Many of Utah's mountain areas are filled with camo-wearing bowhunters with the recent opening of the archery deer season. Going to major hunting stores offers them an amazing variety of patterns to select. Camo patterns are even a popular fashion accessory for nonhunters.

It wasn't always like this.

According to www.thecamoshop.com, the word camouflage comes from the French word camoufler, which means to "blind or veil." The site said that American artist Abbott Thayer noticed many animals had colors that faded from dark on their backs to almost white on their bellies. That makes objects harder to see as a single item. The first military camo was created in 1915 by the French, according to the site.

Crumley, talking at the recent Outdoor Writers Association of America conference in Roanoke, Va., said the U.S. military first used camouflage in 1940 during World War II.

"No one had identified the hunting market as a place to make hunting-specific camo," said Crumley.

The Virginia hunter began his camo-making career innocently enough in 1972 when, unhappy with military camouflage, he dabbed brown dye splotches on gray work clothing. He created the Trebark pattern in 1980.

By 1986, there were three major camouflage companies, creating a larger market than Crumley could have ever expected.

Buck Buchanan has founded a newer camouflage company, Woodseye. He took photos of leaves, bark and acorns in the area where he liked to hunt and then worked with a high school art teacher to create a pattern.

Crumley said more and more camouflage companies and textile artists are using computers to design lifelike patterns. Patterns are trademarked and fiercely protected.

The reason for so many designs and patterns is that conditions vary all over the country and, even in a place such as Utah, a pattern that may work in the Uintas won't be as effective in the desert.

"I would love to come up with a pattern that could be worn in every situation and be perfect," said Crumley. "I've tried. But until we can figure out a quiet way to wear a suit made of mirrors, there is no way of doing that."

Now, camo makers such as Crumley chuckle when they see things like toilet paper, wallets or even entire pickups wrapped in camouflage.

"There is a lot of fashion involved," said Buchanan. "I never expected to see [it] in Hollywood."

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* TOM WHARTON can be contacted at wharton@ sltrib.com. His phone number is 801-257-8909. Send comments about this story to living editor@sltrib.com.