Hunting season - Is it safe to hike this weekend in Putnam county NY

[Arden]

Hi;
I have been planning an AT section hike from Manitou to just over the NY/CT line (CT route 55) to start on Sat 11/21 and finish on Wed 11/25 or Thurs 11/26. I have just learned that "regular" hunting season (including bear) in this area opens on Sat 11/21. I have always been wary of doing any hiking in areas where hunting is permitted, on the first weekend of the gun season. So, I need to know two things:
Are my fears legitimate?
Which parts of the AT through this section are in or adjacent to land where gun hunting is permitted?

I will be wearing blaze orange (a hat on me, and my pack cover), plus I intend to carry my amateur radio HT, which I can use to "make noise" as I trek through.
I was also thinking that I would put the pack cover over the rain fly of my tent, just to make sure I am visible to anyone hunting nearby.

Should I postpone my hike for a week or two, or am I being overly cautious?
Note: I would definitely not hike in NJ during the first weekend of gun season - and maybe not any time during the season. Reason: I have read/heard that NJ hunters are the most careless.

Thanks for your advice

Arden

[tiptoe]

This might help you sort through the byzantine maze of seasons, weapons, and regions.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_...gseasons15.pdf

[JustaTouron]

Wear blaze orange. Avoid white, brown and fur clothing. You will be fine.

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[Arden]

Thanks guys;
I've got my blaze orange, and I will be carrying my amateur radio HT for noise. The radio will also monitor police, so I could set it to receive the rangers. I can also monitor FRS and GMRS; if any of the hunters are using it, and I hear them, then I'll know they're fairly close. I won't be able to talk to them though - I can only communicate with other amateurs (hams).
It appears that season is open for all game this weekend. Bear and deer only from sunrise to sunset, but coyote, bobcat, and others at any time. I can't even imagine seeing a bobcat, or a coyote for that matter. I have heard coyotes while backpacking, but never seen them.

[Snowleopard]

Some states say you need to have 400 square inches of blaze orange. I would at a minimum have blaze orange vest, hat and GLOVES plus the pack cover(definitely don't wear white, grey or brown gloves). Personally, I wouldn't hike in Putnam County during rifle deer season, especially on the first or last day. I'm not sure how much of the trail is hunted, but I think Putnam gets lots of hunting and has lots of deer. Don't be on the trail when it starts getting dark (CT and MA go until 1/2 hour after sunset and it is really dark by then).

Conn. might be safer because in many cases only bow or shotgun are legal; the Conn. regs are kind of complicated. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2700&Q=556888 I think rifles can only be used on private land or by landowners and opening day is not Nov. 21. You could also start in SW Mass on Sunday (no Mass hunting on Sunday) and hike south. In fact, shotgun deer season in Mass starts Nov 28 and modern rifles are not allowed. In fact, a nice hike would be to end in Salisbury, CT starting as far north as you have time for ( the Taconics in SW MA are beautiful).

Hunting safety has improved a lot, but back in the '70s when my parents lived in Greene County, NY (Catskills) there would be a hunting fatality within 10 miles of their home every year or two. So, I'm perhaps more paranoid than warranted these days.

[Traveler]

Some states say you need to have 400 square inches of blaze orange. I would at a minimum have blaze orange vest, hat and GLOVES plus the pack cover(definitely don't wear white, grey or brown gloves). Personally, I wouldn't hike in Putnam County during rifle deer season, especially on the first or last day. I'm not sure how much of the trail is hunted, but I think Putnam gets lots of hunting and has lots of deer. Don't be on the trail when it starts getting dark (CT and MA go until 1/2 hour after sunset and it is really dark by then).

Conn. might be safer because in many cases only bow or shotgun are legal; the Conn. regs are kind of complicated. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2700&Q=556888 I think rifles can only be used on private land or by landowners and opening day is not Nov. 21. You could also start in SW Mass on Sunday (no Mass hunting on Sunday) and hike south. In fact, shotgun deer season in Mass starts Nov 28 and modern rifles are not allowed. In fact, a nice hike would be to end in Salisbury, CT starting as far north as you have time for ( the Taconics in SW MA are beautiful).

Hunting safety has improved a lot, but back in the '70s when my parents lived in Greene County, NY (Catskills) there would be a hunting fatality within 10 miles of their home every year or two. So, I'm perhaps more paranoid than warranted these days.

Good response to this issue. Though hiking the AT is fairly safe, a little paranoia is not a bad thing during hunting season. There are people in the woods with weapons ready to shoot something, so act and dress accordingly. Avoid pre dawn and dusk hours if you can, if not bring lighting, make lots of noise during these hours or during the day for that matter (sing, chat with your hiking buddy, etc). Stay on the trail. The AT is fairly well known to local hunters (you may even see one or two using the trail to reach a specific point) and are typically avoided but hunters unfamiliar with the area are more the concern. Side trails may not be as well known and should be approached with caution, especially trails that are not well marked or used. I will not end my hiking activities due to hunting season, but I do take precautions seriously.

[Snowleopard]

The other thing to consider at dawn, dusk and night is the bright red blinky light bicyclists use. You could also use it to find your way back to your tent when you go to the latrine at night. I've got to get myself one of these. Too often I'm not ready to go on my local walk till almost dusk. The serious shootings in Mass the last few years have happened in the last few minutes of the hunting season when it's pretty dark.

[Arden]

I don't plan to be out in the woods at dusk/dawn. I might be at my tent site, which will be at a designated campsite or near a shelter, cooking my supper - I don't get up so early to be out at dawn. I do have an excellent headlamp which includes red flashing, white flashing, and a steady, bright, white light. So far as I know, large game can be hunted only during daylight, and a hunter shouldn't be aiming high to hit something small. That said, I will always exercise great care and good common sense - I only hope that the other guy does!
Honestly, if starting out on the trail at Manitou NY on Saturday I am hearing too many shots close by, I think I would turn around and head back home, and leave the trip for another time.
I will be hiking alone though - so talking to someone isn't really an option, although I could be talking on my radio - but to conserve the battery, I will be mostly listening, and I will keep the volume up high enough that someone a few hundred yards away might hear it.

[egilbe]

You people spend way too much effort worrying about hiking during hunting season.

[Rex Clifton]

The last time I hiked during the gun deer season was in the Catskills. I was hiking along, decked out in blaze orange, when three shots whizzed perioulesly close to my head. I nearly jumped out of my skin! It seems, unbeknownst to me, that a deer had crossed in front of me and was skirting out behind. This was the last time I hiked during the hunt. I may be an avid backpacker, but I'm not crazy. I am thinking of hiking in a safer area, like Syria.

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[Arden]

The last time I hiked during the gun deer season was in the Catskills. I was hiking along, decked out in blaze orange, when three shots whizzed perioulesly close to my head. I nearly jumped out of my skin! It seems, unbeknownst to me, that a deer had crossed in front of me and was skirting out behind. This was the last time I hiked during the hunt. I may be an avid backpacker, but I'm not crazy. I am thinking of hiking in a safer area, like Syria.

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Well then, I'll have to be observant for deer in the area. I think that's the reason you want to be making noise!

[Arden]

OTOH, it's opening weekend, and the week of Thanksgiving. That means more hunters - and more of the lesser educated ones. If there is any time it is dangerous to be in the woods, I would think it would be this weekend.
That said, I see that only bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, handgun, and shotgun but not rifle are permitted in Putnam county. I would think that a rifle is more dangerous than a shotgun, or a handgun or muzzleloader. Still, being of the somewhat nervous type to begin with, I may not enjoy hiking this weekend as much as I would at a different time.

[Sarcasm the elf]

OTOH, it's opening weekend, and the week of Thanksgiving. That means more hunters - and more of the lesser educated ones. If there is any time it is dangerous to be in the woods, I would think it would be this weekend.
That said, I see that only bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, handgun, and shotgun but not rifle are permitted in Putnam county. I would think that a rifle is more dangerous than a shotgun, or a handgun or muzzleloader. Still, being of the somewhat nervous type to begin with, I may not enjoy hiking this weekend as much as I would at a different time.

Personally I would hike the A.T. in that area without hesitation during hunting season, though I would wear some orange. Hunting accidents are actually very rare and to the best of my knowledge there have been no incidents involving A.T. hikers in over a decade (The ATC site lists the last two as happening in 2002 and 2003). I think that the last line of your post is the most important, if you go are you going to enjoy yourself or are you going to be preoccupied and worrying? If you are going to be nervous enough that it's going to reduce the enjoyment of the trip then I would recommend you postpone it.

I also just came across this link "Top 10 No-Hunting Hike Areas in New York and New Jersey" on the NY-NJ Trail conference website which I thought might be useful:

http://www.nynjtc.org/content/top-10...and-new-jersey

[Arden]

Personally I would hike the A.T. in that area without hesitation during hunting season, though I would wear some orange. Hunting accidents are actually very rare and to the best of my knowledge there have been no incidents involving A.T. hikers in over a decade (The ATC site lists the last two as happening in 2002 and 2003). I think that the last line of your post is the most important, if you go are you going to enjoy yourself or are you going to be preoccupied and worrying? If you are going to be nervous enough that it's going to reduce the enjoyment of the trip then I would recommend you postpone it.

I also just came across this link "Top 10 No-Hunting Hike Areas in New York and New Jersey" on the NY-NJ Trail conference website which I thought might be useful:

http://www.nynjtc.org/content/top-10...and-new-jersey

What I should have done is to have hiked the section between Manitou and Wingdale 2-1/2 weeks ago. That was what I had been planning, but I started at the west end of Harriman park and only got through the park, finishing at Peekskill on the Camp Smith trail. I should have started at Wingdale or the AT station on the Harlem line and hiked SOBO.

So now, I'm thinking I may just go to Harriman again; leave my car at the Inn, and hike around the park for the weekend or maybe a bit longer. I don't have to hike the AT again; maybe a loop hike would be my best bet. Only issue would be where to sleep if there aren't any shelters close. I think I could just pitch a tent in any suitable spot. I have seen many firerings at the summits of the peaks, and at a few other spots. I don't think anyone would bother me so long as I don't stay more than one night at the same location.

[Leanthree]

Everything is risk management. The drive is the most dangerous part of your hike. If you choose to hike in a hunting area just wear orange. I'd just go to Harriman to not worry about wearing orange.

[Arden]

Everything is risk management. The drive is the most dangerous part of your hike. If you choose to hike in a hunting area just wear orange. I'd just go to Harriman to not worry about wearing orange.

I did wind up going to Harriman. Immediately after making that decision, I felt like my backpack had just been removed from my shoulders . The hunting issue had been bothering me for several days.
I did a 3-day/2-night loop of the SBM to West Mountain shelter - Red Cross trail to William Brien shelter, then Menomine to LP to PG back to my car at the Inn. There were a couple dozen boy scouts at the West Mtn shelter, but I got there first, so I had my pick of tent sites, and thankfully had chosen one up the trail from the shelter and wasn't bothered by the scouts, except while I was setting up my tent, a couple kids came running right past me. It was noisy until about 9pm, then quiet all night. The leaders seemed to have good control over the boys.
On my 2nd night I was completely alone at Brien. It got cold Sunday night, and my sleeping bag is rated only to 23F. But I used lots of layers and was completely comfortable. I have my own tent, and never sleep in the shelters, although I did use Brien as a platform on which to sit while I cooked my supper on my backpacking stove. There used to be a fireplace in that shelter, but when the roof was replaced, the fp was closed up and a new one build outside. That is a far better situation, but the flat rock in front of where the old fp was is a great place to place your stove, so it doesn't sit on the wood floor.

On Monday I hiked 12 miles to my car. I saw absolutely no one on the trail. I'm certain that, had I chosen to hike out on the AT, I would have met some sobo thru-hikers, or section hikers.
I arrived at the end of the PG trail after dark. Love those reflective trail blazes on the PG. They really glow in the light of a headlamp. But only some of them are of that type. The majority are still painted on trees.

I needed to cross 9W at the th, in order to get to the sidewalk on the other side. I attempted to cross the circle, but traffic was too heavy, so I decided to go to the AT crosswalk and follow the AT the rest of the way. When I was turning into the zoo, the zoo caretaker or whatever his authority was - stopped me and told me that the zoo was closed and I needed to use the night route, following the blue blazes. I did that, but came to a blowdown, which was impossible to duck under. It had many smaller branches across the trail, and I would have needed to remove my pack if I were to crawl under. I decided instead to climb up the embankment and go around the tree. Farther south, I lost the trail completely, and it appeared to simply end. I followed what I thought was the trail to the building at the end of the ramp from the tunnel, but there was no opening in the rock wall along the ramp, so I had to climb over it. I was most likely not in the correct spot for getting through the tunnel, but nonetheless I did make it back OK.
I would like to know what thru-hikers who are passing through after the zoo is closed do. I had thought I would cross route 9W and hop over the guardrail and enter the park at the north end, but wasn't sure if I could do that. I really wanted to check out the night route anyway. Now I think I need to post a message to NY/NJ TC or ATC to have the trail cleared and re-blazed.
There is also the need to re-blaze the water trail at William Brien. The blazes have turned to gray, and are difficult to find in the dark or when it's foggy. That was the condition I experienced a couple weeks ago when I hiked the AT through Harriman park.
Maybe if there is a project to clear the zoo bypass, I will volunteer. It's a long way to drive for me, but would be a great way to spend a weekend.