Is all the camo gear really required

[ChrisAsh]

As a clay shooter who is probably never going to shoot pigeons unless lucky enough to get offered a go, my question is do you really need all the camo personal clothing that seems to be the fashion nowdays, i understand the need for the hide, but very few shooters would have bothered with the rest 3--50 years ago and presumably shot just as many.

 

Is it just a fad or really required

[jayDT10]

Think it's more the fact that country clothing Is designed to blend in with surroundings, and if I'm to have a shooting coat or trousers think I'd opt for camo or at least green , but I have shot pigeons in a white tshirt when they are feeding and spooked them when not covering my face another day.

[deny essex]

It can be beneficial at times if not using a hide and sometimes with, but not a total must, drab colours brown or green work just as well but pink and lilac shell suits not quite so good, a good hide and hide practise in my mind is more important.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

It can be beneficial at times if not using a hide and sometimes with, but not a total must, drab colours brown or green work just as well but pink and lilac shell suits not quite so good, a good hide and hide practise in my mind is more important.

 

 

Thanks for the useful tip, how many times did you wear them when out shooting?

[deny essex]

 

 

Thanks for the useful tip, how many times did you wear them when out shooting?

Trial and error

 

 

[la bala]

i think i saw someone on fieldsports channel, pigeon shooting from a hide wearing a high viz jacket, it may have been andy crow

[Amazed]

In summer I tend not to bother so much there being so much more natural cover helps.

I have a plane green fleece and normal combat type trouses.

And a set of jack sweat your knacks off pike for the colder times.

[ChrisAsh]

But with their fantastic eyesight are they really fooled by colours rather than shape

[karpman]

No I doubt it but some of the best shooting gear comes in camo so why not?

 

And I believe in confidence if I'm confident in what I'm doing no I have done it right and still have a **** day I have nothing else to blame than circumstance

 

Karpma

[subsonicnat]

Saw a bloke on the Sports Channel I think it was wearing ONLY a BOX, still shot pidgeon, Keep Still is the thing:

[Bleeh]

The only bit of kit I really care about is a hat, but still even then.

Most days It'll be jeans and a dirty t-shirt and I've never had issues.

If you are shooting rooks, however, I'd say that facemasks/coats have more of an advantage.

[Greenhunter]

Saw a bloke on the Sports Channel I think it was wearing ONLY a BOX, still shot pidgeon, Keep Still is the thing:

Do you mean Mark Gilcrist wearing a mankini? Yes, he did shoot one or two but I think they were not being entirely serious.

 

 

GH

Edited May 28, 2013 by Greenhunter

[yickdaz]

Do you mean Mark Gilcrist wearing a mankini? Yes, he did shoot one or two but I think they were not being entirely serious.

 

 

GH

I bet not a lot would try that in mid jan sat in a pigeon hide shooting over rape

[Greenhunter]

I bet not a lot would try that in mid jan sat in a pigeon hide shooting over rape

I wouldn't try it in the middle of July.......far too modest!!

[yickdaz]

I wouldn't try it in the middle of July.......far too modest!!

me neither

[hedge]

There is a belief that being camo from head to toe helps stop birds seeing you.

 

Most of the time it is the movement that spooks them. Corvids especially. I shot corvids at the weekend with my mate and we discussed clothing. He was wearing blue jeans in the hide. I have opted for green outdoor trousers and green fleece as I feel camo can be a bit over the top and makes me look like some sort of Rambo wannabe (that's DPM, not Realtree).

 

Having worn camo from head to toe my experience is movement or anything shiney tends to deter birds more than clothing. I do wear a rimmed hat to help cover my face and agree that some sort of face covering may help if you tend to bob up and down a lot.

 

Keeping still is the key and I might try a hi-viz vest next time just to see.

[lakeside1000]

Although wearing full camo in the hide seems a bit over the top, I have to pick up several times when shooting as I don't have a dog, so I always take my gun out with me in case I get a bird over the decoys, when this happens I just drop to my knees and keep still, in full camo they never see me and I get a few bonus pigeons as a result, If I just wore jeans and 't' shirt I don't think they would come anywhere near , I also do a fair bit of flight line shooting and prefer to be mobile rather than in a hide, full camo is a must have,

[tignme]

Many years ago i had set up hide etc and as things heated up the rain came,only coat available was a hi-viz,donned same n shot 42 woodies in pouring rain.Keeping still until last moment is the secret. one of the shooting mags had a peice about someone using different coulours of sewelling net with loadsa success. Sewelling ,the plastic netting screen around works for H n S.

[Drongo]

I have not and never will wear camo when out shooting....

 

Why, well firstly there is the personal belief that you don't need it, but mainly growing up and starting shooting in the 80's & 90's it probably wasn't the best idea to be running around fields in Northern Ireland dressed in Camo gear.

 

Quite a few times I've been walking fields and attracted the attention of the security forces, be it hovering helicopters at low altitude to get a good look when I was in my teens out stalking bunnies with the air rifle right up to army & police patrols stopping and searching my Dads car on the way out early mornings for the pigeons.

 

In my adult years, twice in the last year I've been approached by the police on two different permissions.

 

Once just as I was driving off I got pulled by blue lights (but that was in response to burglaries in the area) the other time someone reported a person walking the fields with a 'high powered rifle' (actually my .22LR) and at that time I had two officers walk up the field to me for a chat.

 

We had a discussion about camo and they agreed with me, camo looks more threatening.

[mike-b]

quite simply in a good hide i dont think it matters to much what you wear if your net/cover is any good you will be able to hide behind till the fatal moment you pop up, i do however think a boonie style hat and camo face veil is a cracking bit of kit as it gives your head extra cover for movement to keep your eyes on all coming in, however if you are roost shoting you will seriously increase your bag in camo be it millatry style (my personal preferance due to price) or real tree or even dark greens,browns,blacks although the price of ex millatary clothing is so cheap theese days either on egay or car boots i dont see why you wouldnt just get it??? its far more hard wearing and more comfatable! ive got lots a diffrent styles for diffrent situations + hot and cold weather! dpm for young/broadleaf woodlands and native hedge rows, german flecktarn for pine/mature woodlands, afgan multicam for spring drilled fields, desert for wheat stubble decoying and tropical flecktarn for rape stubble and all of these outfits (trousers,summer jacket and winter coat) cost less then one real tree trousers and jacket combo! our bags roost shooting are nearly the same as a good day decoying and of the biggest contributing factors to this is good camo! im not saying this is the same in every area! but in east anglia ive found that for:

 

decoying = camo not as much of an issue but does help

roost shooting = dark/camo is essential!!!!

[AULD YIN]

For my type of shooting Ex WD dpm for me, trousers better made than jeans ,more comfortable to wear,plenty pockets , dont go out shooting to look trendy in tweeds ,if i kneel down in the mud or ripp my **** on barbed wire its nothing to worry about, i am comfortable in dpm whether i look like an urban gorrilla or not i care not a jot ,i am happy and thats what i am out on a field for.

johnnie

[stubby]

 

 

Keeping still is the key and I might try a hi-viz vest next time just to see.

changing the quarry;

 

a few years ago shooting rabbits on a farm that bordered a railway line, if you turn up in camo, the rabbits would run as soon as I was 60yds or so away, one day I turned up in my work gear, hi-vi and walked to within 6ft of 3 rabbits, think they were so used to seeing track walkers

[The Essex Hunter]

Keeping still is the key....movement is you friend and can be your foe...

I all ways have something on my top half in camo, the rest is down to the weather.

Last winter on the rape I was using my x fire mans trousers.

Normally black jeans, when it warms up Asda camo trousers.

To day is shorts day with a short sleeve camo top…

I all ways have a peak cap so there is nothing above my eye line but the bird…

We often shoot into the sun as there is no choice other than pack up and go home..

I try to shoot sitting down as that keeps my profile low and movement to the min but that is not all ways possible, I wait until the bird is in the box then whack it…or not lol

 

 

TEH

 

[JDog]

Each to their own. I do not have a single item of cammo pattern.

 

Having a good hide (why do people not realise that some hides are see through?) and keeping still until the very last minute are essential. Oh and a cap or hat with a decent sized brim would help.

[the pigeon man]

Dark colours and a wear a 3d mask witch works a treat