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| CAMOUFLAGE Proper concealment gunsock camo clad gun covering manufacturers camouflage gun www.greatoutdoors.com http://www.camoclad.com/ www.benelli.it
As can be seen from the above pictures good camouflage greatly aids concealment. There is no point in building an excellent hide and presenting a perfect decoy pattern if the birds are going to be able to see you, the shooter, on approach. Good camouflage, to aid concealment, is a must.
In order to achieve good camouflage we have found it necessary to wear a camouflage jacket, hat, trousers, gloves and facemask. We also have a camouflaged Camo Clad™ kit covering each gun. (see above pictures - all gun are Camo Clad™ covered - better still would be a gun in a factory painted camouflage pattern). Camo Clad™ is a camouflage adhesive kit which sticks to the entire gun, in sections, but can easily be removed without leaving any residue. A gun sock is like a long, narrow camouflage sock which slides over the entire gun.
This attire may feel uncomfortable and alien (particularly the face mask) on the first few occasions but one adapts quite quickly to wearing it. We have found on occasions, especially during tea-break, when the face masks would be removed that birds approaching the set-up would turn frantically at the last minute turning a quite easy shot into a more difficult one, because they had seen our faces. Surprisingly, we found that camouflage suits (with no facemask) seem to make your face more prominent and visible to incoming birds when presented against a camouflage background so the use of a mask, in our opinion, is essential.
No matter how well camouflaged a shooter is birds will detect movement and avoid the set-up. When birds are approaching the pattern it is imperative that movement is kept to a minimum - moving into shooting position very slowly so as not to attract attention, alerting the birds. If a bird comes into the pattern, when concentration has lapsed, catching you unawares, it is better to let the bird go unscathed rather than take a snap shot with little chance of success which will definitely frighten the bird and others away.
When purchasing camouflage clothing it is important to ensure that the articles to be worn during winter are completely waterproof and windproof. Also, make sure the jacket is large enough to fit over a jumper and perhaps a body warmer, as well. The camouflaged trousers we use for winter are one size bigger than our normal size - this means it can be slipped on over a trousers in the field, which is convenient and very warm. The hat purchased should ideally be adjustable - ensuring it will also fit over a face mask. If purchasing gloves ones with a long wristband are best to avoid your wrist being shown when swinging on an incoming bird. Ideally, it would be best to have two camouflage suits - one warm, comfortable, windproof and waterproof for winter use and a very light suit ( with long sleeves) for warm summer evenings harvest shooting.
The facemasks above are a combination of purchased and home-made items. The first one is a balaclava with some hide neting stitched to it to aid concealment. The second is a purchased mesh mask ideal for summer decoying as it is light and the fine mesh avoids the problems of midgets biting. The third is home-made using some hide netting. I rest the netting on a football which aids sewing and shaping the mask. The fourth is a homemade item using an old spectacle frame. These are very comfortable for warm weather as they only cover the front and side of the face.
Adequate camouflage can make the difference between birds turning just as they come into range or birds entered the decoy pattern, as planned, without even realising you are there.
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