Camo Clothes

[7mmmag]

Shooting pigs is right out of the equation when it comes to hunting.

Couldn't agree with you more Gryph, pig/deer shooting is like comparing chalk to cheese.

When deer shooting (Fallow) i wear the cammo clothing and am about to purchase the gear to help conceal the shiny bits on my rifle barrel. They have extraordinary eyesight and that sixth sense that has been mentioned and you need every bit of help you can get as well as posessing the skill of stalking.

I have never worn camo clothing when pig shooting they have very poor eyesight and i have shot just as many animals as anyone i have been out with who is all cammed up.

A free tip to fellas, when you go to the country pub after a hunt change out of the cammo gear back into the civvies.

[fangster]

Agreed, most pigs have eyesight different to ours, they don't distinguish a person sitting on a log who's not moving very well. They see movement quite well, no matter with camo or not. True, younger pigs can blunder about anyone who says they are second class animals to hunt is talking BS.

Some of the old, wily mountain boars have just as good a sixth sense as anything, they will not stop moving and will virtually kill themselves dying of thirst waiting for 2am to finally get a drink. Camo or not, your stalking, persistence and mental skills will get you these blokes. I don't mean fat, overfed crop country pigs, but boars who are older and wiser for their younger years and an exciting animal to hunt.

My own dealings with fallow walking around these paddocks is that they see, hear and smell very well, I suppose it comes down to what we have been saying about them sensing a threat, but if someone says they're hard to stalk, well that can only be because they know you are doing so, they've sprung you and you are suss about it as far as they are concerned, or they are intensely hunted and are sh1tting themselves 24/7, in which case you need to hone your still hunting a bit.

Sambar deer as you know are not around up here wild, that I know of, but some old retired hunting dudes I work with in the ADA do head down south regularly and they say these animals are more difficult to hunt by far as they are totally aware of their surroundings and will see you moving around whether you have camo on or not, they are intensely hunted so have to be always alert, and they are by nature. Fair enough, but a good mate down the road has half a dozen sambar heads that I'm told are very desireable, and he's a very skilled hunter, an old bloke who goes down twice a year and wears khaki workclothes and old checkered jackets. You guys are very lucky to have such an alert species of animal to hunt. I'd love to breed them in this area.

Birds are another matter, I've never felt the need to shoot ducks but I have a particular dislike of crows from what they can do to young or sick stock, so yes, same deal, try sitting under a tree over some goat guts waiting for the crows to arrive if you aren't under a leaf net blind or an old piece of hessian weed matting or similar. You're busted mate, they'll live to blind lambs another day. Camo won't help much here.

Goats? Some feral goats I've trapped a few weeks ago by using Judas goats are already being fed by lucern by hand. No camo required here either.

Anyway, Kola, are you from Brissy and hunt in Roma? So, keeping it local and the thread on track, if you wanna wear camo and think it helps you where you are up here mate, each to his own. Hone your hunting skills with the camo, then step up and use it to wipe your dipstick with and try hunting without it, and take your stalking to the next level.

You did ask the question about whether you need camo or not to be successful, as you can see from this discussion that there are two schools of thought here, depends on your skill and circumstances as to what you do mate. That's what this forum's about, everybody has a different set of circumstances and requirements because we all not alike in experience and opportunities.

Trust me, that dingo or big old boar will probably be watching you coming and give you the slip whether you're trying look like someone from 6RAR or are dressed like you just left for the pub on a Sunday lunch trip, unless you are doing all the right things that make camo obsolete anyway. You're going to shoot plenty of the other pigs, goats, foxes and dogs without it.

But whatever you do, as 7mmmag says, don't stop in your local country town for fuel or a cold one in the pub looking like soldier boy, because you'll instantly be seen as someone you don't want to be.

[Jock]

Taking it all on board, what you have said, Fangster, as in Passive Hunter.

Do you think Guns, have a strong smell about them, what with gunpowder, cleaning fluid and lubricants.

Is that the giveaway, the Gun?

[Guest ridge]

Hope this isn't going to become a "I hunt sambar the rest are not worthy" self appraisal.

[gryphon]

Fangster re your line True, younger pigs can blunder about anyone who says they are second class animals to hunt is talking BS.

Mate you are oh so wrong there cobber,no one had jumped in and actually classed them as in 'second class' but now you mention it when you total up everything they have going for them compared to the deer species they are indeed 'second class' game animals.

Those wily old mountain boars?...Been there done that and they are only just up the road at Tolmie here in the Vic Alps,also hammered a few in high country at Nundle.....they may be good but the other fellas (deer) that live in the same patch leave them way way behind as a game animal.

To the blokes (and you girls) that know and have been amongst the premier game in this country these deer species are so far in front of the rest that anyone that talks pigs up in comparison to them is talking BS themselves.

Just about every deer hunter that I have ever run into has cut his teeth on pigs whether they are lignum pigs,plains fed pigs,maize crop robbing pigs or even oh my gosh the legendary mountain boars and classes them as part of the evolutionary step in hunting of climbing higher up the ladder of game animals in Australia.

Having said that,I really have enjoyed taking big boars from FNQ,NSW and the Vic high country over many years but I gave it all away to spend any free time that I have in hunting deer (camera too)

Any hunter worth his salt will rack up plenty of pigs...it aint like that with the other animals.

Six species of deer take up the top rungs of Australias game ladder, and its a shitfight amongst the rest as to what occupies the next lot of rungs.

[gryphon]

Hope this isn't going to become a "I hunt sambar the rest are not worthy" self appraisal.

nothing to do with sambar at all mate,it is of SIX deer species,camo, and pigs mate....why bother post at all ...i see your post simply as one from another agitator!

[Kola]

Great replys everyone. I think at the end of day I will continue to wear them mostly because It stops me getting covered in ####les and keeps out the ants and other bities if I stop for a bit.

As to wearing them in town, I am ex Army Res so I am used to the responses that ppl give me when I wear it. Not that I wear it for looks and if I'm going to the pub I change into my drinking clothes.

I might mention the gun oil comment, probably not so much after a few shots and a bit of use, but if you just cleaned it yeah if you can smell it so can the animals and likely even if you can't.

Cheers

K.

[fangster]

Fangster re your line True, younger pigs can blunder about anyone who says they are second class animals to hunt is talking BS.

Mate you are oh so wrong there cobber,no one had jumped in and actually classed them as in 'second class' but now you mention it when you total up everything they have going for them compared to the deer species they are indeed 'second class' game animals.

I don't want to get into a clash of opinions with you particularly seeing your experience and knowledge from your posts and how long you've been contributing here, but you said it.

"Shooting pigs is right out of the equation when it comes to hunting."

You said it "cobber".

Sorry mate, respectfully, I appreciate your comments about the Sambar being something special to hunt, but that doesn't mean to us up here that what we have in our backyard mean any less to us to chase a particularly large old pig over a few weeks and catch up with it, than your deer there do to you. And that statement is unequivically BS.

To me, chasing a sheep killing dingo over weeks of camping out, an animal that watches me creeping up the valley looking for it whilst I'm a km away, regardless of what I'm wearing, or that the wind is in my face . Or a boar that everyones's seen over a few months that's doing the same killing, but that always seems to know someone's coming for it and takes months before it's shot or caught.

To me, that's worth 50 of those deer that you place at the top of the tree as being huntworthy, because I'm not looking for a head on the wall to get me off, but stopping something that enjoys killing, and is good at it, from costing thousands of dollars a week to myself someone else 10kms down the road. That gets me off.

To me, and many others, that means more, and it's just as true a hunting form as your interest. I wouldn't dream of knocking what you hunt or what your interests are, or even rating myself against anyone else as far as experience goes.

I thought we were supposed to be of the same interest here. My kind of hunting is just as pure as yours is, only the reason is different, and it means as much to me as your antlered mates do to you.

To us here, that is our hunting and it's special to us. End of story.

Kola asked what he thought about the effectiveness or camo, whether he needed it or not.

[fangster]

Hope this isn't going to become a "I hunt sambar the rest are not worthy" self appraisal.

And you, stop sh1tstirring.

[mickgibbo]

I can speak first hand on this as I took 2 pigs and 2 fallow on the weekend and have a good comparison.

In a nut shell I hunted a gully on the first night and as I walked in saw a good boar walking through the fern, as I was there to hunt deer I didn't bother and stalked 50m from him in some bushes.

1 hour later I found my position had turned to crap as the wind had changed direction and was sending my scent up the gully to where the pig was, and where I was expecting the deer to come from.

So on the last minute of light to my surprise this large boar still walked down towards me even though he probably aw me walk in and my scent was driving up the gully. Due to the fact of zero light and zero chance of a deer that day I took him and he ended up being a nice 80kg boar.

The next day I had the wind in my favor and ended up seeing 4 deer in the same system, these deer wouldn't have come near that gully the day before due to my scent, but the pig was less than aware.

I'm with the same opinion that pigs are at the top of the easy game list only to be beaten by goats.

In saying that I find it very satisfying getting a nice mountain boar / boar and take nothing away from the guys chasing them, but just don't see the challenge in them, compared to deer.

[Jock]

Well, FMD, I would hate to mention Rabbits, on this ladder of hierarchy.

Foxes?

Ducks?

Quail?

Goats?

As mentioned by Fangster, the smartest of them all, the Wild Dog.

And why is he the smartest, he can be the Hunter, the Hunted, the Pack Leader, or go Solo.

He is certainly, not just a Victim, like Bambi.

[sco_aus]

So get some cammo and cover your face and hands and you will increase your chances mate is the answer, you can hunt rabbits, deer, pigs, doesnt matter, as long as you have fun...

[hawkeye]

i love my pig hunting - mainly stalking about with bino's under full moon on stubble (lightforce walkabout kit), or poking around orchards at dawn with my bow.

however, pis are no comparison IMHO to the red and fallow deer i've gotten onto in recent years and hunting mates agree. deer are much more switched on. eyesight and hearing they cream pigs!

Only reason i wear camo when pig hunting is beacuse i've got the camo gear, so might as well wear it, might help a bit. however, for deer hunting i reckon it's imperitive, when you need every little bit of extra assistance you can get, to stalk in for a close shot.

[deadeye]

I wear cams when I'm shooting usually mostly just camo pants and what ever shirt im wearing at the time. If I think im going for a stalk hunt I will throw on the camo shirt and some scrimmage net as well.

The cams are comfortable and the scrim keeps off the sunburn and the flys. I have noticed that when wearing cams the Roos are more intent on looking at me, I guess they are trying to work out if I'm a Yowie or not Goats also tend to stare at me longer as well.

Leads me to think that they struggle to recognize the shapes more. As opposed to the white or tan skin of a human.

So have you had better success in cams is the real question? Any insight to how they see, like dogs only see in black in white etc would also be good.

Cheers

K.

[deadeye]

camo gear was one of the first things i went out and got everthing from the boots i wear to the gloves.i have managed to sneak up on a few things but it helps to keep invisible anyway even if you;ve got civis

[Worm]

I cant see how wearing different styles of camo at the same time will be that bad. The bush is never the same. Surely wearing auscam pants, gillie suit style jacket, 3d gloves etc... wont make a noticeable difference?

[Jock]

I cant see how wearing different styles of camo at the same time will be that bad.

Tree Trunks are different to leaf foliage.

[bigjedd]

I cant see how wearing different styles of camo at the same time will be that bad. The bush is never the same. Surely wearing auscam pants, gillie suit style jacket, 3d gloves etc... wont make a noticeable difference?

Cammo gear can help in certain situations but your stalking skills are more important no matter what you wear. Cammo will hide your outline but If you smell of aftershave or underarm deodarant cammo aint much good to ya.

Also remember with deer they alledgedly can only see black and white so cammo may make you look like another part of the bush ,but if you are moving around when you shouldnt be then animals will detect you.

"Trees dont walk around and when they do they scare the #### out of Deer."

In summary it dosent matter so much on what you wear clothing wise but it dose matter how you use your stalking skills to approach the hunt and how you hide your scent.

[Craig74]

IMO cams are a must to a good hunt weather it is the humble bunny (air rifle) or the ever demanding samber. i went from a throw away auscam pants to a 1 piece forest floor jump suit. Now i have the full wolly gilly suit not the strap 1 the string 1 and i look like a bush when still. As stated if u move at the wrong time then the game is up. The only skin i show is my trigger finger. I know this may seem extreme to some but on my last hunt down south (Wat was then my back yard) i had a adult male roo feed at my feet i actually pated it so that speaks for itself. As to washing them i only do so in water i dont use any thing at all.

My 2c worth

Craig

[Davyd]

I find it useful when I hunt semi open areas for rabbits. Not just for rabbits but it seems to help with roos (which will bolt and scare the rabbits) and the bloody sulphur cresteds (which see coloure and love to scare everyhting in sight an d seem to do so while circling repeatedly overhead)

They are also tough and comfortable for hunting in - the extra pockets are good.

However in many cases good khaki workpants and matching short might do as well - as most of the things blend together at the ranges I get looked at in the open.

I find aus cam great in the open and along native tree lines - and are surprsied how close I can get to roos by moving carefully in them along tree lines - they are obviously surprised when they realise that I am there and often have come between them and the forest. The deer/forest oreintated darker green trousers and realtree jacket form New Zealand I wear in winter does not seem to work anywhere near as well (simply because they are probably darker thant the khaki like surroundings and hence I stand out more) -but they are warm,comfortable and water resisitant.

If soemthing is looking at me I keep my head down and let the brim of the hat block my eyes and face until they look away - visors clearly would help but I am not comfortable wearing them and proably shoot at distances where they are less critical than forest deer shootign say

I won't wear camo near people though by choice.

Though Have been useful on occasions to be discrete - if a farmer is coming up the fence on an adjacent property if I am not in the modd for a chat I just sit down let them do their thing and move on. Have not bee seen yet - though naturally they would be looking at their fields rather than the ones I am on.