wearing hunter orange

[bigamefisher2]

Hey all! I just finished reading the post's on the antler rattler that was shot. Bummer that it had to happen....I've read all the post's and must say, that I have had a few of those things happen to me as well, AND I WAS wearing lots of Orange. My father didn't raise a fool. He taught me that safety came first. Everthing else is common sense. It's been years since I took the hunters saftey course, but as I recall, a lot of the test questions were basically common sense questions. I myself am guilty of looking through my scope to verify what I was looking at. Each time it was a person that wasn't using proper judgement when it came to what they were wearing. I now carry binochulars when I hunt. These allow me to CAREFULLY GLASS an area, and to help me make sure of my target. I do however, wear cammo, from head to toe. I hunt private lands, and don't care to hunt public any more because there are too many idiots out there that don't or won't show common sense. When my buddies and I are hunting, we always wear our orange to and from our hunting areas. When we are sitting and watching, we don't. I may be wrong but because I hunt on private property, but I feel ok about it. My friends and I always hunt in a groups making small pushes, so we are never too far apart for the others to not be able to make out what we are. Usually though, the pushers wear something bright, and not brown or black. We've actually caught tresspassers and would be poachers wearing what we do. They didn't see us. I do however, wear my orange if, and when, I have to hunt on public lands. My big buck post shows me in my cammo, but what it didn't show was all my orange on the tailgate of the truck. That's all for now. Any input would be helpful and appreciated.

[ScottD]

I too just read all the posts regarding the guy who got shot while rattling. I am going to be hunting Oregon this year (hopefully) and I was planning on NOT wearing Orange since it isn't required. I may re-think that now. I never could see how someone could mistake a person for a deer (much less a buck.) I don't think orange should be required though, it should be left up to the individual to make the choice if he wants to wear it or not.

[ORoutdoorsman]

If you don't like the idea of solid hunter orange, then get the camo kind. But I can tell you for a fact, that a deer will not see hunter orange. While deer hunting this year, I was wearing my hunter orange hat, and my buddy and I were looking down a hillside, with the trees to our back. Well, I hear a deer trotting up to us, so I get my gun in my hands, and stand just behind the tree, my head fully exposed except for a limb over my face. Well, my friend who doesnt have quite as good of hearing as I do, didnt hear the buck(only a spike) trotting up to us. Well, he kept talking quietly to me, and since I hadnt seen what the deer was yet, I had no way of saying anything to him to tell him there is a deer coming. So the deer trots up, I watch it show up, the deer comes face to face with me, and sees my buddy , stops, looks at him, turns and trots off. That deer was right in my bread basket, I could have smacked the thing right on the patoot, and he didnt see me. Hunter orange and all. So dont worry about wearing hunter orange. They are more likely to see your face or your movement then they are your orange. Because while we all kinda say oh well no big deal ill be ok, just remember, a deer aint worth a bullet. And there are alot of idiots out there.

[dla]

The problem, in my humble opinion, is that there are soooo many guys out there that have some very basic safety issues. When they finally screwup - I can die.

There are people who "glass" you over with their rifle scope, round chambered. There are morons who pretend they're a sniper. Ugh!

There are folks who believe you have to "snap shoot" like hunting grouse. And there are people out there in some sort of dream state, disconnected from reality.

So I wear Hunter Orange when rifle hunting, because the statistics show it works and I remind people of the basics*


*
1. All firearms are loaded

2. Never allow the muzzle to cover anything you aren't willing to destroy.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.

4. Be sure of your target and beyond.

[jokester]

So dont worry about wearing hunter orange. They are more likely to see your face or your movement then they are your orange.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">You're exactly right ORoutdoorsman. I grew up in Southern IL and we were required to wear so many square inches of blaze hunter orange during whitetail shotgun and handgun seasons. I've had deer right under my stand, look up at me, stare at me for 1-2 minutes, and then mosey on doing their business like nothing was wrong. As long as you're still, for the most part, you'll be ok. I know for a fact that deer are more likely to spot your face or movement rather than your orange. I've seen examples too many times to think otherwise. I'll be deer/elk hunting for the 1st time in the northwest sometime this year or next, and and you can bet that i'll be wearing some kind of hunter orange!!

-jokester