Hunter Orange Necessary?

It's solid orange, not mesh, with a yellow "X" that has a reflective strip inside the yellow "X". I was told by a conservation officer that it would be fine as long as it's not mesh and I had a hat? (I didn't even know the rules had changed at the time when I spoke with him as I've never gone hunting, outside the family farm small game.)

Now I'll need to check the website and/or email the MNRF.

Yes, that is fine in Ontario. As long as you have 400 square inches of solid blaze orange (no Camo or mesh) above the waist and visible from all sides, you are good to go. There is no regulation as to how it must be distributed.
 
It's solid orange, not mesh, with a yellow "X" that has a reflective strip inside the yellow "X". I was told by a conservation officer that it would be fine as long as it's not mesh and I had a hat? (I didn't even know the rules had changed at the time when I spoke with him as I've never gone hunting, outside the family farm small game.)

Now I'll need to check the website and/or email the MNRF.

I didn't think the reflective strip was permitted at all.

http://www.ohep.net/Info.cfm?ID=4

Hunter Orange

The objective of the hunter orange regulation is to maximize hunter safety without negatively impacting hunting success.

Hunter orange product is available at the OFAH Online Store Under this regulation, all licensed hunters, including archery hunters hunting during the gun season for deer and moose, are required to wear hunter orange. As well, all black bear hunters hunting during the black bear season are required to wear hunter orange except when in a tree stand. (This exception is in place because, unlike deer and moose, black bears have colour vision.) Waterfowl hunters, wild turkey hunters and archery hunters in archery-only areas are exempt from the hunter orange requirement.

A hunter orange garment and head cover must be worn. The hunter orange garment must cover a minimum of 400 square inches (2,580 square cm) above the waist and be visible from all sides. Open mesh or camouflage hunter orange must not be part of the 400 square inches. A hunting coat or vest generally meets this requirement. The hunter orange head cover may have: open mesh; a peak or brim colour other than hunter orange; a crest or logo which does not completely cover the hunter orange on the side where it is affixed. The head cover may not contain camouflage material.

Hunter orange colour standards are generally consistent across North America. Manufacturers can provide information regarding clothing compliance with this standard. Hunter orange product is available at the OFAH Online Store.
 
I know that a pusher (dogger) wearing orange is seen far far sooner by the watchers than if they were not wearing it. Personally I would not go into woods at any time of the year without it. I even wear it when turkey hunting and only take it off once I'm set up and put it back on when it's time to leave.

As for OP not liking orange.... it's tempting to respond with sarcasm but suffice to say that some common sense is needed.

Does this mean that you advocate shooting before your target is identified?

There are many reasons why a hunter who is pushing bush might not be seen by the guy on post, and blaze orange may or may not make him visible. Common sense suggests that if a shooter properly identifies his target, knows what lies beyond it, and conducts himself accordingly, he is a much safer hunter than someone who relies solely on seeing a flash or orange nylon to stop his trigger finger from tightening, when the willows in front of him are moving. Why is there not a higher incidence rate of accidental shootings in those jurisdictions where there is no color requirement? The reason is because the color of one's outer clothing makes no difference to safety; safety is a state of mind not a state of color. Blaze orange requirements are an excuse to accept bad behavior; where hunter education and the instilling of a safe and correct mindset among hunters is the route we should be taking.
 
^^^^^ now that is worth a sarcastic reply...i.e what a stupid question.

What I'm saying is when you hear something approaching and waiting to identify it, one will identify it as the pusher far sooner when wearing orange than if wearing camo. You disagree?
 
Wearing orange doesn't help anything. I've been shot at when I used to lay out cut blocks. People need to use binos to positively identify their target before they decide to point a rifle at it. Seems like if I wear camo and am harder to see, there is less chance of being shot at. I'm glad I have the choice to wear what I want though. There are enough safety Nazis at work.
 
Wearing orange doesn't help anything. I've been shot at when I used to lay out cut blocks. People need to use binos to positively identify their target before they decide to point a rifle at it. Seems like if I wear camo and am harder to see, there is less chance of being shot at. I'm glad I have the choice to wear what I want though. There are enough safety Nazis at work.

only time I've been shot at has been while working, wearing my red cruze vest with the high viz stripes, timber cruizing or block layout.

hunting I wear camo, actually I wear military kit which just happens to be camo. Sweedish wool pants, Brit smock, woodlands pattern camo, over fleece. I wear it because it works, good pockets, ripstop material, warm.

If your group hunting in thick bush where there are a lot of other hunters I can understand why you might want to wear high vis but as pointed out above

when Alberta did away with the mandatory orange hunting accidents did not increase, and hunters I run into in the bush about 1/3 have some red or orange, usually just their hat, and mostly older hunters as they bought that hunting hat back in 1973 and it still works.



so to answer the OP, No orange is not necessary, but it may be appropriate for your hunting situation, and choice is good.
 
^^^^^ now that is worth a sarcastic reply...i.e what a stupid question.

What I'm saying is when you hear something approaching and waiting to identify it, one will identify it as the pusher far sooner when wearing orange than if wearing camo. You disagree?

So what!! Either the hunter waits until he has identified his target before shooting, or he doesn't. If the hunter identifies his target before shooting, blaze orange has no advantage, if he doesn't identify his target before shooting, blaze orange is no help. Safety has and always will be a matter of attitude, education, and ethics, it is not a fashion statement.
 
Yep. Once you get shot at which happened to us one evening some years ago walking out on a pole line at dusk we have been since orange from head to toe .
Lucky the idiot was a poor shot and missed but I will never forget the sound of that bullet going through the alders about 4 feet in front of us
WHY would one not wear it. If you watch the wind doesn't matter what color you wear as far as most game goes. I don't hunt turkey so have no idea on those.
Cheers

Two of my hunting partners had firearms pointed at them, because they were wearing orange, and the moron with the rifle saw them, and decided to use his rifle scope to look at them. I watched the moron come and go, and he never saw me, so he never pointed his firearm at me. Two individuals wearing orange were shot a few years back, as they were riding on a red atv. The orange clothes didn't keep the idiot from shooting them, and in fact if they had not been wearing orange, the idiot may not have even seen them, and they might be alive today. Another person that I knew was mistaken for a deer, and was shot by another idiot, even though he was wearing orange. Alberta did away with the hunter orange requirement many years ago, and since then, the number of accidental shootings did not suddenly increase as a result. As such, I generally choose not to wear orange except where the regulations require that I wear it. My upland jackets have orange on them, but I didn't choose them because of the orange.
 
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I don't understand how a person can get a hunting license and not have the information on the requirements.

In Nova Scotia, you MUST have passed a hunter education course to get a license of any type. One of the key
pieces of the education is that blaze orange is required on the head and upper body, except for waterfowl hunting,
and even waterfowl hunters must wear it on route to the hunting location. Exempt as well in a tree stand, but again
required on route to the stand. It is required during deer season. The reason
being that there are ***holes who will shoot at sounds and movement. It doesn't matter that they should not.
They do, and telling them they have messed up doesn't bring people back to life.

Some stats mentioned on this site:

http://www.hunter-ed.com/blog/blaze-orange-saves-lives/
 
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Funny. When Alberta did away with the orange requirement hunter shootings didn't go up. In fact it's been "proven" that in areas where orange isn't mandatory people tend to identify their targets more consistently before shooting. It seems many "hunters" will shoot if they don't see orange....food for thought.

True. I've never worn orange out in the woods while hunting. Never felt the need to. Granted, that feeling might be different in other provinces depending on how those people actually hunt. There is something behind the fact that someone over there might shoot if they don't see orange. Here in Alberta, it's ingrained into you to make certain of your target before shooting, orange or not.
 
Seems like if I wear camo and am harder to see, there is less chance of being shot at. I'm glad I have the choice to wear what I want though.
Well said, It also means you have less people walking up to you to chat or moving in on the areas you have been spotted hunting in flying the orange flag.
 
Ok I bought an orange vest that looks pretty much exactly like this http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/yukon-gear-deluxe-blaze-orange-vest-0753614p.html#.VhcYxZFE3Fo

Is this plus an orange toque enough?

Although I have to specify that it's NOT GUN SEASON for any game except bear in my WMU in Ontario, which (as long as I read the regs correctly) means I don't even have to wear this crap.


Yes, that vest plus an orange cap and you are good to go in any area (WMU) that has an open big game season...... but..............Big game season or not, it would be a wise move to wear it if you are hunting is southern Ontario....
 
I always wear my vest during hunting season. It doesn't scare the grouse, rabbits, deer, moose, bears so why not? It gives that extra little edge for someone to see you. As soon as you are 30 feet away from someone you can't see them.
 
In Ontario where hunter density is high in places and many careless folks abound. Your wise if you wear blaze orange from head to foot, even your underwear if you can find it as we had a fella in the deer camp years ago get shot at while having a crap. Blew the bark off the tree beside his head. None of us wore it years ago when flying in or in very remote areas. But in the years I have been hunting more common ground I wall paper myself in orange. Better safe than sorry. Better alive looking like a pumpkin than dead lying in the marble orchard.
I hunt mainly on my own property and despite the remoteness, I still wear it as you don't know who's wondering around.
 
Two of my hunting partners had firearms pointed at them, because they were wearing orange, and the moron with the rifle saw them, and decided to use his rifle scope to look at them. I watched the moron come and go, and he never saw me, so he never pointed his firearm at me. Two individuals wearing orange were shot a few years back, as they were riding on a red atv. The orange clothes didn't keep the idiot from shooting them, and in fact if they had not been wearing orange, the idiot may not have even seen them, and they might be alive today. Another person that I knew was mistaken for a deer, and was shot by another idiot, even though he was wearing orange. Alberta did away with the hunter orange requirement many years ago, and since then, the number of accidental shootings did not suddenly increase as a result. As such, I generally choose not to wear orange except where the regulations require that I wear it. My upland jackets have orange on them, but I didn't choose them because of the orange.

Having hunted Alberta a few times I can probally see why another hunter would take a look at something in Orange ( but not in a scope regardless what they are wearing ) since the times I hunted there I have never run into another hunter
Here especially in the mid 80's when there was a deer behind every tree I remember one morning sitting in my blind and counting 40 rifle shots all around me before 10am in the morning and they were not target shooting since that is illegal here unless at a range or club.
It would be nothing in the course of a day hunting to run into 6 to 12 other guys hunting and this was on our own farm which is private land
I have nothing to lose wearing blaze orange but could lose my life here if I don't despite the fact it is law which I agree with


As far as guys with orange being shot on a ATV we have seen that happen also here after a mrs paid some money to have the old boy taken out
To each their own I guess but for sure it makes a difference which province you hunt in.

I was reading this last night which I found relevent

I'm a retired Conservation Officer and when I went to work in 1970 we killed 12 to 15 hunters during our two weeks of deer season. After the mandatory blaze orange law went into effect and we wrote enough citations to show people we were serious about the law I was proud that in 2005 was the first deer season in the history of our state that not 1 hunter got killed. Our biggest problem now is hunters dieing from heart attacks. Blaze orange works
Cheers
 
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