Since the day that I first stepped in the woods to pursue whitetail and turkeys, I have been using face paint. However, the concept of putting greasy, colored ink on your face has been, for the most part, lost in today's outdoor industry. Many television shows display paint on their face for function, but also to look "cool" to their viewers. I am here to educate the individuals that have followed in these footsteps about the real purpose of face paint, and to show that that design you are putting on your face should only be used to help you become hidden to your game.
The notion of putting “paint” on a hunter’s face did not originate in the outdoor industry. The method of marking your face with paint actually came from our early ancestors. Our ancestors used natural elements such as mud, juice from berries, and general plant tissues to help camouflage themselves from their prey. The use of these items aids in breaking up the solid pattern of our unique faces amongst the foliage, as well as removes the glare that our naturally oily skins produce on sunny days.
The notion of putting “paint” on a hunter’s face did not originate in the outdoor industry. The method of marking your face with paint actually came from our early ancestors. Our ancestors used natural elements such as mud, juice from berries, and general plant tissues to help camouflage themselves from their prey. The use of these items aids in breaking up the solid pattern of our unique faces amongst the foliage, as well as removes the glare that our naturally oily skins produce on sunny days.
As the hunting industry has grown in popularity, I have noticed a significant change in the reasoning behind the use of face paint. This change has evolved over the years from zero face coverage to the use of face masks, to the present day where we see face paint as being the primary face concealment tool in the field. This is amazing, given that I have only been hunting for 16 + years, and have seen such a drastic change. Unfortunately, the translation has been lost for many hunters as to why we make black, green and brown streaks on our faces while hunting. Unlike our early ancestors or even most of our hunting mentors, we are beginning to forget some of the “basics.” Much of this can be attributed to the popularity of hunting television, and the tactics used to broaden the brands of these shows. young hunters look up to them as examples of how to be better hunters in the woods, and sadly the use of face paint is widely looked at as a flaunting tool rather than a valuable hunting tool.
I remember getting my first bow at the age of eleven, and having my dad tell me to go shoot while wearing the gear that I would be hunting in. This concept was an eye-opener for a young hunter like myself. Through practice I learned that a face mask got in the way of my anchor point while practicing. The extra fabric between the corner of my mouth and the string of my bow was enough to reduce my accuracy. Because of this simple discovery , my dad got me my first container of face paint. Having just paint on my face not only helped to break up the solid peach color of my face, but it also helped me maintain a high level of accuracy when out in the field. As I have grown and learned more about both hunting and the hunting industry, I too have fallen for this misinformed perception of face paint at times. It was only through research and my own observations that I have realized the true purpose and potential of face paint over the course of my hunting career.
Courtesy: Robin Silver Photography When you go out in the woods, just remember that you are out there as a predator. We buy camouflage for the same purpose as the lion hiding in the savannah grasses stalking its prey or the U.S. Army sniper concealed in plain sight. To stay hidden. The whole reason we buy camouflage is not to be apart of the so called “popular” group of the hunting world, but it is so we can hide from our prey. When you put on face paint or a face mask it should act as an extension of your camouflage. Animals are constantly watching for anything out of the ordinary when they are making their way slowly through the fields, marshes or woods. Whether it be the uniform color of our skin or the shine that our oily skin produces, our prey will see this as a potential threat.
So the next time you reach for your container of face paint or your face mask, stop and think about why you are really wearing it. There will always be a reason why items like these have been around for so long and finding out these reasons will help you become a better hunter year after year. This season go out in the field and ask yourself, “Am I wearing this to be cool? Or am I wearing this for the sole purpose of hiding from my prey?”
RSS Feed