Wearing Orange

[Harvest the Land]

Howdy,

This will be my first fall exploring for and hopefully hunting for mulies and I've got a million things to learn. Reading quite a few books and learning a lot already.

My question is regarding wearing orange while hunting. I know its not required here in BC, but is it a good idea to wear orange anyway so not to be mistaken by other hunters for a possible shooting target?

I plan on using the "spot and stalk" technique described by Dwight Shugh - ideally spotting the deer from a distance, and slowly making my way closer to them. But with a rifle, not with a bow.

Is wearing orange "over kill" and unecessary? or simply the smart thing to do?

Thanks in advance!

[Kudu]

If you feel that wearing orange is going to stop someone else taking a pot shot at you - then by all means, go ahead and dress in it from head to toe - deer are color blind anyway so the coloration of your clothing won't mean anything to them!

[MB_Boy]

Whether you choose to wear or not....we always hang some bright coloured cloth or clothing when cleaning an animal. Bent over in brush or grass and not a normal looking human silhouette keeps me erring on the side of caution. You never know if there is an idiot out there scoping your hunched over torso thinking it is the back of an animal. :wink:

[Everett]

Wear it if makes you feel safer but hunters being shot buy other hunters is incredibly rare in BC. The irony is jurisdiction that require hunter orange tend to have higher incidents of hunters shooting other hunters than jurisdictions that don't require it.
I wore hunter orange while growing up in Nova Scotia because its required and my Mother was insanely paranoid as a result of a cousin being shot and killed while hunting. Since I have moved to BC I have never bothered our ever felt the need but I also try not to hunt in areas with other hunters.

[Clint_S]

depending on what I am doing I tend to take one of a variety of foam or stuffed seat cushions and strap it to my back or butt. These are generally blaze orange on one side.
I have the orange side out when walking and when I need to take a break or find a good place to make a sit I have comfy and more importantly dry place to sit for awhile.
I hope we never are forced to wear orange but I just feel I have my back covered so to speak when walking with this thing on my back.

[albravo2]

I hope you find somewhere to hunt that you don't see a lot of other hunters. Personally, I'd sooner see a grumpy bear than another hunter to I don't usually wear any orange but I certainly wouldn't find it strange if my hunting partner wore it.

Whatever makes you feel safe to start... you may change your mind after a while but no sense acting contrary to your instincts to start with.

[K-1]

I use a camo orange hat or a camo orange toque, also have a toque that is reversible camo & orange. You don't need a lot to be seen.

[albravo2]

One thing I DON'T suggest is wearing one of those 'Be the Decoy' hats while cleaning or packing your game.

[ACB]

Wear what ever you feel safe in. What game see is movement, if you don't move they won't see you unless you are out in the open some place. Another suggestion is buy the best bino's you can afford, the best tool for spot and stocking bar none. Don't use your rifle scope for spotting because where the crosshairs are is what your barrel is pointing at. Just saying. I'v had it done to me sheep hunting, guy's using their rifles as spotting scopes. A little unnerving to say the least.

[300win]

wear it, I always wear a blaze orange toque while hunting in the fall. A lot of people out there that will scope you. Always wear blaze orange when cleaning and moving my game to the truck. Be safe and enjoy muley hunting, lots of fun to be had!!

Cheers 300

[kilometers]

I never did.
But 2 years ago well bow hunting I was in an old tree stand hunting moose. I herd a cow call and when I looked in its direction I could see a hunter and his son. They had a rifle And climbed up another tree stand. I gave them a cow call in response. I could see them get excited and started bino ing my direction. They couldn't see me and I don't think they knew about the tree stand I was in. I didn't want them to know I was their( because then they would find the tree stand) I tried to wait them out as it slowly got darker. I had no choice and had to bail outta the tree and head towards them because that was the only way to get out. It was getting pretty dark and the only bright thing I had on me was my bow quiver with my colured vanes. I held it high above the brush until I was close enough to see that they could identify me. I was kinda sketched. I could of shined my flash light at them but like I said I wanted to get away from my stand before I made contact.
I stopped and talked to them. I was hunting a bow only season and they had a leh tag hence the rifle. We waited out the rest of the light together and walked out.
I bought a camo toque after that, it can be warn inside out as blaze orange. I don't wear it as orange but if I ever get in that kinda situation again I will flip it.

[deer nut]

Wear what ever you feel safe in. What game see is movement, if you don't move they won't see you unless you are out in the open some place. Another suggestion is buy the best bino's you can afford, the best tool for spot and stocking bar none. Don't use your rifle scope for spotting because where the crosshairs are is what your barrel is pointing at. Just saying. I'v had it done to me sheep hunting, guy's using their rifles as spotting scopes. A little unnerving to say the least.

AMEN!! I've had that happen to me too! I never hunt with someone who has no binoculars but is carrying a scoped rifle!

[Harvest the Land]

Awesome responses and advice - thanks to all!! I never knew that deer were colour blind to orange - since that is the case, its a no brainer and I will definitely be wearing orange this fall when hunting for deer. And yes, I just picked up an awesome pair of Swarovski's for $700 on Ebay brand new (they're $1200 cdn at Cabelas) and they're beautiful!

Thanks again for all the tips guys/gals - this is such a great website!!

[Lastcar]

I am always wearing a pack. Well pretty much always. It was a MR Longbow in Open Country so being all camo and now creating a larger silhouette I was bit more cautious.

I tied a hunters orange vest off to the back of my pack. In a way that doesn't flap around like a flag of course. As snug as I can without blocking access.

I draped a hunter orange bandanna through the molle on the shoulder strap for the front.

Not a ton of either shows, but enough that if a guy glasses you, ideally with binos, he'll have no doubt you are there.

I'd also suggest that when a guy thinks he's humped his way into a spot by himself he is less likely to assume that shape he see is a human. I'd go further and say most guys who are putting long miles on the boots to get away from folks aren't like to rip off a shot without being certain what they are shooting. Since its coming out on their back.

I like others have mentioned work to get away from where folks are and have only once seen another hunter on my way out. Doesn't mean they weren't there, maybe their camo works really good! ;-) He was as shocked to see me coming out as I was to see him coming in. Quick chat and he carried on his way.

Should have got his number, so he could tell me about the buck he got that I overlooked. ;-)

New Stone Glacier pack should make it a heck of a lot more obvious without the orange but I may still drape them anyways. As someone else said, good have flapping in the wind when dealing with an animal on the ground.

[lovemywinchester]

I have a reversible hat that I wear when hunting with someone else. I wear the orange when walking in or out and flip it to camo when sitting. Wearing orange does provide me with a feeling of safety when walking around the bush near Kamloops. I think its a good idea to NEVER assume you are the only hunter out there. I have run into guys all over the place even pretty deep into a hike. I hunted with a couple last year and they wore orange ball caps all the time. I was really made aware of how the orange stands out when they were walking down from a treeline at dusk through a clear cut and I could see them plain as day even from close to a KM away.




http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l573/zippogold/033_zps9fv0xdry.jpg (http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/zippogold/media/033_zps9fv0xdry.jpg.html)

[CR CRUISER]

Don't stop at just orange clothing. :smile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M2mkYKjmyys

[eaglesnester]

yes it is a good idea. I have been scoped in the past. Hopefully it will prevent this but U cant fix stupid.

[Gateholio]

No, I don't wear orange. It's proven to not make a difference. Except if you were lost and a helicopter is looking for you, I suppose. :)

[caddisguy]

If you do wear blaze orange, I wouldn't go too crazy especially if it's a solid orange. A hat or a small patch should do the job. Though deer are blind to certain colors, everything in nature has texture and blending with it is a good idea. Also anything reflective (like a lot of the blaze orange stuff) would stand out. It's actually amazing how often camo--though still having natural pattern / colors--is extremely reflective. I realized how reflective the lining on my water resistent jacket/pants/backpack were under the IR of my trailcams. Despite everything being the same color and texture as my surroundings, I practically glow in the dark, unlike my surroundings. However, I have a hoodie, long sleeve shirts and one pair of pants that don't seem to reflect at all. Material seems to matter. All that aside though, I'm pretty sure more deer have been shot in jeans and plaid shirts than any other attire.

[BuckEye]

Pink or orange survey tape wrapped around the hat or pack works. I don't suggest tearing off the whole marker, but it is all over the sides of forest service roads if you feel the need to be seen.

[HeadingOutside]

I wear a reversible toque. I was walking into an area last season with the orange side out. When I was about 500 yards from the little blind I had built the previous day I saw a movement of orange in that spot as another hunter also switched his toque to the other side. Quickly glassed him (WITH BINOS!), gave him a quick wave, he waved back and I turned and walked out. For me, that's a great use of orange. Without it I would have walked right up to him.

[604ksmith]

In Camp: Camo + Blaze Orange
Near Roads: Camo + Blaze Orange
Backcountry: Camo
After kill: Camo + Blaze Orange
Packing out: Camo + Blaze Orange + Hi Vis Vest/Flagging tape on antlers

[Wentrot]

I don't want others to see me. Around here the woods are so filled with mud mouth fools I would bet money on the fact some would shoot at "the moving orange thingy"

[Kamlooper]

Orange for me and the dog around Kamloops, we only hunt small game. There are times that I have to go into very dense bush to get to where my dog has found the grouse, always feel safer in those situations. http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8114&stc=1

[Citori54]

Years ago my older brother shot a small Island buck and made a pack out of it to pack it out. He put a blaze orange vest on the deer and despite that, as he was packing it along an old road with lots of alders he heard a gun shot and an alder beside him exploded from the bullet. Probably nothing can protect us from idiots.

[warbird2006]

If you feel that wearing orange is going to stop someone else taking a pot shot at you - then by all means, go ahead and dress in it from head to toe - deer are color blind anyway so the coloration of your clothing won't mean anything to them!

Nah, you need to wear an orange - black camo pattern. Not s solid orange. Solid will spook the dear.

[MRP]

5 year old thread. Really?