Trad Gang

Shaggies are deadly..! Don't give up if this was easy we would not have so much fun...  Your pics look good but if in a normal ambush spot I build a natural blind (more material) and sit in FRONT of it wearing my Shaggie.  Enough brush/blowdown to hide my seated form from behind which is where I want the deer to come from.  Hearing them coming I will have my bow standing up resting on my boot. Super slow motion draw straight back to anchor AFTER the deer has past you... Get to this point and the deer are usually in trouble.

looks like a great set up to me! i just ordered a ghillie poncho from sportsman's on friday, so am very excited about using it. as winterhawk stated, i am concerned about the synthetic material and noise. thanks for sharing the good pics. good luck and hope you put one down this year!
Kennyb

QuoteOriginally posted by Winterhawk1960:

Maybe I'm getting "old and soft".......but the thought of moving, or hanging stands, or even a climber is less attractive the older I get. I'm not afraid of heights or even falling.....BUT....that sudden stop at the end of a fall DOES concern me. Before someone says it......I DO wear a full body harness, but we all know that when hanging stands or moving them we have ALL cheated a bad fall a time or two.
 
Winterhawk1960

I too must be getting old (age = 48) because I am thinking the same way, maybe it's not old it's just getting wiser !

I am enjoying all the posts right now on the gillie suits, that black and white pic really blends in !  The more I read, the more I like the fact of all the mobility a gillie provides, right now my 2 two tree stands are not treating me as good as usual, I really don't want to move them in the middle of the season, plus at church today I the pastor said a prayer for a member who broke his back falling out of a tree stand, I switching to a ghillie for next season.
Dan

Rick let me add that if you have a good spot build your natual cover blinds using a compass based on your normal wind directions...  Sit like a statue and listen for the deer.  I always want them to come from behind upwind walking from my over my right shoulder broadside or slight quartering passing in front right to left.
Let the deer get PAST you. They expect danger from in front and if you sit still and draw straight back and SLOW they will be in trouble.
I'll take good pics the next time I sit one of my natural blinds and post them... I need a west wind this coming week and I'll get this done for you.

QuoteOriginally posted by Winterhawk1960:
That black and white picture really shows how well it will blend in. I'm really thinking more about using mine to set-up in blowdowns and such. The place that I ordered mine from also has one with lots of fake leaves on it, the only thing that concerns me is the noise that those synthetic leaves might make. I ordered this one and if I am happy with the way it is made and such..........I'm probably gonna order the other one. My wife can have her pick........then the other one is for ME.

These that are made out of jute and burlap are heavier and I'm sure that is about "tripled" when you are out in the rain with it on.

Maybe I'm getting "old and soft".......but the thought of moving, or hanging stands, or even a climber is less attractive the older I get. I'm not afraid of heights or even falling.....BUT....that sudden stop at the end of a fall DOES concern me. Before someone says it......I DO wear a full body harness, but we all know that when hanging stands or moving them we have ALL cheated a bad fall a time or two.

I also like the thought of having a deer in my lap from ground level.......if that makes any sense.     :bigsmyl:        :archer2:    

Winterhawk1960

Same here, even though I'm only 40 I'm thinking less & less of being high in a tree with the possibility of an accident happening.
I too wear a safety harness but I've been in that situation where I had to manhandle myself beck into the stand just to get down to mother earth all with the racing heart & excitement makes me think that my ground hunting skills needs to be employed more.

You guys with the Guile Suits make me jelouse because just seeing pictures like these makes me think that is the way to go & I'm seriously thinking of either getting a suit like you have frassettor or making my own like a few have around the gang.

I think that looks good.  Maybe a little thicker behind you will blend in that angle you don't like.

Are those hot to wear?  It looks really uncomfortable to wear when it's still 100 degrees out on the first archery hunt in Arizona.

QuoteOriginally posted by Winterhawk1960:


Maybe I'm getting "old and soft".......but the thought of moving, or hanging stands, or even a climber is less attractive the older I get. I'm not afraid of heights or even falling.....BUT....that sudden stop at the end of a fall DOES concern me. Before someone says it......I DO wear a full body harness, but we all know that when hanging stands or moving them we have ALL cheated a bad fall a time or two.

I also like the thought of having a deer in my lap from ground level.......if that makes any sense.      :bigsmyl:          :archer2:    

Winterhawk1960

I agree with all that Don, and no...you aren't getting old and soft, just more practical.
I'm only 42 and if it's not a ladder stand either factory made or one of my permanent stands that I maintain yearly, I don't bother.
We all had our rounds with the "Running and Gunning" mentality and hanging a portable stand or a climber on every deer trail in the woods, only to tear them down and move it 20 yards, just to hunt it for 2 days and repeat the process.
I'm tired of all that. I'm not afraid of heights up till 18' that's my threshold limit and I'm quite comfortable there, but I like the roomy comfort of a ladder stand and when I put it up....I really hate taking it down.

Rich,the Ghillie suit blends in with the structure very well, but the color is a bit off. The suit is more grey/brownish in color and the vegetation is green/yellow....so here's my take on that statement. The black and white photo shows what deer see and I think you blend in great when shown in that contrast.
But my humble opinion in the color photos, turkey and coyote may still pick you off? They can see every color in the rainbow and maybe some that we can't......and don't think for a second that they don't use that to their advantage because they definitely do.

I'd say go for it and see what happens. You may try backing into some deadfalls or blow downs with more gray/brown colors, rather than an open field with lighter colors in it if you are after coyote or turkey?

Seriously guys.......my wife is absolutely TERRIFIED of heights. She has been bowhunting with me for the past 8 to 10 years and I thought that after getting in a stand and realizing that it isn't going to fall.......or she isn't gonna fall out of it........that she would get more "comfortable" sitting in one. She hasn't, and furthermore she has had both deer and turkey in her lap on more than one occasion WITHOUT a ghillie suit, just in our Predator Deception camouflage. She knows how to sit still, and has used her cell phone to take photo's of turkeys in close and actually had a chipmunk sitting on her boot one time.

I have always liked the "field of view" that you get from a treestand......but I think it is time to feel the rush of having game within spitting distance from the terra-firma of good Ol' Mother Earth. We'll see how it goes.......but if I can get them past me and get drawn on them without them seeing me.......there's gonna be some blood on the ground.

Winterhawk1960

I think you did well. As mentioned above the black and white photo really does it justice. The only thing that draws attention to my eye is the area around your face. Maybe a few small brances on top of your head and a very light see thru material in the area of you eyes would even the depth of the suit. Looks great overall.

One thing to think about is shadows. In those pictures youare in the sunlight. try getting into a shady area as that will help hide you in daylight and help eliminate silouetting

The silhouette mentioned by chopx was what I wondered about as well.
I tried a ghillie for the first time yesterday. My setup was in the woods so I was able to sit with my back against a big oak. I had two young deer in a shooting lane and had a shot if I had wanted it.

Eventually, they wandered downwind and caught my scent. It was fun watching them try figure out where I was. I am sure a mature deer would have vacated the area more quickly but these two messed around for quite awhile.

I am wondering if I could have actually drawn my bow on a mature buck under your and my conditions w/o being detected.

Maybe a better back drop, but the black and white photo looks fantastic so you may be good to go.

Your suit is possibly better than my ASAT leafy gear which I thought is awesome. Nice options for groundblind claustrophobia or treestand height worries. I like the packability for remote areas also.

QuoteOriginally posted by John3:
Rick let me add that if you have a good spot build your natual cover blinds using a compass based on your normal wind directions...  Sit like a statue and listen for the deer.  I always want them to come from behind upwind walking from my over my right shoulder broadside or slight quartering passing in front right to left.
Let the deer get PAST you. They expect danger from in front and if you sit still and draw straight back and SLOW they will be in trouble.
I'll take good pics the next time I sit one of my natural blinds and post them... I need a west wind this coming week and I'll get this done for you.

Looking foward to it John. Thanks for the comments fellas  :thumbsup: