Tips & Tactics

Black clothing can stand out nearly as much as white in the forest during daylight hours, but there is a place for black in the hunting world.

I first learned the downside of wearing black in 2005, while bowhunting in Illinois.

I'd accidentally left my camo hat in camp and had to use the only headgear I had in my backpack, a solid black fleece beanie. I figured since there was no white on it, the deer would never notice. But, wow, they picked me out right away!

All morning long, deer would approach my stand and I couldn't move an inch without them busting me. Sometimes I wouldn't even move at all; they'd stare straight up at me, stamping their hooves and trying to figure out what the mysterious black object was.

Back in camp, I threw the black beanie down in the woods to see what it looked like. I walked 40 yards away, turned around and could easily see it stood out like a sore thumb. No wonder they honed in on me so quickly!

Needless to say, I wore my trusty Realtree cap the remainder of the hunt with much better results, even arrowing a big 13-pointer that never knew I was there.

So bear in mind, black objects can garner almost as attention as white when it’s not a low light situation. Knowing this makes me thankful for modern camouflage.

But there are times we shouldn't avoid black (or white) clothing while hunting.

It makes perfect sense for hunters in the snow country to wear all-white gear, so it makes just as much sense to wear black in opposite scenarios: inside dark ground blinds and shooting houses.

When I bowhunted in Africa the first time, I didn’t think it would matter what I wore since I was inside a ground blind. Wrong.

Many of the sharp-eyed animals such as guinea fowl and kudu would spot me easing up to the blind’s shooting window. I was surprised how easily they would spook, even if I tried to inch my way out of the shadows for a shot.

The same thing happened to me in a ground blind in Ohio where turkeys and deer spotted my movements within the blind whenever the sun was up and shining brightly.

On both occasions, I changed to my black base-layer shirt and the same black beanie that caused me problems in Illinois. This made me practically unseeable inside the blind.

I highly recommend bringing a black pullover shirt to wear inside shooting houses and ground blinds on bright days.

And if you are taking kids hunting in a blind, pack long-sleeved black T-shirts to slip over them. You can’t make them quiet, but you can make them invisible.

Email us your tips. If selected, you will receive a cap signed by Jackie Bushman, as well as a hunting knife.

We especially love receiving tips that are unique and original. If you have a tactic or idea that makes your hunting better, we’d love to hear about it — even the simple, strange or unusual stuff!

Send your tips to: huntingtips@buckmasters.com