Hunter Orange and Backpack

[Laelkhunter]

COlineman78, thanks for the info on the Camelbak Tactical cover. I just ordered one on Ebay for $23.00, including shipping. It is orange on one side and camo on the other. I will put it on my Camelbak for this years hunt in units 78,81.

 

[COlineman78]

COlineman78, thanks for the info on the Camelbak Tactical cover. I just ordered one on Ebay for $23.00, including shipping. It is orange on one side and camo on the other. I will put it on my Camelbak for this years hunt in units 78,81.

Unless they have made changes since I got it, it is just a OD green on the other and not camo. Wouldn't be too hard to fix with a little spray paint if you really did want camo though.

 

[colonel00]

For anyone with a sewing machine, this is a really simple project. I've made a couple of these but not in orange yet. Still, they are really handy for many uses on a hunt and camping as Manosteel demonstrates. Make one up out of blaze orange silnylon and you have a multiuse item that will also function as an orange pack cover.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?9158-DIY-Pack-rain-cover-tarp

 

[Laelkhunter]

Unless they have made changes since I got it, it is just a OD green on the other and not camo. Wouldn't be too hard to fix with a little spray paint if you really did want camo though.

I was looking for the orange, so as long as it is orange on one side, I'm good. My Camelbak is already a camo pattern if I just need camo. Thanks again !!

 

[rhendrix]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're archery hunting during muzzle loader season, you don't have to meet the blaze orange requirements, correct?

 

[Bar]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're archery hunting during muzzle loader season, you don't have to meet the blaze orange requirements, correct?

You aren't hunting the muzzleloader season unless you have a muzzleloader tag. There's also rifle hunters during bow season. You're only concern is the bow hunting laws.

 

[thunderchicken21]

Everyone, since there seems to be quite a bit of confusion/opinions on this topic, I reached out to the CO Game Commision and asked 2 very specific questions. Below are the questions and the response directly from Bob Fisher (Communication Center Wildlife Coordinator).

Basic take home message is: If you have an archery tag and hunting during a rifle season you need hunter orange. If you have a archery tag and hunting during muzzloader (and don't have a muzzloader tag) you don't have to wear orange. If you are required to wear orange, orange must be on your pack if you are wearing one.

Hi,

I have 2 questions regarding hunter orange requirements that are not clearly defined in the big game brochure.

1. The big game brochure specifically states that hunters must wear hunter orange while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, bear or moose with any firearm license. This also requires archery hunters hunting during any rifle season to also wear hunter orange. However, it does not specifically state whether hunter orange is required to be worn by archery hunters during the muzzleloader season. Is hunter orange required for archery hunters during the early muzzleloader season for elk (Sept 12-20)?

If you have a muzzleloading license you cannot hunt with archery equipment p.16 of our Big Game Brochure; you must use a muzzleloader and wear solid daylight fluorescent orange. If you have an archery license and are hunting with that archery license during the muzzleloading season you are not required to wear solid daylight fluorescent orange.

2. 500 square inches of orange are required on an “outer garment” above the waist as well as an orange hat or head covering that is visible from all directions. Based on that language, if a hunter is wearing a pack, there is not a requirement to have any orange on the pack as it is not an outer garment. However, the video link included in the regulation book seems to indicate otherwise. Can you clarify? Is orange required on the hunter’s pack if they are wearing more than 500 square inches of orange as their outer garment and an orange head piece that is visible from all directions?

The key to understanding the regulations for solid daylight fluorescent orange are the underlined words below (outer garment). If you wear a pack it must meet the solid daylight fluorescent orange or be covered with a vest or other material which meets the solid daylight fluorescent orange requirement.

The Law requires hunters to wear at least 500 square inches of SOLID DAYLIGHT FLUORESCENT ORANGE material on an outer garment above the waist while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, bear or moose with any firearm license. A fluorescent orange hat or head covering, visible from all directions, is also required.

This includes all muzzleloader hunters. It also includes archery hunters who hunt during rifle season. Archers hunting during a limited bear season or archers hunting with an archery bear, deer, elk, pronghorn or moose license do not have to wear fluorescent orange. Auction- and raffle-license holders do not have to wear orange when hunting with archery equipment when no rifle seasons are open

Thanks,
Brett D. Bueltel, PE

 

[Tony Trietch]

Thanks SELFILMED for taking the time to ask!

 

[COlineman78]

The key to understanding the regulations for solid daylight fluorescent orange are the underlined words below (outer garment). If you wear a pack it must meet the solid daylight fluorescent orange or be covered with a vest or other material which meets the solid daylight fluorescent orange requirement.

I don't see any justification where the definition of a garment can be applied to a pack, since it is by definition a piece of clothing. I would be interested to hear how he would actually justify this as the vest is not required to be visible from all directions, nor is it even required to even have an orange back as long as the 500 in^2 requirement is met. Only the hat is required to be visible from all directions.

 

[thunderchicken21]

I don't see any justification where the definition of a garment can be applied to a pack, since it is by definition a piece of clothing. I would be interested to hear how he would actually justify this as the vest is not required to be visible from all directions, nor is it even required to even have an orange back as long as the 500 in^2 requirement is met. Only the hat is required to be visible from all directions.

COlineman78, I can see what you are saying but I specifically asked the question and will be going by what I was told in the email.

If you'd like to email Bob and ask him your questions, here is his email [email protected]

I'd be interested to hear his response.

 

[Bar]

Basic take home message is: If you have an archery tag and hunting during a rifle season you need hunter orange. If you have a archery tag and hunting during muzzloader (and don't have a muzzloader tag) you don't have to wear orange. If you are required to wear orange, orange must be on your pack if you are wearing one.

That's not right, and will confuse someone.

If you have an archery tag you can't hunt the rifle season.

What you meant to say is..........If you have a rifle tag, and use a bow for that season, You need to wear blaze orange.

The tag that you're hunting dictates the laws you're under. It doesn't matter if other seasons are going on at the same time. Your tag makes the laws for you.

 

[Bar]

I don't see any justification where the definition of a garment can be applied to a pack, since it is by definition a piece of clothing. I would be interested to hear how he would actually justify this as the vest is not required to be visible from all directions, nor is it even required to even have an orange back as long as the 500 in^2 requirement is met. Only the hat is required to be visible from all directions.

It's really simple. The 500 inches need to be showing at all times. What if you put on a vest, and then put on a jacket. You would be wearing the vest, but none of it would be showing. The pack is the same way. Whatever you cover up, you have to replace it. Blaze orange needs to seen from all directions. That's staed right in the brochure, and is the law. How could you be showing BO from the back if a pack is covering it? Common sense.

 

[thunderchicken21]

That's not right, and will confuse someone.

If you have an archery tag you can't hunt the rifle season.

What you meant to say is..........If you have a rifle tag, and use a bow for that season, You need to wear blaze orange.

The tag that you're hunting dictates the laws you're under. It doesn't matter if other seasons are going on at the same time. Your tag makes the laws for you.

Aha, didn't see that archery didn't extend past Sept 27th. (so archery tag would be invalid after that date, before rifle started)

However, the underlined statement is not entirely true either, depending on the type of archery license you buy. You can purchase a List B archery tag and a List B rifle tag from what I understand on page 33 of the Big Game Brochure.

But yes, if you have a rifle tag and plan to hunt with a bow during that season you must wear orange.

 

[Bar]

Aha, didn't see that archery didn't extend past Sept 27th. (so archery tag would be invalid after that date, before rifle started)

However, the underlined statement is not entirely true either, depending on the type of archery license you buy. You can purchase a List B archery tag and a List B rifle tag from what I understand on page 33 of the Big Game Brochure.

But yes, if you have a rifle tag and plan to hunt with a bow during that season you must wear orange.

I don't understand why a B tag would be any different? It would still be an archery tag, and not require BO.

 

[COlineman78]

It's really simple. The 500 inches need to be showing at all times. What if you put on a vest, and then put on a jacket. You would be wearing the vest, but none of it would be showing. The pack is the same way. Whatever you cover up, you have to replace it. Blaze orange needs to seen from all directions. That's staed right in the brochure, and is the law. How could you be showing BO from the back if a pack is covering it? Common sense.

While I agree that is the intent of the law/reg, that is not what it says. A jacket is a garment and therefore the vest must be on top of the jacket. Nowhere in the reg does it state that it must be showing, only that it must be the outer garment. And the response from CPW seems to say that you must have orange on your pack no matter if you have 500 in^2 elsewhere or not. Event if it were interpreted as you state, 500 in^2 is not very much and I would suspect that the front of most vests in combination with an orange hat would fill the requirements. I will measure my vest when I get home. The head cover is the only thing that needs to be seen in all directions and that is all that is mentioned in the regs or brochure.

I agree that orange on the pack is a good idea and that no one should consider going out without it in rifle season. It's just that the engineer in me is questioning the wording vs the intent of the reg. My argument is purely on the legal aspects and not best practices. I will send a follow up to the CPW when I get a chance as I believe that the above response is plain wrong when it comes to the letter of the law. It would be like trying to write someone a ticket for concealed carry without a permit just because the gun was in a holster. The legal definition of open carry is "Firearm is visible from more than one angle", however angle is not defined nor quantified and therefore no legal argument could be made either way.

 

[Bar]

You seem to missing the point that BO must be seen from all directions. You wouldn't see it from the back if you had a pack on.

It doesn't say angle.

 

[thunderchicken21]

I don't understand why a B tag would be any different? It would still be an archery tag, and not require BO.

What I was getting at is that you could technically buy 2 tags, an archery and a rifle. The archery tag wouldn't be worth anything during the rifle season, but you could still technically hunt rifle season (with the List B rifle tag) after having purchased an archery tag.

If you have an archery tag you can't hunt the rifle season.

Semantics, I know, but still not 100% correct. Just trying not to confuse someone

 

[thunderchicken21]

You seem to missing the point that BO must be seen from all directions. You wouldn't see it from the back if you had a pack on.

It doesn't say angle.

Headwear/hat must be visible from all directions...doesn't specifically say the outer garment has to be. That is the point COlineman78 is trying to make.

 

[Bar]

What I was getting at is that you could technically buy 2 tags, an archery and a rifle. The archery tag wouldn't be worth anything during the rifle season, but you could still technically hunt rifle season (with the List B rifle tag) after having purchased an archery tag.



Semantics, I know, but still not 100% correct. Just trying not to confuse someone

You would have to declare to a warden what season you were hunting. If you said rifle you'd need BO. Especially, if you've already killed game with the bow. That's an odd situation though.

 

[Bar]

Headwear/hat must be visible from all directions...doesn't specifically say the outer garment has to be. That is the point COlineman78 is trying to make.

I see what you're saying, but the DOW is famous for wording the laws wrong. They mean the hat and vest needs to be seen from all directions. Point that out to them, and it will get changed in the next brochure.