CO Orange Law

[cured_ham]

I have an archery only tag for Elk in CO. During the time that I am there I will have some overlap with the muzzleloader season. Do I need orange as well even though I am only bow hunting?

I did some searching and it sounds like I do not need to wear it but none of the posts were recent and CPW loves making new laws. Can anyone confirm?

 

[Mountain_Life]

Prepare yourself for the moral soldiers to tell you to always wear orange regardless of the law.

 

[isocyanate]

Will be there the same time, and actually with a ML hunter. According to the book you don't if you are archery hunting.

I'll be bringing something to put on my head and pack in case there's a packout to do.

 

[fishslap]

I’m not a moral soldier but it’s not a bad idea to have a small amount of something visible for a few reasons. If you have a small piece of orange on, other hunters can see you and back out of the area you’re working. Ultimately your call.

 

[Jaquomo]

I have an archery only tag for Elk in CO. During the time that I am there I will have some overlap with the muzzleloader season. Do I need orange as well even though I am only bow hunting?

I did some searching and it sounds like I do not need to wear it but none of the posts were recent and CPW loves making new laws. Can anyone confirm?

No. Only if you want to. Lots of ML guys take their orange off as soon as they enter the woods. See it all the time.

 

[cured_ham]

Thanks everyone! I planned on having an orange square on my pack (also bow is flo-orange strings and bars) but wanted to make sure I want not breaking laws.

 

[11boo]

Be aware there are also bear hunters.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

If you are archery hunting, with an archery tag, you don’t need to wear orange.

 

[11boo]

If you are archery hunting, with an archery tag, you don’t need to wear orange.

No, you don’t. your body, your choice.

 

[Wingshooter]

No, you don’t. your body, your choice.

Are we still doing that for these days? I thought it only applied to killing babies? I will be out there for the last two days of ML but will only brake out orange if I am packing something out.

 

[Lee_R]

Out of curiosity, if hunter orange is for safety, then why don't bow hunters have to wear it during muzzleloader season if the muzzleloader hunters have to? I've got my theories, but curious as to the thoughts from the more experienced hunters on RS.

 

[Felix1776]

Out of curiosity, if hunter orange is for safety, then why don't bow hunters have to wear it during muzzleloader season if the muzzleloader hunters have to? I've got my theories, but curious as to the thoughts from the more experienced hunters on RS.

It makes a lot more sense if every hunter in the woods during a firearms season was required to wear it. I wear an orange hat when I'm archery hunting during ML season. Required or not, it's a good idea.

 

[Erict]

The actual law reads better than it does in the guidebook and should clarify your question:

Fluorescent Orange or Pink Garments
1. Except for archers hunting during a limited bear season, archers with an auction or raffle deer, elk, pronghorn or moose license hunting outside of a regular rifle season, private hunters hunting with archery equipment under the Ranching for Wildlife program, and archers hunting with an archery bear, deer, elk, pronghorn, or moose license, all persons hunting bear, deer, elk, pronghorn or moose shall be required to wear daylight fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink garments which comply with the requirements of §33-6-121, C.R.S.

 

[Erict]

It makes a lot more sense if every hunter in the woods during a firearms season was required to wear it.

Not here to debate blaze orange laws, but if one agrees with this then it should apply to everyone in the woods during firearms season - hikers, campers, bird watchers, geocachers, rock climbers, mountain bikers, etc.

 

[gbflyer]

Need to get some on all those elk that the state says are there too so we can see a few of them

 

[5MilesBack]

Prepare yourself for the moral soldiers to tell you to always wear orange regardless of the law.

And always be vaccinated and also wear at least four masks while you're out there.

 

[Gerbdog]

I'm not gonna be wearing orange during archery, but im gonna make my friend carry the decoy head since its his first season... especially during ML. i'm a bad man, and you can totally judge me for it.

 

[Will_m]

Moral soldier? It has nothing to do with morality. No way I would go on public ground with an open firearms season without orange. Too many stupid people out there.

 

[Coveyleader]

Moral soldier? It has nothing to do with morality. No way I would go on public ground with an open firearms season without orange. Too many stupid people out there.

Yeah, being on the receiving end of a ML pointed at me, scoped at that.......... Not a bad idea. I still can't believe I'm living above ground. Idiots!

 

[Nickofthewoods]

This topic has been beaten to death but I can't help myself from pointing out some flawed logic once again.

From CPW website:

"Bowhunters are not required to wear fluorescent orange during archery seasons. Colorado Parks and Wildlife strongly recommends wearing daylight fluorescent orange or florescent pink clothes in the field even if you’re not hunting."

So rifle bear hunters, in the field at the same time as archery Elk and Deer hunters, ARE required to wear orange, even though they are the ones with the high powered rifles and scopes. Meanwhile, Archers head to toe in camo are sneaking around the brush while a Bear hunter could have his or her scope trained on the movement from 400 yards away hoping it's a bear about to step into the open. So about the only good the orange is possibly doing is keeping the rifle bear hunters and the muzzleloader hunters all from shooting each other. Archers, you're on your own out there! I've also heard the argument that the orange law is just so law enforcement can more readily identify those carrying guns, but it's pretty common knowledge that a vast majority of Archery Hunters are also carrying a sidearm so that theory is pretty useless. I'm an advocate for common sense.

Edited to say, wearing orange isn't dumb, the inconsistency in the laws requiring it is.