Montana (and other state) hunter orange laws out dated?

StickSlingers

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Messages
163
This one should get some people fired up. I was recently chatting with a buddy that’s going on a hunt in Montana and he said he had to pick up an orange vest and hat to meet their blaze orange requirements.
That surprised me, Montana is historically a state pretty proud of their personal freedoms and self sufficiency and it REQUIRES orange?
Now i don’t have anything against orange or anyone that chooses to wear it, more power to ya.
I own plenty, i usually wear it upland bird hunting or in more dynamic close range moving target activities.
But big game hunting in Idaho in oregon, i never wear orange, most don’t, some do. No one seems to care. And I’ve never felt unsafe.
So i did some digging and man…. People are pretty serious about their orange. Lots of open threats, talk of “signing your own death warrant” if you don’t wear it, being an IDIOT! A cry baby, don’t hunt here then, natural selection will weed these people out, it’s not hard to do, ect. Like people not wearing orange are actively being shot in mass amounts every year. people even turn in people not wearing orange. like some how it affects their personal safety?
Anyways, what i didn’t see anyone talking about was statistics, is orange really that effective? So i did some digging, looking specifically at Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. And what i found was there isn’t really a discernible difference. Most accidents are self inflicted, poor gun handling, or just plain stupid. I couldn’t really find any recent specific cases of mistaken identity. Although i did find a case in Oregon from 2017 where a hunter was sitting on a slope and a kid shot at his orange hat because he thought it was a clay pigeon.
Most examples i found were from the east coast mostly in flat thick wooded areas or bird hunts.
So this begs the question… is orange really necessary? If you believe it is why? And why do you feel like everyone needs to participate?
If you don’t think it’s necessary but you live in a state that requires it what do you do? Just not wear it? Seems like the fine in Montana is somewhere between 10-20 dollars. Cheaper than a vest and a hat.
Although i know this will get some people fired up my goal isn’t to create an argument or tell you you’re wrong. I am genuinely curious where all of the passion comes from and would like to genuinely hear your opinions and FACTS that have made you a strong supporter of orange. Please save the angry lectures, i understand the general idea behind wearing orange. Thanks guys!


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Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
822
Location
Colorado
I wear orange to meet the requirements in whatever state I'm hunting in. I don't go out of my way to wear orange if not required.

The vest is a pain with western big game hunting constantly shedding and putting on layers in the mornings and evenings. I don't think I would hunt OTC rifle seasons in CO without some form of orange on though given the crowds and idiots out there.

I like Wyoming's requirement the best. Orange hat only, which still easily allows you to see other hunters without being a nuisance, since I'm always wearing a hat while hunting anyway.
 
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StickSlingers

StickSlingers

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Messages
163
I wear orange to meet the requirements in whatever state I'm hunting in. I don't go out of my way to wear orange if not required.

The vest is a pain with western big game hunting constantly shedding and putting on layers in the mornings and evenings. I don't think I would hunt OTC rifle seasons in CO without some form of orange on though given the crowds and idiots out there.

I like Wyoming's requirement the best. Orange hat only, which still easily allows you to see other hunters without being a nuisance, since I'm always wearing a hat while hunting anyway.

I agree if they did feel so inclined to require orange, i hat seems like it would be plenty!


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Joined
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822
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Colorado
Colorado requires rifle/muzzleloader hunters to wear orange. But they don’t require the archers hunting the exact same place, at the exact same time, for the exact same species to wear orange.
And every few years, an archery hunter is shot by a muzzleloader hunter in CO, so probably not the best example to use if you're trying to prove the point that orange is unnecessary.

I was sitting 60 yds off a wallow surrounded with thick aspens with my muzzleloader a couple years ago in CO. An archery hunter without any orange on bugled from a couple hundred yards away and shortly walked his way into the wallow with only 5 minutes of shooting light left in the evening. I was nowhere close to shooting, but I definitely perked up hearing the heavy steps coming into the wallow and don't remember if I had pre-emptively cocked the hammer back or not to be ready if it was an elk. I also wasn't expecting it to be a hunter walking up on a wallow during primetime.

Having an orange hat on would have helped me identify him as a hunter instead of an elk in the dark timber several seconds earlier.
 

CMP70306

WKR
Joined
Mar 3, 2023
Messages
359
So I can’t specifically speak for the west as I’ve never hunted there but after 20 years I can definitely see the benefit here in PA.

It’s one of those things that doesn’t really hinder you in any fashion but generally makes everyone safer for it. I know I’ve had numerous times that orange has been the difference between unknowingly pointing my rifle in the direction of a person and not even picking it up because there was no safe shot due to seeing their orange.
 
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StickSlingers

StickSlingers

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Messages
163
And every few years, an archery hunter is shot by a muzzleloader hunter in CO, so probably not the best example to use if you're trying to prove the point that orange is unnecessary.

I was sitting 60 yds off a wallow surrounded with thick aspens with my muzzleloader a couple years ago in CO. An archery hunter without any orange on bugled from a couple hundred yards away and shortly walked his way into the wallow with only 5 minutes of shooting light left in the evening. I was nowhere close to shooting, but I definitely perked up hearing the heavy steps coming into the wallow and don't remember if I had pre-emptively cocked the hammer back or not to be ready if it was an elk. I also wasn't expecting it to be a hunter walking up on a wallow during primetime.

Having an orange hat on would have helped me identify him as a hunter instead of an elk in the dark timber several seconds earlier.

I could see this being a valid point! Archery hunters and muzzle loader hunters don’t hunt at the same time where i live so i hadn’t considered that. Especially during the rut when people are calling.


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z987k

WKR
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
1,906
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AK
We had a guy shoot his buddy a couple years ago. We don't have the requirement.

I have an orange hat. I'd never hunt an area if there was another party within 5 miles of me, so with the exception of splitting up from the guy I'm hunting with I'm not that concerned. If I were to hunt the road system, I'd at the least have the hat on at all times.

It wouldn't really bother me all that much if we did have the requirement though.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,357
And every few years, an archery hunter is shot by a muzzleloader hunter in CO, so probably not the best example to use if you're trying to prove the point that orange is unnecessary.

I was sitting 60 yds off a wallow surrounded with thick aspens with my muzzleloader a couple years ago in CO. An archery hunter without any orange on bugled from a couple hundred yards away and shortly walked his way into the wallow with only 5 minutes of shooting light left in the evening. I was nowhere close to shooting, but I definitely perked up hearing the heavy steps coming into the wallow and don't remember if I had pre-emptively cocked the hammer back or not to be ready if it was an elk. I also wasn't expecting it to be a hunter walking up on a wallow during primetime.

Having an orange hat on would have helped me identify him as a hunter instead of an elk in the dark timber several seconds earlier.
It was to point out the inconsistencies.
 

Hnthrdr

WKR
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Jan 29, 2022
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3,631
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The West
I like Wyoming’s rule which is hat or vest, pick one. There are lots of places in Co, where I would absolutely want to have both on. Some spots on opening day just about turn into a war zone haha 😆
 

YellCoAR

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 31, 2022
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230
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Yell County Arkansas
Just like a seat belt. If the law says wear wear it. I the law gives you a choice make that choice for yourself. I at least wear a hat even if not required. I don't if it is bow only season, but have been peppered by tree rat hunters.
 

UncleBone

WKR
Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
718
Colorado requires rifle/muzzleloader hunters to wear orange. But they don’t require the archers hunting the exact same place, at the exact same time, for the exact same species to wear orange.
Which to me makes 0 sense. if it is so necessary and effective, make everyone wear it any time there is a firearm season going on.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,204
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Colorado Springs
I was sitting 60 yds off a wallow surrounded with thick aspens with my muzzleloader a couple years ago in CO. An archery hunter without any orange on bugled from a couple hundred yards away and shortly walked his way into the wallow with only 5 minutes of shooting light left in the evening.
That could have easily been me. No biggie.....I've had ML hunters shoot bulls out from under me 5 times since 2010. I'm sure those won't be the last ones, just the way I hunt. I expect all hunters to identify their target before actually shooting at it......even though given what we see in society today, I probably shouldn't. Oh well, I'm not changing. However, when I hunt without a tag and help ML or rifle hunters out, I normally wear an orange hat. But that's more so that the folks I'm hunting with can more easily find me.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,204
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Colorado Springs
Which to me makes 0 sense. if it is so necessary and effective, make everyone wear it any time there is a firearm season going on.
Then you'd have to require all people out in the woods to wear orange......even dog walkers. I'd rather the government just leave it up to every individual. It's our life and/or safety, leave the responsibility for that with us.
 

CorbLand

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
8,047
Dont really care either way. I at least wear a hat if there is a rifle hunt going on.

Here many of the rifle hunts are later in the season, which mean dead, tan grass. I cant see orange against it anyways so taking it away wouldnt hurt me any.
 
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