HUNTER ORANGE

[Skycruiser]

I don't like it at all. The worst thing about HO is that it makes it more difficult to avoid OTHER HUNTERS. When they spot you, so many guys just HAVE to come over to talk to you, or worse, yell "HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING???"

Tell me this hasn't happened to you.

[PolarBear]

M_Ray, I dont know where the hell you got the "elitist archer" b.s.  I also have hunted with all 3 weapons.  I fail to find where I have singled out or have been "down" on muzz hunters.  I think that there are far too many idiots in every weapon category.  It wouldnt bother me if the WDFW made it a requirement for all hunters to wear orange.  No one will see me where I hunt if I have it on or not so wearing it is not an issue with me.  I also support shortening archery seasons, or did you just happen to overlook that little fact?  As far as scattering critters, not really, where I hunt most folks are far too lazy or scared to go into the hell hole I hunt so I dont have to worry about the animals being spooked.  I just made that statement because it was suggested that the archery seasons be moved to after the modern and muzzy guys have had their first shot at it.  Fine by me!  As far as ethics, you also happened to overlook where I stated about my distain for slob archers, not just muzzy guys, wait, you used that as part of a quote.  Did you not read what you quoted?  Yes apparently you read me wrong!  I am not against any one particular group of hunters unless that group is slob hunters who cannot follow rules or make idiotic decisions in the field.

[M_ray]

PolarBear this is why I hate the internet get your whiteys out of the bunch ... that's why I posed the question unless I'm readining you wrong I don't want to get into a pissing match ... and then you come out swinging!  look this is where the hell I got it ...

By the way, I usually hunt the late archery whitetail at the end of November-early December (after all you modern and muzzy guys have them scattered) and still do better than most.   

The better the newer muzzleloaders get the more confidence folks have about shooting longer distances.  Some folks cant distinguish between a deer and a human at 200 yds, in the brush without a scope.

And I asked because it started to sound like ... and I will say it again " a downer on muzzloaders" that's all I was pointing out that it's not just one method and if you agree with that I just needed a clarification, not an argument can I buy you a  ?

[PolarBear]

It's all good.  I got a little bent out of shape.  It is sometimes hard to get a point across through type without sounding like a *censored* or an insult.

[M_ray]

Sorry about that too ... Were cool 

[tmike]

I wear it, it's the law. In Idaho I don't have to but always seem to have a little. I'll never forget opening day in a canyon out of Pullman glassing a guy with a dandy whitetail buck on the ground, gutted, when someone ripped off a shot at his deer. He was wearing Orange and 5 feet away from it. I wanted to go offer him my TP, but thought twice about it. Not because of fear, I know have precious that stuff is.

[bowhuntin]

I wear it because I feel safer that way especially if I am going along with a friend during modern firearms. It makes you more visible to others hopefully, but on the other hand if it is easy for people to see you I would think the animals wouldn't have a hard time picking you out either. I bet that there are people out there that have impaired vision that is really bad and they can't see what they are shooting at, you would think that maybe there should be a vision test when you go through hunters ed or something like when you go to get your drivers license. I had a gal that was in one of my classes last year that said her dad stopped rifling hunting because he could not see because of glaucoma, but he switched to archery instead, which really surprised the hell out of me because if your vision is that bad that you can't rifle hunt I don't know how you could hunt with any other weapon.

[bobcat]

As everybody probably knows from the other thread, I'm not a fan of the orange requirement, but I still voted "yes" on this poll, but only because I WOULD wear orange sometimes, if it wasn't the law, but not ALWAYS. I think it's ridiculous having the state tell me what color I must wear, and how many inches. I would like to have the option of only wearing an orange hat sometimes, as I feel that is enough. I also would like to have the option of wearing a raincoat over my orange vest, when the rain really starts coming down. I also want to be able to take off my orange whenever I want, for whatever reason. I always thought that if I did take my orange off, or covered it up with a raincoat, couldn't I just tell the game warden that "no, I'm not hunting right now...I'm just walking around in the woods with a gun." How could they prove I was hunting unless I had actually killed something? After all it's not illegal to walk around in the woods during hunting season. There are hikers and other people out there for whatever reason with no orange on. Oh well. As I said in the previous talk about orange, I will do what I've always done and if I don't want to wear it, I will carry one of those light orange vests in my pocket, and I will be sure to slip it on just before I step out on the road at the end of the day. I know from many years of experience that the road is the only place I am going to see a game warden. As far as I'm concerned the state has no authority to dictate the color of my clothing.

[Curly]

As far as I'm concerned the state has no authority to dictate the color of my clothing.

What do you mean by "as far as I'm concerned"?

The state does have authority to dictate the color of your clothing based on some RCW that was written for deer, elk, and upland bird hunters.

(As you know, I do agree with you that state shouldn't be dictating that hunters wear blaze orange.)

[bobcat]

As far as I'm concerned the state has no authority to dictate the color of my clothing.

What do you mean by "as far as I'm concerned"?

In my opinion.

It ought to be unconstitutional.

Next thing you know the state will be telling us if we want to hunt we need to wear a helmet and a bullet proof vest. 

[PolarBear]

Then dont conform, but dont bitch when your ass gets nailed because you think that you are above the law.  Your opinion means nothing when it comes to the law if you dont think so try it out in court which is where you will wind up with an attitude such as that.  Laws are to be followed as written and not to be adhered to as you see fit.  I love it when I see these dudes getting written up for not wearing orange because they either did not want to wear it or thought that a red, plaid mackinaw was good enough.  Try walking in the woods with a rifle during deer season, without orange and tell an officer that you werent hunting and see if he lets you pass.  You might not see a game cop in the woods but there are plenty of other eyes that will see you.  I'm not a big fan of being told what I can and cannot wear in the woods either, but if it is the law I'm not going to try and skirt around or disregard it.

[bobcat]

Polarbear, like I said...I'm not worried as I've never seen a game warden anywhere but on a road. Besides, 99.9% of the time I am wearing my 400 inches of orange. Only exception might be when it rains and I put a raincoat over my orange vest. Must've kind of struck a nerve with you, huh? If you love orange so much then wear it when you're bow hunting.

[PolarBear]

When it becomes law, I will and not bitch about it or be in violation by covering it up.  Yeah, you struck a nerve.  I cant stand it when folks have a blatant disrespect for the law no matter what or how petty it may seem.

[bobcat]

You know the biggest problem with the stupid orange law? I can't buy any orange clothing that I like. All the good stuff I want to buy only comes in camo. Ever notice that? How many good, quiet, blaze orange rain coats have you seen? If you know of one let me know and you'll see me wearing orange more often.

So what do you prefer, following the law, getting soaked, and risking hypothermia...or wearing a raincoat over that orange vest and staying dry?  What would you do?

[PolarBear]

I have a fleece blaze/camo (branch pattern) vest that I got from Cabela's that is big enough to fit over any of my raingear, coats, jackets etc.  I value my hunting too much to risk even a tiny infraction.  You never know what can happen if you get some a-hole game cop that is having a bad day.  All it takes is for him to find one thing wrong and you are stuck losing precious hunting time while he gives you the work up or run around.  This happened to my cousin and me.  We were stopped coming out of the woods (on foot) and my cousin had his orange vest rolled up in his pack because we were almost back to the road and we were sweating our rigging off after hiking several miles of some pretty steep terrain.  I had my jacket and shirt in my pack and only had my orange vest on.  The cop gave him a ticket and held us up for over 2 hours wasting our time and ruining our evening hunt that we were headed to.  From that moment on I decided not to give them any reason to keep me from my hunt.