Survival Camouflage (for hunting)?

[Deadly Tao]

I am looking for some tips and advice regarding how to dress yourself up for hunting while in an emergency survival situation. For the sake of answering all the right questions, let's lay out a scenario:

You're stranded in the woods and understand that you'll be stranded long enough to die of hunger if you don't eat more than the trail mix you have with you while you find rescue. You want to hunt, but have no weapons, no camo, and no hunting supplies. You have a hiking outfit on, which includes a blue jacket and white shirt (nothing that will blend in), and black jeans. [EDIT]You still have a knife and some other equipment, but you weren't prepared to survive, so have no survival kit.[\]

First, I would set as many traps as I can in the first half of the day, because they're important for gathering food. After gathering some food, my next interest would be to spend some time actively hunting game. However, there's a problem: I stand out like none other with a blue and white outfit. Animals should easily spot me moving. I could take my shirt off, knowing that my skin tone is more neutral and natural than white and blue, but I still have an outline because I am in the woods and trees aren't flesh colored. So here's some important questions:

What does it take to 'break up' my outline? Can I simply use mud or improvised paint to change my color and add a pattern, or should I use actual physical objects as a sort of half-arsed ghillie suit thing?

What can I paint my face/body with? Mud is usually a uniform color, is there something I can paint green, brown, and black with?

Should I just assume that hunting is a delicate procedure that either can't be done or is likely a waste of energy in a situation like this?

And a bonus question, because it's not worth its own thread: Do you think the time spent on a bow could be better used to make a sling and a few traps? I have read that a sling can be fairly accurate with experience and powerful, depending on the ammo. I will definitely make sure either weapon is paired with a more reliable spear, especially if it ends up being the unlikely scenario of self defense from a buck or coyote you pissed off with your weapons.

[EDIT]I don't plan to hunt as a means of sheer survival, but as an activity to benefit after sheer survival has been met (basically the acquisition of some food, a shelter, and fire). For the sake of evrybody having the right idea, this may be more of a "living in the wild" rather than "staying alive for rescue in the wild" because I want to learn and eventually experience being part of nature, not trying to avoid it. If my intent was strictly to find my way into my comfortable bed and brimming refrigerator as soon as possible, then I wouldn't think of hunting, I would spend all that time a way out of the woods.

[wareagle69]

if you know how to trap that is the best effert, as far as my knowledge go most animals are color blind, so no worries there, use anything you can to break up your outline trees bushes, but from my knowledge of animals, it really doesn't matter about camo, i can sit on my back porch or have even sat on my horse trough and have had squrreils come right up, the most important thing is stillness, not what you are wearing, other wise how could anyone ever have been successful before camo came outm buddy of mine hunts in blue jeans and flannel jacket, and is most often succsessful, so dont worry about any of that just spend your time learning about animals
WE

[crashdive123]

In the situation you describe, making yourself as visible as possible might be a better option. You want to be found, not hidden. The animals don't care what you are wearing as they get caught in a well placed snare or deadfall.

Now how about that introduction? http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...splay.php?f=14

[preachtheWORD]

No camo is probably the least of your worries. You can hide behind bushes, or cover yourself in leaves or smear yourself with mud, or just drape leafy branches over yourself to make something like a very simple ghille suit (as you suggested).

It seems to me that having no weapon to hunt with is the much greater problem than having no camo. Your time would be better spent setting many more traps. Once you have them set, then you might try to contrive some kind of weapon. Or better yet, go foraging (finding wild plants) for something to eat. If there is a creek or stream nearby, start turning over rocks and find some crayfish. That would burn much fewer precious calories than trying to whittle out a bow that is not guaranteed to have killing power or even hit the intended target. It is much harder to make an effective and reliable hunting weapon in the wild than people might think, especially when you are already hungry, weak, cold, lost, and have few tools.

Even better than finding food is thinking of a way to get out of your situation. People tend to overestimate the need for food in survival situations that very well might be short term if they put the same effort into being rescued.

[Ole WV Coot]

Camo don't mean squat unless you are hunting or being hunted by two legged animals. Just break up your outline and cover the white shirt. If you know how to trap you don't need to play Rambo.

[finallyME]

Even better than finding food is thinking of a way to get out of your situation. People tend to overestimate the need for food in survival situations that very well might be short term if they put the same effort into being rescued.

Well said.

[hunter63]

if you know how to trap that is the best effert, as far as my knowledge go most animals are color blind, so no worries there, use anything you can to break up your outline trees bushes, but from my knowledge of animals, it really doesn't matter about camo, i can sit on my back porch or have even sat on my horse trough and have had squrreils come right up, the most important thing is stillness, not what you are wearing, other wise how could anyone ever have been successful before camo came outm buddy of mine hunts in blue jeans and flannel jacket, and is most often succsessful, so dont worry about any of that just spend your time learning about animals
WE

Totally agree, camo is for people, not animals.
Camo would be the least of your worries.

I guess I have to ask the question, how did you get in this position in the first place?

If you far enough in the woods to risk not being rescued, why would you not have at least, a pocket knife, fire(how ever), water?
How are you gonna build a shelter, and traps?

If you truly think not having camo would be a problem, just wear it all the time, we do, way up nort', in the Wisconsin Wilderness, you betcha.

[Batch]

However, there's a problem: I stand out like none other. I could take my shirt off, knowing that my skin tone is more neutral than white and blue, but I still have a nice outline.

I don't get what you mean about standing out like none other and having a nice outline? What about you stands out more than anyone else?

I agree that camo and hunting are way down the list of what you need to do in the situation you outlined.

[rwc1969]

I think trapping is the best bet. But, the following is all for my area which is Michigan, but most can probably be applied elsewhere. For hunting it does depend on what and where you're hunting.

There's different kinds of camo. Sound, visual and scent, and ESP. LOL! Really!

Sound camo is most important. You can camo your sound by watching your step, stepping flat footed, moving slow and deliberate, following game trails, hunting right after or during a rain or fresh snow, wearing soft soled shoes or boots, or no shoes, etc.

You can camo your visual by moving slow like a sloth or chameleon. Blue is a bad color as color blind animals spot it easy for some reason unknown to me. I learned that while installing invisible fence for dogs. We would mark the boundaries with blue flags to train the dogs. They can spot blue better than any other color, supposedly. White is a bad color too, because deer use that as a warning. If it's snowing I guess white would be ok. I don't think color matters much, but those two colors I try to avoid. I'll wear blue jeans because my lower body is more concealed and moves less than my upper. I'd rub mud or something on the white and blue to break it up. I think blue and white are bad at night too, which is when I would do most of my "survival" hunting. You stick out like a sore thumb wearing blue and white at night especially to animals like deer who have night vision.

You can camo your scent by hunting into the wind, during a rain or waiting to hunt for days after a good rain or snow. They both clean the woods of scent and animals can smell you pretty easy after a good rain or snow. Roll around in the animals' environment. Dry dirt, leaves, sand, grass, etc. That'll cover your scent pretty good.

Around here whitetail deer have good sight, but look for movement rather than objects. So, breaking up your outline doesn't really help much, moving slow does and working with the wind in your face. Deer's best defense is it's ears and nose. You can roll around in their environment to mask your scent. I've walked toward deer extremely slow, carefully placing and feeling out every step, into the wind thru an open field wearing hunter orange coveralls and got within 10 yards. It wasn't until I stepped on a twig or waved my arms that they scattered. I missed my chance at a nice doe last winter because I didn't follow that advice. I took one unplanned step on a twig, crunch, and the deer which was right on the other side of the autumn olive bush from me bolted. Two more planned steps and I'd have spotted her before she bolted. In a survival situation that would really suck. But, I wasn't surviving so it just plain sucked. I didn't need the food she would have provided.

Turkeys and crows apparently see very well. and it's hard to get up on em unless you're outline is broken. They seem to notice objects as well as motion. Camo helps for them. Turkeys must hear good too, because I've heard em move out of the adjacent woods before I even entered it. They are hard to sneak up on unless you are extremely quiet and almost motionless. It's best to set up and wait for em to come outta roost in the morning, etc. or trap em. Around here turkeys visit the same bushes, creeks, rotting roots and such daily. They would be easy to snare. If doves are in heavy cover and snow I can sneak up on em pretty good, but in an open area it's alomost impossible. Pheasants and grouse can be snuck up on, actually they tend to wait till the last minute to flush. If you move slow thru the thickets or open fileds where they live they will flush under your feet. Sometimes if you listen closely you'll hear them moving along just in front of you trying to avoid being flushed. You could whack a pheasant or maybe grouse with a stick or rock pretty easy after getting good at throwing. By the time you see them they've already seen you so the motion of throwing isn't gonna hurt you.

Rabiits and squirrels I'm unsure, as sometimes you can walk right up on em and other times you can't get close. I think they pay more attention to sound and sudden movement than anything else. In a survival situation I'd only trap em, becuase they would be difficult to get using primitive hunting methods.

Generally speaking if you move slow, silent and use the wind to your advantage you can sneek up on most critters. A bow requires less movement than a spear, rock or throwing stick so you have an advantage. Sudden movement is the killer. It's what will keep you from killing.

If you know the movement of big game you can hide up in a tree with an extremely crude spear and stand a good chance of killing an animal. Of course you then need to be able to track the animal you just killed, cuz they usually don't just fall down dead. They run off hundreds of yards through thick brush, swamps, fields, woods, creeks, etc.

You can track rabbits after a fresh snow right to their hole, then all you have to do is reach in and grab em. You can club many small birds outta trees at night while they sleep. You can rock coons at night too right outta the tree. But, you might need some sorta light, unless you see well or it's a full moon.

Fish should not be overlooked. They can be trapped and speared very easy. You can make traps that will even hold them in a confined area so you can spear them at leisure. Then you don't have to worry about spoilage. Most traps and spears can be made with any old sticks laying around. To a lesser extent the same camo rules apply to fish. Walk upstream, slowly and don't make sudden movements or wear bright clothing. If you have a light you can spear fish at night around the edge of ponds and such. They just sit there like the birds do.

But, trapping is all around the best approach, and you should still camo your scent on the traps and such. In a survival situation if I was gonna hunt I'd stick to bigger game like deer. That's pretty much the only big game we have except for some planted elk in the NLP, and bear which are mostly in the UP. I'd only do that after I was past "survival" mode and into sutaining or living mode unless I knew I had a real good chance of spearing a deer, which is not likely. Around here trapping deer would be real easy.

[Sarge47]

[Uh, DT, how much hunting have you done in the past? What weapons did you use? What kind of game did you hunt? Have you skinned, gutted, & then cooked your kill? I've posted some tips & so on within the body of your post.]

I am looking for some tips and advice regarding how to dress yourself up for hunting while in an emergency survival situation. For the sake of answering all the right questions, let's lay out a scenario:

You're stranded in the woods and understand that you'll be stranded long enough to die of hunger if you don't eat more than the trail mix you have with you while you find rescue.[TRAIL MIX USUALLY CONTAINS NUTS WHICH WOULD BE GOOD FOR BAITING SQUIRRELS TO YOUR TRAPS.]

You need to hunt,[WHY?]

but have no weapons, no camo, and no hunting supplies.[SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU WEREN'T PREPARED, IS THAT RIGHT?]

You have a hiking outfit on, which includes a blue jacket and white shirt (nothing that will blend in), and black jeans.[UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO JUMP OUT OF HIDING & TRY TO STRANGLE THE GAME WITH YOUR BARE HANDS, YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE. ANIMALS START AT SUDDEN MOVEMENT AS WELL AS USE THEIR SENSE OF SMELL MORE THAN THEIR EYESIGHT. THIS IS WHY MOST HUNTERS STAY "DOWNWIND" OF THEIR INTENDED PREY.]

First, I would set as many traps as I can in the first half of the day, because they're important for gathering food,[WHAT TYPE OF TRAPS? HAVE YOU EVER BUILT & USED TRAPS IN THE PAST? HOW WOULD YOU DECIDE THE BEST PLACE TO PUT THESE TRAPS?]

but after building a shelter and traps, my next interest would be to spend the day actively hunting game.[BAD IDEA! YOU NEED TO CONSERVE ENERGY.]
However, there's a problem: I stand out like none other.[LIKE THE PREVIOUS POSTER, PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS; ARE YOU DIS-FIGURED?]

I could take my shirt off,[WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ATTRACT?] knowing that my skin tone is more neutral than white and blue, but I still have a nice outline.[HOW NICE?] So here's some important questions:

What does it take to 'break up' my outline? Can I simply use mud or improvised paint to change my color and add a pattern, or should I use actual physical objects as a sort of half-arsed ghillie suit thing?

What can I paint my face/body with? Mud is usually a uniform color, is there something I can paint green, brown, and black with?

Should I just assume that hunting is a delicate procedure that either can't be done or is likely a waste of energy in a situation like this?[WITHOUT ANY ACTUAL EXPERIENCE, WHICH I SENSE IS THE CASE HERE, I WOULD ANSWER "YES!"]

And a bonus question, because it's not worth its own thread: Do you think the time spent on a bow could be better used to make a sling and a few traps? I have read that a sling can be fairly accurate with experience and powerful, depending on the ammo. I will definitely make sure either weapon is paired with a more reliable spear,[WHAT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD WITH THIS IN THE PAST?]

especially if it ends up being the unlikely scenario of self defense from a buck or coyote you pissed off with your weapons.[NEVER HAD A DEER OR COYOTE MAD ENOUGH TO CHARGE ME! THEY USUALLY RUN AWAY IN FEAR THAT I MIGHT KILL & EAT THEM. I'D BE MORE WORRIED ABOUT VENOMOUS SNAKES. THE BOTTOM LINE? CAMO IS OVER-RATED FOR MOST SITUATIONS. ALEXANDER SUPERTRAMP SHOT A MOOSE OR CARIBOU WITH A .22! HE WORE NO CAMO AT ALL! HIS PROBLEM BECAME ONE OF FINDING A WAY TO KEEP ALL OF THAT MEAT FROM SPOILING!]

[Now a bonus for you! I've made sure that my post is NOT offensive, but is a very serious inquiry. Your response to it will show this group just how realistic you are about getting the answers you're seeking, okay?]

[Sarge47]

I'm betting you've never hunted before, right?

[Deadly Tao]

Thanks for the helpful info, everyone. The truth of the situation is that I, having recently begun to desire a better connection with what I refer to as the "really real world" (planet earth, the world that our species was born and raised in), have presented to my friends the idea of an extreme camping trip (survival trip). I have been camping before (regular camping, tents and sleeping bags), and also have an understanding of how to build shelter and fire, but have never set traps, am new to archery, and haven't experimented with primitive weapons. However, I have recently created a sling out of twine and begun practicing learn its effectiveness for small or medium game. I haven't had the opportunity to create a 'bush bow' yet, but I am excited to try.

We've decided to go to a wilderness area in northern Wisconsin in the woods to take the trip. We have an eagle scout with us, and I have much knowledge of boy scout skills from being in scouts for some time, and my family being an actual part of the boy scouts organization here in Illinois.

We aren't doing this tomorrow, and we're bringing enough stuff to basically start camping if we change our minds. We aren't stupid or naive, we're aware of our lack of experience. To me this is like a big leap into a world which I feel deprived of, and disconnected with, and I plan to fall on my face (metaphorically).

That said, many of you have asked if I have experience with hunting. Shamefully, no. That will change before the trip, as many months may be spent learning through experience how to make shelter, fire, food, and essentials along with, at the end of the list, hunting while still and stalking. I have shot a few guns at a few rabbits in some woods years ago. My father lives 800 miles away and is a big gun enthusiast and hunts on occasion, and I have a concept of how hunting works, but I lack any good advice. This post was for just that. I can't really look up "how to hunt" on google, so I decided to ask real people more directly for advice.

The reason we want to hunt is because this trip is first and foremost for the experience of nature, which includes life and death. Second...most, it is for sheer fun. Being that we will need to kill something anyway, I feel that it would be more interesting and spiritually wholesome if we kill it by hunt. That's why we plan to hunt, should we find time after fire, shelter, and food (the stuff you get before hunting, because energy shouldn't be spent on gambles if you don't have food to replenish it).

Just to avoid an episode of "You're stupid!" or "You're going to die!", I will clarify once more that we aren't going to start dry, meaning we plan to spend more than a few months experimenting and practicing the skills necessary to survive and hunting will be included at the end of that list.

[Deadly Tao]

I have editted the original post some for future responders.

[Tripwire]

I like to wear BDUs in the field, you can wear them for weeks at a time, and they hold up darn good.
I have mine from active duty, and my wife's we bought for $15 bucks a set.
We will be so far up into them that hills, I dont expect to see many others, and if we do, we will hear them a long ways off.

No matter where you are, the trick is to blend in, and dont play your hand until you have to.

[pete lynch]

Don't forget finding water . You last longer without food than without water.

[your_comforting_company]

I have to agree with everyone else. I rarely wear camo when hunting. Its just easier to find some limbs and debris to hide in.
On the other side, you will be wasting precious time sitting there waiting for your prey to get within range.. time that would be better spent foraging and trapping and perhaps fishing.
There is no shame in lack of hunting experience. Don't be ashamed, but you do need to prepare yourself for the mentality of taking the life of another creature.

Forget the "survival camping". Take plenty of supplies and have fun. You can practice survival stuff at home, in the safety of your back yard. I practice in the yard all the time. At this point in your venture, it's better to learn slowly and get the basics AND the mentality down BEFORE venturing off into the cold lonely wilderness.
camo doesn't matter if you can be still, I've had squirrels run right up the tree I was sitting under, inches away. If you still feel the need for camo and face paint, use debris to break up your shape. Deer have something like 14x the number of light receptors in their eyes (I forget the actual number) and their other senses, like hearing and smell are MUCH more likely to get you spotted.

[Sarge47]

Yep, you'l need to get with some hunters & learn not just how to kill wild game, but the proper way to field dress it. It's not as easy as it sounds & I have no idea if your Eagle Scout has ever done it. Hunting with either a sling or a bow is very difficult without experience, unless, like Bear Grylls, you have someone tie the creature down 1st. Also be aware of the dangerous animals in Wisconsin, bears & venomous snakes, just to name a few. Another thought, unless you're truly in a survival situation, you'll need to make sure that you have the proper hunting licences & are in compliance with the local hunting laws, especially non-resident if you're out-of-state or you might run into trouble with the local police/game wardens. Today, land where one can disappear into has rapidly disappeared itself. Good luck.

[rwc1969]

THe only thing else that comes to mind for me is if you are new to hunting and such remember safety first. Even setting a figure 4 trap or the like could be a life threatening experience if you're not careful. You can easily get caught up in the excitement of the hunt and forget momentarilly about the safety aspect. That's usually the time something bad presents itself.

I was "practicing" setting figure 4's and one of the sticks flew up and almost poked me in the eye. I've seen some spring traps that were set for small game that could easily cause serious damage to the person setting em if they're not careful.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I'm reminded of an ethic my father taught me, never kill porcupine. It's called the "Lost mans dinner". They don't move fast and are easy to kill and should be left for hungry people lost in woods. Burn the quills in a fire before skinning.

[Ken]

Burn the quills in a fire before skinning.

Save one in case you need a toothpick.