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Four Ways to Customize Your Gillie Suit For Bowhunting
With all due respect to today’s excellent camouflage patterns, you can’t beat a gillie suit for bowhunting whitetails and other game on ground level. It’s the next best thing to being invisible. Your biggest worry? A deer might step on your foot.
What a Gillie Suit is
A gillie suit is typically a strong mesh shell with hundreds of strips of burlap and differently colored materials sewn to it. Some suits are ponchos; others consist of a long jacket with pants or leggings. All of them include a head covering. You complete the vanishing act with camo gloves, boots, and a facemask.
How to customize your suit
Before you actually hunt, you need to customize the suit; specifically, use scissors to trim any loose strands that might catch on the bowstring. Put on the suit and shoot while standing, kneeling, and sitting, just as you would on a hunt. Draw the bow. A camo arm guard [1] helps keep some of the strands out of the way. Trim any material from the bow arm [2] and chest [3] that may interfere with a clean arrow release. Don’t forget to also check the head covering [4] to make sure no material obstructs your line of sight. You can’t kill a deer you can’t see. Since you trim material only from the underside of the arm and one side of the chest and head covering, this doesn’t hamper the overall effectiveness of the gillie suit.
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Comments (17)
Great post ... except for one over-looked detail.
*Don't smoke while wearing,unless you use a flame retardant*
I just purchased a bow hunters gillie suit,and the above reminders are excellent points,including the camo arm guard!
After trying mine on,I thought it was almost as good as being in a blind ... only portable,and a little more in your face.
Here is a link to where I purchased my bow huntin' gillie,for anyone interested. It came with a couple of pounds of flame retardant,and extra material.
http://www.ghilliesuitstore.com/suits/Ghillie-Suits-orderby0-p-1-c-1.htm...
this is neat, I don't own a ghillie suit but this interests me
A buddy of mine made his own out of a bug netting suit, unraveled twine and some fake foliage that his wife had lying around the house. At 20 paces I could hardly see him looking straight at him. If he is successful this year, I may ahve to make one myself.
Snipers have to make their own gillie when training to blend in with their surroundings. I would also suggest if anyone knows someone who was a sniper in any of the branches, talk to them as well and get their input.
I bought the Cabelas scentlok version in mossy oak, it was about 200 bucks....I like it a lot. It needed trimming around the arms and hood. I wore it during turkey season and felt like a ninja you can hide about anywhere and with a full face mask deer will not pick you out of a bush. I plan to use this method to move around and scout early season. I also carry a pair of sheers with me to clip branches off around me and make a little blind when I decide to stay put, this allows me to hide movement while waiting on a scrape or trail.
If you want to save money, make your own. Use 1" cargo netting and tie strips of burlap and strands of dyed jute twine on as you see fit. Then tack stitch it to a set of BDUs or other clothing of your choice. The trick is to let it air out to get rid of the burlap scent. Also continue the use of scent cover. The nice part is the burlap picks up some of the local vegitation each time you step into the woods. The netting also allows you to cut local greenery and put it in for the day. I have made a couple. It takes time...lots of time, but they are far supperior to the kind you buy. I have about $75 invested in each suit. My wife mocked me until I showed her a video of me standing in the middle of a Logging road and she couldn't pick me out until I took my hood off.
Do you think that sitting up in a tree stand with blind covers and sides requires a intense suit like this? Can the deer really look up that high?
Ross
-----
visit www.norop.com the search engine for Hunters.
I would have to completely agree with this. There's some really awesome camo patterns out there but when it comes to really erasing the human outline a gillie is the way to go. I went bear hunting in the mountains a while back and shot a 400 pounder at a little less than 15 yards...he never knew i was there unless he could hear my heart pounding,lol
This is a really good article. I have been slowly customizing my gillie suit but I had to pick up the tips from other places or from my friends talking. I wish I had this site when I first started. Would have made life a lot easier. Gillie suites are a sound investment so I recommend one to bow hunters. And these tips will help to improve them even more. I actually got my from a friend that is a sniper in the Marine Corps so it is not as advanced as some of the ones on the market with scent lock and every other new tech built in.
After reading the comments every one wrote I believe this is going to be my next purchase. Also the more I think about the concept of the Gillie Suit, the more it makes sense. Thank you all for your comments, they have me sold!
I own several different como patterns---- jackets, pants, vests, face masks and hats -- all of wool or polar fleece-- very quiet. When I wear them, I combine the different camo patterns. This has fooled some very wary animals on numerous occassions. For example, on three seperate occassions I have had red foxes walk up a trail towards me as I was motionless watching for whitetails. I was so close,I could have touched them by reaching out with my hand. They never knew I was there untill I moved though one stopped and looked right at me for a few minutes as if he knew I shouldn't be there but couldn't figure out what I was. The breeze was in my favour at these times. I always wash my hunting in scent free, low residue soap, hang the clothes near the trees outside to dry and rub myself down with local vegetation when in my hunting area. I am very carefull not to carry anything that rattles or makes any noise. When moving, I go very very slow being very very carefull when moving and placing my feet . I move in variable spurts from 2 or 3 steps then stop to 7 to 10. I try and wait untill the wind blows and rattles the trees to help cover any noise I may create. It could take me a couple of hours or more to move 1/2 a mile depending on the terrain. This type of hunting is not for everyone. It requies total concentration. You will step and occassionaly
snap a twig or 2 no matter how carefull you are. When that happens just freeze & wait at least 5 minutes before proceeding.
Learn to trust your instincts. I often get a gut feeling that game is close just before I see it. This sometimes happens as much as 10 minutes in advance. Good luck and safe hunting!!!
I own several different como patterns---- jackets, pants, vests, face masks and hats -- all of wool or polar fleece-- very quiet. When I wear them, I combine the different camo patterns. This has fooled some very wary animals on numerous occassions. For example, on three seperate occassions I have had red foxes walk up a trail towards me as I was motionless watching for whitetails. I was so close,I could have touched them by reaching out with my hand. They never knew I was there untill I moved though one stopped and looked right at me for a few minutes as if he knew I shouldn't be there but couldn't figure out what I was. The breeze was in my favour at these times. I always wash my hunting in scent free, low residue soap, hang the clothes near the trees outside to dry and rub myself down with local vegetation when in my hunting area. I am very carefull not to carry anything that rattles or makes any noise. When moving, I go very very slow being very very carefull when moving and placing my feet . I move in variable spurts from 2 or 3 steps then stop to 7 to 10. I try and wait untill the wind blows and rattles the trees to help cover any noise I may create. It could take me a couple of hours or more to move 1/2 a mile depending on the terrain. This type of hunting is not for everyone. It requies total concentration. You will step and occassionaly
snap a twig or 2 no matter how carefull you are. When that happens just freeze & wait at least 5 minutes before proceeding.
Learn to trust your instincts. I often get a gut feeling that game is close just before I see it. This sometimes happens as much as 10 minutes in advance. Good luck and safe hunting!!!
Gillie suits are expensive aren't they,I don't have one so I don't know.When I first saw a gillie suit,I thought it was something a military sniper would use,that just goes to show how technologically advanced the modern hunter is!I just wouldn't try something like that on public land because of the newbees that shoot at movement and if you wore a blaze vest,that would defeat the whole purpose of the gillie suit.I saw a nice one from gil-leaf in the Cabela's catalog,I just might have to look into it! Great post by the way!
i will have to try this gillie suit idea for next year when i can hunt w/ a bow
an orange ghillie suit is sweet for rifle because it still breaks you outline
Post a Comment
Great post ... except for one over-looked detail.
*Don't smoke while wearing,unless you use a flame retardant*
I just purchased a bow hunters gillie suit,and the above reminders are excellent points,including the camo arm guard!
After trying mine on,I thought it was almost as good as being in a blind ... only portable,and a little more in your face.
Here is a link to where I purchased my bow huntin' gillie,for anyone interested. It came with a couple of pounds of flame retardant,and extra material.
http://www.ghilliesuitstore.com/suits/Ghillie-Suits-orderby0-p-1-c-1.htm...
this is neat, I don't own a ghillie suit but this interests me
I bought the Cabelas scentlok version in mossy oak, it was about 200 bucks....I like it a lot. It needed trimming around the arms and hood. I wore it during turkey season and felt like a ninja you can hide about anywhere and with a full face mask deer will not pick you out of a bush. I plan to use this method to move around and scout early season. I also carry a pair of sheers with me to clip branches off around me and make a little blind when I decide to stay put, this allows me to hide movement while waiting on a scrape or trail.
Snipers have to make their own gillie when training to blend in with their surroundings. I would also suggest if anyone knows someone who was a sniper in any of the branches, talk to them as well and get their input.
i will have to try this gillie suit idea for next year when i can hunt w/ a bow
an orange ghillie suit is sweet for rifle because it still breaks you outline
A buddy of mine made his own out of a bug netting suit, unraveled twine and some fake foliage that his wife had lying around the house. At 20 paces I could hardly see him looking straight at him. If he is successful this year, I may ahve to make one myself.
If you want to save money, make your own. Use 1" cargo netting and tie strips of burlap and strands of dyed jute twine on as you see fit. Then tack stitch it to a set of BDUs or other clothing of your choice. The trick is to let it air out to get rid of the burlap scent. Also continue the use of scent cover. The nice part is the burlap picks up some of the local vegitation each time you step into the woods. The netting also allows you to cut local greenery and put it in for the day. I have made a couple. It takes time...lots of time, but they are far supperior to the kind you buy. I have about $75 invested in each suit. My wife mocked me until I showed her a video of me standing in the middle of a Logging road and she couldn't pick me out until I took my hood off.
Do you think that sitting up in a tree stand with blind covers and sides requires a intense suit like this? Can the deer really look up that high?
Ross
-----
visit www.norop.com the search engine for Hunters.
I would have to completely agree with this. There's some really awesome camo patterns out there but when it comes to really erasing the human outline a gillie is the way to go. I went bear hunting in the mountains a while back and shot a 400 pounder at a little less than 15 yards...he never knew i was there unless he could hear my heart pounding,lol
This is a really good article. I have been slowly customizing my gillie suit but I had to pick up the tips from other places or from my friends talking. I wish I had this site when I first started. Would have made life a lot easier. Gillie suites are a sound investment so I recommend one to bow hunters. And these tips will help to improve them even more. I actually got my from a friend that is a sniper in the Marine Corps so it is not as advanced as some of the ones on the market with scent lock and every other new tech built in.
After reading the comments every one wrote I believe this is going to be my next purchase. Also the more I think about the concept of the Gillie Suit, the more it makes sense. Thank you all for your comments, they have me sold!
I own several different como patterns---- jackets, pants, vests, face masks and hats -- all of wool or polar fleece-- very quiet. When I wear them, I combine the different camo patterns. This has fooled some very wary animals on numerous occassions. For example, on three seperate occassions I have had red foxes walk up a trail towards me as I was motionless watching for whitetails. I was so close,I could have touched them by reaching out with my hand. They never knew I was there untill I moved though one stopped and looked right at me for a few minutes as if he knew I shouldn't be there but couldn't figure out what I was. The breeze was in my favour at these times. I always wash my hunting in scent free, low residue soap, hang the clothes near the trees outside to dry and rub myself down with local vegetation when in my hunting area. I am very carefull not to carry anything that rattles or makes any noise. When moving, I go very very slow being very very carefull when moving and placing my feet . I move in variable spurts from 2 or 3 steps then stop to 7 to 10. I try and wait untill the wind blows and rattles the trees to help cover any noise I may create. It could take me a couple of hours or more to move 1/2 a mile depending on the terrain. This type of hunting is not for everyone. It requies total concentration. You will step and occassionaly
snap a twig or 2 no matter how carefull you are. When that happens just freeze & wait at least 5 minutes before proceeding.
Learn to trust your instincts. I often get a gut feeling that game is close just before I see it. This sometimes happens as much as 10 minutes in advance. Good luck and safe hunting!!!
I own several different como patterns---- jackets, pants, vests, face masks and hats -- all of wool or polar fleece-- very quiet. When I wear them, I combine the different camo patterns. This has fooled some very wary animals on numerous occassions. For example, on three seperate occassions I have had red foxes walk up a trail towards me as I was motionless watching for whitetails. I was so close,I could have touched them by reaching out with my hand. They never knew I was there untill I moved though one stopped and looked right at me for a few minutes as if he knew I shouldn't be there but couldn't figure out what I was. The breeze was in my favour at these times. I always wash my hunting in scent free, low residue soap, hang the clothes near the trees outside to dry and rub myself down with local vegetation when in my hunting area. I am very carefull not to carry anything that rattles or makes any noise. When moving, I go very very slow being very very carefull when moving and placing my feet . I move in variable spurts from 2 or 3 steps then stop to 7 to 10. I try and wait untill the wind blows and rattles the trees to help cover any noise I may create. It could take me a couple of hours or more to move 1/2 a mile depending on the terrain. This type of hunting is not for everyone. It requies total concentration. You will step and occassionaly
snap a twig or 2 no matter how carefull you are. When that happens just freeze & wait at least 5 minutes before proceeding.
Learn to trust your instincts. I often get a gut feeling that game is close just before I see it. This sometimes happens as much as 10 minutes in advance. Good luck and safe hunting!!!
Gillie suits are expensive aren't they,I don't have one so I don't know.When I first saw a gillie suit,I thought it was something a military sniper would use,that just goes to show how technologically advanced the modern hunter is!I just wouldn't try something like that on public land because of the newbees that shoot at movement and if you wore a blaze vest,that would defeat the whole purpose of the gillie suit.I saw a nice one from gil-leaf in the Cabela's catalog,I just might have to look into it! Great post by the way!
Post a Comment