CO Hunter Orange Question

Felix40

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Jul 27, 2015
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The whole thing is just silly to me. They stack rifle and ML hunts the same time as archery but want to enforce an orange requirement that only applies to a small portion of the people in the field. Giving a warning to someone who is basically hiking is an overreach.
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
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Gypsum, CO
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.

Standard safety vest is roughly 375 sq inches of material, a standard hat is 100-150 square inches of material, so with a standard vest and a minimum Cap ur 25 sq inches under required orange. I think the extra 50 square inches could be the bill of a ball cap which puts you over.

Most wardens aren’t going to harass you much as long as it’s solid blaze and ur wearing it on the outside of ur clothes, but if you get other violations I’ll bet they will pile it on if you’re being a jerk


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Joined
Jun 15, 2017
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San Antonio
We put orange panels on our packs for some extra insurance, don't trust some of the bafoons running around out there. I've always ASSumed that a GW would use some common sense and as long as orange is visible 360 in some fashion that it'd be OK. Between the hat and the vest and panel there should always be some showing. I will say this about hats, I have an orange hat that the under-bill is not orange but upper and top of course are orange. The Wyoming guy who pointed a rifle at me and had me in his sights said he couldn't see any orange at all because I was facing him and I had my head up, so be aware of your ball caps if your harness is blocking a lot on your vest (this was Wyoming so I was only wearing the hat, no other orange).
 
Joined
Feb 12, 2018
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Kansas City
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.
I believe Colorado has some hunts that are private land only tags and don't require orange.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Yeah, there is no rain jacket with an orange hood that I’m aware of.
If you leave the hunting realm there are brands with bright orange/red jackets that while might not technically be the exact hue of "blaze orange" are quite visible and I would find it extremely unlikely a warden would comment on you wearing said item in the rain/weather.
 

intunegp

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If you leave the hunting realm there are brands with bright orange/red jackets that while might not technically be the exact hue of "blaze orange" are quite visible and I would find it extremely unlikely a warden would comment on you wearing said item in the rain/weather.

Agreed, but we were talking about the situation where you're not wearing a solid orange outer layer. If I'm wearing a vest/hat to be legal in the morning but by the time I reach my lunch time glassing spot I need a hood, the hat gets covered. I guess packing a solid orange rain jacket everywhere all the time solves the problem but is that really the expectation for any situation that a hood might be needed?
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Agreed, but we were talking about the situation where you're not wearing a solid orange outer layer. If I'm wearing a vest/hat to be legal in the morning but by the time I reach my lunch time glassing spot I need a hood, the hat gets covered. I guess packing a solid orange rain jacket everywhere all the time solves the problem but is that really the expectation for any situation that a hood might be needed?
I presumed he was talking about rainy weather and wanting to protect your hat from getting wet.

As for your example it all depends why you need the hood. I personally carry a blaze ball cap and beanie, if I am cold I can put on the beanie, if I want a hood I can put that up and put the beanie over it. If I want to shade from sun and have a hooded thin layer I can put that up and put my ball cap on over top of it. If its raining I have the afore mentioned bright orange rain jacket instead.

Is shuffling all these things a little annoying at times? Sure, but that is how you remain compliant. Would I swear on record that I've never flipped up a sun hood over my blaze hat while sitting an glassing before to shade my neck for sunburn? No.
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
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All of my blaze orange that is worn during rifle seasons is from Patagonia. Base layers, fleece, and puffy jackets.
 

CMF

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May 8, 2019
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Mississippi
We usually strap in an extra orange vest on our pack backs. I wish pack makers would sew in a velcro on/off orange panel as a standard.
I think CO is the only place we hunt that requires a hat and I know we probably don't meet the exact reg every moment of the hunt either from a hood or pulling a hat off to sweat etc. As someone else mentioned, you're probably a lot more likely to get that orange ticket if you're breaking other rules. I think it's a little much to require a hat in addition to 500sq in. Not everyone likes to wear hats all the time. I think it's a good idea to wear one.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
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2,705
They're big on the hat being visible.

Last year we were hiking out in a snowstorm through sagebrush. My girlfriend had an extra vest strapped around her pack. My vest was mostly obscured by my pack. They gave her a hard time about having a red hood over her orange hat. I didn't have a hood, they didn't say anything about my vest...
 

Urbs

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Sep 21, 2024
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Hunting public in Colorado can be hectic sometimes . I’ve heard bullets wizzing past my head before. I prefer to have a piece of blaze on the pack as well
 

pirogue

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Jun 28, 2012
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1,149
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.
Exactly. You don’t think they rationalize or have any common sense, do you? They’re too busy thinking of trading with fellow libtard state, OR, for more wolves.
 

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