Can someone explain why NOT to wear visible orange in the Eastern woods in October, November, December, and May? If looking at orange bothers you, wear a hat, you won't see it.
several years ago I was hiking in Harriman IN MARCH, and as I came up over a ridge, i noticed some movement and about 2oo yards away I saw a man in camos with his rifle raised toward me. I was wearing a white t shirt and light tan pants, wved my arms slowly so he could see ME and shouted a loud hello for there to be no mistake. I realized that flash of white t shirt had captured his attention, and i felt lucky he hadnt shot.It certainly wasnt hunting season, I would have confronted him, but then again, he was breaking the law and he was the one with the gun. I backed off down the ridge and returned the way I had come.
if i hike during hunting season, iwera an blaze orange cap.id rathr be safe.
Several years ago, I took a hike one misty fall day on the AT near Pawling, NY. Outbound I saw two gun hunters, a really weird shelter caretaker, and one "normal" guy. Heading back to the car, I saw Mr. Normal again. He came up to me, showed me a 10-inch-long knife he had found, and asked me if it was mine! Too funny. Almost back to the car, I encountered another hunter who asked me if I had seen a wounded deer (again, no). He warned me that his buddy in full camo garb was sitting iin a tree about 40 yards down the trail. By this time light was beginning to fail, so I made lots of noise as I walked, hoping I would live to reach my car. Ever since then, I haven't done much hiking in hunting season, blaze orange or not. It's just too creepy.
Anytime I can do something easy to avoid being shot, I take advantage. Blaze Orange, declining employment with the mexican drug cartels, and avoiding the bronx all qualify.
Hunters are people. And like all people, including hikers, there are intelligent ones, average ones, and really really stupid ones. No person of normal intelligence shoots at something without knowing what it is, or having a reasonable shot at the kill zone. But there is the possibility of a few really stupid individuals that might. In many places today you must COUNT THE POINTS first on the deers head to even know if its a legal deer to take.Originally Posted by Different Socks
A bigger problem is the human mind. The human mind trys to fill in gaps, it looks for patterns in trying to identify things. What it cannot see, IT CREATES in order to do this. It will see what it WANTS to see if you stare at something long enough. Look for animals in clouds for example, you can come up with really absurd stuff, but once you see it, its there. A hunter that sees a patch of brown or white moving behind bushes, etc can be fooled by his own mind into seeing things that arent there, the outline of a deers back, the twitching of ears. Branches for antlers, etc. If you stare at bushes and shadows long enough, just like clouds, you can see anything you try to in them, guaranteed. The farther the distance and the poorer the lighting, the easier it is.
If you are in an area with hunting occurring, it is to protect YOU that you wear blaze orange. The law cannot tell you at all what to wear on private property if you are not hunting. On public lands, or private lands that are controlled or administered by government agencies,and permit hunting, then yes they can require you to display the same orange that hunters do, and they should. The idea that non-hunters "suffer" from this is absurd.
A related question, why is it that blaze orange is the only color people are told to wear. I know that this may be the color that hunters most commonly expect to see, but a lot of running/biking clothing has changed over to neon green. This color is far more obnoxiously bright than any blaze orange cloths I've seen for sale and I've noticed that a lot of construction companies and D.O.T. employees have changed over to this color for clothing and safety vests.
Is there any reason to go with blaze orange over the neon green during hunting season?
Last edited by Sarcasm the elf; 10-21-2011 at 21:18. Reason: My continual inability to proofread.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
IN the state of Pennsylvania, on State Game Lands (much of which the AT traverses), it is required to wear florescent (blaze) orange as cut/pasted below:
State game lands are public hunting grounds and lawful hunting and
trapping are permitted during open seasons. To enable the Commission to
effectively manage and protect these invaluable land holdings for this and
future generations of hunters, trappers and wildlife enthusiasts, the following
activities are prohibited:.....
Except on Sundays, to be present on state game lands from Nov. 15
through Dec.15 inclusive when not engaged in lawful hunting or
trapping and fail to wear a minimum of 250 square inches of
fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined,
or, in lieu thereof, a hat of the same colored material. Orange
material must be visible 360 degrees. Persons using shooting ranges
are exempted.
yep - the gun toting rednecks are out in force right now - lots of them are not very smart - wear something bright - I wear a lime green hat a lot these days - haven't been shot at (yet)
Because hunters are required to take a hunter safety course (generally only once) when they get their license, and those courses teach that human = orange.
i like to shoot at green tress not orange ones
I live in North Florida and hunting around here is a religion. You got your FLA necks I mean hunters sitting in deer stands after a long night of beer drinking wearing their camo gear washed in no scent soap and wondering how the deer could possibly smell them could it be the stench of their hangovers and the two packs of cigarettes with smoke halo encircling them. I don't want to put all my trust in them that they won't pull the trigger on any that moves.
Last edited by Ladytrekker; 10-21-2011 at 23:49.
If you can’t fix it with duct tape or a beer; it ain’t worth fixing
Good point!! maybe I'll change mind about wearing something that's blaze orange.
Firearms season started today here in GA. Saw about 20 hikers out on the trail today. I was the only one wearing blaze orange.
I thought hunters have to wear blaze orange so they don't shoot each other?
Just saw another story about 67 yr old hunter with his very young grandson. Old guy saw movement in a nearby group of bushes and assumed it was a bear, lifted his gun and fired.........marine corp guy was hit by bullet and is now dead.
I just don't get it! Why shoot at anything that you would "assume" is an animal?
Hiker Mistaken for a Bear and Shot to Death
Here's the Link
http://news.yahoo.com/sheriff-hiker-...192316549.html
No intelligent person does. But there are all kinds of people hunting, just like hiking, or driving a car, or even voting.
especially the last part (voting)
Lead, Follow, or get out of the way. I'm goin hikin.
maybe we should make them wear blaze orange when they vote.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Thanks rotorbrent!!
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