Choosing Camo Colors

[bayman1975]

Here's a little information for those that like to camo their own hunting equipment; guns, bows, deer stands, etc..

If you're trying to figure out what colors you need to use in your camo scheme, just take a picture of the area you hunt.  The larger the area in the photo, the better.

A picture like this.




Then you take it and open it in whatever photo software you have.  I use Corel Graphics Suite 11 Photo-Paint.  Next you go to Effects and choose Pixelate.  Set your cell size to 35, and there it is, all the dominate colors in your area.

The picture comes out like this.




As you can see, my area has several shades of gray, soft greens and browns.  There's not any real dark colors.

Here's a little demonstration on how pixelated digital camos naturally break up outlines.  This picture shows how camos with greens and blacks blend into the foliage.  The pixelated digital camo used here is the U.S. Marines MARPAT camo.



 

[Dixie Dude]

I noticed the grays in the first picture.  This is interesting, because the Germans used gray uniforms in Europe in WWII.  From fall to spring they would have blended well except for snow.  How does the new digital stack up? 

[Buckman]

I always think about this too.  You have a look at  a whitaile and its basically i major colour light brown and a muley is darker brown with white on each end, yet they walk off into the timber and you can't see them fro 30 yards away.  We have to have all thes e patterns maybe we should just get some brown camo.

[woodchukhntr]

Just wear Carhart work clothing,  it is deer-colored.  And when you bend down to check out some tracks and have a white handkerchief sticking out of your pocket you can get shot at by some "if it's brown, it's down" hunter.

[Nightstalker6117]

Bayman do you use a yellow polka dot on your guns to match with that stiff falling out of that growth on the tree..... HAHHA sorry had to. Anyways man thanks I never thought of doing that ... and I am getting ready to rattle can a couple of guns. Thanks for the info

[rex6666]

I usually go to the camo store and think, well i am hunting in the desert, so i will
look at desert camo, or forest cammo, or snow cammo. They are labeled (at the
better camo stores of course) works for me, by the time i tried to get my pixles
lined up hunting season would be over. I don't buy snow camo any more what
with this global warming and all, only desert and water camo.

[greg916]

Has there been any research on what deer, being colorblind, really see?  My dad, who is colorblind, can pick out camouflage pretty fast. Says it looks fake. Colorblind soldiers were used during the Korean war to find camouflaged positions. This subject has always interested me.

[quickdtoo]

Yes and no, there was a biologist on one of the outdoor shows recently that discussed some tests that had been done, deer could see red apples on snow, but not the yellow apples.

Regardless of what they can see, if you move, they'll bust ya regardless of what you're wearing, count on it, you're not gonna be invisible in even the best camo if you're moving. Be still in plain sight wearing blaze camo and you can fool them, I've done it a bunch with deer and elk.

Here's some reading on the deer color vision.

Tim

http://www.qdma.com/articles/details.asp?id=48

[greg916]

Good read, Tim. My Dad is color blind in the red/green colors. He can usually tell red from green, but can not tell yellow from green. Interesting about the blue though, as my plaids were blue and black this year! Going to have to go back to my red and black!! I usually still hunt, and believe the movement actually helps somewhat, but I have heard a snort or two!!!