Gearing Up For Bucks- Camo Patterns

We whitetail hunters are always looking for the best hunting gear. That gear often consumes much of our hunting budget, while some very important "stuff" is often neglected -- like clothing and boots.

A warm jacket and good pair of boots will keep you in the field long enough to give you the opportunity to use all the other gear that you so meticulously selected and purchased. Spend 10 days in the mountains with inferior boots, though, and I promise you'll gladly want to trade your $1,000 weapon for some new ones!

Clothing and boots will keep you warm, dry and mobile and they'll conceal you with camouflage patterns to match the terrain. Here's a rundown of the latest, greatest gear that will help you in countless ways next time you go out to look for Mr. Big!

BackLand Outdoors

Camo Patterns

BackLand Outdoors developed three new patterns for 2007 using GlobalTech44 technology that captures natural color, shadows and hard lines in four distinct layers for a 3-D look. Adrenaline is a new timber pattern, BackLand West is a dry grassland pattern, and BackLand WaterFowler is designed for cattails, fields and swamps. Call (320) 234-6192 or visit www.backlandoutdoors.com.

Mossy Oak's Duck Blind

Mossy Oak's newest pattern, Duck Blind, is intended to conceal hunters in marshes and fields. Since deer happen to live (and hide) in these places, too, this pattern will help you blend into more open terrain when stalking or slipping into your stand or blind location. Call (662) 494-8859 or visit www.mossyoak.com.

Mothwing Fall Mimicry 2.0

Mothwing Camo Technologies recently introduced Fall Mimicry 2.0, a design intended to conceal hunters during fall archery seasons in hardwoods and timber areas. It's effective both on the ground and in tree stands. Call 877-MOTHWING or visit www.mothwing.com.

Realtree All-purpose (AP)

Realtree's newest pattern is called AP-HD (All-Purpose, High Definition). With background images out of focus and foreground branches and trees in sharp focus, this pattern has a genuine 3-D look. It's open, yet has enough contrast to make you disappear. Visit: www.realtree.com.

Skyline Apparition

Skyline Camouflage has brought back its original Apparition pattern with a 2.0 version. Apparition 2.0 is another pattern intended to be effective in all terrains with a lighter background and high-contrast branches and leaves in the foreground. Call (877) 650-7591 or visit www.skylinecamo.com.

Outfitter Tuff with Trebark

Outfitter Tuff Brand Products is keeping Jim Crumley's venerable Trebark pattern on the market with a new pattern called Outfitter Tuff. It combines the Trebark pattern in more detail with multi-colored leaves for added contrast for the tree stand hunter. Call (800) 843-2266 or visit www.outfittertuff.com.