Camo, blaze orange observations...

[bigbore442001]

In the previous thread about camoflage, I was thinking about the issue of safety and my home state of Masssachusetts.

My dad and I were talking about this the other day. When he was younger, the Bay State had about 10 or 15 accidental shootings each deer season. At that time, people just wore red or the traditional red plaid. It was as good as you could get at the time.

A man named Frank Woolner did some experimenting and research on flourescent orange. Through his efforts, Massachusetts passed the first hunter orange law( I believe the Bay State was the first)

To make a long story short, since the law went into effect in the early to mid 70's there has only been a couple deer hunting deaths.

It may be legal where you live to wear anything you want, but you have to put some common sense into the equation. I think it would be a lot of fun to hunt the Pennsylvania flintlock season.Of course I would have to spring for a flinter, but I would wear some orange for safety reasons.

As my dad states, " You can be dead right."

 

[roundball]

In the previous thread about camoflage, I was thinking about the issue of safety and my home state of Masssachusetts.

My dad and I were talking about this the other day. When he was younger, the Bay State had about 10 or 15 accidental shootings each deer season. At that time, people just wore red or the traditional red plaid. It was as good as you could get at the time.

A man named Frank Woolner did some experimenting and research on flourescent orange. Through his efforts, Massachusetts passed the first hunter orange law( I believe the Bay State was the first)

To make a long story short, since the law went into effect in the early to mid 70's there has only been a couple deer hunting deaths.

It may be legal where you live to wear anything you want, but you have to put some common sense into the equation. I think it would be a lot of fun to hunt the Pennsylvania flintlock season.Of course I would have to spring for a flinter, but I would wear some orange for safety reasons.

As my dad states, " You can be dead right."

I agree with you...it's like the seatbelt law...the issue really is that humans usually don't like government passing laws telling us what to do, but the statistics of high visibility colors or seat belts cannot be disputed.

When I was younger, I bristled at the law being passed, but have since wised up...have also seen first hand that it poses no problem to deer what-so-ever...and today, if I step into the woods during any hunting season for any reason...even if I'm not actually hunting...I at least wear an orange cap so others might see me...and if/when I hunt on any public land, I also wear an orange vest or coat.
:thumbsup:

 

[vermontfreedom]

We Pennsylvania smokepole users are required to wear >250 sq inches of orange in our early (October) season (as well as our regular centerfire season in early December). Any muzzleloading, single barrel longgun is legal during this season, so I think everyone agrees it's safer to wear orange when anyone could be carrying flintlock, percussion, or those longer-range inlines.

We flintlockers do not have to wear orange in our late season (late Dec-mid Jan). I personally wear orange during the late season if I'm hunting public lands and especially if still hunting or stalking. When hunting private land, I will coordinate with anyone that goes out with me so we know where every one is, and usually do not wear orange then. Never hurts to wear an orange knit cap.

I read once that the color DEER are most able to see in the woods is red, but I have not seen original research on this. I suppose plenty of deer fell to hunters wearing that traditional plaid years ago. I, in fact, often wear a heavy Woolrich plaid during the late season. If I do my part to be still, I don't think the deer pick it out any easier than another non-camo pattern.

 

[bob1961]

deer see orange as grey....and if it's camo orange it's a broken up outline of grey....as long as ya keep movement down ya should go unoticed....

it's like the seatbelt law

in PA one riding a motorcycle can wear a helmet if one wants to....but one riding in a big hunk of metal like a car has to wear one....go fig................bob

 

[mikelange]

I also hunt private land -- nothing else. But I wear a blaze orange stocking cap, as mandated by law, for safety as well as warmth. All it takes is one trespasser, deliberate or otherwise, making one mistake, and, as Bigbore put it, you're dead right.

I don't like the 21st century much, but I live in it. I will till I die. My plan is for that day to be a long, long time from now. The reasons I don't like the here and now, all that much, are too many people and too little space. Those are the precise reasons I need to wear that hideous orange cap, whether the law says so or not.

 

[Gametracker]

I can certainly sympathize!
I used to think that once I climbed safely into my tree stand, I'd remove my cap or hide my orange so the deer wouldn't see it. Now I hunt off the ground with a blaze orange vest and another vest, which I cut the elastic straps off of, around my head like a kerchief (I hate the wearing the caps). Last 3-day season, I had 4 different times that a deer was within 12 yards of me. But even if deer were alarmed by blaze orange, I don't suppose it would still be worth getting shot.