Face Camo? Is it really needed?

ksbowman · November 30, 2009, 10:20:00 PM

I use a Spando-flage face mask and won't hunt without it. I too have set where I could see another hunter without a mask or face paint and he was like a lighthouse beacon. That made me a believer in covering my face. Ben

JEFF B · November 30, 2009, 10:30:00 PM

Burnt cork only way to fly

k. sisco · November 30, 2009, 10:52:00 PM

I use face paint.
But what the heck is burnt cork?and where do you get it?

sj_lutz · November 30, 2009, 10:59:00 PM

Not covering my mug cost me a shot at a nice Ohio 8 pt this year.

I was tucked into the base of a big Sycamore tree, with (what I thought was) good brush cover to my front. The buck came in from the right, and slowly worked his way within 20 yards of me. Just as he was getting ready to clear some scrub out front, he saw my shiny face, and beat feet outta there.

It was the last day of the hunt, and simply put, I got lazy. Didn't want to deal with face paint when I was gettin on the road in a few hours.

Yet another in the seemingly never ending list of bowhunting mistakes that I've made that I won't make again.

Autumnarcher · November 30, 2009, 11:59:00 PM

I do not like to wear a net over my face, seems it makes me itch and scratch more, or make my glasses fog up when my breathing gets fast and erratic whe na deer comes in. I do wear the ASAT 3D headnet, but tuck it under my chin. I still use camo makeup of one sort or another around the exposed areas. I pay particular attention to around my eyes and nose. I get my eyelids too so when I blink it doesnt look like two white lites. Also helps cut any glare from my glasses.

I wear gloves or smear a little black and brown on my hands if its warm out. Hands and faces shine like a headlamp.

I was getting low on makeup this year, and remembered my wife saves wine bottle corks. I grabbed a couple and tossed in my bag one day on the way out the door to camp. That morning I was waiting onthe coffee to get done, and decided to burn on to do my face.

Make sure they are real corks, and not those stupid modern plastic ones that LOOK like corks. Man did that stink up the camper.LOL I grabbed a piece of cold black log out of the campfire and rubbed that on my face.

Mojostick · December 01, 2009, 01:01:00 AM

Depends where you hunt. In moderate to low pressure area's, you can get away with a lot.
But in extreme pressure area's, the deer are on pins and needles times an atomic bomb.
For example, my county in Michigan alone (that's county, not region or whole state) has 25,000 deer hunters, from DNR data. I'm in "deer camp country". It's rural and every single parcel over about 2 acres gets hunted, many times hunted hard.
Now, if you get 30 feet up in a tree, you may be OK without a mask or camo, but if 15' up or god forbid on the ground, you better be camo'd up head to toe, bigtime.
I've hunted in Illinois where I pulled a sneak on a nice buck across a cut corn field (to my dismay-that would never remotely happen in Michigan) and I got busted here in Michigan this fall in head to toe ASAT by simply moving my hand to the string in a very heavily covered ground blind made from about 10-15 pine tree tops. Once you've hunted whitetails under extreme pressure, you quickly conclude deer in many low pressure area's are half tame, in comparison.
In my area, fawns will often bolt in fear if not wearing a mask or face camo.

RayMO · December 01, 2009, 08:34:00 AM

I have to share this with everyone....I was a big fan of cork until I tried carbow mask. The stuff is great, does not come off, you sweat thru the stuff, and it is easier to put on than cork and believe it or not comes off easier than cork and will not rub off like cork. I tried it and I am sticking with it amazing stuff.

http://www.carbomask.com/

RayMO

waknstak IL · December 01, 2009, 08:44:00 AM

I never hunt without one. I use the spandex kind. We don't have any Caribou here either.

Chris40 · December 01, 2009, 11:29:00 AM

I always wear paint. I believe in it. I can't wear a mask, even turkey hunting, it bothers me..

A buddy and I were hunting an urban spot we have. He was 80 yrds or so behind me off to my left wearing one of the popular brands of camo and no face camo. I could clearly see his dark outline and his face through the tree tops. He couldn't see me at all with ASAT and my face painted.

bayoubowman · December 01, 2009, 12:39:00 PM

I wear it, it is part of the hunting process for me. I guess you could argue the value of camo or no camo but to me it makes me feel like I am "in the game"

December 01, 2009, 02:14:00 PM

I have shot as many deer wearing camo as not wearing camo, however, at close range deer can see my white beard, ho ho... I saw a strange thing a while back. Every so often something showed up in the woods across a valley, very clearly. I checked with my binos to see what the apparition was, it was a bow hunter, every so often he looked my way. If I could see it at a half mile, I am pretty certain that a deer could pick it out at twenty yards.

KentuckyTJ · December 01, 2009, 02:19:00 PM

My thoughts are when I'm buck hunting I use it. If not I don't mess with it. I found some this year that is very easy to wipe off with no water necessary. Big plus in my book.

http://www.camofxnation.com/

moose eye levi · December 01, 2009, 02:58:00 PM

Can't beat burnt cork it's easier to remove than the paints and masks are annoying

amicus · December 01, 2009, 03:28:00 PM

I was hunting this AM with four does within 20 yrds. They didn't seem to mind that I was not wearing a face mask.

I think it works but not necessary all the time.

Gilbert

Don Stokes · December 01, 2009, 03:46:00 PM

Another consideration that no one has mentioned is that prey species notice eyes focused on them. Your camo should break up the area around your eyes, because all predators have eyes to the front, and prey animals know that and notice it. The white face of Caucasians accentuate the pattern of eyes in a round face.

the longbowkid · December 01, 2009, 04:04:00 PM

I never use a face covering, unless just for warmth. just a camo headwrap. It is really all about movement. If you don't move while the deer is looking at you, he has no reason to think your face is anything other than a light patch of bark.

Mike Gibbs · December 01, 2009, 05:37:00 PM

Face and hands stand out in the woods and WILL give you away on the ground. Save your wine bottle corks. Burn the end and swipe across your face. Easy on and easy off.

bushytail · December 01, 2009, 09:30:00 PM

I usally wear a face mask.But today i was deer hunting (rifle season)and had 41 turkeys around me feeding and chasing each other around.It was great to watch them.I had camo on,plus a Fl.orange vest and Fl.orange ski mask on.A lot of them were within 10 yards of me."NONE" of them spooked.Go figure.