Over the years, I have used camo face masks, burnt cork, an actual beard or nothing at all.
Not sure if I will mess with any face cover or not this year.
What do you all use if anything at all?
I have a beard though not full but am fair in complection so even with a lingering summer tan I like mesh face covers.
At first they bothered me but I got friendly with them and use them all the time.
Yes, have a Boonie hat with facemask that I wear for all hunting! Face paint works great but I don't like the mess!
i use one. the cheap net kind
I always wear something I try not to make eye contact. Recently, I have been thinking about a hat that extends down that breaks up your head outline also. If you walk up on horses and they see your head outline, they are fine. Try to walk up on them with back pack on that looks like a big square, they freak. Just an observation.
I wear the mesh kind. Practice practice practice. Even thin mesh can mess with your anchor.
Jake
I just picked this mask up today. Not sure how well it is going to work out but, gonna give it a shot anyway.
(http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/q506/ORShooter1/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-09/BA92EF58-14DF-461A-A540-D177953EF131_zps8rdaovg2.jpg) (http://s1161.photobucket.com/user/ORShooter1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-09/BA92EF58-14DF-461A-A540-D177953EF131_zps8rdaovg2.jpg.html)
QuoteOriginally posted by Jake Scott:
I wear the mesh kind. Even thin mesh can mess with your anchor.
Jake
My experience, exactly!
Camo Buff facemask. Very thin, versatile, and breathable. Skin-tight around the face and has never interfered with my anchor.
(http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s631/nineworlds9/AE6C6E91-D8D8-4F74-AF5C-56315A551D83.jpg) (http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/nineworlds9/media/AE6C6E91-D8D8-4F74-AF5C-56315A551D83.jpg.html)
Only if it's cold or if I see turkeys coming, deer could care less as long as you hold still same goes for elk. Can't stand face paint never have liked it. If I do were a mask or gloves it's the silk kind.
I've shot turkeys with out head nets too but there pretty sharp most of the time.
Tracy
Face paint here. Could never get used to a facemask.
Bill
I have a full beard and wear black prescription sunglasses which I wear all the time. Sometimes I put face paint on my cheeks and forehead.
Sorry double post. STUPID PHONE!
I am hunting elk right now with a good friend who's killed over 20 bulls with his compound and this is the first year I can ever remember him wearing anything(!)on his head or face. He's always had a lush head of salt & pepper gray hair and is pretty much of a master elk caller. He's an absolute nut on odor control who maintains quitting garlic, onions, and highly spiced food at least a month before the season is far more important than head covers, and camo. Of course, he is also a great shot and can hit pretty much exactly what he wants at 35 yards.
Me, I'm none of that. I use a camo hat, often leafy or boonie style. I use a face mask or paint if I have time, depending on the conditions...but don't consider it terrifically important if my hat shades my glasses. My range is more limited, and I like comfort foods that taste great!
I cannot shoot well with a "blousy" or leafy mask. It affects my anchor.
I use face paint and/or a mask quite alot actually. I really like Hunters Specialty camo paint - it goes on easily and doesn't come off when you sweat. It only comes off with soap and water and then comes off easily. I also wear a half mask.
Usually lately I mostly wear the mask unless I will be still hunting all day. I say usually because something happened last spring that may change that.
I was turkey hunting with a ghillie suit and just the half mask - got busted twice in the same day looking like this:
(http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/Petemcm/Pete-Alyssatrip1010_zps863b0793.jpg) (http://s839.photobucket.com/user/Petemcm/media/Pete-Alyssatrip1010_zps863b0793.jpg.html)
A couple days later I got to draw and shoot at two turkeys while looking like this:
(http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/Petemcm/Pete-Alyssatrip1015_zpsc8edb07c.jpg) (http://s839.photobucket.com/user/Petemcm/media/Pete-Alyssatrip1015_zpsc8edb07c.jpg.html)
I have a beard that is mostly gray now so something on my face is important. I find the camo paint/cream to be much easier and something I don't have to worry about the rest of the day once I have it on.
As others have said it makes a big difference what I'm hunting. I don't think it matters as much to deer/elk/moose as it does turkeys but ..........if I have it along, why not use it.
In a tripod or treestand I use a leafy-flage head cover. In an enclosed ground blind I don't use any head cover except a ball cap.
Bisch
I use face paint because I have the skin color of white bread...
I use a face mask
The Buff for me...always there, around the neck...just pull it up under your eyes when you need it...comes in different thicknesses too, for warmer/colder weather...I don't even notice it's on, as far as anchoring goes...
I use various masks depending on the weather. The light mosquito netting, to keep bugs away, primarily when it is warm. The stretchy spandex type are great in winter as they keep heat in. I also use a hoodie to help hide my face and eyes...sometime in combination with face paint. The netting takes some getting used to.
Never use it. Im not much of a ground hunter, but in the trees I usually set up in, I've never had an issue. Even when deer pick up my silhouette and look at me, as long as I don't move, I've never had a deer spook from looking at my unpainted face.
On a cold morning once, I held my breath when a buck looked up because frozen mud fell from my boot. He just kinda hung there, not spooked but curious. I finally had to breath and a big cloud of vapor exhaled. He didn't like that.
Instantly booked.
On the ground, yes...tree, no. Like others have said, be sure you practice with any hats or masks you plan to wear, as they can mess with your anchor or contact your bow string.
I always grow some facial hair it seems to dull the relective properties of light on my face. As I have aged it seems to be a natural camo combination brown and grey lol.
I cant hit my anchor with a face mask so I use camo grease. I dont care for it because it is hard to remove but it gives me the desired effect that I am looking for.
I dont like anything on my face but I think some camo is needed. I shaved my beard off and this makes wearing a face mask or burnt cork tolerable.
Paint, or dirt and charcoal in a pinch. Not sure it helps that much, compared to having the sun at my back and the wind to my face, but I try. Masks and nets always feel annoying to me.
Face mask!
I wear a face mask like Wannabe1. It holds tight to the face, with no string interference.
3/4 bandito mask. I like being able to pull it down while moving if I want, and it comes up fast when I set up. The metal eye opening is nice, but can also shift over time. Never had an issue with it affecting my anchor.
3/4 bandito mask. I like being able to pull it down while moving if I want, and it comes up fast when I set up. The metal eye opening is nice, but can also shift over time. Never had an issue with it affecting my anchor.
I use a little face paint just to cut the glare on my skin and beard. I think its more important for turkey than deer.
Predator head net.
kuiu or other brand neck gaiter.
I use burnt cork or a net type mask. I hate how wet the mask gets around my mouth/nose area in cold weather so I let scruff grow in and trimmed around the nose and mouth area to avoid the soggy wet stinky breathe mask.
Used face paint for elk hunting. Best way to remove paint is unscented "baby wipes". Won't chafe the skin.
The Primos 3/4 mask is my preference because you can pull it up or down.
I am light complected and my beard is now white. So YUP, I wear either a mask or paint, no preference except it sure is easier to remove the mask at the end of the day.
ChuckC
I wear a homemade deer skin mask which doesn't cover my mouth. I've worn wool and deer skin versions of this since the 60s.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Archery/IMG_1367.jpg)
Cracks me up I'm the only one so far that could care less about a camo face mask or paint but I have plenty of hero picks to back it up. Lol!
It's there nose that I worry about the most :scared:
Tracy
Carbomask here.
Tracy, I have never used a face mask or paint either. I went and bought a mask for turkey hunting with a friend because I thought he would feel like we were at a disadvantage without it but it was so uncomfortable I took it off.
QuoteOriginally posted by K.S.TRAPPER:
Cracks me up I'm the only one so far that could care less about a camo face mask or paint but I have plenty of hero picks to back it up. Lol!
It's there nose that I worry about the most :scared:
Tracy
Tracy, To be honest... Normally I would go your route and have had 100's of deer within spitting distance in WI but I'm not a very good hunter yet. Usually I get one opportunity a year and hate to have something like my ugly mug ruin it. Usually I do just fine figuring out other ways to ruin the opportunity.
Beard and brimmed Stetson
Tracy, you sure do have the hero pics!!!
I once had a hunting partner snap a photo of me on stand, my face was shining like a lightbulb!! I have a goatee and sideburns, but a full beard is just not on the cards for this guy. I will rethink my stance on the mask. It scares me to death not bing able to feel my anchor.
Jake
Planning on one even though I have a beard that touches my chest (and have had since my late twenties) and I'm not all that pale. Just seems like good practice.
Yup!
(http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t142/rysanpei/IMG_1259.jpg)
Its really not needed for whitetail deer. They pick up on movement more than anything.
I use face paint. If it works or not it's fun. I'll never grow up. I still make forts out in the woods. I call them blinds.
Carbo mask face pInt till it gets cold then a mask.
First Lite balaclava in ASAT.
(http://www.3riversarchery.com/images/medium/9523X.jpg)
Face paint and a gaiter from Kuiu pulled up under my glasses
QuoteOriginally posted by Shotkizer:
Its really not needed for whitetail deer. They pick up on movement more than anything.
I found that face paint/mast and dark gloves will hide that bright white face and hands making it more difficult for a deer to pick up any movement. I hunt a ground blind slightly into a pine woods and deer approaching me from mere yards will not pick me up with the mask and gloves.
my usual look this time of yr.
(http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g295/kevsuperg/facepaint.jpg) (http://s59.photobucket.com/user/kevsuperg/media/facepaint.jpg.html)
I usually wear plaid shirts and brown pants; I do have a little bit of camo. No face cover unless I'm on the ground. 20 feet up it doesn't seem to matter as much.
I like the mesh face masks, but I've actually now gone to face paint now. I don't buy the stuff the hunting companies make. I buy the stuff they make for little kids Halloween costumes. Its cheap and it comes in tubes. I see guys on "hunting" shows put a stripe or two down there face with lipstick like sticks of paint. Seems pointless to me. I completely cover all exposed skin with the cheap Halloween paint and it DOES make a difference...especially at close range. The cheap Halloween paint is also easily removed.
This is a tip that my buddy gave me...who kills most of his deer from the ground. Halloween paint works great.
Only when I miss!!Then I hide my face!
If you paint your face. Shaving cream will take that stuff off nicely. :thumbsup:
If I do I use a Spandoflage head net. Always for turkey, whitetails only if I'm on the ground. I cut two small eye slits and tie a piece of serving material tight between the slits.
CARBO MASK.
Nah! I leave my face nekkid. Scares the deer to death and I don't have to bother shooting! Besides, I live in Florida and it's too bloody hot for even a bank robber stocking, and face paint runs.
Carbomask. Comes off super easy
Yes, paint. Dark color on the high spots like cheek bones and nose, lighter in the rest. Broken pattern.
QuoteOriginally posted by zipper bowss:
Only when I miss!!Then I hide my face!
If you paint your face. Shaving cream will take that stuff off nicely. :thumbsup:
Marine corps? :thumbsup:
Buff during the early season then First Lite balaclava asat later. Only when wearing my contacts though. Carbomask if wearing glasses.
I also keep my hands covered. I am convinced that face and hands are more important than the pattern I wear. I do have a fair complexion.
Carbo Mask and/or a First Lite balaclava. Usually some form of brimmed hat to provide shadows on my face. Have used a shemagh in the past to great effect as well.
I use them all the time. The mesh type from Hunters Specialties.
Ground hunting, yes, camo net with eye holes in warm weather, neoprene in winter. Tree hunting, only in mosquito season.
I used to just let my beard grow, but now it's white and has the opposite effect. Have to cover it up.
I learned last year and proved it again this past saturday that if you dont move deer wont see you i doubt i will wear a mask all the time this season its more for bugs and warmth.... Not sure if my theory works the same with an alert deer because half the bucks i have taken did look right at me but then looked away and i think i had a mask on most or those times..
Just a lightweight "spando-flage" type mask whenever possible.
I prefer burnt cork..just some vertical lines down my face and neck to break up the outline. Easy to touch up and easy to wash off
QuoteOriginally posted by RedShaft:
QuoteOriginally posted by zipper bowss:
Only when I miss!!Then I hide my face!
If you paint your face. Shaving cream will take that stuff off nicely. :thumbsup:
Marine corps? :thumbsup: [/b]
You guessed it! I'll bet I know how you knew. :D
Though I often have a beard during fall, I learned many years ago that it's important to cover as many contrasting body parts as possible, especially those that move alot...namely the face (mask) and hands (gloves). It's also a good idea to practice frequently with these items. In fact, I wear a light jersey glove under my tab all year (backyard summer practice, 3d shoots, etc.), to ensure that I stay used to the 'feel' of a gloved release hand. A fletch cover for bright arrow fletching is also a good idea.
Deer don't survive in the wild by being stupid and anything that 'flags' their eyes is obviously bad for the flagger. For the close shooting that comes with bowhunting it just makes sense to blend in as much as possible.
Spandoflauge facemask - whether in my ghillie on the ground or in treestand. True deer catch movement and a face mask is not absolutely vital if you are not moving. However, bare skin has a different sheen to it and is far more light reflective then most background settings.... thus when you do move it makes it that much easier for a deer, or most game animals, to peg you. Now if you can sit absolutely still for hours on end - no problem....but I do believe you are diminishing your chance of remaining non-detected if you do not cover your face and hands to some degree.
BTW - nature is seldom still. Birds, squirrels and natural movement of foliage is usually occurring in the woods at any given moment and thus deer get inundated with all kinds of movement every day. They can't and won't bolt at movement unless then identify it as a danger. There are few things that occur in nature that resemble the human face – I believe deer can and do recognize the sheen and shape of a man's face. I can usually get away with more movement then what most people would think when I am fully camouflaged in my ghillie suit.... If my face is bare then the deer usually do not tolerate movement and have an easier time pegging me as danger – just my observations over many years. Bare hands can have a similar effect of drawing unwanted attention.
I wear glasses. The only mask that does not fog them up is my ASAT 3D mask.There is enough mesh that it allows exhalations to disperse.
I use a light weight fabric hood.
I tried Buff last year and liked it a lot. Great here in TX when it's hot and keeps the skeeters away
(http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae334/biedermann/null_zps0d5bd42c.jpg) (http://s985.photobucket.com/user/biedermann/media/null_zps0d5bd42c.jpg.html)
we all used Buffs for saltwater fly fishing mostly tropical stuff where the reflection off the water would fry our faces,,, never would I imagine buff would be headed to the camo market.. I should try my version in the Dorado color I think that would look cool.
I just feel naked with my bare face sticking out there. It is probably just a confidence thing but I like my hands and face covered.
I have worn the spandoflauge mask a lot but it is so hot here during early season even it feels hot so I just paint my face. I keep a small pack of unscented baby wipes in my pack and a big pack in the truck. The paint comes right off, I just have to remember to take it off before running to the 7-11. I really got some strange looks.
Sometimes.
Here is a cold weather pic. The fleece comes down to shoot but under it is a super thin camo skin.
(http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/bowwild/Bowhunting/CamoFace.jpg) (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/bowwild/media/Bowhunting/CamoFace.jpg.html)
QuoteOriginally posted by RedShaft:
Carbo mask face pInt till it gets cold then a mask.
This!
For those that haven't tried Carbo Mask, you are missing out on the best. Long lasting and stupid easy to remove.
Only when I hunt an enemy.... :archer: