Who hunts in a ghillie suit? I just bought one cheap. How well do they work? Thanks, Dave
I use one from time to time they are very effective. I have had turkey and deer almost close enough to touch.
I love mine. I started using one 2yrs ago, now it's all I use anymore. The only hard part is learning how to draw your bow with the deer so close.
Im gonna keep an eye on this thread. Ive been considering one for quite some time, but to me they look kind of cumbersome when trying to shoot.
Perhaps this thread will give us all a little insight.
Had some close in counters this year, they just were not legal deer.
IMO! The transition from top of head through the shoulders is most important to hide the human shape.
I can't stand hood types, so I cut the hood off and added it to a fedora, so I can turn my head without bunching up.
I made one and love it. Practice while wearing it, and trim accordingly, and get used to it. I think they work great, just have a lot of cover behind you if possible.
Moleman, I trimmed mine a lot in the left arm and left armpit to clear my string. They can be bulky, you just have to trim them down to make them work. I don't have a hood, I use a boonie hat with the burlap on it, and paint my face. My jacket is heavy like a winter coat, probably about 5 yards of burlap on it, and warm too.
I made my own this year. Used it 3 times but did not see deer. I think they are effective
To keep the string out of the way, I just cut the sleeve off of an old camo shirt and pull it up on my bow arm. It has worked well for me.
I made mine like a hosptal gown (open in the back accept for about 6" on the upper back). Used netting & burlap strips. Sleeveless (wear a como or leafy shirt) Made a sepeate hood & also a "boonie hat" that I punched 1/4" hole & ran burlap through them. Hood works great if U wear a bucket hat under it. Hope this helps. Regards; Ray
You can easliy modify them to fit your needs or style
of shooting. I have a rancho safari short jacket with hood. Sometimes i use the hood but most of the time i wear a boonie cover i have ghillied up. I think they are a great tool to have in your arsenal.
Love mine. Have a cheapo one that was less than $70.00. Started building one, but haven't finished it, yet.
I wore one for the first time this year. I was amazed at the deer that would look right past me. I'm sold on their effectiveness...
I'm in the middle of making one. I've never used one before but I can imagine it makes a difference.
I made one and have used it quite a bit this year. I've had a doe back and to my left at 5 yds and a small buck back and to my right about 10 yds at the same time, watched them blink and breathe, man that was intense, they never saw me as danger and never smelled me! I've passed on several bucks at ground level this year early season just so I could keep having fun.
I made one as well. Last spring had a Turkey at about 8 yds as I was standing taking a potty break. Have had Deer multiple times anywhere from 5 to 10 yds. They work very well as long as you play the wind direction correctly. I never hunted from the ground until this year and I really do enjoy it.
Thanks for the replies. I'll be looking forward to practicing with it and using it for hunting turkey this spring...........Dave
I am in the process of finishing one.
Once it's done I'll post up some photos.
I went to the effort because I know they work.
I owned a Rancho Safari but found it heavier and warmer than I wanted and that spurred me to build my own.
I've had turkey brush up against me, Woodcock walk across my lap,squirrels climb on me and all kinds of song birds use me as a perch, plus the deer are unaware of my presence.
It's the closest I can get to feeling invisible.
Totally awesome feeling!!!!!!
God bless,Mudd
I have been using them for several years now. Wish I had tried them 25 years sooner. Whether in a natural hide or stalking through the woods, they are very effective.
Dave like you i havent used one out in the field yet but am looking forward to it especially come spring turkey season!
I am wondering if anyone uses it during gun season?
Mudd i saw where you made a vest with flapping strips out of blaze orange....does it work well...and does anyone else do this?
you can achieve the same effect with a leafy suit...50 bucks from cabelas.
I tried the Ghillie type suit from Rancho Safari, the shaggie long coat. On 2 outings I had deer a 6 yards stop and look at me and then look past me with out spooking......the bad thing they caught me with my bow in lap so I could not do a thing. Pretty neat counting their eye lashes when they are that close.
Mudd,
I sold my Rancho Safari longcoat and boonie but kept the instant blind. The longcoat was hot, heavy and noisy for me. I loved how I felt invisible but with no wind it was hard to draw with no noise. I got to thinking about this blind material and an old 1 piece camo suit I never used. I started cutting and piecing together material to the suit and came up with a ghillie suit of my dreams. Made my own boonie to match. I also covered my ALICE military pack with the material and had a piece 2'x7' I use as a back drop or blind. I roll all this up in 1 roll with a 3 legged chair strapped together and put it all on when I get to where I'm hunting. I love it and it's an awesome tool to have in my arsenal for hunting. I see many uses for it all year round. I may start building another as a spare.
huntsmanlance ~ Yes sir, I made my version of a "hunter Orange Ghuillie" since camo orange isn't legal in Missouri.
I had deer look right through me wearing it so my guess is, it worked!
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/DSC00593.jpg)
Ken I'd love to see pictures of your set up. I may know what you're talking about.."instant blind" but I'd like to see it to be sure.
I make a very portable folding blind to sit behind that I love. It is so easy to pack and it can also be used to haul other stuff in. I just tuck any extras I want in between the folds and off I go.
Here is a picture of my early model.
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/2010%20season%20photo%20log/DSC00701.jpg)
The one I use now is much lighter because I changed from burlap to die-cut leafy camo material I picked up at "Wally-world".
God bless,Mudd
Very cool Mudd! Do you have the strips on the hood too? I would think it would work fine for deer....maybe even add some slightly different shades of orange to break it up?
I want to go hunt some turkeys over the holiday break and would love to use my ghillie....but i dont want to get shot by some goober....nor get into trouble with a warden on public land
Wondering....if you are on private land and there arent hunters with guns, or they are told your out there....do you have to wear the orange after your set up?
Lance
I have a Marc Anthony suit and I've used it a few times. It's amazing how deer just walk right up to you if the wind is right.
I attempted to hunt in mine this weekend but the temps were in the 60s and I had to come out of it, right quick.
I'd recommend that you pick something else, perhaps an ASAT suit unless it's cooler, say below 50 with a cooling breeze. The MA suits are wonderful but they are incredibly warm too.
Cut a pair of panty hose in half and used one leg to tame the fringes on my left arm. Worked great and did not lessen the camo of the suit.
Mudd I will get some photos together as soon as I can, stay tuned. Working and hunting through the end of year. I'll try to take some time in the wilderness to take some self photos for you. The one piece coverall is roomy enough for putting cold weather layers underneath and very cool to hunt with in warmer climates because it's cotton. It works very well for still hunting too. I sewed a strap to the chest to tighten material when sitting as it bunches when doing so. Keeps the string from hitting after release. I would love to show it and get some feedback with the hopes someone else would enjoy it as much as I do.
I've had deer at four yards several times this season... looking right "through" me and never picking me off. The hard part is drawing undetected... but it can be done. Killed one at 12 yards a few weeks ago. It actually fed toward me and was looking right at me from a few yards away. I had to wait for it to feed going away to finally make the shot. I still use background cover and try to cut a few limbs to stick in the ground in front of me to help with drawing.
This is a link to a spur of the moment ghillie suit hide and seek event that some of us did during a break back at camp. It was to see who could hide best from two humans that knew we were in a particular area and was looking for us. It is equally effective with game that doesn't know you are in the area to begin with.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=122705
I have used one for 7 years and have taken several deer on the ground up close it is a awsome way to hunt but you need to watch your back drop because I ahve been picked off several times. One time when I was hunting in the early fall I heard a couple of squirrels playing and making their way to me and before I knew what was going on I had them all entangled in my suit and had me scrambling to get it off, very funny looking back.
sometimes hot and bulky but I think effective
Never used a ghillie as I am a treestand guy. I love the close encounters stories / they looked right thru me. Agree drawing has got to be the tough part. Let's hear some close range (how close) success stories. When to draw, how to set up.
Five minutes before first light I had a deer within three feet that didn't know I was there. Even from a tree stand the buck I shot this year never knew what I was even though he stared at me twice and I shot at him twice.
I made a ghillie poncho style last winter out of 2 old cargo nets, a few brown t shirts, some burlap, an old camo shirt and some old nylon blind material cut into strips. Add a roll of jute cord and have good looking ghillie. I had some really close encounters this season, had deer between 5 and 15 yards. My goal thiscseason was to get close so I guess it worked.
Make your own, it's a great project.
Do most of you where a complete suit with pants and jacket, or do you find that a poncho style is more effective/less bulky?
I have the Marc Anthony jacket and use it along with a RS ghillie boonie hat, no ghillie pants/bottom. As said earlier, the head/shoulder outline is most important...break it up and there is really no need for anything on the lower half. Most times I'm kneeling when deer approach anyway. JMO. Best of luck!
I did not like too much material around me in the way a poncho is. I like the way it breaks up silohouette but I feel sometimes it gets too bunched up and feels like it's working against me. On my homemade suit I sewed a strap on drawing side accross my chest to take up slack when sitting. My one piece suit I could hunt naked in for warm temps to dressing for any cold weather I would be willing to hunt. Wear light clothes out to stand and slip in or use for still hunting. I love it!
Just trim it down so you can see and shoot, and it will still work for you.
I have a Marc Anthony jacket and pants. If I'm still hunting I rarely have the pants on as they pick up all kids of twigs but when sitting I have the whole outfit on. I normally don't like hoods but this one fits good and still allows you to move your head plus it really hides your head/shoulder profile. I have a face mask or camo paint on to complete the look.
It's been a blast this year to see how close stuff gets. I had a muley buck at 4-5 FEET in front of me on the down wind side. I had a doe and a nubin whitetail at 3-4 yards when I was sitting on a bucket next to a 5" tree. Had a flock of turkeys at 8 yards and was even able to draw my bow on them. Had a cow elk at 4-5 yards. The hard part as others have said is actually drawing your bow - getting close is the easy part.
QuoteOriginally posted by Russ Clagett:
you can achieve the same effect with a leafy suit...50 bucks from cabelas.
X2...I had a fox come within 15 yds and turkeys within 10 yds...
I have been using my Rancho Safari more and more. I love the portability of it. I had this doe come in at 7 yards and was looking right through me. I am amazed how well they work. I couldn't move at the time and she never was in an open shooting lane, but I did manage to take a quick video of her while she was 20 or so yards away. Please excuse the shaky footage, the adrenaline was going through me faster then a double cheeseburger :goldtooth: :goldtooth:
(http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn125/frassettor/th_014.jpg) (http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn125/frassettor/?action=view¤t=014.mp4)
I bought a kit and since I had a bug suite that has the fish net on the inside, I just tuned it inside out and then tied my srings to that, I did not put any strings on the left side of the chest and on the inside of my left arm. It works great. Ive had deer so close I could touch them. They are very warm so I just were shorts and a tee shirt under them in warm weather. They do need suspenders on the bottoms because of the weight.
My son is making one right now. Should be ready by spring turkey season :)
(http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr102/ductapeHD/eyefone046_zps5f8d7573-1_zpsc84665e2.jpg)
(http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr102/ductapeHD/eyefone043_zps9346de6b.jpg)
ps Mudd
we missed you at MO-Jam. Hope you will make it this year.