Your NOT hunting - but wearing saftey orange in the woods - Why or why not? Thoughts

[finallyME]

I mostly hike in areas that are hunting areas. I wear hunter orange if I will hike in those areas during rifle season. The season is short anyways. I also try and just not hike during the season. Plenty of time to hike the rest of the year.

[hunter63]

you won't catch me in a hunting area during season without obvious unnatural color. I hate seeing all these bright colors in ourdoors gear 'uglying up the woods', but i don't want to get shot by an impulsive hunter. that would be less fun.

it's not the 99.9% of safe hunters I'm worried about, but that they don't make the other 0.1% wear bells.

All things considered, I would much rather walk around in the woods, than say certain areas of Milwaukee or drive in rush hour traffic.
But hey, each to his own.......

[canid]

this is a false dilemma. circumstance as well as preference may present either or both scenarios. it would not be prudent to be without a sound plan to manage both.

i'd rather have a relaxing evening at home than a bare-knuckle bout with a live tiger, but that doesn't prevent me from making sure my home is as safe as i feel a need.

[Rick]

Hunter - I'll bet you never have anyone from Milwaukee take to the woods there have you? We never had anyone from Chicago come down to hunt our area either. Some of those guys were proficient in the death blossom. When they opened up you could see every living thing running out of the woods. Except the turtles but they were hustling as fast as they could.

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[ClayPick]

I always wear a pumpkin toque during buck fever season. Here’s a story where a halter top paid off.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...vivor-106.html

[hunter63]

Well, I guess my point is that to stay safe, you have to lock your self in your basement and hope for the best....Not my perfered way of living.

I have a lot of friends from the BIG city that hunt with me and have for a lot of years, so it not about them, it's the area they happen to call home.
The math says there are alot more shooting in the getto on a friday nite, that ever were accidents in the woods, orange clothing or not.

If you let fear of what might happen over take you life, you don't have a life, you live in fear.

So if you live in fear that the crazy HUNTERS are gonna shoot you down while you are out catching butterflies....That's your gig, sorry you feel that way.

I'm just saying, like anything else you use common sense, in your head on what your planning on doing,.... be it walking to the store at midnite, or sitting in the woods at daylight......Your choice.

I fear people texting while driving on the road.

[Rick]

Hunter - You could get one of those red azzed baboons and train it to run in front of you. You'll probably get some weird looks but I've dated worse...I mean you'll be safe.

[hunter63]

On the highway? Yeah a lot of baboons on the highway.

[doug1980]

Back in Indiana I hunted in a National Forest and people would ride their horses on the trails during deer season. I always thought that was stupid. My first year hunting my Grandpa took me out and he wore a brown pair of coveralls with no orange. When he walked to my stand later on I first thought he was a deer. I don't wear the orange when I'm in a stand or hunkered down but while walking in season I always wear it. Personally I don't trust anyone with a firearm when my life could be on the line so maybe the orange thing is a good idea.

[wetzel]

It's probably a good idea to wear orange when in an active area, but as far as it being mandated by law, that rubs me the wrong way. I agree with what huntermj said about not going in to disturb someone else's hunt, around here in Wyoming were its wide open you probably wouldn't get shot, but your vehicle might if you screw somebodies hard work and patience up.

[LowKey]

but your vehicle might if you screw somebodies hard work and patience up.

Really? There are crazy hunters out there after all. Give the gun-haters more ammo why dontcha...

[canid]

Well, I guess my point is that to stay safe, you have to lock your self in your basement and hope for the best....Not my perfered way of living.

No I don't. I take reasonable measures where feasible to hedge my odds. In this same vein; when I hear gunshots out on the corner, I don't stand by my windows or peek out my door right away. Sure, I could figure it probably won't make a difference, but my wall is going to take more energy out of a stray bullet than my screen or window, should one come strolling through the neighborhood.

[kyratshooter]

I do not want into this peeing contest but I have learned some things while doing a quick fact check.

First, more people are injured by deer in auto accidents than are injured in hunting accidents each year. We need to put the deer in orange vests apparently.

Second, if we put the deer in orange vests the average hunter still can't see them. they have done a study on that too.

Third, in several states if someone is shot while wearing safety orange the shooter is automatically charged with murder. It is that difficult to ignore the color. One can count on one hand the number of people that have beat that charge. Our former VP situation was a slight wounding, not death.

Anyone that wants too can take their chances, but when I take my afternoon stroll down to the lake in my Kentucky woods I wear my orange cap, even in bow season.

[SemperFi]

While hunting elk back in the late 80's in Utah I made the mistake of hunting on a ranch just outside Salt Lake City , everything was fine until we came across a 6 point bull , now me and my friends were all wearing camoflage , heres the bad part ,never again hunt this close to town , I sighted in and then hit the deck , about 30 rounds came flying in , sounded like a machine gun going off , every suburanite with a rifle in SLC was shooting and none of these bums even hit the bull!!! Now same scenario up in the Uintas wearing cammies , no problems , if you know Utah , the Uintas are way up in Indian territory in the mountains , you cant drive your leathered out Hummer into the woods there as a matter of fact you can only drive so far into the bush there (unless its chanced,I havent been there since the 80's) ! That means walking your kill out!

What im getting at is this; in the city or just outside wear orange , bright orange , if your out in the mountains wear cammies or whatever you want , your likely not to run across too many hunters , lands where the ranches are popular , Id wear orange , I wouldnt hunt near the city ever again ! Too be safe wear an orange cap if you want

[Rick]

Doug - Orange while hunting during deer season is the law now. We have several seasons that overlap deer season, such as squirrel, and all hunters must wear fluorescent orange.

"The minimum requirement is one or more of the following articles exposed at all times that are solid fluorescent orange – vest, coat, jacket, coveralls, hat or cap. Minimal logos or patches are allowed. Camouflage patterned orange garments do not satisfy the requirement."

[hunter63]

Looking like there are several opinions, and as most opinions go, generally we are not gonna change our mind.
So for the sake of sanity:

I wear orange while gun deer hunting...it is the law, even for other outdoor pursuits, like hiking, picking stuff and cutting wood.

I wear an orange vest while bird hunting (Pheasants)...not law but suggested.

I do not wear orange while duck, turkey, bow, hunting....unless I happen to be hunting in overlapping seasons.

I wear a helmet on the bike, seat belts in the vechicals, hard hat and chain saw chaps while cutting wood, and saftey glasses always.

Being safe is your job, not the goverments, even though some people think it is, the part the grates a lot of us....still no reason to avoid good safe practices, to prove you can
.
Called common sense.

Getting down from stump, now, use you head, stay safe, carry on.....Done now.

[Rick]

Watch your step off that stump!!!!! Oooh Dang. Who put that rake there? That's gonna leave a mark.