With the renewed popularity of hunting whitetails from the ground, I am thinking of trying a Ghillie Suit. I would be interested in any Tradgangers' opinions of and experience with them, good or bad.
After a little trimming they work great. Early in the year, with still a lot of underbrush, deer sometimes pop up unexpectedly close before you know it. Be ready! I carry mine in a small back pack. Be still and watch the wind and have a ball.
I use the ASAT Leafy Suit and I can't believe how well it works.Deer look right at me and don't see me.I had a doe walk right up to me,maybe five yards away and didn't know what I was.
They are a blast. Be prepared for close encounters of the fur kind.
Give Jerry at Rancho Safari a call...he is a great guy and his Shaggie suits are excellent quality. His phone number is 760-789-2094.
Here's my experience with ghillies. :)
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000282;p=1
I think they are great, but that you have do do a bit of practice shooting to make sure they won't get in your way at odd angles or in the wind. I have had deer within 5 feet of me while turkey hunting.
That's funny, knife river!
Bisch
When Tippit and I were hunting in Montana this year, I learned a lot about Ghillie's. The fact is, I passed up a stalk on a mulie buck that was in a wide open sage flat because I thought it was highly "improbable". Tippit took the free stalk and he crawled right up to and right past that bedded buck. The buck saw him and didn't know what he was, so he just eye-balled him at about three yards until Tippit tried to shoot and the buck spooked.
Tippit made me a believer that with a Ghillie, NO stalk is "improbable"! So my advice is get a Ghillie!!!
Claudia
I used a ghillie for the first time last season, and shot 3 whitetails from the ground from 8 yards too 22 they do work.
Like ripstik said they seem too look right through you,you still need too play the wind, the ghillie is'int a miracle worker, but I think they are great.
I built one 20 years ago out of synthetic camo netting.When I started building and hunting with selfbows.And never stopped useing it.KIll at all times.In the corn when the wind blows or old hay fields is unreal.
Never had squrrils bite me.But I have had birds land on me a couple times.Crawing up on a gobbler I did have a hen pecking a foot from my face.Killed 6 bucks in the corn 2 in there beds.Once in a grown up hay field I touched a doe with my bow.Shot at least a dozzen bucks 10 or under.My closest at 4 yards.
9 gobblers with selfbows again all with my ghillie on and 10 yards.I haven't went hunting with out it for 20 years or would I.
look at bushrag dot com was six yard from a doe this past season out of position for shot but it was great!
Easy to make your own---then you can customize for local flora.
i just bought one of the bushrag's jackets off **ay for a heck of a good price. i had to rearrange the left arm and chest area to make it bow friendly but i think it's going to be the ticket for hunting my kudzu fields this fall.
I'm convinced I need to try one this year.
Knife River, that is the funniest thread I've read in a long time.....Thanks for posting the link. :biglaugh:
I built one this summer and will be using it a lot going forward.
Here is the kit I used:
http://www.sniperghillies.com/products/Ghillie_Kit_Mossy_Synthetic-7081-17.html
Mike
I have a synthetic string suit, pants, and a jacket.
I would recommend a "long coat" style.
My suit is great for camoflage, but not for walking, or stalking...the strings hang on EVERYTING!
I would try the shaggy coat or poncho style if you walk at all with the suit on.
But, that being said, I don't know what type of terrain you hunt in. Here, it is all THORNS, and twigs.
I have had branches tangle in the pants and almost trip me!
Mine is from "the ghilliesuits" . com.
Very lightweight, but still HOT!
(does keep the bugs off though)
The camo ability is unbelievable, I have had birds land on my arrow, 'possums and armadillos walk across my feet, and deer and hogs close enough to touch with my bow tip!
They are a lot of fun!
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm28/sendero25/ocala_hunt_009.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm28/sendero25/ocala_hunt_010.jpg)
This pic shows that you HAVE to wear facepaint or a camo facemask to make it work, camo paint on the hands or gloves will help!
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm28/sendero25/100_0798.jpg)