Do bowhunters have to wear camo in rifle season?
- Thread starter Daniel
- Start date
- Location
- Kitchener, ON
BIGREDD said:
I used to think that Hunter Orange would light you up like a flashlight and that game could spot it a mile away. However I've come to realize over the years that Hunter Orange is very useful to humans and of little or no consequence to game like deer or moose in spotting the gun hunter. There are many articles on the web and in print that validate that opinion. What is important is stealth and elimination of the man like silhouettes and odours that give our position away to the game. Camo helps because it breaks up the human shape, but wearing Hunter Orange is of much less consequence to spooking game than wearing shiny watches or buttons.
Archery and turkey hunting is different in that camo is necessary to avoid detection by game.
Here in Ontario, Hunter Orange is mandated for the gun season for deer and moose for both archery and gun hunters. Minimum requirements are a coat or vest that covers a minimum of 400 sq inches above the waist plus a hat. Bear hunters are not required to wear it in a stand, but must wear it while travelling to and from the stand. Full details and exceptions are covered in the Ontario Hunting regs at: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/hunting/huntRegs/2005/hr_2005_general_eng.pdf
Personally, with the number of new and inexperienced gun hunters in the bush, I feel safer seeing others and being identifed as a human myself and avoiding potential accidents. As my hunting skills increased, I've never felt compromised by wearing Hunter Orange and have had the successful stalks to prove it to myself. And of course, all the other successful hunters that filled their tags in our area were wearing regulation Hunter Orange, many with full orange pants and coats.
What it really comes down to is the matter of safety. Wearing Hunter Orange during the required gun seasons tips the scales in your favour for a safe hunt without limiting your chance for success.
Cheers,
Private Skidmarks
- Location
- South Cariboo, B.C.
walksalot said:
Here's a scenario for you and it has happened.
There's a hill in the background of a hunter in a tree stand with his big rattling antlers. A hunter with poor eye site comes along. He struggles to make out what he's seeing on the hill side 200 yards away. He looks through his scope and sees a nice 8 point white tail set of antlers and the dark broadside body. He flips off the safety and whamo!! A hunter fall out of a tree wounded in the hip.
As far as safety goes, blaze is good for visibility by other hunters. I agree that the critters don't mind the blaze or even see us that much easier. However, it's the retard that pulls out his gun once a year and becomes the local expert on hunting that I worry about. It's a guy like that who does'nt scout, doesn't push bush and does'nt get out of his truck that takes the questionable shots at shadows and shapes in hopes to prance around town like the expert hunter he thinks he is. I would gladly walk the bush with a bunch of CGN's knowing that I am safe from being shot because we are in hunting mode all year long and the safety issues are always on these forums so we can't help but be better more safe hunters when we are constantly reminded.
I am fearful of the "village idiots" that drive up and down the roads swilling beer and shooting road signs calling themselves hunters.
My 2 cents
I am fearful of the "village idiots" that drive up and down the roads swilling beer and shooting road signs calling themselves hunters.
My 2 cents
Good point about ground blinds made a while ago (Likely Bigred)... Back to original scenario... I'm in a ground blind with my rifle set up to shoot toward a known deer funnel. Let's say village idiot # 2 is set up near the deer funnel, in another ground blind. A nice 6-pointer walks out, I glass with binoculars, and then take aim. Village idiot# 2 has passed on the 6-point cuz he thinks it was pushed out by a 10-point (but I want the six). Now, I level on fur (on 9-power, I assess the backdrop of the target 250 m away (looks like grass and trees to me) safety off, finger to trigger, breath, squeeze.... That's how village idiots get shot...
I guess what I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt to be showing some orange (within reason) In my understanding, deer don't see orange anyway. So, even if the archer is up the tree, I guess I'd recommend he shows some orange nearby. This is a piece of private land and we are expected to manage ourselves (in terms of "who's hunting where). That guy (unless we contact each other) has no-way of knowing there's someone else in there, because there are so many entrances. Even at that, the landowner (i know him well) is the kind of guy to say "there's a few others that hunt in there, but go ahead..." and not tell us thinking "oh they'll run into each other". To my knowledge, there are only two people hunting the property so it's still awesome, but when I find the guy, I'll politely explain the village idiot story...
D
I guess what I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt to be showing some orange (within reason) In my understanding, deer don't see orange anyway. So, even if the archer is up the tree, I guess I'd recommend he shows some orange nearby. This is a piece of private land and we are expected to manage ourselves (in terms of "who's hunting where). That guy (unless we contact each other) has no-way of knowing there's someone else in there, because there are so many entrances. Even at that, the landowner (i know him well) is the kind of guy to say "there's a few others that hunt in there, but go ahead..." and not tell us thinking "oh they'll run into each other". To my knowledge, there are only two people hunting the property so it's still awesome, but when I find the guy, I'll politely explain the village idiot story...
D
Danno... Page 20 of the Ont. hunters handbook...
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/pubmenu.html#hunting
Failure to Wear Fluorescent Orange: In Ontario, during the gun season for deer and moose, ALL hunters must visibly wear both a fluorescent vest/coat and hat. During the open season for bear, all bear hunters must wear fluorescent orange except while in a tree stand. Camouflage hunter orange patterns NOT allowed. ( This regulation does not apply to waterfowl hunters)
SO... That bonehead was breaking the rules UNLESS there is an open season for bears and that's what he was hunting...
Cheers
Jay
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/pubmenu.html#hunting
Failure to Wear Fluorescent Orange: In Ontario, during the gun season for deer and moose, ALL hunters must visibly wear both a fluorescent vest/coat and hat. During the open season for bear, all bear hunters must wear fluorescent orange except while in a tree stand. Camouflage hunter orange patterns NOT allowed. ( This regulation does not apply to waterfowl hunters)
SO... That bonehead was breaking the rules UNLESS there is an open season for bears and that's what he was hunting...
Cheers
Jay
- Location
- South Cariboo, B.C.
BIGREDD said:
You are missing the point Red.
BIGREDD said:
I have to agree with that.The biggest problem is that the idiots that shoot other hunters thinking that they are animals are rarely punished for their actions and even when they are it's usually not severe enough.If they were dealt with harshly and given long prison terms which were made public so everyone would know about it ,people just might make more of an effort to identify their target.After all people seem to care a lot more about themselves than about others.
Additionally when Alberta did away with the mandatory blaze orange requirements,the number of accidental shootings did not suddenly rise significantly like some people feared.
I got your point Booner... there are idiots out there who glass with rifle scopes, don't make sure of their targets, have terrible vision and worse judgment, and do not know that deer can't climb trees. :idea:
My point simply is that Hunter Orange is not bullet proof... and certainly not idiot proof... :wink:
- Location
- South Cariboo, B.C.
:lol: :mrgreen:
"GILLY" I don't have any SASK. regulations handy but I thought that if a gun season was on that all hunters (bow included) had to where "hunter colors". That would include you whether you were on private land or had posted signs at the gate or whatever. Can you confirm this for me?
Robin
Robin
