| | | Hunting Camo |  It is thought by some, however mistakenly, that
camouflage was first used by armed forces for military
applications. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Warfare, in the nineteenth century, was for the most
part, fought by soldiers in brightly colored uniforms.
While they may have looked impressive in formation,
the use of flashy uniforms turned out to do more harm
than good. It made it easier for a soldier to identify
his brother-at-arms, it also served to identify him as
a target to his enemy. The idea to camouflage one's
ranks to deceive the opponent came from hunters.
British troops during the occupation of India found
that the red uniforms that were then the standard of
the british army were making targets of their troops.
After observing the way that Irish gamekeepers used
hunting camouflage to track and stalk animals, they quickly
began to dye their white summer uniforms light brown
by soaking them in tea. Camouflage has come a long way
since that small innovation, but the fact remains that
the idea to use camouflage for battle dress uniforms
originally came from hunters.
Today's hunter employs methods of camouflage that
make him or her completely invisible to his quarry.
Most use a camo pattern that is specifically designed
for the region of the world in which they hunt, as
well as the type of animal they are hunting. Some even
go so far as to cover their human scent with a masking
agent. Some hunters that seek out the wiliest of game
have gone so far as to employ the same ghillie suits
used by covert snipers. While this is probably the
most complicated method of camouflage employed by
hunter, you can be sure that as soon as camo
innovation occurs in the military sector, it will only
be a matter of time before it surfaces in the hunting
world. |
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