Pa hunters, do you wear camo during the intlock season

[Sidney Smith]

Last year a guy from here in Pa.was huntin in Colorao with an inline and shot a Archer that was in full camo.The Archer was on the ground.The article stated that they were in a very remote area and didn,t know each other or each others presence.The Pa. guy was huntin Elk and had one bulging and caught movement in the brush and fired.The Elk was no where near where the shootin occurred.The Pa.guy is in a world of trouble.

The shooter was an idiot, there's no other way to put it. He broke the cardinal rule of positively identifying your target before pulling the trigger. Now some may argue had the archer been wearing orange, it wouldn't have happened. In reality, nothing would've changed the outcome because the mindset of the shooter was probably such, that he wanted to see an Elk, and that's all his mind would let him see. Orange wouldn't have changed that.

So. Was the archer wrong? In my opinion, no. He was more than likely within his legal requirements by not wearing orange. The fault does not lie with him, or his choice to wear full camo.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Camo is an overrated concept, I quit it years ago and didn't see a drop in my deer sightings, they actually went up. I have this theory; I hunted back before tree stands came out, when they were introduced to the hunting worlds we all got one and found the deer never looked up, we were invisible to them. It only took a couple of years and the deer started looking up and catching us in our stands.

Then out came camo which we switched to religiously and felt naked without. Over time I noticed deer would pick me out no matter how well I though my camo was hiding me, I suspected they had conditioned themselves to spot camo as a danger sign.

When I went back to drab clothes the deer stopped picking me off like they did when I used camo.

As for camoing ones weapon, waste of time in my opinion. I have hunted with a bright yellow osage bow and never been picked off. If I used white fletching on my arrows they easily picked me off, I suspect they saw what looked like deer's tail and looked closer to investigate.

 

[Stone]

The shooter was an idiot, there's no other way to put it. He broke the cardinal rule of positively identifying your target before pulling the trigger. Now some may argue had the archer been wearing orange, it wouldn't have happened. In reality, nothing would've changed the outcome because the mindset of the shooter was probably such, that he wanted to see an Elk, and that's all his mind would let him see. Orange wouldn't have changed that.

So. Was the archer wrong? In my opinion, no. He was more than likely within his legal requirements by not wearing orange. The fault does not lie with him, or his choice to wear full camo.

Was the archer wrong? Not if he was legal. Was he irresponsible? If the season was open for rifles..... absolutely!

Yes the shooter was an idiot for not identifying his target, and so was the archer for wearing camo in a gun season.

Now the guys life, who shot him, is ruined! All because someone wanted to be cool ..... when it make no difference because the deer/elk can't see orange anyway.

Having been shot while rabbit hunting, I can tell you that the guy who shot me was an idiot, I was wearing orange. Having had multiple surgeries, having been grilled when I went in the service as to how I got shot, and having seen what it did to the guy who shot me. I will wear as much orange as I feasibly can any time I am in the woods during a gun season.

 

[Okie Hog]

Yes the shooter was an idiot for not identifying his target, and so was the archer for wearing camo in a gun season.

Many states allow bow hunters in the field without blaze orange in deer season. IMO: Anyone who bow hunts without blaze orange when deer gun hunters are out and about is negligent.

i often wear camo while deer hunting because i bought three sets of coveralls at a used clothing store. i always wear a blaze orange cap and vest in deer season.

Deer hunting in southern MD is shotgun and muzzleloader only. One year in the late 1960s two hunters were shot the first day of deer season, one died.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I wear camo, but I toss on a blaze orange hat, and sometimes a vest too while I'm walking to and from wherever I plan on sitting. Once at my tree stand or ground stand, I usually take the orange off and hang the hat on a branch near me, and figure that since it's not moving at all on that branch, it'll just look like a stationary small blob of whatever to the deer. My blaze vest is patterned with black "sticks" to break up the pattern, but I still tend to remove that and tuck it somewhere during a sit. I hunt all private property in PA, and a mix of public/private elsewhere.

 

[jackpine54]

I recently sat in the middle of a winter wheat field, just off the crest of a hill. Ground was frozen, wheat matted to the ground so 1" tall, dusting of snow. I sat in a turkey chair wearing a blaze orange camo coat and blaze orange hat. I saw 6 deer enter the field at about 200 yards. They looked directly at me several times. They fed and walked directly to within 30 yards. I plugged one of the big does and stepped it off to the blood. I sat perfectly still and only raised my gun when heads were down. I think a lot of times it's the movement that spooks them, not the color.
On the other hand we've had geese flare off a set because of a coffee cup left uncovered, different animal and more eyes looking though.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

Now the guys life, who shot him, is ruined! All because someone wanted to be cool ..... when it make no difference because the deer/elk can't see orange anyway

Yeah, I'm not blaming the victim. I'll also not assume someone wearing camo does so to be cool. The guy who shot was wrong. This statement above is akin to saying, if I left my keys in the truck and someone steals it, I've ruined their life. The shooter made the wrong decision and took a wrong action.

 

[Stone]

Yeah, I'm not blaming the victim. I'll also not assume someone wearing camo does so to be cool. The guy who shot was wrong. This statement above is akin to saying, if I left my keys in the truck and someone steals it, I've ruined their life. The shooter made the wrong decision and took a wrong action.

Bad analogy: Stealing a car is theft, accidentally shooting someone because they were irresponsibly dressed is another matter altogether.

Better analogy: Leaving the keys in your car in a bad neighborhood, putting a sign on the car that says "free for the taking". When the car gets stolen, both parties are irresponsible.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

No the one party is a victim and the other a perpetrator. Your logic is being used by groups that want to sue gun manufacturers. They irresponsibly made the gun so someone could be cool.
We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[Stone]

No the one party is a victim and the other a perpetrator. Your logic is being used by groups that want to sue gun manufacturers. They irresponsibly made the gun so someone could be cool.
We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Fair enough.

The people who Lobby for gun control do so because they themselves are not responsible enough to handle guns safely so they don't think anybody should be able to handle a gun.

 

[user 36911]

I never fell for the camo hype. My red and black wool shirt and jacket worked in the 50's and still does.

If you don't move when the game is looking at you. You can wear a clown suit and it won't spook.

 

[pwbsmokey]

I am all for wearing blaze orange during firearms season, be it public or private land. I also think that wearing camo during firearms season is irresponsible. But I do not believe in mandating orange to be worn. I think that the slob hunters will be of the mindset that - I see movement, I don't see orange, therefore it must be a deer and it is ok to shoot

 

[Ragged Edge]

Whan I hunted PA with a flintlock I wore camo, except for a Browning orange/camo insulated cap. Never felt concerned about safety issues. Just wanted to be seen if we decided to "push".

 

[Sidney Smith]

Seems many are quick to place blame on an "irresponsible" camo wearer. If the person is acting within the law, how is that irresponsible? Maybe not the right choice in an overlapping of hunting seasons, but if not illegal, how can the person wearing the camo be blamed? The shooter IMO, is the irresponsible one for not identifying his target.

And to the man who says he got busted by deer while still wearing camo. Well yeah, camo doesn't cover up scent.

And to the other gentleman considering camo just hype. Do you use scent removers, cover ups? They're all gimmicks too. My father in law spilled coffee all over his hunting coat one opening day. Later that afternoon he was sitting on a nice piece he killed when I rolled up on him at quitting time.

If you think it helps I say do it. I like camo, it makes my hunts more enjoyable. I am not concerned whether it may be or may not work. I like it and I'm going to keep wearing it.

 

[user 36911]

And to the other gentleman considering camo just hype. Do you use scent removers, cover ups? They're all gimmicks too.

No, I don't. I've been a still hunter all my life and use no aids at all. I sneak in close and in doing that I can come in from any angle. I always play the wind. Dad taught me to hunt in the late 40's. I've never changed from that method of hunting. It's very rewarding to hunt with no aids and when the animal has all their senses working 100%. Easy is not better for me.

 

[Stone]

Seems many are quick to place blame on an "irresponsible" camo wearer. If the person is acting within the law, how is that irresponsible? Maybe not the right choice in an overlapping of hunting seasons, but if not illegal, how can the person wearing the camo be blamed? The shooter IMO, is the irresponsible one for not identifying his target.

And to the man who says he got busted by deer while still wearing camo. Well yeah, camo doesn't cover up scent.

And to the other gentleman considering camo just hype. Do you use scent removers, cover ups? They're all gimmicks too. My father in law spilled coffee all over his hunting coat one opening day. Later that afternoon he was sitting on a nice piece he killed when I rolled up on him at quitting time.

If you think it helps I say do it. I like camo, it makes my hunts more enjoyable. I am not concerned whether it may be or may not work. I like it and I'm going to keep wearing it.

It's not illegal to double load your gun?

It's not illegal to go out in sub zero weather naked?

I dont think it's illegal to jump off a building?

It's not illegal to do a lot of foolish things.

Please explain the virtues of refusing to wear orange?

Legal should not be the deciding factor.

 

[user 36911]

It's a law in Colorado. Otherwise, I wouldn't wear blaze orange.

What I find confusing is bow hunters don't need to wear BO.

 

[Stone]

It's a law in Colorado. Otherwise, I wouldn't wear blaze orange.

What I find confusing is bow hunters don't need to wear BO.

I think that's because a bow is only lethal to a limited distance.

 

[Stone]

I personally would rather hide from other hunters. Now where I normally hunt, it's private land so there's only me and two others or me and my son's. So we know where we each hunt, no big thing. When on public land, I don't want to be seen. Because just like in a parking lot, you park in no man's land, and what happens, you come out of the store, only to have somebody parked right next to you. Same thing happens when hunting, you're sitting there, somebody walks up, sees you, then proceeds to sit down 50 yards away because to them, you being there means it's a good spot. If they don't see anyone around, chances are they'll keep moving along. I've seen it happen both ways. I'll continue to wear the camo.

Last year in Ohio, a man killed his son on their own property which they have hunted exclusively forever.

He admitted he shot at movement and said without question it would not have happened if his son had been wearing orange.

Both are to blame.

Unless you believe that a dumb person, who would shoot at movement, doesn't exist, you are risking your life for absolutely nothing.

 

[user 36911]

I think that's because a bow is only lethal to a limited distance.

Yes, but muzzleloader and rifle seasons run at the same time.