As discussed in the post about the 2 Keys To Success While Duck Hunting, concealment is one of the two key tenets to successful duck hunting.  In this installment we will focus on the base concepts of how camoflage works and then look at how we can apply these keys to hide us from ducks.

Camoflage has two basic elements to help a person blend into their environment: color and pattern.

Color

The color of camoflage is designed to match the color of the surrounding environment.  Much like the military uses tan hues in its camoflage patterns while in desert environments, we should attempt to match the color hues we pick to match the surrounding environment we are duck hunting in.  If you are often hunting out of a duck marsh that is surrouded with cattails your best pattern would include tan patterns.  If you used the standard jungle military green and black you would stick out.  Likewise, if you are wont to hunt flooded timber you are better off using a series of browns and grays to blend in with the woods you will be hiding in.

Pattern

The brain processes large blocks of similar color as one object.  To this end, using small blocks of oddly shaped colors in our camoflage allows us to blend into the surrounding environment.  It is best again to try to match the pattern with our environment.  In a cattail marsh long lines similar to the cattail itself work well.  Among trees with leaves the classic military jungle green and black shaped like leaves works well.

How have you used color and pattern to match your surroundings?