Orange?

[tuna]

This question is mainly for the bowhunters out there: do you wear orange? Or do you have some way of letting others (like bird hunters) know you are there?
Just curious, but I'd like to know. I always kind of worry about bowhunters sharing the woods with me, since if I don't know you're there, I may accidently:
a) Tromp through your area, spooking and stinking out any deer that may be in the area, and generally wrecking your day
b) Point in your direction, thinking the area is safe (shotgun muzzle up at port arms, and sweeping anyone in a tree trying to be quiet and waiting for me to leave)
c) Shooting a rising bird, and peppering someone in an "empty" tree.

I know that it is on me to ensure that my background is clear before firing, but if you're in a tree being quiet and all camo'd up - you're at least 1% responsible (maybe moreNotsure ) for the accident.
I've passed up shots at birds because I caught a glimpse of orange that turned out to be surveyor's tape. Better to loose a bird than cause a needless accident. I also once had a "turkey" call me from a tree to let me know the turkey was a bowhunter. I though that was a pretty good idea, as it was more "natural" sounding than "Hey stupid! I'm up here".

Do you do anything similar? It would be great to be able to tell that you're sharing the woods instead of accidently wrecking someone's day by spooking game or causing an accident.

Thoughts?

[Sledneck]

This question is mainly for the bowhunters out there: do you wear orange? Or do you have some way of letting others (like bird hunters) know you are there?
Just curious, but I'd like to know. I always kind of worry about bowhunters sharing the woods with me, since if I don't know you're there, I may accidently:
a) Tromp through your area, spooking and stinking out any deer that may be in the area, and generally wrecking your day
b) Point in your direction, thinking the area is safe (shotgun muzzle up at port arms, and sweeping anyone in a tree trying to be quiet and waiting for me to leave)
c) Shooting a rising bird, and peppering someone in an "empty" tree.

I know that it is on me to ensure that my background is clear before firing, but if you're in a tree being quiet and all camo'd up - you're at least 1% responsible (maybe moreNotsure ) for the accident.
I've passed up shots at birds because I caught a glimpse of orange that turned out to be surveyor's tape. Better to loose a bird than cause a needless accident. I also once had a "turkey" call me from a tree to let me know the turkey was a bowhunter. I though that was a pretty good idea, as it was more "natural" sounding than "Hey stupid! I'm up here".

Do you do anything similar? It would be great to be able to tell that you're sharing the woods instead of accidently wrecking someone's day by spooking game or causing an accident. Thoughts?

My only thoughts are that you have right to be there and hunt, and if you can see the hunter orange on a bow hunter, than the damage your concerned with has been done...However, there really is no problem with going through any area, I firmly believe that deer (at least in Eastern MA) will not be kept from entering areas they normally do if there is scent, or the area has been "disturbed". I don't wear orange when bow hunting and assume responsibility for doing so, in reality, you are probably more likely to die in a car accident on the way to go hunting than you are at being in the line of fire when someone takes a shot at a bird. Just my opinion.

[fisher16]

I don't wear orange as well unless I am hunting with my bow during shotgun season/black powder. I used to have a special place that I could do that in up to this year.

I try and stay away from areas I know that bird hunters are, so I know that area won't be disturbed, or filled up with scent to change the deer patterns. I have noticed that the deer go noturnal out here in the Western part of the state usually after areas have been disturbed. Depending on the location of the herd.

Sooner or later we all have had someone trouse though our area. If you haven't unfortunately sooner or later it will happen. I've had people out hiking in some of the areas I hunt during shotgun season not wearing any bright orange at all. So I think the key to being safe here is just following the rules of safe gun/bow handling, and using common sense.

[buckmanjr]

No Orange! Full camo head to toe deer still see you! As for being shot whats so bad about a little lead in the head?Eyeball Roller

[tacoma]

I also do not wear orange during bow season! I hunt in an area where they stock pheasants and have never been close enough to been shot at!

[knotreelly]

i don't hunt anymore but with the time on my hands now i've been thinking of getting back in to it. i never wore orange when i bow hunted but the thought of a tape around the limb sounds good to me now while in the tree. my opinion

[Maineman17]

A little lead in the head... say that 3 times fast when there shot falling out of your ear...

[tuna]

Just wondering. I guess as long as you're not hunting birds with 00 or some such idiocy, you should be okay even in the worst case. Being peppered isn't really life threatening, but any accident still makes all hunters look like drunken idiots.
As for stumbling through someone's area, I guess them's the breaks, we've all got to share the woods. Of course, if I knew someone was there, I'd avoid it out of courtesy.

[dana_c]

I just don't hunt anywhere they stock birds. Dogs running around, guys blowing whistles, etc. No thanks. Plenty of bird-free woods out there.

[Garrick]

It's reccomended that bowhunters wear an orange vest when they're walking to and from their stands. alsi, if you're sitting on stand and you hear or see a dog or human, give a shout. Better to lose a day of hunting than to get dick cheney'd

[Jackie-T]

Has anyone realy given this any thought? One pellet in your cornea and you are done hunting for life.