Turkey Hunting Camo – What do you need?

The hunting camouflage industry is huge with hundreds of manufactures all claiming they have the ultimate pattern to make you invisible in the woods. If you listen to all their claims, you’ll need a complete outfit, hat to boots, for each season and each species. And a separate closet for all these clothes. And then a gun camoed in the same pattern. It goes on and on.

The modern patterns look cool with 3D, realistic pictures of leaves, branches and nuts on them and that’s what sells them to hunters. But wild turkeys are not fashion mavens who will avoid you with disdain if your camo isn’t the hottest style or is mis-matched, faded and dated. They will bust you though, regardless of what camo you wear, if you move.

Prey animals like deer and rabbits that rely on hiding to survive don’t have leaves and bark painted on them like modern camo. They’re not green either like most of the camo on the market. But they can disappear in the woods. What they have is dull, soft texture and an incredible ability to stay still. A turkey hunter needs to be able to remain still for hours. But to stay still we have to be comfortable so the first component of camouflage is a comfortable seat. Not many of us can sit on the ground for more than a half hour before discomfort cause us to shift or move. There are many seats on the market and some work quite well but the best I’ve found is not available at the hunting goods store. Go to the auto parts store and by an inner tube for an eight inch trailer tire. Inflate that and you can sit still on it for hours. It insulates your behind well from the cold damp ground and eliminates any pressure points. It’s lightweight and easy to carry. If your turkey vest has a drop down seat pad, you can leave it up and it will cushion you back against the tree as well preventing painful pressure points in your back. Get more camo secrets in How to Hunt the Wild Turkey.