I've been think seriously of using a gillie suit from a treestand next weekend. The stands have good cover both in front and behind the hunter, but the gillie will provide the hunter camo in spades.
Anybody do this?
Mike
Mike, pretty much everytime I climb, I'm wearing my ghillie...only downside is, bird's wanna perch on you :D
I consider the ghillie a situational camo. I only wear mine when hunting in standing corn or tall grasses and the like. It is excellent cover but also makes the form bigger. IMO movement in a stand will be picked up easier.
I agree it's larger but it's also more defused. I think the deer will look but not see.
Don't know, I'll try and get pics from our practice stand this week and take a look.
Mike
Mike,
Not trying to argue :) but I wasnt talking about the camo effect but movement. You will have things hanging off your arms and head. You move and that is that much more moving. Deer will pick it up faster than no ghillie. I use the ghillie with no sleeves for this reason. I plan on either standing or sitting when I shoot so I did not want the things that would be moving (my arms) to have anything hanging to be picked by eyes that are designed to detect the slightest movement.
I use it on the ground as well as the tree stand. It works equal in both ways. To me the movement factor would be the same as leaves moving in the wind, or like when a squirrel is rustling the leaves of tree without noise.
I've had deer wind me and look up while in the ghillie and they would just turn and walk away without blowing. Guess they just couldn't figure me out. I've worn regular camo and had them blow out of there, probably cause they made out the outline.
I'd do it Mike. Ghillie suits are the best camo period in the tree or not.
Ghillie suit, no. Leafy suit, yes. I'd trim up the sleaves a bunch, but when the leaves drop up here you'd look like a mutant squirrels nest.
Which might just work, actaully.
I've got both; use the gillie on the ground, leafy suit in trees as it allows greater freedom from getting caught on stuff.
I have a ghillie/leafy suit camo outfit I wear as much as possible. If there is wind moving the leafs I don't see any additional movement to be a problem. Now, if your shakin' like a hurricane just blew through when that 6" spike comes in, you might get caught.
Only have the gillie but it's a good one.
I think I'll give it a try. Heck what do I have to loose. BTW Rusty is going with me on the hunt. Should be a hoot.
Mike
I use at least my ASAT leafy top and headnet every hunt.
Steve
well i'm gonna ware my acorn disguse in the tree stands. it works every time. i over heard two deer talking.....look at the size of that acorn. that is the biggest nut I have ever seen in a tree :)
rusty
ya know when I am squirrel hunting lookn up in the trees....i never see one big dark patch. I see green leaves (it spring or summer) dark limbs and light areas ????? no? I think we need light areas in our tree stand camo
hmmmmm
rusty
Rusty, Check out Predator Camo's Fall Grey or Skyline Camo's Horizon. Both do exactly what you're thinking.
How do you guys keep all that stuff from catching your string when you shoot?
How about putting alot of white strips on the suit for snowy conditions?
That's what's nice about the gillies. You can change the colors with a few balls of light weight yarn. Adding white would make a great snow camo.
Mike
30 coupe,
You work on the suit and remove the yarn on the inside of the bow arm. I shot for an hour yesterday with ours and made some changes to the hood where the yarn kept falling in my eyes.
Mike
Hey Mike,
When I had Back To Basic Bowhunting, I was talking a young man who is local here who is not a bowhunter but a serious predator hunter who made some sweet ghillies. We were talking about making custom made ghillies for terrain, area, ect. I had him make 3 for me and one of them was inspired by the Predator camo with the jute being brown/black/white. It was pretty sweet. The deal didnt go down because he wanted to make millions on something that more than likely would not. So we parted ways. One thing that was cool was he dyed all the jute himself. They were fashioned after Marine Sniper ghillies.
Wingnut,
Could you post some pics?
Thanks,
Russ
Russ,
here ya go. These are from the practice stand in the front yard in a live oak tree.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/mwestvang/tradgang%20pics/tg1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/mwestvang/tradgang%20pics/tg2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/mwestvang/tradgang%20pics/tg3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/mwestvang/tradgang%20pics/tg4.jpg)
Looks pretty good to me.
Mike
TTT with pics
I've used a ghillie a few times on the ground and if you know how to sit still they are amazing. I think in a treestand you will be invisable. Habitat types vary a lot in various parts of the country so best colors might be different depending on where you hunt.
Looks natural up in that Live Oak. I actually started working on a poncho typy gillie for the same reason, hunting in Live Oaks. I took a piece of old shrimp net and cut a head hole in the middle. It drapes over and covers my body and legs while seated. I can just slip my arms out the sides to shoot. It's not finished yet but I'm working on it. I've still got lots of holes to fill up with yarn, burlap, camo cloth, etc.. Good luck on the hunting trials! You too Rusty! :thumbsup: CK
One of my buddies used a qhillie in one of my stands one year. I could not see him and thought he left the stand.
Why not? Its worth a shot, and those pics look great, you look like you belong in that tree.
Mike,
I never doubted the effectiveness of the suit. It is obviously great camo. You kind of look like a sasquatch up in that tree though. :scared: :bigsmyl:
I was wondering if you could show how you trim it for shooting a bow. I have times when a tee shirt sleeve with catch the string and smack it into my elbow. The arrow may end up a foot or more off target and often loses lots of speed.
Do you trim the sleeve and chest area on the bow side? If the wind is quartering from your left (for a righty) does the yarn blow into your string?
I really like the look. I just don't want to invest the time/money into making a suit only to find that it's more of a pain than it's worth.
Thanks Mike!
QuoteOriginally posted by 30coupe:
You kind of look like a sasquatch up in that tree though. :scared: :bigsmyl:
I was going to say swamp thing, but either way, you don't look "human". What the heck, give it a try.
Actually that is Jason in the tree. I had it on and was up there but we forgot to take pics so he decided to go up.
we removed all of the yarn on the inside of the left arm and wear an armguard to keep anything from blowing into the path. I'm still messing with the hood. It's Jason's suit so I am borrowing it and can't make too many mods. I'd make the hood detachable.
Can't wait for Safari Tuff to come out with theirs.
Mike
shrimp net. good idea.
I'd say you need a little more light colored yarn for contrast to avoid the slight "blobbing" you have right now. Other ways the ghillie looks pretty good.
Looks like they work VERY well Mike, I have a scentlok 3d sit but it's usually so hot here ya know its hard to wear it and not sweat your buns off. How is the ghille for the comfort of heat seem to be?
Well if you don't have bugs, you can wear it over a pair of shorts and tee shirt. Nice and breezy.
At 90 and no wind it's hot. . .like everything is hot. LOL
Mike
'At there looks like Big Foot to me. I'm gonna stay in the same tent with at? Dang I gonna bring a big pig stiker just in case :) I bet I have to fight at thing for my supper.
BTW what's for supper?
rusty
I think it takes 10 pounds off your figure!
Tom,
That's Jason and he's 50# lighter then me. Even though I've taken nearly 60# off, I'm still a larger spot inthe tree.
LOL
Mike
CAN YOU SAY DEERSLAYER
LOKS LIKE SLAYER GEAR TO ME
Just to throw this out there. Make a ghillie for the set of the tree stand. This will block out the big gap that you see in the first pic.
I have used mine in trees with good results. Just move slowly like you would wearing anything else.
guido,
That stand is our practice stand in the front yard and has no cover at all. Our stands in the field have front and back cover. I'll see if Rusty will take pics in our hunting stands this weekend.
I also plan on hunting on the ground some with it.
Mike
Hey Curtis, glad to see that you FINALLY got started building your Gillie Suit. LOL. You'll be amazed what it does when stalking too!
Here are a few Gillie Suit photos; in a low tree stand and ground stands.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/Gilliesuitopenfield.jpg)
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/GilliesuitNewZealandwoods.jpg)
The camo glove is off the left hand in this next photo, so you can locate the position.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/CuanGillieSuit.jpg)
These next two photos are 'in the open'. This first one is from five feet away.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/Inopening4yards.jpg)
This one is from three feet away.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/GillieUpcloseinopen.jpg)
And here are a couple of bows with 'tree bark camo' to finish the suit off (their camo finish was re-done after the two 'in the open' photos above showed the bow 'too visible', with not enough 'wrap around lines' to break the outline of the straight limbs).
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/BowCamo1.jpg)
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/BowCamo2.jpg)
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r53/ed_ashby/BowCamo3.jpg)
A digital camera that shoots in both color and black and white are a great aid in getting a Gillie Suit's color balance and relative brightness correct. I shoot lots of photos during the final building stages of the suit, to check how I'm progressing and to see what hues and highlights to add. These suits are poncho type, using netting and yarn from WalMart and fabric stores.
Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow
I used mine in treestands in Africa & had kudu, impala, wildebeest, & zebra th stand under without seeing me. That's a pretty good testament to me. I'd never have thought of it but my PH said if I refused to sit in an elevated blind then I must wear my ghillie, & it worked!