By Bowhunting.Com Contributor, Cody Altizer
With the industry constantly coming out with the latest and greatest gear, it can be hard to choose the best equipment for your hunt. Around every campfire, discussions can quickly turn to healthy debates, as several aspects of bowhunting often do. Fixed blade versus mechanical broad heads, the effectiveness of scent-eliminating clothing, which bow manufacturer offers the smoothest drawing, most forgiving bow, and even the camouflage we all use.
Our camouflage debates are what I want to take a closer look at. I believe in Mossy Oak Treestand and I believe it could possibly make a difference in your hunt this fall. I want to make a believer out of you.
When hunting from an elevated position, the Mossy Oak Treestand pattern beautifully blends the hunter into his or her surroundings.
Mossy Oak first introduced this pattern more than 20 years ago being the first company to develop a camo pattern using tree limbs. Now, Mossy Oak has used digital images from real tree limbs and branches infused within the pattern to completely camouflage the hunter and his or her movements while hunting from an elevated position. So, what separates Treestand from the other camo patterns on the market?
First, a little deer biology; a deer’s eyes are positioned on the side of its head which enable deer to view a lot of open space quickly and allows them to easily pick off the slightest movement. The downside of this evolutionary feature is that they lack the ability to really focus in on a single object. How many hunters have been spotted by a deer on stand, only to have the deer stare directly at you for a long period of time, do the bobbing head fake in an attempt to fool us, only to resume feeding? This is because of their poor visual acuity. Whitetails visually lack the ability to hone in on an object and easily identify it as a threat or predator. Thus, any camo pattern that breaks up your silhouette while realistically blending you into your surroundings, in essence, will get the job done.
When bowhunting for whitetails, the majority of hunters hunt from a treestand in order to beat a deer’s wary eyes. The Treestand pattern from Mossy Oak offers the best of concealment in such situations.
Now, why I believe Mossy Oak Treestand is the most effective camo pattern available. Without a doubt, the most obvious reason is the pattern's versatility. The pattern is designed to break up the silhouette of a hunter in a treestand with less than ideal foreground or background cover. However, I have found that the pattern not only works well in barren trees or exposed stands during the late season, but also during the early season when the trees are loaded with foliage. I initially questioned its early season effectiveness thinking the pattern was too light and the slightest movement would give away my position. I found this to be quite the opposite. The dark understory created by the heavy foliage seemed to darken the pattern, making it effective all season long. Having a pattern that can adapt to seasonal changes may not always put a buck on the ground, but it will undoubtedly increase your ability to get within bow range of whitetails.
Mossy Oak’s Treestand pattern works beautifully during the late season to break up the hunter’s silhouette when the absence of foliage on the trees presents an extreme disadvantage.
Perhaps the accompanying photos will help convince you if you are not a believer yet. They are real world pictures taken in purposely exposed treestands from ground level to best exemplify how truly versatile the Mossy Oak Treestand pattern is. If you’re in the market for a new camo pattern and love the feeling of outwitting one of the most instinctive animals on earth, then I urge you to give Mossy Oak Treestand a closer look.
I first thought that the early season would make the pattern appear too light, this picture proves otherwise showing Mossy Oaks versatility.
Cody Altizer is a native of the southeastern United States who has an unrelenting passion for all things bowhunting. The article above and its pictures are courtesy of this up and coming young man's talents. This is Cody's first written piece for the Bowhunting.Com website.
