View Full Version : Is an orange vest enough?
I'll be in Virginia in September and Georgia in November. Are there any other considerations or precautions I should take?
Thanks - gpk
The back of you vest will be covered by you pack. I would strongly recommend you hang an orange towel off the the back of your pack. An orange skull cap would be helpful too!
Safety first!
I'll be in Virginia in September and Georgia in November. Are there any other considerations or precautions I should take?
Thanks - gpk
I usually keep an orange bandana in my pack for these type of situations! Maddog:D
I use a bright orange pack cover and just keep it on my pack (rain or shine) - I also have a light blaze orange vest (or wear a neon color t-shirt)
fredmugs
08-26-2012, 08:09
Ask that guy who went hunting with Dick Cheney. You can't protect yourself enough against stupid.
Wolf - 23000
08-26-2012, 08:14
GPK,
As someone who was shot at before wearing all Bright colors, I'm going to say NO! Some hunters will shot at anything and don't care who is around!!!
As a golden rule for myself, if I see a deer I yell. I'm not promoting harassing the wild-life but this is your safety. If you see a deer, yell, "A DEER!!! A DEER!!!" just like you were brand new to the woods. If the deer gets away, all well - you are still safe.
Wolf
The Cleaner
08-26-2012, 08:15
TN Wildlife regulations require hunters to display 500 sq. inches of orange.Doesn't say anything about those not hunting.I've been hiking about 30 years in TN/NC never had a problem.With all the fresh fallen leaves you can make much more noise than any animal.Bear hunters use dogs to chase a bear up a tree then they gather 'round and open fire.Just stay on the ground shuffle your feet every so often...Any way I usually have something of some odd color hanging off my pack....MSR yellow tent bag for example...
The Cleaner
08-26-2012, 08:59
Since moving back to East TN I cannot recall reading one news article"AT Hiker Shot By Hunter".I have seen several stories of hunters shooting each other or being shot with own rifle while crossing fence ect..In the TN/NC area the AT is mostly on high ridges which is not a good place to hunt deer.They (USFS&TWRA) have created many grassy wildlife brouse fields in lower elevation areas near roads and away from the AT.....
Another Kevin
08-26-2012, 08:59
You definitely need to show from behind. I''ve heard of using one of those jack-o'lantern leaf bags as a pack cover. In the hunting season, I usually do my weekend trips in parks where hunting is forbidden (such as Harriman). The downside of that approach is that it guarantees that the hunters you meet will be idiots.
Nimrod americanus is the wild animal that scares me the most.
Wise Old Owl
08-26-2012, 09:17
It is not required for hikers to wear orange - the pack does hide the shirt so go with a cheap skull cap - $5 at Wally World
after seeing so many threads on this - keep in mind the odds are terribly low and the hunters pay big bucks for gun safety courses.
Just dont wear this.....17174or do this to your dog. 17175
Sidewinder
08-26-2012, 09:34
GPK,
As someone who was shot at before wearing all Bright colors, I'm going to say NO! Some hunters will shot at anything and don't care who is around!!!
As a golden rule for myself, if I see a deer I yell. I'm not promoting harassing the wild-life but this is your safety. If you see a deer, yell, "A DEER!!! A DEER!!!" just like you were brand new to the woods. If the deer gets away, all well - you are still safe.
Wolf
which may anger the hunter and shoot you anyway...just sayin
Pathfinder1
08-26-2012, 11:30
Hi...
Well, now that we know what to wear, how about what NOT to wear?
Never expose anything WHITE...T-shirt...TP...handkerchief, etc. The occasional hunter has been known to shoot at ANYTHING that might resemble the tail of a white tail deer...!!
Statistically, people have been shot...and killed...by such careless hunters...!!
Water Rat
08-26-2012, 11:34
Hi...
Well, now that we know what to wear, how about what NOT to wear?
Never expose anything WHITE...T-shirt...TP...handkerchief, etc. The occasional hunter has been known to shoot at ANYTHING that might resemble the tail of a white tail deer...!!
Statistically, people have been shot...and killed...by such careless hunters...!!
Does this mean I should put my hat with antlers away? Dang, I was looking forward to wearing that on my fall hikes...
Drybones
08-26-2012, 12:07
Ask that guy who went hunting with Dick Cheney. You can't protect yourself enough against stupid.
I came out of the woods while deer hunting in VA one year and saw a guy visibly shaken. Started talking to him and he told me he was watching a trail and saw a deer through the thicket, could see the antlers and everything. Waited 20 minutes for him to come out in the open for a clean shot but got impatient and started pulling the trigger. Had the trigger half pulled when a guy bent over and he saw his orange glove. That guy left the woods that day never knowing how close he came to dying.
About_Time
08-26-2012, 12:12
GPK,
As someone who was shot at before wearing all Bright colors, I'm going to say NO! Some hunters will shot at anything and don't care who is around!!!
As a golden rule for myself, if I see a deer I yell. I'm not promoting harassing the wild-life but this is your safety. If you see a deer, yell, "A DEER!!! A DEER!!!" just like you were brand new to the woods. If the deer gets away, all well - you are still safe.
Wolf
A frequent type of accident is a hunter shooting at a deer without knowing what is in the brush/woods behind the target. Actually encouraging the deer to run away could lead to a hunter taking an ill advised shot (with you in the vicinity) at a running deer. You (and any other nearby hikers) are likely safer by letting the deer meander off on it's own. That's my opinion and is what I would do in that situation during hunting season.
Drybones
08-26-2012, 12:40
Hi...
Well, now that we know what to wear, how about what NOT to wear?
Never expose anything WHITE...T-shirt...TP...handkerchief, etc. The occasional hunter has been known to shoot at ANYTHING that might resemble the tail of a white tail deer...!!
Statistically, people have been shot...and killed...by such careless hunters...!!
Agree. As a lifelong deer hunter I can tell you that white is what hunters are looking for and is almost always the first thing they see on a deer. I will not even wear white underwear, I'd hate to get shot with my pants down.
atraildreamer
08-26-2012, 13:07
I'll be in Virginia in September and Georgia in November. Are there any other considerations or precautions I should take?
Thanks - gpk
Don't laugh...:D this might help! :rolleyes: Keep you covered from all directions! :eek: :D :banana
atmilkman
08-26-2012, 13:20
Whatever you do, don't go walking your dogs in your own neighborhood after dark.
When hiking in Virginia during hunting season, in addition to a vest, I stick strips of blaze orange duct tape on the back and sides of my pack and on my pants or boots. Also have a blaze orange boonie hat for warm weather and and watch cap for cooler weather.
Wise Old Owl
08-26-2012, 14:48
Don't laugh...:D this might help! :rolleyes: Keep you covered from all directions! :eek: :D :banana
Imagine fields of white and orange paper.... Nah I prefer an advantage.....
17180
Rocket Jones
08-26-2012, 19:51
I have a bright orange pack cover that stays on, and wear a bright orange Buff. That's my standard fall wear, whether I'm in an area where hunters might be, or in a place where they probably aren't (like a National Park). It's just a good habit for me to treat both areas the same.
I wear an orange t shirt, orange bandana tied to the back of my pack. In some sections I would suggest a bear bell. Deer don't (usually) wear bells. The hunters here can be very jumpy early in the season and usually have no clue where the human trails are. Roaming/lost collared hunting dogs are usually friendly, but can follow for a while.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Second the ideas of wearing orange hat and having orange pack cover. Blaze orange, of course, not autumn leaves orange...which I've seen people wearing and thinking that's a good substitute.
During the most dangerous weekends, I'd also advice not hiking in low light conditions. Wait until full daylight to set off, and quit before it get dim.
PD230SOI
08-27-2012, 05:03
Having been shot by a careless hunter before... you need to be aware of what they are doing so you can protect yourself.
During the fall you may encounter deer hunters, turkey hunters, and other sorts. Deer hunters and turkey hunters are going to be looking for movement in the early morning and late afternoon (animals moving to and from feed/hide sites). They will be looking for white (which means the deer is scared and the tail is up), tan (duh), and for turkeys a sort of blue and red.
So if you are moving during those hours I would stay on a clear trail, wear blaze orange, and perhaps sing to yourself (we all would enjoy that). If the deer hear you coming they will slowly slink away 90 degrees from you and go to ground.
As a hunter I never minded hikers coming through becuase the deer would pay more attention to them then me up in a tree. When they would skulk around to avoid the hiker they would often move near me and bed down.
I would be most concerned about the end of the day when a hunter is faced with going home empty handed or waking up someone who fell asleep in their blind.
YMMV
Drybones
08-27-2012, 08:38
I wouldn't take the orange off when you stop. You're more likely to be seen as an animal when you're standing around or sitting rather when you're hiking. The longer a hunter sees movement at one spot in the thickets the more his mind starts seeing stuff that's not there...like antlers. My father was sitting against a tree when his friend saw his shoulder and thinking it to be a squirrel on the side of the tree shot him.
Majortrauma
08-27-2012, 08:57
I shouldn't be surprised that this is being asked again and we're going to start a new thread about this subject and a new line of ignorant comments about how irresponsible hunters are.
To WOW though, thanks! Yes, the odds are extremely low that you are going to be shot in spite of the anecdotal stories about idiot hunters who allegedly shot someone while backpacking. It happens but it's rare. People think nothing of driving 65 MPH towards each other with only a yellow line separating them instant death but are worried about hiking during hunting season????
An orange cap and an empty metal can jingling against your pack will solve your dilemma.
Tennessee Viking
08-27-2012, 09:07
I usually have several lengths of orange blaze flagging tape hanging from my pack and poles during hunting season.
Wise Old Owl
08-27-2012, 09:10
Major Trauma is correct Regardless to all the safety equipment added to cars over the years and regulations and stop light cameras -
There were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005. The financial cost of these crashes is more than 230 Billion dollars. 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed. About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States -- one death every 13 minutes.
In 2003 there were 6,328,000 car accidents in the US. There were 2.9 million injuries and 42,643 people were killed (http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/fatal-accident-statistics.html) in auto accidents.
In 2002, there were an estimated 6,316,000 car accidents in the USA. There were about 2.9 million injuries and 42,815 people were killed in auto accidents in 2002.
There were an estimated 6,356,000 car accidents in the US in 2000. There were about 3.2 million injuries and 41,821 people were killed in auto accidents in 2000 based on data collected by the Federal Highway Administration.
Every year there are approximately 800 non-fatal hunting accidents and 100 fatal. When considering the massive amount of hunters nation-wide (appx 20 million), it can be said that hunting is generally safe. Of course, many accidents are unreported because people are not aware of their legal rights. They are often confused about the causes and ramifications of hunting accidents.
Well you can guess I am part of the safety committee at my office -
An orange cap and an empty metal can jingling against your pack will solve your dilemma.
I'd never thought about wearing hunter bells but it's not a bad idea.
The only thing I would add to the blaze orange is a reflective strip to aid visibility in low light conditions. Most vests have them anyway.
HikerMom58
08-27-2012, 09:20
I shouldn't be surprised that this is being asked again and we're going to start a new thread about this subject and a new line of ignorant comments about how irresponsible hunters are.
To WOW though, thanks! Yes, the odds are extremely low that you are going to be shot in spite of the anecdotal stories about idiot hunters who allegedly shot someone while backpacking. It happens but it's rare. People think nothing of driving 65 MPH towards each other with only a yellow line separating them instant death but are worried about hiking during hunting season????
An orange cap and an empty metal can jingling against your pack will solve your dilemma.
To WOW - so far no one is having a bad case of the Mondays. :D I'm loving the info on this thread & I might add that we always hike with our dogs so they get dressed in orange as well.... from head to tail.
Bear Cables
08-27-2012, 10:20
17200 We hiked the opening week of hunting in GA last fall. I wore a blaze orange baseball cap with a blaze orage pack cover and neon colored shirts. My sister bought a baze orange dog vest that fit perfectly over the back of her pack as well as a blaze orange bandana on her head.
Tipi Walter
08-27-2012, 12:23
Is an orange vest enough??
NO!! You need to wear some clothing underneath it, especially from the waist down otherwise you'll be hiking practically naked.:)
Drybones
08-27-2012, 14:16
I'd never thought about wearing hunter bells but it's not a bad idea.
The only thing I would add to the blaze orange is a reflective strip to aid visibility in low light conditions. Most vests have them anyway.
Those bells will make you more likely to be shot...remember...hunters have a right to the woods also.
Drybones
08-27-2012, 14:19
Is an orange vest enough??
NO!! You need to wear some clothing underneath it, especially from the waist down otherwise you'll be hiking practically naked.:)
Darn Tippi, you had to go and ruin the show.
Wolf - 23000
08-27-2012, 20:25
Since moving back to East TN I cannot recall reading one news article"AT Hiker Shot By Hunter".I have seen several stories of hunters shooting each other or being shot with own rifle while crossing fence ect..In the TN/NC area the AT is mostly on high ridges which is not a good place to hunt deer.They (USFS&TWRA) have created many grassy wildlife brouse fields in lower elevation areas near roads and away from the AT.....
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-957.html
There was at least one hiker that was shot back in 2003 but there haven't been many. It been a while for me sense I've been out there winter hiking but I remember in the 1990s, it seem like hunters were shoting at anything that moved. In 1993, while hiking thru PA, I had a close call that I don't want to repeat.
Wolf
The was a thread last New years eve about a Mass state trooper that shot a hiker while hunting.