CO Hunter Orange Question

[trophyhill]

So I've been watching a lot of CO rifle hunts on YouTube lately. I know the regs call for a certain number of Sq Inches of blaze orange. Most everyone I see has a pack covering the orange on the back, straps, bino harnesses etc covering most of the front essentially reducing the visibility of most of the blaze orange on the body. Is this legal? Or is it an invitation for a citation from CPW?

 

[justinspicher]

Page 12 of the CPW regs:
Hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of solid fluorescent orange or pink material and a fluorescent orange or pink hat, visible from all angles while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, moose or bear with any firearm license. (See page 15 for more details)

Page 15:

 

[ElkArcher918]

If you're wearing the legal minimum amount of blaze orange on your exterior, head/body, you're good to go. During some rifle seasons, I'll attach some additional blaze orange on the back of my pack as well (not legally necessary).

 

[trophyhill]

If you're wearing the legal minimum amount of blaze orange on your exterior, head/body, you're good to go. During some rifle seasons, I'll attach some additional blaze orange on the back of my pack as well (not legally necessary).

That sounds like the smart thing to do for visibility for sure. It seems to me that "on your exterior" means on the outside of your pack if you're wearing one. Muzzy hunters I saw during archery this year had blaze orange on their packs. That's why I was inquiring because the rule is a little confusing as I've seen hunters wearing it both ways

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Technically it has to be as an outer garment, meaning vest or jacket etc. I’ve seen game wardens though write ti let’s to guys for it not being visible, they suggest an orange marker on the pack, I think the main concern is the hat being visible 360°. The guys I seen get tickets for their orange was for breaking another rule then being dicks so the warden basically just stacked the violations on them. Honestly I don’t care about the rule I wear the required amount, sometimes have an extra vest wrapped around my pack sometimes I don’t. Just make sure ur not wearing camo orange.


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[Wacko]

I have been watching several videos as well as my hunt approaches.

I have to say there are quite a few Colorado rifle hunts where the hunters are NOT wearing ANY orange at all. I guess they figure it's a guideline? I have also seen several where the rifle hunter wears a vest and a whatever cool od green flat bill hat he wants.....

I think it is ludicrous that someone would violate the law, film themselves breaking said law, and then post that video on a public domain.

I sure hope CPW looks at some and takes some action against these folks.

 

[SonnyDay]

Not required to put an orange panel on your pack, but a good idea. And yeah, has to be solid orange—no camo orange.

I also bring an orange bandana to put on the elk itself once down so some imbecile doesn’t see fur and antlers and start blazing away while we’re dressing it out…

 

[SonnyDay]

Also: given the weather of late it’s a good idea to have a blaze orange ball cap and beanie!

 

[Seth]

It depends a bit on the warden and their interpretation. With the number of hunters in some seasons and the idiots I’ve ran into, I don’t try to see how little orange I can get by with. I have a panel on my pack, and full orange on all of my upper layers.

 

[Poser]

I wear an orange sun hoodie if it’s hot weather and have an orange midlayer if it’s colder. I often only use a vest for over a puffy or rain jacket. I hate dealing with a vest + bino harness when it comes to taking layers on and off so I try and wear an orange top as much as possible. -could really use more options in this color.

 

[Rotnguns]

Curious about how a hunter would get an infraction on this rule. Do the wardens actually measure the vest/cap combination to verify it's 500 square inches?

In Idaho, people on Youth Hunts or hunting pheasants on Wildlife Management Area land are required to wear 36 square inches of orange, but the guideline is helpful and provides an example:

• To meet the hunter orange requirements where the Upland Game Bird Permits is required, the minimum requirement is 36 square inches of hunter orange above the waist. An orange hat typically fulfills this requirement.

 

[wytx]

I'm betting wardens know how much meets the requirement and know that a vest and hat will meet it.
If it's not visible from front and back you may get a ticket.

 

[Rotnguns]

I'm betting wardens know how much meets the requirement and know that a vest and hat will meet it.
If it's not visible from front and back you may get a ticket.

This sounds sensible to me. As another poster commented, probably many of the infractions are incidental to some other violation. Wondering if hunter orange is required for turkeys? They have very good eyesight and color discrimination. Ok, just checked - hunter orange not needed in CO for turkeys!

 

[intunegp]

I always wear my orange vest as my outermost layer, have an orange panel covering the back of my pack, and an orange beanie on my head.

My biggest question/concern/unknown is about the legality of pulling up my hood over the beanie when the wind is whipping and it's snowing sideways. This only happens when I'm stationary at a glassing spot, but still. Not many companies make jackets with an orange hood, and they can't reasonably expect that a hunter will never pull their hood up, right?

I've always thought of orange violations as something that would be thrown in on top of other more serious violations, but that doesn't mean I don't try my best to follow them.

 

[cnelk]

I got a verbal warning from a GW one time as I was hunting with my son. My son was the hunter, I was tagging along as a nonhunter, just wearing am orange hat.

GW said I need to have a vest on.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I got a verbal warning from a GW one time as I was hunting with my son. My son was the hunter, I was tagging along as a nonhunter, just wearing am orange hat.

GW said I need to have a vest on.

That’s false, as a guide I am not required to have orange only if o have a tag or license that requires orange and am carrying a weapon


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[Rotnguns]

I got a verbal warning from a GW one time as I was hunting with my son. My son was the hunter, I was tagging along as a nonhunter, just wearing am orange hat.

GW said I need to have a vest on.

Goodness. That would seem to mean that even a hiker or climber would need to wear hunter orange as well during deer and elk seasons.

 

[cnelk]

That’s false, as a guide I am not required to have orange only if o have a tag or license that requires orange and am carrying a weapon


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Of course it is. And I knew it.
Hence the verbal warning [for safety] after I made my reply

 

[Poser]

I always wear my orange vest as my outermost layer, have an orange panel covering the back of my pack, and an orange beanie on my head.

My biggest question/concern/unknown is about the legality of pulling up my hood over the beanie when the wind is whipping and it's snowing sideways. This only happens when I'm stationary at a glassing spot, but still. Not many companies make jackets with an orange hood, and they can't reasonably expect that a hunter will never pull their hood up, right?

I've always thought of orange violations as something that would be thrown in on top of other more serious violations, but that doesn't mean I don't try my best to follow them.

Yeah, there is no rain jacket with an orange hood that I’m aware of.

 

[Poser]

Goodness. That would seem to mean that even a hiker or climber would need to wear hunter orange as well during deer and elk seasons.

Would also mean that warden in the field would need Orange on….