When hunting do you dress the part?

[Howard Pippin]

I dress like the great pumpkin because of the yahoo's from away from the big cities who shoot at whatever. Sorry guys but life means more to me than hunting in camo, period 1700-1950's to many have been killed for that.

You've got it right nhmoose, I've taught Hunter's Safety for over 50 years And I can tell you that hunters orange has saved more hunter's lives than all the safety that we teach. In Montana, not just for being safe but it also is the state law that all big-game general season hunting will be done with 400 sq. inches of hunters orange above the waist that is all connected. If you want to hunt camouflage for legitimate game, You have to hunt birds or archery. Even smart bird hunters wear hunters orange if they are hunting in river bottoms for pheasants. It's rather stupid that they don't have to wear hunter's orange, and several have paid with their lives. You can legally hunt varmints or rabbits in camouflage or dressed as a mountain man, as they are not game animals in Montana. I must be mistaken, but I thought all of the lower states required hunter's orange during rifles season.
Squint

 

[jrmflintlock]

I do wear hunter orange when required or if I feel the need to for safety reasons. Nevada does not require hunter orange and as far as I know neither does New Mexico and Oregon only requires hunters under the age of 17 to wear it.

 

[ugly old guy]

Now this is really dressing the part, including the choking grip on the Remington-Hepburn Rifle, I don't think I would ask her for her hunting license! ca.1895:

View attachment 18699
Standing over one of her many trophy mule deer, subsistence-and-sport huntress “Gusty”
Wallihan appears every inch the frontier matron with her dressy bonnet, prairie-pattern
cartridge belt, floral-embroidered gauntlets, hunting knife, and Remington-Hepburn rifle.
1895

She looks like a cool "little 'ol lady".
Kinda reminds me of my maternal Great-Great Granny Potter. (she was cool. And the stories she would tell ...)

I don't know what rifle she had when a young lass, but I remember she had a loaded break top nickle plated Iver Johnson revolver (in .38 S&W) in her purse, and a "huntin' knife" on her belt under her apron, and a paring knife in one of the apron pockets, when she was in her 90's and 100's.

Yes. she was ... "proficient" with the revolver. I recall she visited the pistol range "several" times a week to stay in practice. I got to go with her a few times. She even let me shoot her revolver a couple times when I was 5. (she was a better shot than me at the time.)

I sure do miss her. She passed in 1963 when I was 8.
I think she was 105 when she left.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I must say though, wool leggings (good quality wool) was warmer to me than long-johns, jeans and even a snow-suit ...

Richard - I couldn’t agree more! During the 2017 PA Flintlock-only season between Xmas & New Years we had 3-consecutive days of 6-8 degreesF in the mornings/night, getting maybe to 16 as a high during the day. One day we spent the entire day in the woods, meeting up on a wide-open ridge and enjoying a freshly made ‘spruce tea’ together over a striker lit dead branch wood fire.

I wear ‘mostly’ 100% wool products (less polypro liners) and wear breeches with my knee-high early French or Canadian winter moose-hide mocs (solier de bouef) with REAL shearling lining, not fake ‘Ugg’ type Chinese shearling. Inside those boots I wear a thin polypro socks to wick away the moisture, along with thick, knee-high 100% Icelandic wool socks. My feet have never been cold with this combination!

I also do have some hunter orange 100% wool products, like a weskit and voyageurs cap, that I will wear where required or if in really thick stuff like mountain laurel ... even if not State or locale mandated ... I will throw the voyageurs cap on my head for 360-degree visibility.

 

[Spikebuck]

This was just a yesterday! Pull over shirt, Antelope leather leggings, wool breachclout and mocs!

What a beautiful picture! The mountains way in the background really finish it up fine. Now you just need a period correct collar for the pup!

 

[jrmflintlock]

Hmmm.. I wonder what a period correct collar would look like. Any ideas? I’m game. My guess would be no collar? Maybe?

 

[Sun City]

I reckon I'd look kinda funny walking round with a Mr Heater!

No! I dress for comfort and when cold...Mr Heater is kind to me!

 

[Atticus69]

Richard - I couldn’t agree more! During the 2017 PA Flintlock-only season between Xmas & New Years we had 3-consecutive days of 6-8 degreesF in the mornings/night, getting maybe to 16 as a high during the day. One day we spent the entire day in the woods, meeting up on a wide-open ridge and enjoying a freshly made ‘spruce tea’ together over a striker lit dead branch wood fire.

I wear ‘mostly’ 100% wool products (less polypro liners) and wear breeches with my knee-high early French or Canadian winter moose-hide mocs (solier de bouef) with REAL shearling lining, not fake ‘Ugg’ type Chinese shearling. Inside those boots I wear a thin polypro socks to wick away the moisture, along with thick, knee-high 100% Icelandic wool socks. My feet have never been cold with this combination!

I also do have some hunter orange 100% wool products, like a weskit and voyageurs cap, that I will wear where required or if in really thick stuff like mountain laurel ... even if not State or locale mandated ... I will throw the voyageurs cap on my head for 360-degree visibility.

Where did you get your hunter orange weskit?

 

[Realwarrior]

I dress the part most of the time unless it's a quick hunt at the farm. If deer hunting,I wear my Orange weskit and either Orange tricorn, flop hat/ w Orange band, or voyager cap. I live in Southeastern Kentucky and am a direct decendant of William " Longhunter" Pittman, as well as both Shawnee and Cherokee ancestors. For me, I am walking and hunting where my ancestors did 250 years ago. I want to know how it actually was for them, what they experienced. Even though we cannot truly replicate the conditions under which they lived, by dressing the part, it gets me a step closer. I usually take a 2-3 day trek in both the Fall and spring.

 

[nchawkeye]

I've been known to...

 

[bushytail]

I'm working on it. I wore my outfit during the early muzzleloader season for deer & bear here in PA. Had to put a fl orange vest on and I put a fl orange knit hat on my slouch hat to be legal. With and without the orange .

 

[Wisconsin Relic]

Hey Bushytail,

without the blaze orange, you look just like a deer! I much prefer your hunting clothes without the orange accessories. But I do understand hunter safety laws.
I only hunt during muzzleloader season here in Wisconsin and there are apparently not many of us. During the last 3 seasons I haven’t seen another hunter or cut a track of one.

 

[Realwarrior]

Headed out for a Kentucky late muzzleloader hunt.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I really envy you guys that can hunt in normal clothing at this time of year. I do wish our weather would allow likewise, alas we are currently -15c and fully snow covered.
I guess our cold weather does have benefits though, far less population, more animal opportunities, less hunter competition, no poisonous critters, really long seasons, etc. I guess I just wish I could still be hunting...
Keep them stories and pictures coming everyone!
Walk

 

[Wisconsin Relic]

Hi Spikebuck

in some of your photos you’re wearing a great looking wool coat of gray,white and a bit of green, etc. Do you have “plans” as to how to make that coat or can you telllhow it was done? I think it’s great, I’d really like to make one and hunt while wearing it. A good wool hunting coat is impossible to find commercially. Thanks for your help.

 

[Wisconsin Relic]

this is the coat I’m referring to.

 

[Spikebuck]

Relic, this Capote was made by NW Traders. They offer a wide variety of blanket color patterns to choose from for having a custom capote built to your exact measurements and all at a pretty reasonable cost.

http://www.nwtrader.com/capotes_styles.html

I cannot remember exactly which blanket type and color I ordered. The style is the Nor'Wester. I'm sure if you talked to them and even emailed the above pic, they could advise you.

They also made the orange capote I custom ordered so I had one I could wear during deer season. That one took a while because I wanted a heavier blanket and orange is not a normal blanket color, so they had to arrange to have one custom made for my project. On that one, I had them add a couple of large hidden inside pockets. They were great to work with and I got exactly what I wanted.

If you want to put it together yourself, they do offer a kit. You won't save a lot of money, but if sewing it yourself is important, it's an option.

I'd highly recommend them.

 

[Patocazador]

I don't wear period outfits .. never have. And I have never seen any other hunter doing it even though I have been muzzleload hunting since the '70s.

Maybe it's a regional thing???

 

[Realwarrior]

I don't wear period outfits .. never have. And I have never seen any other hunter doing it even though I have been muzzleload hunting since the '70s.

Maybe it's a regional thing???

There is a guy on YouTube that hunts Florida in period attire. I think his page is called " Hunt Primitive".

 

[bushytail]

Wisconsin Relic, I like your capote. That's gonna be one of my next purchases. It gets cold here in PA after Christmas for our flintlock season. And NO fl orange . :^D