Jerry Pruett:

>However I have
>been in full bow hunting camo and positioned above eyelevel,(in a tree), and
>have Ruffed Grouse walk under me.

Hmmm...first blue grouse I ever saw walked up and started pecking around
my feet, and her chicks came out, too. I wasn't dressed in camo, indeed
I would describe myself as being dressed in "full moon" - I was backpacking
and had retreated into the bushes for my, ummm, morning constitutional.

And I've seen plenty of ruffed grouse by trailside while backpacking
or hiking at lower elevations.

Again, it just depends entirely on species and circumstance. I think
a lot of hunters overestimate the spookiness of creatures because of the
very nature of the sport, and because of course they are hunting in
hunting season. Bucks get very nervous in fall - but not in Yellowstone.
I've been 25 feet from a bull moose in Utah - not in a National Park
(and not intentionally, believe me), but not where they're hunted, either.
I was wearing my bright orange backpack. Of course, despite Pacific
Northwest hunter mythology, orange appears dull grey to deer and their
cohorts (including moose), which is why so many states require wearing
orange afield (Florida does this, of course roadhunting is also legal
there, strange cultural differences, guys driving in pickups with
others sitting in the bed ready to plunk!)

Most mammals are far more in tune with the sense of smell. The badger
shots on my web page were taken at no great distance, with my big
white lens on a big shiny tripod, wearing shorts and a tshirt. I
was very careful, though, to approach from downwind. They saw me
move into position and dived for their burrow, but I simply stood
there for 1/2 hour and out they came. Of course, badger are
terribly near-sighted (and I know that). I could see them
looking in my direction wondering what that bright spot was, but
it was obvious they couldn't resolve my shape.

But I'm not claiming camo is useless. It can help to hide the
human form. I notice that Jerry talks about sitting still in the
woods in camo - in such a case his use of camo is really as sort
of a poor man's blind (portable, too). Stand up and move around
and you'll be recognized. When I photograph hawks flying into our
banding stations I just sit down, take my blind cover (not camo,
but army-tent green) and toss it over me, with nothing but my
lens hood sticking out (camo-taped, I admit) and it works fine.
If I sat in the open, not covered up, accipiters would still often
come in but redtails most certainly would not.

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, more at http://www.xxxpdx.com/~dhogaza