Camo

[Sir-diealot]

As I have said before, I make it look so sexy though!

Funny, thanks for the laugh this morning

You are quite welcome

[sixbird]

I've often said that camo is for the hunter, not so much for the quarry. Camo companies capitalize on the idea that certain camo is so much superior to other camo. I use whatever camo is handy and, although some seems marginally better than others, I've had animals within feet when I've had X, Y, Z brands and it didn't seem to make a difference.
I think setting up in shadow and being still as much as you can are WAY more important than the brand of camo you use.
That said, the sexiness quotient goes way up when I'm in bottomland camo...Just sayin'   

[Bowguy]

I've often said that camo is for the hunter, not so much for the quarry. Camo companies capitalize on the idea that certain camo is so much superior to other camo. I use whatever camo is handy and, although some seems marginally better than others, I've had animals within feet when I've had X, Y, Z brands and it didn't seem to make a difference.
I think setting up in shadow and being still as much as you can are WAY more important than the brand of camo you use.
That said, the sexiness quotient goes way up when I'm in bottomland camo...Just sayin'   

The first sentence about sums it up. And the sitting still in shadow sentence. Some camo is at best marginal over others. Idk but imo people are losing it some. They're so swayed by marketing. Some guys swear they need an exact camo for best results, just not true. They don't understand marketing is aimed not at making them a more successful hunter but at the marketer making the company more money. 
That being said it's certainly not gonna hurt you in any way.

[Happy]

I think camo in turkey hunting is slightly more helpful than deer hunting. At least if you depend on only calling and no visual attractions to focus the birds attention elswhere. Birds come in looking for you so blending in with your surroundings helps. Plus unlike deer, turkeys bet their lives on their eyesight. With deer it's their nose. That being said the biggest gobbler I ever killed was meant for my grandad and I called it to within 25 yards of him and he wasn't wearing a single piece of camo or gloves. He was tucked into shadows and didn't move. Many times I have grabbed my kids and gone and called gobblers in to easy shotgun range behind my house just for fun. They are hunted birds also not tame ones. Setup is crucial and camo can help but it is not the deal-breaker most try and make it out to be. I do like camo though. Speaking of which I just found some military spec BDU pants in bottomland and ordered a few pair. Hopefully they hold up well.

[Bowguy]

Happy let me ask you something?? Regarding the more important to blend in w turkey statement. More food for thought. Say you take a fresh blind w pretty good camo for an area. What are the chances a deer spots you? Take a mediocre to horrendous camo pattern and put it on a blind. I bet the birds walk right up to it, wouldn't you say? The blind is def seen for sure but the tolerance for an inanimate unfamiliar object I think is higher w birds. I'm refering to a first time encounter, not a blind that's been out a month.
If it different by you?

[Happy]

It is an interesting topic. Put a blind in a cornfield and a turkey has no issue coming right up to it whereas a deer will not. Now given time to acclimate deer will accept them but it takes time. Now on the flip side let a deer see a human make a small movement vsa turkey. You can get away with far more with a deer than a turkey. A turkey does not stand around to figure out why something moved. Many deer will. I am still waiting to see if over time turkeys start shying away from blinds. I hope they do.

[Happy]

Funny thing is I once cut a crabapple tree in my backyard. The first doe to come through acted as if the world had somehow changed. She snorted and stomped and did the bobbed head movement for a half hour. Turkeys didn't care a bit. For an animal that depends on eyesight so much it is puzzling.

[Bowguy]

Yes you're right on many points. Turkeys def have no curiosity and scoot the second they aren't sure bout something.

[Ranger]

Funny thing is I once cut a crabapple tree in my backyard. The first doe to come through acted as if the world had somehow changed. She snorted and stomped and did the bobbed head movement for a half hour. Turkeys didn't care a bit. For an animal that depends on eyesight so much it is puzzling.

Curious here, did you cut the tree completely at the base?  And did you remove it immediately or was the tree on the ground?  From what I understand about turkey behavior the more naturally occurring something is in regards to what can actually happen in nature the less it bothers them, even if the change is drastic.  However, let the change be something more man-made and unnatural and their interest peaks greatly.  Either way a tree coming down isn't much to notice as far as being unnatural. And I couldn't disagree with Bowguy any more, put orange road cones in a frequently traveled area and you'll see turkey curiosity if you've never seen it before.  They scoot when they know it's healthy to, they're curious when they feel they can be.

[Happy]

Cut it off at ground level. Cut it up and burnt it. It left a gap in the treeline which is what I assume attracted the deers attention.

[Bowguy]

Funny thing is I once cut a crabapple tree in my backyard. The first doe to come through acted as if the world had somehow changed. She snorted and stomped and did the bobbed head movement for a half hour. Turkeys didn't care a bit. For an animal that depends on eyesight so much it is puzzling.

Curious here, did you cut the tree completely at the base?  And did you remove it immediately or was the tree on the ground?  From what I understand about turkey behavior the more naturally occurring something is in regards to what can actually happen in nature the less it bothers them, even if the change is drastic.  However, let the change be something more man-made and unnatural and their interest peaks greatly.  Either way a tree coming down isn't much to notice as far as being unnatural. And I couldn't disagree with Bowguy any more, put orange road cones in a frequently traveled area and you'll see turkey curiosity if you've never seen it before.  They scoot when they know it's healthy to, they're curious when they feel they can be.

I'm sorry brother and no disrespect but I couldn't disagree w you more. Again let's go to the blind. That's totally man made and not naturally occurring yet turkeys walk right up to it. How bout brand new black cars. They're man made yet the damn things will walk up to one and fight their reflection in it.
Farm equiptment has got plenty of red reflectors they don't shy from that even when it's been no where around since last year. A farm by me has plenty of orange cones and there's no shying away
I said earlier, I've kee keed in two flocks wearing a RED woolrich jacket to maybe 20-25 yards. Now I never said to wear orange never even insinuated it but where did the cone thing come from? I believe it's kind of extreme, why on earth would they even be put out there?
Remember my point is and was camo is ok, a certain type isn't as necessary as guys think. Heck I've called in birds w my daughters and I walking across open fields. We were caught by gobbling and grabbed a spot near an edge. So my older daughter, she should know better, but had a blue sweatshirt hood hanging out, both had no face masks on.
The birds entered the field w us, we were totally exposed. Long story short the kids stayed still and I worked a pot behind my daughters legs. The younger of my daughters never moved and after the shot was out of position but my older one got a bird at about 25 yards. 
You're entitled to think what you want but I don't believe there's extensive hands on knowledge of what you're saying. If so than wherever you live they act much dif than where I've chased em. And one more point back to your naturally occurring statement. You're giving turkeys way too much credit thinking they have the brainpower to analize what may or may not be natural occurring and come to a conclusion from there. They just don't do that.

[Happy]

Just a side note but I have noticed turkeys to be much more receptive to a new object if it is spotted from a distance than if it is something that is not noticed until it is right up on them.

[Ranger]

New objects don't necessarily make them " shy away" or make them run from the same tractors they see regularly as you're saying now but you originally said they have no curiosity, which is not true.  I've never understood the ground blind situation other than the fact that it does mimic what naturally occurs in the woods, and if you're telling me they're checking their reflection in it then that's definitely a curious mind then isn't it?  And I bet if you put a piece of equipment in a place it's never been or used the turkeys will check it out with the utmost attention.  And there is extensive, hands-on studies on the subjects...read Joe Huttos Illumination in the Flatwoods.  He records that young poults even know the difference between a naturally made stump and a man made one.  I'm not giving them too much credit and of course they're not analyzing, but it's called imprinting and you're lacking on the credit if you don't understand that it's real.

[GobbleNut]

From what I've experienced, turkeys do what turkeys do,...and often with no "human" reasoning associated with it.  I suspect many of us have had turkeys walk right up to us when we never would have expected it,...and conversely, had turkeys become alarmed at the most insignificant change in their surroundings.

I personally believe that turkeys "catalogue" experiences in their lives,...positive, negative, or neutral,...and establish behaviors based on those experiences over time. 

As for the camo debate, if you are trying to impress the turkeys, blend in with the surroundings as much as possible and don't move.  If you are trying to impress your fellow turkey hunters, make sure you have the latest in camo on to be fashionable,...and try to act like you know what you are talking about. 

[Gobble!]

It's amazing what you can get away with when hunting "pet" turkeys and deer.

shots fired