel there is enough contrast.
I have had strange things like mentioned above happen to me as well. Missing a deer with a bow on the first shot, only to have them stand there while I reached around the tree to grab another arrow, knock it and make the second shot. All while wearing a variety of patterns.
I am not by any means knocking Enigma, I know PAHardwoods very well and know he and the gentleman running the show are class acts. However, at this point, I personally feel Predator and ASAT are superior patterns to it.
I would also like to see a more in depth comparison with this pattern. I personally do not care for Enigma. The pic above proves that to me more than anything thus far. I don't see any break up ability in that image above. At least not as much as Predator or ASAT. I don't feel there is enough contrast.
I have had strange things like mentioned above happen to me as well. Missing a deer with a bow on the first shot, only to have them stand there while I reached around the tree to grab another arrow, knock it and make the second shot. All while wearing a variety of patterns.
I am not by any means knocking Enigma, I know PAHardwoods very well and know he and the gentleman running the show are class acts. However, at this point, I personally feel Predator and ASAT are superior patterns to it.
10-25-2006, 08:01 AM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Enigma success!
I don't have any of the open pattern camo......but I talked to Chuck at Enigma on Monday (when I returned from Mexico)....and I'v egot some on the way. We'll see......but I think ANY of these open patterns will work fine. Until now (leaves are falling off the trees)....I think the traditional patterns have worked well, too.
I'm really looking forward to getting this stuff, though.
jeff
I'm really looking forward to getting this stuff, though.
jeff
10-25-2006, 08:16 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 316
RE: Enigma success!
This hunt had nothing to do with your camo. Not dissing enigma but it was two yearlings and this has happened to hundred of hunters withthese first year deer that are very curious.
Back to enigma though. Im not very impressed with this stuff either. I think it's good in sertain terrain or situations, but as your photo has proved above just doesn't blend in very well at all on certain situations. Like PA Hardwood's avatar, look at the color and the tone of his grey enigma camo with the tone and the deeper dark tree behind him it just doens't blend in with hardwoods that well. This camo is good in cerain situations like corn camo blends in with corn, max 4 blends in with grass land and ground situations. Enigma just is not an all around camo for every situation.
For example last night I was on the ground hunting in my gillie camo and had a doe walk down the fence line right to me and stoped at 10 feet and noticed something was wrong and looked at me for a while but couldn't make me out. Should I start a Gillie family now and make this camo sound like the best camo in hunting.....no! It just worked in the right terrain and in the right situation. You need a veriety of different camo to adjust to different terrain and different situations. No camo is better that any other camo.
Back to enigma though. Im not very impressed with this stuff either. I think it's good in sertain terrain or situations, but as your photo has proved above just doesn't blend in very well at all on certain situations. Like PA Hardwood's avatar, look at the color and the tone of his grey enigma camo with the tone and the deeper dark tree behind him it just doens't blend in with hardwoods that well. This camo is good in cerain situations like corn camo blends in with corn, max 4 blends in with grass land and ground situations. Enigma just is not an all around camo for every situation.
For example last night I was on the ground hunting in my gillie camo and had a doe walk down the fence line right to me and stoped at 10 feet and noticed something was wrong and looked at me for a while but couldn't make me out. Should I start a Gillie family now and make this camo sound like the best camo in hunting.....no! It just worked in the right terrain and in the right situation. You need a veriety of different camo to adjust to different terrain and different situations. No camo is better that any other camo.
10-25-2006, 10:31 AM
#8
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: IOWA/25' UP
Posts: 7,145
RE: Enigma success!
ORIGINAL: tschammel
This hunt had nothing to do with your camo. Not dissing enigma but it was two yearlings and this has happened to hundred of hunters withthese first year deer that are very curious.
Back to enigma though. Im not very impressed with this stuff either. I think it's good in sertain terrain or situations, but as your photo has proved above just doesn't blend in very well at all on certain situations. Like PA Hardwood's avatar, look at the color and the tone of his grey enigma camo with the tone and the deeper dark tree behind him it just doens't blend in with hardwoods that well. This camo is good in cerain situations like corn camo blends in with corn, max 4 blends in with grass land and ground situations. Enigma just is not an all around camo for every situation.
For example last night I was on the ground hunting in my gillie camo and had a doe walk down the fence line right to me and stoped at 10 feet and noticed something was wrong and looked at me for a while but couldn't make me out. Should I start a Gillie family now and make this camo sound like the best camo in hunting.....no! It just worked in the right terrain and in the right situation. You need a veriety of different camo to adjust to different terrain and different situations. No camo is better that any other camo.
This hunt had nothing to do with your camo. Not dissing enigma but it was two yearlings and this has happened to hundred of hunters withthese first year deer that are very curious.
Back to enigma though. Im not very impressed with this stuff either. I think it's good in sertain terrain or situations, but as your photo has proved above just doesn't blend in very well at all on certain situations. Like PA Hardwood's avatar, look at the color and the tone of his grey enigma camo with the tone and the deeper dark tree behind him it just doens't blend in with hardwoods that well. This camo is good in cerain situations like corn camo blends in with corn, max 4 blends in with grass land and ground situations. Enigma just is not an all around camo for every situation.
For example last night I was on the ground hunting in my gillie camo and had a doe walk down the fence line right to me and stoped at 10 feet and noticed something was wrong and looked at me for a while but couldn't make me out. Should I start a Gillie family now and make this camo sound like the best camo in hunting.....no! It just worked in the right terrain and in the right situation. You need a veriety of different camo to adjust to different terrain and different situations. No camo is better that any other camo.
10-25-2006, 10:35 AM
#9
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,251
RE: Enigma success!
ORIGINAL: hardcorehunter
This guy hit the nail on the head IMO!!! I drew on this turkey while in a tree with this on. Predator camo blows away Enigma IMO.Fred Bear drew on numerous animals with no camo on. Jim Shockey walks around with that big black cowboy hat on and shoots animals all the time.
This guy hit the nail on the head IMO!!! I drew on this turkey while in a tree with this on. Predator camo blows away Enigma IMO.Fred Bear drew on numerous animals with no camo on. Jim Shockey walks around with that big black cowboy hat on and shoots animals all the time.
10-25-2006, 10:47 AM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: Enigma success!
This guy hit the nail on the head IMO!!! I drew on this turkey while in a tree with this on. Predator camo blows away Enigma IMO.Fred Bear drew on numerous animals with no camo on. Jim Shockey walks around with that big black cowboy hat on and shoots animals all the time.
Fred did, but back then there were not 350,000 bowhunters in MI. I can get away with more on my farm then I can in Northen MI.
I agree any open patternwill get the job done.
Camo that fits your enviorment you are hunting.