HUNTER ORANGE

[boneaddict]

Lots of discussion on orange.  Its the law, but what if it wasn't.  What are your thought?

[robodad]

I would wear it if I was hunting public land but maybe not if I were on private !! 

[Intruder]

I've heard alot of folks claim that H.O. is only good for allowing Game Wardens to track you in the field.  I don't really subscribe to that.  I do believe it is safer to have at least some on.  My biggest gripe is w/ states taht don't let you were the breakup patterns of H.O.  They require so many sq. inches of pure H.O.

[Skyvalhunter]

Your always going to have situations to support both sides. Say a guy is shooting at a deer on a hill and a hunter were on a ridge behind the deer and if he was in camo he might not be seen but if he were in flourescent he would and "MAYBE" the guy doing the shooting wouldn't brecause there is a risk he might miss and hit the other hunter in the foreground. I guess since it is that law to wear the 170 inches u would be considered breaking the law. Is this a chance someone wants to take.
   Or say you hike way back to your own private little honey hole where you have never seen another hunter. Would you risk it and stay in full camo and not wear the orange? It's each persons own decision. I myself am not going to tell you that you are right or wrong. One shouldn't be able to push their beliefs on another. I say "YOU" make the call and like most things accept responsibility for your actions and possible outcomes.

[runningboard]

I feel safer when I have it on. My nephew who lives in Idaho claims that it's more dangerous since if you are camo'd you won't get shot at but if you are wearing orange you are easily seen and people will shoot at anything that moves. I don't buy that, I think the opposite is true since if a knucklehead is gonna shoot at "anything that moves" he is more likely to see movement and not be able to ID it before he shoots. but it is interesting that mandatory hunter education came along at the same time as hunter orange so which is responsible for saving more lives? educating people or making it easier to see them?

[BlackTail]

I'm with robodad on this one.  Elk season here on the coast, I'd absolutely be wearing it.  Deer hunting the wheat fields around Pullman, probably not.

[tlbradford]

I think the poll selections should be: yes, no, or in certain situations.

I do think you are safer when wearing it, but I do think that it should be an individual choice.

[boneaddict]

I edited the poll some.  I put your Yes and No in, and added that this is public land, so that your choice might be more specific, as certain situations may warrant you don't neccessarily need it around other folks. 

[billythekidrock]

I voted no.
I try not to wear it whenever possible as I feel it makes me more visable and possibly a target, though in a "brown it's down" area I do feel a bit better with it on.

[boneaddict]

I went No as well.  I think I am better off not being seen.  I was in full orange when the guy had me in his scope when he dumped that buck and I was sprayed with blood from it.  Didn't seem to help.

[Curly]

I think the poll selections should be: yes, no, or in certain situations.

I do think you are safer when wearing it, but I do think that it should be an individual choice.

I agree with tlbradford.

[Bscman]

I think a hat should be sufficient--not the 400inches required by law. More often than not, it's the persons HEAD you see before anything else (flash of uncovered skin, eyes, etc).

That being said, I mostly archery hunt so it's not a requirement. 

The public vs. private land debate will go on forever as well. A family friend of ours was killed by a hunter IN HIS OWN PARTY in '06 during modern deer season. They were on their own, private farmland to boot. He wasn't wearing hunter orange.

[ICEMAN]

I think a hat should be sufficient--not the 400inches required by law. More often than not, it's the persons HEAD you see before anything else (flash of uncovered skin, eyes, etc)....

Totally agree.

Why would hunter orange not be required during other rifle seasons anyway? Total bs. If I can't quickly discard the orange, I do not want to wear it.

[Armadillo]

Totally agree with Iceman and Bscman.

[logger]

 I don't wear it because I muzzleload anyway, but won't wear it because I don't like being dictated by the state.