To Orange or not to orange?

[Norincoman]

I wear orange coat and sometimes a touque, my boys (5 and 8) wear orange coat and touque - always.

Last fall my oldest and his grandfather were about a section of land away - to the naked eye I saw a dark shape moving and an orange dot moving across the field...hard to say you thought the orange dot was a deer...

 

[canadian hunter312]

I wear it when I go to Manitoba for my anual deer/hunt-hang out with Dad trip. I've never seen evidence that it makes any difference to the deer. Last year I had a good size doe walk to within 10 yards of me leaning against a tree in full veiw of her. She was actually walking away from me downwind when she caught my scent and turned around for another look.

I don't wear it up here though. Of course, we are not quite as congested in the bush as you folks are......

hunter orange has ZERO effect on deer because they are color blind. its movement, sounds and smell that spook deer. ive had numerous deer staring right at me while wearing orange and they acted the same as if i were wearing full camo.

this also brings up another thing to think about...

why do many deer hunters (myself included) feel the need to wear full body camo with fancy patterns when its not needed? great marketing by the camo companies to convince hunters that its needed?


btw...if its dark enough to not be able t see hunter orange then its past legal shooting time and too dark to be shooting. i think of orange like wearing a seat belt. it will help you most of the time, but never all of the time.

 

[hunt365]

It is really a silly law because people are supposed to identify thier target before they shoot. That being said while hunting public land in highly populated hunting area I suspect it is good practice. Personally I only wear the minumum and I hunt mainly my private land so I don't have to much to worry about. I have heard that deer can't see it blah blah blah!!! I have seen deer take a good look at me with camo and with Orange even if we could have break up orange I think it would help. Anyhow I just enjoy hunting in Camo that much more I suppose that is why I like Bow hunting the best....

 

[walksalot]

The wearing of of a highly visible color is a good idea especially in areas of high hunter concentrations. Having said that, orange is good in the good light situations but in dusk and dawn it can be hard to see. Golfers know that a lime green ball is easier to spot than an orange ball in low light situations.

The mention of "sound shots" is a scenario which I would like to think was dreamed up by some anti hunter bent on tarnishing the image of all hunters. Anyone who would shoot at a sound should be taken out and publicly flogged. All hunters, I would like to think, automatically assume a noise in the bush is another hunter unless positively proven other wise. When I see a hunter carrying a scope mounted rifle and no binoculars it makes me cringe. That hunter is identifying his/her target with the scope.

 

[beefman]

I hunt mainly my private land so I don't have to much to worry about.

That is a very bad assumption if you hunt in Southern Ontario. Some guys forget their vests or their hats...and they think its OK. NOT!

Complacency could get you killed.

 

[blasted_saber]

The wearing of of a highly visible color is a good idea especially in areas of high hunter concentrations. Having said that, orange is good in the good light situations but in dusk and dawn it can be hard to see. Golfers know that a lime green ball is easier to spot than an orange ball in low light situations.

The mention of "sound shots" is a scenario which I would like to think was dreamed up by some anti hunter bent on tarnishing the image of all hunters. Anyone who would shoot at a sound should be taken out and publicly flogged. All hunters, I would like to think, automatically assume a noise in the bush is another hunter unless positively proven other wise. When I see a hunter carrying a scope mounted rifle and no binoculars it makes me cringe. That hunter is identifying his/her target with the scope.

Or perhaps they just cant use open sights for shooting, due to perception difficulties, but can see with their eyes just fine for identification before the gun is raised? Where I deer hunt, shots exceeding 100 yards are very rare. Yet almost everyone has a low magnification scope mounted. Its much easier to put a crosshair over an animal and shoot then it is to line up the sights, especially if the eye arent quite as good as they used to be.....

 

[walksalot]

Or perhaps they just cant use open sights for shooting, due to perception difficulties, but can see with their eyes just fine for identification before the gun is raised? Where I deer hunt, shots exceeding 100 yards are very rare. Yet almost everyone has a low magnification scope mounted. Its much easier to put a crosshair over an animal and shoot then it is to line up the sights, especially if the eye arent quite as good as they used to be.....

The areas I hunt are heavily forested areas and 99% of the animals I have shot were less than 100 yds, truth be known, much less. Still, I would not venture into the woods without a good pair of binoculars because if I see movement in the bush the binoculars come up before the rifle. Included in the hunting regulations that all hunters to be equipped with a pair of binoculars in big game hunting situations would not be a bad idea, in my opinion.

I will try to refrain from any more comments on binoculars for risk of hijacking this thread.

 

[eltorro]

If one is to associate orange with other hunters, he will be more likely to shoot at everything that's not.

The argument just doesn't justify getting all orange'd up. If a party of hunters will do drives, then a bright colored vest might be useful, but in provinces where even party-hunting is prohibited.... what good would it be?

And something else... I hear over and over that deer can't see orange. First of all, hunting is not synonim with deer-hunting. Second, A light color will be more percievable by deer than a dark one. Not to mention that camouflage orange is not legal in most places.

 

[SuperCub]

Second, A light color will be more percievable by deer than a dark one.

Nope ....... I've had SEVERAL deer walk towards me at very low light while I was wearing orange. Moose too. They didn't even give me a second look. As long as I didn't move, they didn't see me.



.

 

[archie_james_c]

And something else... I hear over and over that deer can't see orange. First of all, hunting is not synonim with deer-hunting. Second, A light color will be more percievable by deer than a dark one. Not to mention that camouflage orange is not legal in most places.

http://www.optifade.com/hunting-gear/page/how-ungulate-vision.html

While humans have a full range of color vision, ungulates lack the receptors for tones in the red spectrum, viewing the world in shades of yellow, blue and gray.

I unno...

 

[canadian hunter312]

And something else... I hear over and over that deer can't see orange. First of all, hunting is not synonim with deer-hunting. Second, A light color will be more percievable by deer than a dark one. Not to mention that camouflage orange is not legal in most places.

you're missing the point. you can be dressed from head to toe in plain blaze orange and it wont spook a deer, moose, caribou, elk, etc unless they catch you moving. many speak of deer because it is the most popular big game out there.

it seems that many hunters who are against blaze orange somehow got it into their heads that wearing orange will lower their success rates. they just need to do a bit more reading

 

[Camp Cook]

I don't wear orange and it has nothing to do my success rate it is due to me hunting in areas that do not have other hunters.

If I were to hunt where there were others I would pull my orange vest out of my pack and wear it.

 

[gallen270]

johnny law makes the call for me

 

[NWO]

Me too, I have no choice... however I dislike it because I enjoy doing the camo thing and trying to spot and stalk game or hide and wait. I think camo helps alot.

So I get ready to go in full camo then I got to stick a bright orange vest and hat on...I mean is it just me or have any of you other guys seen a real tree, hardwood or mossy oak coloured deer, moose, or bear? And for the guys who would shoot at it... when did they open a season on moving bushes that walk upright? Man we are legislated to death here in Canada because some guy who more then likely don't even hunt thinks orange is best and for our own good! if so I think the law would target any who enter the bush during big game season or any season for that matter because I'm out there shooting until small game closes in the spring.

 

[CROWCA]

Orange is so the MNR can see you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[archie_james_c]

I don't wear orange and it has nothing to do my success rate it is due to me hunting in areas that do not have other hunters.

If I were to hunt where there were others I would pull my orange vest out of my pack and wear it.

Hey...was that just a pro-orange response from a BC hunter?

The way I see it, wearing an orange vest in area's with lot's of hunter's is'nt going to kill you...

 

[archie_james_c]

Orange is so the MNR can see you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do you got to hide??

 

[EightSeven]

While I'd love to get all ghillied up during rifle season, I would only ever want to do it on a VERY large chunk of private property where the only other people hunting were in my party and knew exactly where I was at all times.

I fully support the blaze orange for crown land, small private plots, etc.

 

[theDuck]

The gang finds orange helps us line up doing drives and seeing our blockers. I'm sure by helping coordinate our manouvers it has helped us get deer.

 

[Bandits]

I only wear orange when I am pushing a bush for coyote. Sometimes its a good thing to be seen by others, especially if they are trying to co-ordinate your movement to push the bush, and kick the coyote out.