Orange....or NOT? Is Hunter Orange "cool"?

I put orange vests on my Vizslas for safety. I did hunt with a guy whose vizsla got shot. Didnt kill it but came damn close so I always put it on the dogs no matter what. And I thought everyone wore pink in Wisconsin...!
 
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I am a libertarian. I am all about less laws, less government oversight. However if I were governor of Kansas the very first thing I would do is start an eastern red cedar eradication program. The second thing I would do is mandate an orange hat for bird season.

I do hunt quite a lot of public land. It is of great benefit to be able to look out over a huge swath of land and see a tiny dot of orange and know someone else is hunting this area.
 
Jakeismydog2 said:
I am a libertarian. I am all about less laws, less government oversight. However if I were governor of Kansas the very first thing I would do is start an eastern red cedar eradication program. The second thing I would do is mandate an orange hat for bird season.

I do hunt quite a lot of public land. It is of great benefit to be able to look out over a huge swath of land and see a tiny dot of orange and know someone else is hunting this area.
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First thing I would do as Gov is banish Brownback from the state.

Yes I wear orange
No I don't care how I look
 
Safety only. No cool factor to me. Full orange hat always. Field coat and strap vest have orange patches.
 
Recently I have begun to always wear at least an orange hat when pheasant hunting. More for courtesy than for safety. I hunt a lot of public and like to know when others are already out there and want them to know where I am.

A while ago I saw a review of hunting accidents involving upland hunters. The conclusion was that wearing orange did little if anything for safety. In fact I believe the rates of people wearing orange getting show was higher then without. A lot of that has to do with the large groups of orange wearing once a year hunters. Unsafe shooters who are not use to handling their shotgun are just as unsafe with orange.
It makes a much bigger impact on safety for big game hunters who have more time and are aware of a larger area when preparing for a shot.

I'm very glad SD doesn't mandate it for upland. I've shot pheasants while duck hunting in all camo and never have felt unsafe doing so. In MN where it is mandated I do not break the law and have passed up a couple opportunities.

I've hunted pheasants since the early 80s and only in the last 5 or 6 years have I worn much orange. Never been shot but I won't hunt with big groups either. No matter what you wear you are safer with 5 or less hunters who you know well.

Tim
 
Hell yes i wear orange. and lots of of it. dont want to get shoot. it is that simple. your a moron if you down.:thumbsup:
 
Like JMAC said, the more orange the better. And being a Pheasants Forever youth instructor, I try to set a good example for them, too, by wearing orange. I'm usually mostly orange from the waist up--I haven't come across any orange brush pants but might consider them when my current brown pair wears out-if I could find them. My labs wear some variety of orange vests, too-either Sylmar or Skidplate.
Tom
 
When I was young we wore dark colors, old army field jackets etc.:eek:. one dreary opening Saturday I saw a guy get shot in the face while we were hunting a creek bottom for quail. I bought an orange hat after that and by the next year almost everyone had an orange hat.
I graduated to orange vests, coats, shirts and now don't go out without my blaze orange. While I have found some good looking hunting clothing I won't buy it for hunting unless it has orange on it. It's amazing how far away you can see someone wearing blaze orange.

AM
 
Michigan has proposed laws to allow pink like Wisconsin. I think any fluorescent orange or yellow is good, not sure about pink though. Safety colors are vital in the grouse and woodcock woods. In open prairie we wear hats as a minimum, however, in grouse woods have hat, vest, and shirt. I'm sure our law will pass.
 
I took the hunters safety test when I was eight years old. In no way was I ready to handle a firearm on my own. But my dad continued education in the woods and the field until I was ready. I do like that they at least have to be 11 in Missouri. My daughter takes the final part of her skills test today. I do think hunter education is more important than Blaze Orange. Unsafe and unethical shooting probably lead to more accidents than not having orange on. You guys are joking about the pink right? And I like how they have an online and hands on skills portion too. Didnt have that when I got mine. But that was 1988!
 
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in my 21 years of guiding plus 8 more years of hunting, i have found that i would wear orange boots if they made them. for me the more orange the better. This past season I had a gentlemen show up with a safety yellow vest and hat, wow you could see him everywhere he was. we wer hunting a huge piece of head high CRP grass and i could see his every move. Now the lodge is going to safety yellow hats. The yellow made a big impression on me as far as being able so see where people are, we are going to try the hats.
 
Still trying to figure out the benefit of wearing as minimal amount of orange as possible? in what way is wearing more than the required amount putting you or your upland hunt at a disadvantage? Seems to be (for some) more of a pride thing, pressing against the law by wearing exactly the minimum amount required to get by. It shouldn't come down to you being less "cool" if you are geared up in hunter blaze orange. Wear it proud and drop egos on much orange you (don't) wear in the field.

I just don't get it. I would think the right idea would be "you can never wear too much orange."


Different game and styles of hunting require different clothing, I get that. I am talking upland hunting here.
 
Whenever I hunt with old timers usually they are the ones to block if we actually block an area. Small area because I never hunt in a group of more than 4. But anyway alot of em say that pheasants can see orange so when they go to block they take all of their orange off and hide like they are pass shooting ducks. I dont know if there is any truth to that or not. Just what they do. Im usually the one walking toward them with dogs so I dont shoot ahead of me at all. I take anything that goes to the side or behind me. That may be one reason for people wearing minimal orange. Another reason: orange has always been more of a deer hunting thing because people are out in the woods with high powered rifles. Some think that you shouldnt need it with a shotgun... Doesnt matter to me. Like I said, I always wear orange and so do my brown rust colored dogs.
 
Orange safety green/yellow. I know you can see me along ways away at work that has insurance on me. Why not wear it chasing roosters and the like we're at best you have Aflac and health insurance?
 
Orange is cool, stylish, and safe! The birds will hear you and your dog coming from a mile a way anyways, no matter how quiet you try to be.:cheers:
 
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I always wear an orange hat. My vest I wear for most upland trips is also 100% orange, although sometimes if I'm going on a solo trip I may not wear a vest.

When hunting with others I dress like a traffic cone, and insist that they wear an orange hat at minimum. Really though, we are all into self preservation these days, so they dress pretty much like I do.

I once hunted with a guy that thought he would try going full camo. It was the most frustrating hunt I've ever been on. I spent the whole time trying to keep track of where he was... He was kind of a dipshit anyway, and would go rogue at any moment without warning if he thought he might find a bird somewhere else.
 
A follow-up to my earlier post---the only time I feel a little self-conscious about wearing orange is when I'm squatted down field latrine-wise in a field with little cover. It's feels like there is a spotlight on me. Ha!
Tom
 
PairOfLabs said:
A follow-up to my earlier post---the only time I feel a little self-conscious about wearing orange is when I'm squatted down field latrine-wise in a field with little cover. It's feels like there is a spotlight on me. Ha!
Tom
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I have camo toilet paper just for that occasion. Probably dont want blaze orange there either!
 
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