Beyond the Camo Shirt: Tips for Keeping Concealed in the Woods

Predator, deer, turkey and waterfowl hunters have to deal with a whole aspect of hunting that doesn’t apply to upland hunters: concealment.

It goes beyond not being seen; concealment encompasses keeping silent and guarding your scent to prevent being busted before you even get a chance to pull off a shot.

Here are some of the top tips to help you keep concealed in the field, regardless of your target species.

Stay Quiet

We’ll start with one that doesn’t even have to do with visual concealment. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you come upon a fellow hunter in the woods, he’s (or she’s) more likely to speak in hushed tones?

This is to avoid spooking game and to avoid leaving a bigger footprint than needed in areas where game is pursued.

It should apply to you when you are on the ground, in your blind or in your stand. The first step to staying concealed is to stay quiet.

Don’t Move

Staying still is one of the other big chips to not getting busted before you have a chance to draw your sights on a target.

Stillness is actually more effective than pretty much any camouflage pattern could be. When you’re out there, move only when necessary. Game like turkey will bust you a long way off if you move even a hair. Don’t think they won’t see it; they will.

Stay still as much as you can, even if you don’t see any game, or there’s nothing within sight. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they can’t see you, or that they aren’t watching you.

Break Up Your Outline

Concealment can be about the camouflage pattern you employ, but it is just as important to break up your outline as it is to actually blend into your background using the appropriate colors and patterns.

Specifically, this is why leafy camo patterns are so popular, as are ghillie suits. These obscure your outline and make it seem as though your form is a part of the backdrop, rather than being set against it.

It’s also the reason that duck hunters add marsh grass and reeds to their boats and blinds. It’s not just the color, but it obscures the outline of the structure using natural cover, which is all the more effective.

Cover Your Hands and Face

Exposed skin will stand out like a glowing brand in the woods and it will betray your position. The simple solution is just to wear gloves and a facemask or a wide brimmed hat.

You can also use face paint or charcoal to smudge your hands and face, covering up your “shiny” skin and breaking up your outline.

By the way, there are some game animals that will take no notice of you if you cover up your head and face, even if you are in blaze orange. Notably, squirrel hunters can take advantage of this.

For whatever reason, squirrels won’t seem to notice you if your hands and face are covered - even if you are in all-orange, as is required in some states for small game firearm hunters.

Match Your Camo Patterns

While this step is not absolutely, critically necessary in all scenarios, it will help you stay hidden, especially when you are chasing more wary targets like gamebirds. Deer might not notice a mismatch in pattern between your camo shirt and your pants and pack, but a turkey might, and so might ducks and geese.

So, take some time to make sure all your clothing is on the same wavelength, so to speak.

Use Natural Cover Wisely

Not just that you should cut and use grasses, reeds, and moss, where legal for concealment, but you should mind where you set up or place your blind.

Generally, you want an open lane in front of you and a lot of natural cover behind you. This might seem counterintuitive as it will expose you, but think of it this way: you need a shooting lane, and the cover behind you will break up your outline and create shadow that will help keep you hidden.

Of course, some cover in front of you is acceptable, but it’s usually better to have dense cover at your six.

Hide Your Gear 

So you’ve done a yeoman’s job of decking yourself, from the crown of your head to the soles of your boots, in compatible camo.

What about your pack, that has your lime-green hunting license blazing on it like a flare? Or your gun barrel, which shines in the sun like a fusion reactor?  

Mind these things too; they can also give you away. Make sure they are hidden as well as possible given the circumstances.

Keep your pack covered and hide your permits, if legal. As for bows and guns, they can often be given a little concealment boost by wrapping them in camo tape or just non-reflective tape.

Mind Your Scent Cone

For predator and deer hunters, scent control is paramount to keeping concealed. There’s nothing you can do to fully eliminate your scent, so what you need to do is control it and be aware of it.

Notably, you will throw a scent cone downwind of you. Face into the wind, but expect shots on predators to present themselves downwind as predators will usually circle downwind to see what and where you are.

Also, avoid relieving yourself in the woods if you can, as that will only further disperse your scent.

Gear Up with Camo Shirts and Other Camo Gear Here

Fall is just around the corner, and now is the time to gear up with what you need come opening day, whether you’re after deer in the early season or are a late-winter fox hunter.

Check out our collection of camo shirts, camouflage pants, and other camouflage gear for hunting to make sure you’re ready when the season opens.