Born on the front line
Duck camo has its roots in American military history.
In the early 1940s, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted a disruptive pattern often referred to as “frogskin” camouflage — one of the first mass-issued camouflage uniforms in U.S. military history. Designed to break up the human silhouette in jungle and shoreline environments, it relied on organic shapes, layered earth tones, and irregular patterning.
Duck Camo in the Field
After the war, surplus gear made its way home.
Hunters quickly recognized what the military had already proven: camouflage worked. By the 1950s and 60s, early duck camo patterns were being adapted for waterfowl blinds, marsh grass, and timber. What began as battlefield utility became a staple of American sporting culture.
Duck camo moved from the Pacific theater to flooded timber, from tactical necessity to generational tradition.
Reimagining Duck Camo
At Bay Flats, we believe tradition should evolve — not disappear.
Our Bay Flats Duck Camo draws from classic waterfowl patterning — layered greens, marsh browns, organic movement — but refines it through a coastal Texas lens.
Embedded within the pattern is the shape of Texas itself. Subtle. Intentional. Almost hidden unless you know to look. Redfish silhouettes move through the design as well — a quiet nod to the coastal waters that define our passion.
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