I wanted to try hunting on the ground this year to give myself more mobility and options while hunting. After reading some great posts about ghillie suits I decided to buy a Shaggy Longcoat and give it a try.
With a wife and 3 little ones, my hunting is pretty limited; I'll typically get out for maybe 5-6 days per year, so I really try to make them count. My family has land up in Kansas, so that is where I usually hunt. We were visiting over Thanksgiving, and my wife gave me the green light to hunt as much as I want.
I was a bit worried about the bow string catching on the material, so I trimmed quite a bit from the chest and bow arm. Since I like to carry binocs on a harness while hunting, I thought I would see how that works, too. I found that the harness worked very well, and it also helped to keep the material away from the string. Checking out the local birds and stuff with the binocs helps me to stay alert while hunting.
I was buzzed several times by little tweety birds, nearly landed on by several. I also had to wave off a fox squirrel that was checking me out from about 3 feet away; he was looking for a place to land when he jumped from a tree that I was near.
I finally had some deer moving on the trail I was set up near, but for some unknown deer reason, they chose to approach from the only possible angle that I didn't have a shot from, as does often do. I had one doe at around 5-7 yards, and another at around 10 yards. They had no clue I was there until I tried to slowly maneuver for a shot. There was so much head bobbing going on that it looked like they were dancing! They finally got a bit freaked out and bounded off about 30 yards or so, and bedded down in a plum thicket nearby. I guess they got tired of the crazy bush moving closer to them.
Even though I didn't get a shot off I had a great time, and with a bit of technique refinement I think that it will be awesome.
Congratulations on getting to experience the exhilaration of the up close and very personal side of hunting with a stickbow. I think you did about as good a job of describing that feeling as any who've tried before. I know I've tried to do it myself in the past and wasn't ever satisfied that I had conveyed it to the degree I had intended. You did GOOD!! Thank you!
God bless,Mudd
PS I too love my shaggy longcoat!!
I think that's a prediction of good times to come! Enjoy the suit!
One of my favorite ways to hunt,love my shaggy coat
the more I read about them the more I'm intrigued to try them. Have been jumped in training (when I was in the service) buy guys wearing them...dunno why they always had to pick on me LOL! But man alive I walked right buy one of them. Of course he was in a thicket and we werent expecting a bushwhacking on a 12 mile road march.
There is a pretty good thread going about them on another site and how to build them...good thing winters are LONG LOL
I had my first Ghillie experience a few weeks ago and all I can say is WOW. I had on a Ghillie jacket with hood (a little restricting) and was sitting at the base of a beech tree. Deer came in and during a period of 30 minutes or so they were at close range 360 degrees around me. I even had 3 walk by at approximately 12 feet and they never knew I was there. One even came back through a second time. What a rush! Then there was the birds and even a fox. I admit it is a little nerve-racking. Getting deer close seems pretty easy but getting drawn is another story when there are multiple sets of eyes at close range.
Mark
Lets see some photos of the jacket.
I was using a Ghillie jacket from Cabelas that I got in the Bargain Cave for 30something dollars. I believe it is made by BushRag. Here is a picture from the Cabelas site. I had to do quite a bit of trimming for string clearance.
(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/Drumstick63/GhillieJacket.jpg)
Now that I know they work, I would like to get a knee-length coat with a seperate hat\\hood.
Mark
I recently purchased a Rancho Safari longcoat, face mask and hood off this site. Rancho Safari makes a great product which I highly recommend. Hunting in a Guille takes some getting use to but it can be highly effective. The older I get(62) the more I like having both feet on the ground.
The best advice I can give is practice with it on. Trim the suit where needed, but especially along bow arm and chest area. Play the wind. Don't be afraid to move if the wind changes. Make yourself as comfortable as possible to eliminate unnecessary movement. Carry a pair of hand clippers ready for quick use during set up. Be alert. Have fun. :thumbsup:
I find that deer will pick me up on the ground if I don't have the face mask on...but with it I've had them circle me even down wind. They know there is a human around but can't decide what to do about it.
I now even use the long coat and bonnet hat in the tree stand without the face mask. As I only hear 50% in one ear, the Ghillie allows for more undetected movement. Deer that come to the base of my tree will look up but seem to be looking right through you without any fear.
The great thing is you don't need other camo. Wear whatever you want under the Ghillie! I now have 3 three different colors to blend in where ever I go...be it Montana grass land, Texas prickly bush, or fall in New England. Love my Ghillies :thumbsup: Doc
double ooops
I hunt in a marsh and typically get out there in waders. When I put that Shaggy suit over the waders I have had them almost bump into me.
ChuckC
I always thought they would be too much hassle with a bowstring wooshing by,but the more folks I hear using one the more it makes me want to try one.
My binocular harness really helps to keep the materail out of the way. I just loosened the straps a bit so it would fit and it worked just fine. The deer really do seem to be looking right through you.
I didn't mention this in my first post, but I also had a huge 10 pt. show up, probably 160-170ish, couldn't get him any closer than 25 yards. He was interested in the does that had bedded down around 30 yards away. When he realized they weren't ready, off he went. He didn't seem to notice my movements to try and get a shot. If only I had a clean shot... :banghead:
As I posted earlier, I have the Rancho Safari longcoat, face mask and hood but I am going to build one my own that will fill my needs. I am wanting to make something lighter and as changeable as my woods.
Maybe this will be a labor of love unlike building arrows which are pure torture. That's just me.
God bless,Mudd
PS Maybe I'll start a build-a-long thread when the time comes. Better yet maybe someone else will start it...lol
I have a lot of respect for these guys and their customer service. The synthetic stuff is quite light, mildew resistant, etc.
I sewed in by hand 6 hanks of varied colors on an old leafy suit... pants and jacket. Only problem is the pants drag home half the leaf litter on the forest floor cause I made the strings even with the cuff bottoms. Becoming "one with the woods" takes on new meaning.
I'm going to opt for the poncho I think... the multi-colors kinda take care of the seasons...
Check out their link: http://www.ghilliesuits.com/newitems.aspx
I don't have one yet, but it's on my short list of things to get.
I made a hat cover for hunting the Eastern Slope of the Sierra's earlier this year (ie looks like much of the west with sagebrush and Mountain Mahogany as the only growth to speak of).
I just safety pinned it to my hat, and it worked great. I used it to get into position before deer came out to feed and then move within shooting distance. I got within 75 yards of quite a few good bucks, but never within 30yds to get a shot.
I also had a few does bird-dogging me but never scared as I just looked like a short bush slowly moving towards their boyfriends.
Unfortunately after the wind switched one evening I hurried into the mahogany to get my wind from them and the hat got yanked off my backpack as I hiked out of the thick stuff to avoid boogering them off for good.
I will make another. It was easy and worked great, and was light enough to take on a backpack hunt without thinking about it.
I've used mine for made mine 25 years ago used it 1,000's of times.I don't hunt with out mine.
How much trimming needs to be done on a full length poncho ghillie? Seems like by the time you got enough clearance for the bowstring, half the suit would be uncovered?
QuoteOriginally posted by Doc Nock:
I'm going to opt for the poncho I think... the multi-colors kinda take care of the seasons...
Check out their link: http://www.ghilliesuits.com/newitems.aspx
Out of curiosity - what is your plan for shooting with the poncho? Are you thinking to flip it over your shoulder a la Clint Eastwood before shooting (lol - don't laugh. I killed a doe earlier this year while I was wearing my rain poncho and that's exactly what I had to do).
I ask because I've been pondering a ghili poncho too but can't decide if it would work well with a bow or not.
Trimming isn't too bad...just the inside of shooting arm, some on the chest (shooting arm side), and some on the hat. Best way is just go out to your target butt at 10 feet and start shooting. Trim as you shoot don't just trim everything. Plus I use a decent sized arm guard to hold extra fabric out of the way.
I don't like the hoods as my head turns on the inside of the hood making it impossible to keep fabric out of the way...Doc
After reading this post I decided to dig mine out after 3years and never trying it. I removed some trim from the armpit to the rear of the armgaurd and shortened some at the bow hand that was obstructing my sight and adding a short strap or pull cord to pull in the underhang between the armpit and elbow area.Was impressed with the success I had shooting with it. Need to shorten the lengths on the hood as they obstruct vision. (Rancho Safari coat,leggings,mask and hat