How to Use Natural Camouflage for Photography, Observing Nature or Hunting

Native Americans didn't have modern-day camouflage clothing when they hunted animals. They relied on natural camouflage, taken from the very area in which they were going to hunt. With natural camouflage, they were able to get within feet, sometimes inches of the animal they were hunting. One Native American said that a good arrow shot is "when the arrow leaves the bow, the fletching (feathers on the back end of the arrow) is still touching your hand". I'd say that's pretty close.

Today, modern hunters use camouflage clothing, as do many nature photographers and observers of nature. That will get you close. But can you get so close that you can touch an animal without them knowing it? I have, as have many of my friends. The way to get close, really close to wildlife is to use natural camouflage the way Indians do. Then your shots (photos or hunting) will be truly close.

Following are the steps I have learned (and used) to create a perfect natural camouflage blend with the environment. The best thing to wear for this type of natural camouflage is a bathing suit, because it exposes most of your skin. (Actually your birthday suit is the best thing to wear, but let's not go there.) Plus, with a bathing suit you don't have to get a set of clothes muddy and dirty. If you have to wear clothes, wear some old clothes in earth tone colors that you don't mind staining a little.

1. Dull

Your skin is naturally shiny with oil. Dull down this sheen with dust or dirt. Scoop some dirt up off the ground with your hands and rub it all over your skin. This dulls down that sheen and preps the skin for further natural camouflage. Be sure to go outside your camping area for this natural camouflage material, so that none of it carries with it human and camping smells. This whole process of natural camouflage will hide your human scent.

2. Dapple

Have you ever watched the ground in a forest? The light coming through the branches of the trees creates a natural play of light and shadow on the ground. This second step of natural camouflage is intended to mimic that. With a piece of charcoal from your fire (charcoal hides scent, so don't worry about taking it from your fire), make marks and splotches on your skin to mimic the play of light and shadow in the forest. Don't forget your neck, behind the ears, under the arms, the backs of your legs and arms, and the bottoms of your feet. Mark on your face like you see Army Special Forces do. Note: do not use the white ash from your firepit, because when mixed with water it becomes lye.

Use a big gob of mud to cover your hair. Use lots and lots of mud if you're blond like me. For this step of natural camouflage, I fill up a bucket with mud to make "mudding up" easier and more convenient. Splotch mud on the rest of your body. Don't be squeamish. I've done it many times. (It's a good thing our bodies are washable.) Dip your hands in the mud then pat your body with your hands and fingers to make natural camouflage patterns on your body. Remember, you are trying to look like a piece of the landscape.

3. Fuzz

Face it, you look like a human. Your body outline says "human" to all the birds, who make alarm calls, and next thing you know, the entire forest within twenty miles knows you are in the woods. This third step of natural camouflage is meant to break up your human outline.

Use sticks, leaves, pine needles, dried grass, and so on to "fuzz" your body outline. Put them all over your body. Throw them on and see what sticks. Lighter material sticks better. Before the mud dries, you can more easily stick fuzzing material all around on your body. Stick leaves and branches in your hair. Stick leaves and branches into the edges of your clothing. By this step of natural camouflage you should look beautiful.

Find a good place to blend in with the environment and crawl into the landscape. Get behind bushes, but better yet, get in bushes. Break up your body outline by not looking like an obvious human lying there. Wiggle your hands and legs into the bushes. As a final touch to your natural camouflage, spread leaves all over your body to completely camouflage your body outline.

Natural camouflage is a great way to blend into the environment, even better than modern camouflage material. Once someone was no more than two feet away from me and thought my head was a rock. After they started fooling around and hitting the "rock" with a hefty stick, I had to give up my position. Natural camouflage works.

Sources:

Tom Brown, Jr.'s Tracker School

Personal experience