Clothing for Dec.

[northAZarcher]

Hello all, I'm fairly new to the sight but really interested in coues deer. I've taken many different species with the bow, and now have coues deer on my mind!

 

I was wondering what you all use for clothing, pants in particular? I have expensive hunting pants but wonder if they will end up with holes? I'm thinking we are going to start in unit 21. Thanks for any info you may have.

[elkaholic]

first off - open country - desert hunting isn't as easy as some types of hunting that you maybe familiar with

 

second any desert/ lighter colored camo will work great - older the better cuz its a 99% chance it'll get ripped or torn

 

desert is full of wait a second type plants - most call it catclaw where theres not catclaw almost every plant will either hook - tear or catch your good camo - its that or your not leaving a rode or trail

 

I usually carry one of those little sew kits in my camping stuff - saved many a set of camo from early disposal .

 

you do not have to buy expense stuff - very few days of really cold weather

 

dress in layers and take on and off as necessary thru out the day into the evening

 

21 has no deer left and by the way 22 a much better area to hunt - lol

[idgaf]

i cant really comment on the style of camo the majority of animals I have taken I have been wearing shorts or levis. I can say what ever style you wear in December wear in layers, the December desert is both cold and hot pending activity and time of day.

[northAZarcher]

Thanks everyone for posting first off.

 

I don't know if how I worded my question may have confused everyone?! I tend to do that! Lol!

 

I've lived in AZ all my life. I know what the "dirty south " has as far as vegetation. The layering part I understand. I'm using a lot of first lite merino wool and know that most likely won't hold up down south. Just wanting suggestions for alternatives for pants if I have to go busting through the brush.

 

Might be a search feature that I don't know how to use!!!

 

Lots of great pictures of bucks on here! What beautiful, resilient animals they are. Thanks again for any help.

[Red Sparky]

I have read on here quite a bit about using snake gaiters or chaps. Seems like chaps would be the way to go busting through spiky type bushes.

[northAZarcher]

I have read about take tweezers also! That sounds painful!

[mattys281]

Sitka gear is expensive, but my mountain pants I bought in '08 are still going strong and my 90% pants I bought a couple years later are holding up real well also. It's pretty tough stuff.

[northAZarcher]

Sitka gear is expensive, but my mountain pants I bought in '08 are still going strong and my 90% pants I bought a couple years later are holding up real well also. It's pretty tough stuff.

That's awesome. Even better that I get deals on sitka!

 

Thanks for the info.

[kadillackountry]

I've got a pair of the First Lite kanab pants and they have been great in the field. I wear them for everything from Quail hunting to winter hunts. Just have to layer underneath when its cold. Don't have any snags yet...knock on wood.

[trphyhntr]

17 degrees on the quad on the way out, 75 degrees in the middle of the day. good times

[lancetkenyon]

Carhartt jeans in tan, brown or green.

[Phil Beavers]

I just wear green Carhart pants and then various brand camo shirts have your wife tweeze whatever out at the end of the day or just do it yourself..

[Nobody]

You may actualy be suprised. As long as you have some break up pattern your probably OK. Yes I have worn the best which I consider Kings and can stand still and they won't see me but have also worn desert digital military and gotten the same results standing still. I have also stalked deer in both in August, December, January. Main thing just make sure your pattern as a human is broke up and be smart.

[Kaffer62]

Make sure you have a poncho or some sort of rain attire. Last dec was sopping wet where I was at.

[lancetkenyon]

No joke, last week, I was up above Crown King for some work. Leaving the site, and halfway down, I saw a bobcat on the edge of the road heading into a wash. I grabbed my rifle off my passenger seat (of COURSE I carry a rifle when working at remote sites) and got out of the truck in blue jeans, a navy blue long sleeve T-shirt and blue & white baseball cap. I was hoping to see him trotting up the wash, so I climbed a big cluster of boulders......when I got to the top with my rifle slung over my shoulder and scope caps still closed (but a round chambered), I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. That dang cat was coming up the rocks right behind me, not 15 feet away. I froze. The cat kept looking back at my truck on the road, and then back in my direction, but never right at me, in the open, sky lined, on a rock, in jeans. Every time he would look back at my truck, I would move to try and un-shoulder my rife. I knew there was no way I was going to swing it off, open my scope caps, take it off safety and get a shot if I tried to do it quickly. After about 1 minute, the cat finally looked me right in the eyes, then turned slowly to walk back down the rocks. Once he stepped off, I grabbed my rifle, and opened the caps. There is only 0ne way he could go without being in plain view. I stepped to the edge....and he was GONE. Waited on that rock for about 5 minutes hoping he would make one final appearance.

 

So my take has been (for a long time) that movement is much more important than camo to an animal seeing you. I wear camo when hunting all the time, but more for the fact that I do not want other hunters seeing me and where I am headed more than the animals.