Written By: Zach Miller
"As a duck hunter, you know that camouflaging yourself is essential to a successful hunt. While this is true, no one ever talks about concealing the thing that stands out the most… the gundog. Camouflaging your gundog can make a big difference in your hunting success. Here are some tips on how to camouflage your duck dog during a hunt so you can (legally) harvest as many birds as possible!"
Camo in itself can be an art, with that being said, go check out the “Art of Camouflage” article in the blog to read more on that. You’ll typically create quite the debate about whether or not dogs need camo at all. While some say their coat provides enough, it's all dependent on your backdrop.
1. The Dog and The Backdrop
A lot of folks mess one of these two things up with camouflage in general. If I have a black lab, he will blend in better up against a tree rather than him in a cornfield. Adversely, a yellow lab will be the complete opposite. If you know your gundog is going to stick out like a sore thumb in your environment and backdrop, add or subtract from what your dog is wearing and/or positioned.
2. Use A Vest…
In the current market for duck hunting gear, we are quite fortunate for what we have at our fingertips to completely change the course of a hunt. With the excellent selection of vest available there is no excuse to not use one. I have never seen so many variations of patterns to choose from. Now, the pro/cons of a vest is a topic for another article much like the one you should read called, “Top 5 Dog Vests for Duck Hunting”. In this section we will simply leave it at the fact that you should have one for each environment.
3. Be Aware of Positioning
I have another article on “Proper Positioning of a Gundog During a Duck Hunt” that lays out where and why for proper positioning and what to look for. Concealment is a big part of this as simple as shifting your tree stand a few degrees to the left will help conceal 50% of your dog’s outline. We must pay attention to where the birds are most likely to approach from and see if the sending point is still a solid option when you add the two factors together. Ask yourself, “If I shift my dog in this direction to help cover him/her up, can they still make 75% of the retrieves?” When you have that answer, pursue it!
4. Utilize A Dog Blind
Another valuable piece of equipment we should use is a dog blind. These are essentially place stands with a roof. I absolutely love these and MoMarsh makes a fantastic version of this. They can go just about anywhere and when overhead cover is a factor, these help out dramatically. The feature I love having an Army Sniper background is the loops all over that sucker. The loops make threading and weaving in vegetation a quick and easy task when the sun isn't quite up yet. Moral of the story, get one.
5. Use Natural/Artificial Vegetation
Now, I know we have all seen that person who shows up in jeans, a camo t-shirt and still drops birds, we will call him the 1%. For the other 99%, we aren't that lucky, we need camouflage to help out. Whether it’s using what is around you or adding some artificial jute to your cover, use something, because if there is one thing birds can be is picky…
In conclusion, camouflaging your gundog is essential to a successful hunt. Choose the right camouflage, use netting or natural materials, use camouflage clothing/vests, or use dog blinds to help blend your duck dog into the environment. With these tips, you and your dog will be ready for a successful hunt. Remember, no matter how good you are, no one is invisible, be resourceful!
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