Your thoughts on hunting solids

[LBuchser]

Im looking for people's thoughts on gray solids like Sitka Lead or even something like pyrite. I've heard grays are made with a blue base and that's easier for animals, specifically ungulates to see. Any opinions or experience?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Preface: Do not walk around looking like you should be out delivering packages.

While I have camo pants, I rarely use them any more. I just use solid pants: tan/khaki, grey (light/dark) and green (loden). Just keep it somewhat natural looking and you'll be fine. Hell, lots of folks have killed lots of animals sporting blue jeans in various hues.

Despite any potential fashion faux pas, the animals so far have not cared about what I'm wearing.

We tend to overthink things. If hikers, in their brightly hued garments, regularly see animals there is no reason hunters should be concerned about wearing subdued colors.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

I agree with AZ_hunter. I wear solids. My pants are grey and my top is usually tan/coyote. I do have some tops/jackets that are camo but I rarely reach for them anymore. I killed my elk this year at 35 yards in my grey pants and usual hoody. He was looking at me but I broke up my silhouette with trees and blended in. I believe we overthink things way, way too much.

 

[Nick992]

As long as they can't see your outline against something light colored, you'll be fine. Even camo can't protect you if you choose to walk a ridge line.
I'm a fan of red flannel, but that's just preference.

 

[Axlrod]

If you are moving or you stink they will know you are there way before any lack of camo blows your cover.

 

[Windrunner17]

I typically wear solids/plaids. I have various combinations of browns, greys, and subdued greens. As long as you mix and match it'll break up your silhouette anyway. Especially in late season I wear a lot of grey and I haven't had an issue with it, but I will say that I wear wool and that sometimes has different optical properties than synthetics.

Even in archery the only camo I wear is when it's real warm I wear a lightweight bamboo hoodie I got in camo. Doesn't seem to be a problem if I play the wind, stay still, don't silhouette myself, and use shadow smartly.

 

[LBuchser]

Awesome, thank you guys. It just confirms what I was thinking.

 

[Bdeboer29]

I would echo most of what’s been said so far. I wear mostly solids and love my stuff from Sitka to include a pair of lead timberlines. Frankly I buy solids so I can were it in my daily life and get more use out of expensive technical clothing.

 

[justinspicher]

I am also a solid color guy during hunting, especially during rifle season. I can‘t see the point of wearing a camo pattern with a blaze orange vest over it.

 

[ZAK13]

If you can kill an animal at close range while wearing blaze orange, I think colors aren't as important as those in the industry would lead you to believe. Saying this, I wear muted tone colors, tan/khaki, brown, gray, loden, even black and have killed animals.

 

[Drenalin]

I pretty much hunted this entire season in black and blaze orange, and killed 6 deer at ranges of 10 feet to 140 yards. I think other things matter a lot more than this thing.

 

[S.Clancy]

I've called bulls in wearing a bright red rain jacket...it doesn't matter.

I wear all solids, I just think camo looks stupid. And, I have way more options of companies wearing solids.

 

[GetWestern]

Used to just buy camo but now finding myself wanting solids just cause I like the look and can wear them more often out and about. I guess you could make an argument that camo only matters with bow hunting but even then I’ve seen that not matter so much anymore.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I typically wear camo tops and solid pants (muted earth tones like brown, olive, and gray). Except for turkey hunting I don't think color makes a huge difference to deer and elk. They are color blind. It's the wind, movement, and un-natural noises that they key on.

 

[JS.Fletch5]

I like solids because I wear the clothes a lot more around town/day-to-day and I feel like I get more for my money. If I drop a lot on technical apparel I like that I wear it all the time.

 

[Fetty Wapiti]

Have never seen much benefit from wearing camo. That and scent control/wind direction seem to matter very little with elk/mule deer. But that is just my observation. As others have said Ridgelines are your enemy.

 

[roosiebull]

I typically wear camo tops and solid pants (muted earth tones like brown, olive, and gray). Except for turkey hunting I don't think color makes a huge difference to deer and elk. They are color blind. It's the wind, movement, and un-natural noises that they key on.

Exactly the same for me.. hunting turkey or calling lions or coyotes, I think camo is good practice, besides that, I don’t care. Primarily buy solid pants, and camo tops.

As far as seeing blue, from my understanding they see into the blue spectrum well like we see in the red spectrum well, but blue doesn’t glow to deer like some make it sound… I’m not going out of my way to wear blue in the woods, but if you do, you won’t look like a blood thirsty neon light.

I remember checking a spot for elk real quick one afternoon before season wearing a blue shirt with yellow stripes… there ended up being elk in there, haha… I had a couple cows within feet that didn’t see me, and I got stuck in the open… long time ago but I remember being so surprised because it went so far against with what I had always heard.

Mountain lions do pretty well around here wearing solids