You have to transform yourself in order to go from normal everyday human to top-shelf predator.

In order to fool the senses of game animals and create shooting opportunities, you have to make both mental and physical adjustments, and put on clothing that helps you evade wild senses.

Set a wild mind

Our lives have never been more hectic, but quieting your mind is a must if you’re going to be a hunter. Take some time, right before you head into the field, to stop thinking about your to-do list and focus, instead, on your breathing. Slow it down. Take long, deep breaths and look around. Notice the wind. Connect with your heartbeat and work to slow it down.

Tell your mind to notice movement, so you are primed to see even small things that can betray an entire animal. If you can see them before they see you, advantage hunter.

Prepare physically

Preparing your body to hunt takes both long-term and short-term work. The main things to focus on are strength and flexibility. Stretch and strengthen, so you can walk without getting worn out, and sit still as game approaches. You’ll also be able to quietly move a gun or bow into shooting position, aim well, and take the shot.

Get yourself into the best condition possible in the weeks leading up to opening day, and spend time stretching right before each hunt to avoid a cramp or spasm that needs to be dealt with during the hunt. Things like that can happen at the worst possible moment, forcing you to move when game can see you.

Wear your predator pants

Choosing the clothing you wear while hunting is part of your physical prep, because the wrong duds can make noises game animals don’t like, and/or magnify your movements.

When shopping for camo, you can tell quiet fabric easily. Run your fingernails back and forth on the fabric and if you hear plasticky, loud, scratching noises, don’t hunt with those clothes on.

Camo helps break up your human form, and the best camo patterns are effective at both long and short distances. Effective patterns are available in both traditional camo and digital camo, and to find out more about what makes good digital hunting camo, we asked Neal Ash of Huntworth.

“When you look closely at Disruption [digital camo],” he said, “you see pixels within the pixels, something that we did on purpose. It gives the whole thing a 3D quality, especially with the black shadows. And as you study the greens, blacks, browns, and highlights, within each color there is additional shading. That really contributes to blurring the image no matter how close or far away you are.

Huntworth’s traditional pattern, Hidd’n, “is an all-purpose camo combining photographic depth with organically placed details,” in Ash’s words. “We were able to achieve a camo that has an open look to it when viewed at a distance, but also blends in well with the surroundings when viewed up close.”

Huntworth is the least expensive camo we’ve found among gear that’s loaded with thoughtful features, is extremely quiet, and stands up to the rigors of hard hunting. Their hunting jackets, for example, sell for less than $100.

Want more valuable hunting insights? Look to the fall issues of MidWest Outdoors, available the first full week of each month at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.