TURKEY HUNT FOR BUCKS WITH DON SHIPP

The Importance of Camouflage

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don Shipp of Clinton, Arkansas, an accomplished turkey hunter who won the World Turkey Calling Championship in 1997, 1998 and 1999, also enjoys hunting deer. This week Shipp tells us his secrets for using turkey-hunting tactics to hunt big bucks.

QUESTION: What's the fifth thing that makes turkey hunting like deer hunting?
ANSWER: Another similarity is camouflage. When I hunt early in the season, and leaves are still on the timber, I'll wear a camo pattern that has some green -- a foliage-type of camouflage. When the foliage is not out, I'll use more of my fall deer-hunting camouflage. You need to choose a pattern that blends well with the woods and the trees because a deer's eyesight is as sharp as a turkey's eyesight, and a buck easily will spot you if you're not well-hidden.

QUESTION: So, you wear the same camouflage patterns for deer hunting as you do for turkey hunting. If you've got a lot of green in the woods, you wear a pattern that has some green in it, like Mossy Oak Full Foliage. If you're hunting in a mostly-brown region, you use Forest Floor or Mossy Oak's old Tree Stand pattern.
ANSWER: Right. Your camo pattern depends on the terrain where you're hunting. For example, if I'm hunting CRP lands, I like to wear Shadow Grass. A lot of people overlook wearing the most-appropriate camouflage for where they're hunting, and they'll stand out like a sore thumb. The deer will pick up on that and see you even if you're in a tree. So, if you're hunting from a pine, you need to wear something that looks like pine bark and needles. I think camouflage is an important -- and an often overlooked -- aspect of deer hunting.