The pattern doesn’t matter if the deer can smell you

As the Indiana deer seasons get closer, I am really receiving a lot of questions. I had a fellow ask me a great question while I was shopping in the sporting goods department at Walmart. He was looking at the different patterns of camouflage, and he looked rather perplexed.

He mentioned that over the years, he had purchased many different patterns from such companies as RealTree, Mossy Oak, and many other lesser-known companies, and eventually, wear and tear took a toll on the fabric. He asked me, "In your opinion, does mixing camouflage patterns affect a hunter's chances for success?"

Well, this is my opinion. Over 61 years of deer hunting all over the Midwest using camouflage during the archery deer seasons, I have also used many different camouflage patterns. Some of the material has suffered greatly from being ripped as I climbed over fences, snagged them on tree limbs, branches, ripped them on deer antlers and just about any/every type of hunting torture.

I have many times mixed patterns out of necessity, and I don’t really feel I sacrificed the advantage of being undetectable at any time. Maybe my human nature made me feel like I wasn't "fashionably matched," but I honestly don’t think it affected my ability to be undetected.

In my opinion, the advantage and purpose of camouflage is to break up the human outline. The pattern is not necessarily a major consideration at all. Years ago, we hunted wearing red and black or green and black plaid jackets, and there were certainly huge numbers of deer taken by deer hunters regardless of weapon being used.

Even the great bowhunting legend and father of bowhunting, Fred Bear, usually hunted wearing a red and gray plaid shirt and his famous fedora hat. He said the best camouflage pattern was to "sit still and be quiet."

Sure, we all hope and strive to defeat the deer's defensive systems, but when it comes to defeating their sense of sight, a deer depends on detecting movement. If the hunter can remain motionless or make movement when the deer is facing away, or when its head is behind a bush or tree, to move into position for executing a shot, that is the time to make the adjustment.

I know from personal experience I have had deer within spitting distance while I was checking trail cameras, and I was not wearing camouflage at all. The deer never really detected me because I remained motionless.

When the deer looked around, I slowly dropped to one knee and never moved. The deer sensed something was not right, and it started bobbing it's head up and down trying to make me move. But I remained still. The deer moved slowly to different spots trying to get my human scent, but it never figured out what the ugly bush was doing there.

During the firearms seasons, the same hunters concerned about being invisible during the archery season are now wearing Hunter Orange. Many times, unless the deer gets a sniff of human scent, they pass directly by the bright orange clad hunter.

I have several different patterns of camouflage, and one of my favorites is no longer made. What makes me prefer their pattern is most of the camouflage pattern is vertical. It is extremely effective for hunting in the woods because most everything in the woods is vertical, such as trees.

They had an early season pattern with green, black, and gray that worked great with the green leaves on the trees. And then they had a fall pattern that had brown, black, and gray that was perfect when the leaves turned brown.

I can't begin to count the times I might have had a RealTree camouflage jacket and sweatshirt and maybe a Mossy Oak pair of pants or bibs, and the deer never detected my presence sitting in a tree stand or ladder stand. Once again, I had my human scent under control, and I remained as motionless as possible and executed the shot opportunity.

Again, in my opinion, the No. 1 sense the hunter needs to defeat is the sense of smell. You can be wearing the best, most expensive set of camouflage, regardless of pattern or manufacturer, and even if the deer does not see you, if it gets a sniff of human scent, the game is OVER.