Ghillie Suit Hunters
General Topic
Anyone else currently using a Ghillie suit for archery?? Tried one out last spring during turkey hunting and had deer and birds at point-blank range.
Deer were not in season but a buck sniffed my camera on the tripod and my broadhead Turkeys were a little more wary but very close as well.
Wondering how a guy could draw and shoot out in the open while wearing one and game so close.
Only used one in AZ for mule deer. Buddy got one (8 year old) but I didn't. I was able to get quite close to some does but the buck was behind a bush. They let me move slowly until I got to about 10 yards. Never moved when they were looking my way. Zero cover near me.
Cut down the bow Ramon the inside and trim the chest area so it doesn't interfere with your shot. I prefer the ASAT leafy suit , able to wear in all kinds of weather, especially warmer early season hunts. Either way you go , if your hunting from the ground you will see and get closer to more game.
How heavy is a GS? Are they hot? Are they easy to move in if you really have to make tracks?
Ghillies work so well they should be illegal (sorry, I thought this was the crossgun thread!). It's as close to being invisible as a human can get. They may see you, but they look right through you because they don't identify you. I've been hunting in one now for 15 years and I'm still amazed at how well they work.
worked well on this goose. Better blending with the surroundings and not in the "open".
worked well on this goose. Better blending with the surroundings and not in the "open".
Set up near a small outcropping of shrubs or bushes so that you blend in, then just be conscious of your movement. I have had deer stand 2 feet in front of me, staring at me, trying to figure out what was there. You will never get closer wearing anything else. I made my own, and tailored it my needs. Trimming down on the forearms and the chest area so that your bowstring does not get caught up on the jute. To me, the head cover is most important as that will truly break up your human outline. Face paint completes the package, especially your eyelids. You will disappear.
You just have to pick your shot opportunity, that can require patience. That being said, from my 30 +:years of ghillie experience, an important aspect is, (that i see rarely spoken about in ghillie talk) what you cant do is let your quarry get TOO CLOSE. Yep too close will generally youll be busted, only speaking thru my personal experiences. When you get a weary old doe 5 ft from you , she may not know what you are but she will smell you at that point or stare a hole thru you till it kills you , ive made that mistake, and sometimes simply for the entertainment value, only if im about to leave the spot, or move.and ill add, when game does get inside and too close, they generally laser foucus on the delicious looking bush.good luck brother, its a blast.., oh and as said full face paint is a must...
X2 savage. What you mentioned is the biggest disadvantage of using a ghillie...TOO close.
The other disadvantage, which is partially linked to the "too close", is getting a shot off. You really have to time and plan your possible shot opportunity. In my case I hunt on the ground and a lot of it is stillhunting, so I don't have prepared shooting lanes. Many times I'm more than close enough but have to let them walk, but for me that's part of the thrill. #1 is making a good clean kill. #2 is having them so close you can see their nose quiver but you have them walk away and they never know you're there.
The older I get the more the distance between 1 and 2 decreases!
Been using ghillie suits for a lot of years. They work!
You will need to do some trimming of your bow arm and chest to keep the stuff from hanging in your bowstring. I use a long arm guard and a pack or bino harness to keep stuff out of the way.
There is a lot to timing of the shot when on the ground, in the open, with an animal at petting distance.
I usually get my bow pointed at the animal when they are looking away coming in. I prefer to shoot them while they are walking or looking at something else and quartered away.
The longbow works really well for this kind of hunting as many times I can’t get my bow vertical for a shot. My shot sequence happens really fast. It seems that getting a compound drawn when an animal is really close is much more difficult. Since you can hold a compound a lot longer, maybe draw when the animal is further out and get set to shoot a specific gap or travel lane.
Humm.. bought one years ago (for turkeys) and never tried it bowhunting... will dig it out and start shooting my bow with it just to see... (skeptical and unusually slow learner I am)
Treeline only wears a jacket...that's his REAL hair LOL!!!!
Hell smarba, getting thin up there! I need to wear the hat and a beanie to keep from getting sunburned!
Treeline buck
Treeline buck
Works great in the willows for treeline bucks.
Treeline bull
Treeline bull
Found several pictures taken out of a video when I was shooting my red stag.
I have a full ghillie suit and a two piece one. Couple things I've observed: a full length or pants aren't required and they're a great magnet for burrs and all the other hitchhikers in the woods. Now, when I turkey hunt outside a blind, I just use the ghillie hood, with full screen for your eyes and a little visor for the sun. I carry it my folded chair or game bag on my best. When sitting on the ground, your legs are low and down in the grass and brush anyways. I don't even wear expensive camo pants, just camo jeans, insulated or non- insulated. Nothing more comfortable than denim, and quiet. I don't mess the ghillie top either, just a good non-cotton camo that doesn't fade. I even have the ASAT 3D, it tends to contrast easy in shaded areas and doesn't fool a turkeys eyes.
