Camo in crossbows: Real effectiveness?

[darwal44]

Hi. Camouflaje in crossbows (or any weapon) can be cool . But I wonder if camo in crossbows (or bows) actually makes a difference in the field .

I agree that camo clothing is necessay because deer see humans as living things and therefore as potential predators. But deers don't know what a crossbow is .

Or they do?

[onebigskittle]

Camo helps break up your human outline when used right and as far as the crossbow goes I think it helps even if its just mental on our part and im sure it cuts down on flashing parts that draw attention to deer or any other amimals.
On the other hand I have killed deer in jeans and a white tee shirt on a warm day in November 30 yards away.

[Mister B]

IMHO a camoflaged gun or bow is more a pleasing feature for its owner than for the game. I know a man who shot a doe at 15 yards wearing a red flannel shirt and shooting a red handled, white limbed bow. And the deer never noticed him. However the more you blend in with your surroundings the better you chances of not being nailed by your prey. Deer seem to be much more concerned with movement than color. Drab colors seem to work best, but a good camofloged suit just looks cool to me. Up in a tripod that has been brushed to prevent being skylighted, blue jeans and a drab colored dark skirt would be just fine as far as the deer are concerned, but who in his right mind wouldn't want to wear the latest Realtree or Mossy Oak patern? If I am going to hunt I want to do it in style. A camo bow or gun just looks cool. To heck with the deer.

[taz3]

I would think it has more to do with the environment the animals are in and what they're used to seeing. Some like turkeys have great eyesight, so it may make a difference, where deer rely on sound and smell more, as moose will too. My Dad and buddies have only come home empty hand 3 times of the 46 years moose hunting and they wear full hunters orange.

It certainly has to be more appealing to a more consumers in camo.

That's my $0.02

[yooper_man]

Detailed camouflage just like detailed patterns on fishing lures are to entice the hunters and fishermen only.

I buy camo clothing since it comes in very quiet materials, but I have in the past worn plaid shirt in jeans and have a 100% antelope hunt.

A matte finish helps, but I still use a glossy shiny rifle and still sucessfully harvest deer at close range.

I focus on not moving and not smelling.

Andrew

[vixenmaster]

Its called $ big $ yer $'s, all my life i have killed deer wid most any color clothin i wore. Movement & yer smell are the biggys! I have slipped up on deer & touched them by hand. They react instantly most jump in the air n bleat. Bein slower than molasses in Jan. helps alot!

[munch]

i would not be without camo .i think it makes all the difference in the world .heres a pic to prove it this guy never saw it coming


i think we have all been trained to think we need camo .my father was a very successful hunter and never owed any special camo or hunting gear .if he wore it to work it was hunting clothing. he thought of his equipment as tools and the only camo it had was faded blueing and nicks and dings from hunting

[VixChix]

My poop brown Vixen disappears in the woods just as quickly as TPM's camo Phoenix. I shot my first 3 deer out in the wide open of Alberta without any camo. I'm sure it helps in some situations though. I wear it now, mostly because of the performance of the clothing (water resistance, warmth, etc.)

[volfan]

Detailed camouflage just like detailed patterns on fishing lures are to entice the hunters and fishermen only.
I buy camo clothing since it comes in very quiet materials, but I have in the past worn plaid shirt in jeans and have a 100% antelope hunt.
A matte finish helps, but I still use a glossy shiny rifle and still sucessfully harvest deer at close range.
I focus on not moving and not smelling.
Andrew

yooper_man, I think you nailed it. In my 50 years of deer hunting, both gun and archery, I believe it comes down more to movement and smell and I believe you almost have to violate at least 2 senses, meaning; moving and smell, moving and sound, smell and sound, before you really spook them. I have had deer see me many times but would not run very far trying to get a sniff of me or hear me. If they smell me, they will try to check it out until they see something threatning, or if they hear you they try to satisfy one more sense before they really run off. As far as camo goes I am not sure because blaze orange seems to work too.

[Ont_Excal]

Before Chuck Adams became famous, he shot the grand slam of 27 big game animals of north America.
He wore a brown toque, dark green and black plaid shirt and blue jeans.
He did not wear any camo make up or gloves unless he had to.
He did advocate wearing rubber boots.

I have the first book he wrote and he goes into detail about concealment.
Of course everything changed once he got sponsorship from all sources.

[Dash]

Most animals see colours differently than us. But breaking up the outline of a human shape like camo patterns do definately helps. While camoed up in a still position to take a shot, I had a bird land on my equinox limb for a fraction of a second before he saw my eyes move, then literally crap himself while darting off. Priceless
Camo works great combined with limited movement. Of course you can hunt without it, but it definateley make a difference when used in combination with your other hunting skills!

[sumner4991]

I killed all sorts of animals in plain sight, including a couple of foxes . .. without a stitch of camo.

The trick is getting them while they are distracted . . .much like dry firing a crossbow.

[purl]

Every bit helps. Maybe more so with turkeys than deer. Try leaning your camo bow against a tree in the bush. Even from a few yds away you can really notice how it blends in.
Just my 2 cents...

[VixChix]

The trick is getting them while they are distracted . . .much like dry firing a crossbow.

[Pydpiper]

Camo is aimed at hunters, not their quarry.
Munchs picture in here shows him in brown while the ground and surroundings are white. There is a picture of an easter coyote here too, he is wearing white camo in a brown field.
Last year I forgot my camo for a turkey hunt, shot a mature tom at 6 yards wearing blue jeans and a a golf shirt.
I love camo, and I wear it when I remember it, but I have never seen an instance where it made or broke a hunt.
Camo is nice because they gear it towards hunters, the windproof, waterproof, lots-o-pockets and reinforced where a hunter would wear clothes out. The clothes are built to provide protection from the elements, they are camo so hunters will buy them.