The Hunters Orange Epidemic

[Glendon Mullins]

I'm not in a club. Never said that I was. Just pointing out how common it is in Virginia's culture. Within several miles of where I live houses and cars have had their windows shot out accidentally. A lack of hunting safety is a cultural problem and wearing orange hasn't fixed it.

Funny I live in virginia too, and I rarely hear of hunting accidents and people being shot, so it can't be cultural thing now can it? maybe a regional thing, where are you located?

But then again i live in the least populated county in the state, and we don't run deer dogs here either, but still i rarely see it on the news?

 

[elkstabber]

Funny I live in virginia too, and I rarely hear of hunting accidents and people being shot, so it can't be cultural thing now can it? maybe a regional thing, where are you located?

But then again i live in the least populated county in the state, and we don't run deer dogs here either, but still i rarely see it on the news?

I'm in eastern VA, where deer hunting with hounds is common. It's in the culture here. I'm glad to hear that you don't see it in the mountains.

I have two friends that used to hunt with dogs and they each had close friends get shot. They were unwilling to speak about it and I never could figure out who the shooter was (might have been my friends). Many, many, many of the hunt clubs have had a member shoot another member within the last 10 years. Some have multiple shootings in a year. Fortunately, most are with buckshot at long range (over 100 yards) so the pellets rarely kill. I think that's why you don't see it in the news. The hunt clubs try to keep it quiet. These all accidents.

A friend of mine is in the club where a member shot another last year and the victim died. It was about 15 miles from my house. Three guys were walking away from their trucks. The guy in the back dropped his gun and tried to grab it before it hit the ground. He accidentally fingered the trigger and killed the guy in front of him. Apparently the safety was off. Again, it's in the culture of eastern Virginia.

It also doesn't help that we have 6 deer tags with 3 of them being any-sex. This means that the shooter doesn't need to positively identify the sex of the deer before shooting. And in Virginia we are allowed to shoot 2 per day. If it's brown it gets shot at. Typically they are going to shoot a full load of 5 shells. I think you get the picture.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I'm in eastern VA, where deer hunting with hounds is common. It's in the culture here. I'm glad to hear that you don't see it in the mountains.

I have two friends that used to hunt with dogs and they each had close friends get shot. They were unwilling to speak about it and I never could figure out who the shooter was (might have been my friends). Many, many, many of the hunt clubs have had a member shoot another member within the last 10 years. Some have multiple shootings in a year. Fortunately, most are with buckshot at long range (over 100 yards) so the pellets rarely kill. I think that's why you don't see it in the news. The hunt clubs try to keep it quiet. These all accidents.

A friend of mine is in the club where a member shot another last year and the victim died. It was about 15 miles from my house. Three guys were walking away from their trucks. The guy in the back dropped his gun and tried to grab it before it hit the ground. He accidentally fingered the trigger and killed the guy in front of him. Apparently the safety was off. Again, it's in the culture of eastern Virginia.

It also doesn't help that we have 6 deer tags with 3 of them being any-sex. This means that the shooter doesn't need to positively identify the sex of the deer before shooting. If it's brown it gets shot at. Typically they are going to shoot a full load of 5 shells. I think you get the picture.

yep, i can see where those instances aren't reported etc. i have only deer hunted with dogs once in my life down there in surry county, it was fun and different, but this club was VERY organized, i could see how it could get out of hand in an unorganized club though

 

[elkstabber]

I could post dozens of these. Horses, houses, cars, people, all are hit by buckshot.

You can bet this boy was wearing orange. But, it didn't help. Note that he was shot in the head, treated, and discharged because it was buckshot.

http://www.warrenrecord.com/news/ar...IasbKzehTWMbYCOxYkRd-8nOZB8t9GHSU577RCrdackFg

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Never understood the whole reason for hunter orange. Prime example if you are muzzleloader hunting elk during September it falls right int he middle of archery season. The muzzle-loader hunters have to wear orange but us archery hunters to do not. Riddle me that.

 

[BigWoods]

I'm in eastern VA, where deer hunting with hounds is common. It's in the culture here. I'm glad to hear that you don't see it in the mountains.

I have two friends that used to hunt with dogs and they each had close friends get shot. They were unwilling to speak about it and I never could figure out who the shooter was (might have been my friends). Many, many, many of the hunt clubs have had a member shoot another member within the last 10 years. Some have multiple shootings in a year. Fortunately, most are with buckshot at long range (over 100 yards) so the pellets rarely kill. I think that's why you don't see it in the news. The hunt clubs try to keep it quiet. These all accidents.

A friend of mine is in the club where a member shot another last year and the victim died. It was about 15 miles from my house. Three guys were walking away from their trucks. The guy in the back dropped his gun and tried to grab it before it hit the ground. He accidentally fingered the trigger and killed the guy in front of him. Apparently the safety was off. Again, it's in the culture of eastern Virginia.

It also doesn't help that we have 6 deer tags with 3 of them being any-sex. This means that the shooter doesn't need to positively identify the sex of the deer before shooting. And in Virginia we are allowed to shoot 2 per day. If it's brown it gets shot at. Typically they are going to shoot a full load of 5 shells. I think you get the picture.

This talk of running deer with dogs made me curious so off to YouTube I went. About the 3rd video, I came across this glorious example of firearm safety:

And yes, the shot was taken as soon as the deer cleared the truck.

 

[positivepete!]

I I rarely hunt rifle and when I do my state requires me to put on a hat and a crappy little vest. The annoying part is my pack and bino harness cover 90% of it up. At that point the hat is the only thing showing. Why not just require a 360° hat and save people the hassle of putting on something that can not be seen.

 

[Ratbeetle]

This talk of running deer with dogs made me curious so off to YouTube I went. About the 3rd video, I came across this glorious example of firearm safety:
View attachment 140588
And yes, the shot was taken as soon as the deer cleared the truck.

Wow. So much stupid in one frame. Orange wouldn't make a bit of difference with a shooter so devoid of any sense.

 

[Rob5589]

Not required here in CA but, I absolutely make the kids wear it while hunting, with the exception of duck hunting.

It should be a recommendation, not a requirement.

 

[mfllood3800]

When packing in, do you guys wear orange over your pack? I will drape one thru the horiz comp straps just so I am visible. 3 of My packs are coyote brown. I want to come home to my wife and kids. Also if you hunt with a bow during a rifle season requiring orange, you too have to wear orange while bow hunting. Maybe some of my UT friends can correct me if wrong on that.

 

[tgus59]

To me, it isn't about being mistaken for a critter, its about being easily identifiable if I am beyond another hunters target. On private land in Iowa, I wear the legal minimum, on public, I wear extra orange.

 

[WCB]

If it is required in the state then wear the orange and enjoy the hunt. If it is not required then make your own decision. I'm waiting for one of the online hunters to get busted for it and then complain because they think it is a stupid rule, and play the victim like they all do when caught.

Personally I like wearing orange as most times it deters someone from walking in on my hunt. Perfect example is this year in WY deer hunting. Had a buck bedded on the piece of public I was hunting. There was private between where the buck and I were and the road so you had to hike out and around to get there. I was laying waiting for him to stand up and two different vehicles spotted him from the road. I simply raised my head up above the grass and both times noticed at least one person in the truck point over towards me and the trucks drove away. Talked to the guys later in town and the stated the exact thing. "we saw that buck bedded but then saw your orange and glad we didn't try to hike all the way in..."

I'm 100% confident wearing orange has not hinder one of my hunts at all. It is a non issue for me.

 

[Phat Cowboy]

If it is required in the state then wear the orange and enjoy the hunt. If it is not required then make your own decision. I'm waiting for one of the online hunters to get busted for it and then complain because they think it is a stupid rule, and play the victim like they all do when caught.

Personally I like wearing orange as most times it deters someone from walking in on my hunt. Perfect example is this year in WY deer hunting. Had a buck bedded on the piece of public I was hunting. There was private between where the buck and I were and the road so you had to hike out and around to get there. I was laying waiting for him to stand up and two different vehicles spotted him from the road. I simply raised my head up above the grass and both times noticed at least one person in the truck point over towards me and the trucks drove away. Talked to the guys later in town and the stated the exact thing. "we saw that buck bedded but then saw your orange and glad we didn't try to hike all the way in..."

I'm 100% confident wearing orange has not hinder one of my hunts at all. It is a non issue for me.

That's good to hear. 2 years ago a buddy and myself were hunting SE MT same place we always do. In full orange we stalked in on 50-75 head of Pronghorns just about to setup on the top of the hill when a truck with 4 guys in from out of state of course pulls up the road stops right next to the goats rolls down the windows and starts glassing looking at us then the antelope then us again and of course the antelope all run off at 200 mph We come back down the hill like "WTF!?" and of course non of these fucktards even has an antelope tag. Like I said most hunters don't have any common sense at all.

 

[Conrad101st]

Hell, On public land when we elk hunt, I look like a pumpkin in daylight and a Christmas tree after dark. I have several of those little itty bitty colored lights like people use on key chains. Have red, blue and green going on three sides of my ruck, and I have a white light head lamp.

 

[Milestone522]

I bought the OrangeAglow camo vest and panel last year and used them in Idaho last month. Even though I was not required to do so I felt a little better having it on, and a buddy spotted my orange to find me after I had a buck down. I am sure a lot of guys don’t like wearing it, and I don’t hold it against anyone for not liking it. But it did give me a little peace of mind having my vest on, a lot like when hunting pheasant or quail.

 

[KoolBreeze]

I don't wear in while in a tree stand or any of my box stands, but if I'm on the ground I wear it. I only hunt on private land though and most of the time I'm the only person around.

 

[OXN939]

Funny I live in virginia too, and I rarely hear of hunting accidents and people being shot, so it can't be cultural thing now can it? maybe a regional thing, where are you located?

But then again i live in the least populated county in the state, and we don't run deer dogs here either, but still i rarely see it on the news?

Another Eastern Virginian here. It is as bad as elkstabber says. I'm sure there are some more professional clubs out there, but most of the guys running dogs I have encountered are all about killing anything that moves with zero discretion about size, age, or ethical shot distance. A lot of their dogs never come back, too- either roadkill, shot by property owners who are sick of trespassing dogs killing their livestock, fighting their pets and ruining their hunting, or just killed by fire from the hunt club. I counted four dead hunting dogs on the side of route 360 after opening weekend this year. It is D Day, H Hour.

One example from last year. To tie it to the thread, almost all these dudes are wearing blaze orange and/or standing next to a truck when they get shot.

 

[ManyBullets]

Interesting discussion for sure. Seems like most people here have common sense while we all know there's people that don't out there and you can't make enough rules to legislate idiots know matter how hard the gov't tries.
Excited to hear it's only a $10-20 fine.

Seriously, in most states Orange is to make the wardens job easier. Following the basic rules of gun safety will prevent most accidents. We all know this.

IMO it's a personal choice and sometimes I wear it just so my buddies or other hunters can see my location easier. There's lots of times I don't want other people seeing my glassing spots, etc. The animals don't know the difference as I've had lots of deer walk right up to me while wearing orange.

There's also times where there's a lot of guns in a small area and I want to be seen especially bird hunting so I wear it. I mostly avoid areas with lots of rifle hunters using questionable judgment. Common sense mostly...

One of my buddies got threatened by a hunter this year for not wearing orange and the guy's lucky my friend chose to walk away instead of letting it escalate by calling in reinforcements to have words with him. If the guy was so upset he should've just called the warden to waste his/her time with it - kinda like the OP.

 

[ridgefire]

If orange is for hunters safety do you think there should be laws requiring you to tie off in a tree stand? I think anybody over 18 should have the choice to wear it or not. I feel the same way about seat belts and helmets as well.

 

[villageIdiot]

I grew up hunting in PA dressed like a pumpkin. I now live in Commiefornia and enjoy the irony that I can hunt on Sunday, with an AR-15, and without hunter orange.

Right or left most people really care way too much about the speck in their brothers eye.