natimage

My girlfriend and I are both going for turkeys for the first time this year and on a limited budget. She has her Max-4 waterfowl parka that she can take the liner out and its basically just a rain jacket then. To save money she wants to just wear that if it rains, and if it doesn't just buy an AP or APG long sleeve shirt. Will max-4 work for turkeys even though it may not blend perfectly into her surroundings or should she really get a waterproof realtree AP jacket?

mohunter82

dont worry to much about patterns. as long as you have something that breaks up the blob that we are then you should be good. heck i have killed turkey without even sitting against a tree. but i would recomend finding a tree that is slightly wider than you and sitting against it.

Hurricanespg

I agree......movement is far more important than what pattern camo you are wearing. As long as you stay still you should have no problems.

wis_rifle_hunter

it doesnt matter what pattern you have on just as long as it breaks you up

Adrian J Hare

I've killed Tons of birds with Max 4 in all terrians...

RIStrutStopper

Camo pattern doesnt matter that much. Keeping still means a lot. Don't move and you'll be okay.

MichaelP

If you have the gun up and ready when they pop over the rise then it's game over no matter what you have on.. As was stated before, breaking upyour outline and lack of movement are the key.

mouthcaller

Camo stylesare mostly aboutmoney and vastly overrated. The advertising and marketing departments of the leading camo manufacturers have apparently been successful in making some people believe that unless you are wearing the latest realtree apg obsession max-whatever bottomland break-up treebark camo de jour you can't kill a turkey.

It is infinitely moreimportant to sit still in front ofa treewider than you if possible and break up your outline with something in front of you. I cut fresh green branches and stick them in the ground around me if I have time.

The best camo is a hunter that is quiet and still.

Adrian J Hare

Now come on, don't get coming down on camo companies. Patterns do help a little in situations. Some places don't have rolling terrain or trees as wide as a city blocks to help the last few yards of success. Don't get all sore because you are not a camo staffer

I hate this smilie face [:@]

mouthcaller

Adrian

I never said that good, well-matched to the terrain camo won't help hide a hunter. I wear the stuff but I don't reallyfret about it much. I try to wear brownerpatterns in the early season, more green in late season. So in that regard I have certainly helped the camomanufacturers meet their revenue goals, and I'm cool with that. I simply stand by my earlier statement that clever marketing and advertising has led some people to believe that the perfect camo pattern is necessaryfor success.I don't buy that.

My point is thatan obsession with the "right equipment" can distract a beginning hunter (and it appears that the poster asking the question is a beginning turkey hunter) from what is really important, and that is learning how to turkey hunt. Learning about the birds and what they do, where they roost, how the courtshipritual works, the habits of a dominant turkey, the nature of hens, where to set up, how to call, when to call, when to shut up, scouting, etc,etc. These are the esssence of turkey hunting.

The only camo we had in the early 80s was that ol' brown spotted stuff and woodlands army green. Neither one looked anything like the high tech camo they are selling today (which I thinkis quite good and a major improvement), yet we learned how to kill turkeys. Learned to sit still, not move until the bird went behind a tree or turned away in a strut. Learned, like Fred Bear advocated, to cut a few pieces of fresh greenery and stick it in the ground around us to break up our outline. Learned to sit in the shade with the sun behind us.

Adrian, I assure you, I'm not dumping on the camo manufacturers. Quite the opposite - I hope more people buy their products to help this economy get turned around.I simply saw an opportunity to help a beginning hunter focus on what's really important to success, that's all.

Now - since you are a Pro-Staffer and I stillneed convincing, why don't you send me some samples of the stuff you wear and promote. I enjoy writing so, at the conclusion of this turkey season,I willprovide afield review suitable for publication at absolutely no charge. I will agree to hunt in it forfouradditional years in different terrains and provide a second review (my standard manuscript preparation fee applies, of course) ofyour product'slong-term effectiveness and durability. I'll be happy to PM you my mailing address. I wear XL shirts and large long bibs and pants.11 EE boots. Please use FedEx priority overnight. Many thanks.

Mouthcaller