How orange is orange?

[JakobinWisconsin]

Wisconsin requires 60% of the body and head to be covered in muzzle loader season and nothing ruins hunting with periods gear like a blaze vest. I do have some brilliantly dyed pumpkin orange broadcloth could I get away with that or should I track down some proper blaze to make a frock or capote?

 

[FishDFly]

Ask your local game warden.

 

[BallBoy]

Do they allow orange camouflage?

 

[necchi]

Do they allow orange camouflage?

Yes, that's what the 60% is about,, they look like many of the examples here;
https://www.google.com/search?chann...0KHXNZDHQQjJkEegQIBxAC&biw=1680&bih=897&dpr=1

and nothing ruins hunting with periods gear like a blaze vest.

I hear ya. Same here in Minn and many other places.
I honestly have gone through that very same quagmire,, and decided against using time and money to making period garments that fit the rule of law.
It's a mute point because of the reality of the disparity.
The only one that cares if your going full gear is you, nobody else. So I don the period gear, knowing my intention,, and toss on a cheap camo vest over that and a hat to satisfy the heathens.
I've seen folks try to make replica period gear in orange camo, and it honestly looks worse then a simple vest. At least if your wearing a vest, folks know why your doing it.
A blaze orange camo "frock" is a travesty to those with intention to hunt in period gear. Because once it's made, it's not period anymore.

 

[DuncNZ]

Blaze Orange and Orange are two different colours ,orange can look awfully like some deer breeds coats .Especially if it gets a bit dirty .
Ordinary camouflage has been around for a long long time so the idea can't be patented but the pattern can .
Some bright person had the idea of blaze camouflage and copyrighted the idea , but not the pattern . For every inch of Orange Blaze camo cloth that is made and sold , he gets a cut .

 

[Urban Coyote]

Blaze orange? Oh man, are you guys behind the times. Last year my state's governor signed into law hunter pink, seriously, as a legal option to hunter orange, probably the most important thing he's ever done in his political career.

Personally I'd take the orange thing and run with it, I can't imagine the feedback I'd get wearing a hunter pink frock.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Wisconsin requires 60% of the body and head to be covered in muzzle loader season and nothing ruins hunting with periods gear like a blaze vest. I do have some brilliantly dyed pumpkin orange broadcloth could I get away with that or should I track down some proper blaze to make a frock or capote?

So I wear a knit hat that's florescent (blaze) orange and the cape of my hunting shirt is also orange when I'm out in hunting season.
If you have the ability to make a blaze orange hunting shirt, that and an orange hat should be just fine,

LD

 

[Flintlock]

If it doesn't reflect light like "blaze orange" then you look like a deer and are fair game to slob hunters.

 

[Sidney Smith]

In Pa it's 250 square inches of blaze orange on the head, chest, and back combined during small game, deer, bear seasons. Some overlaps exist with early muzzle loader and archery where the orange requirement is in effect. For groundhog hunting, only an orange hat is required. I think fall turkey also requires orange, bit I don't hunt fall birds due to small game and archery hunters being about, which is too crowded for me, so I'm not sure. For doves, waterfowl, and late flintlock, no orange is required. I have seen people get cited for not wearing blaze orange. Saw a guy during pheasant season get a ticket because the hat he had on, although a shade of dirty dull orange, was clearly not blaze orange.

I wear orange when required to do so, and do not when not required to. If I had my way, I'd never wear it, as I do not think it helps to prevent accidents much.

 

[LeonardC]

I grew up in Montana. I just barely remember when Hunter Orange became a requirement to hunt big game. For me it's always been something I wear when hunting even when it was not a requirement.

Once upon a time I was hunting elk "near" the coast in Oregon. THICK vegetation, HEAVY rain, dark sky, etc. Visibility was better than zero but measured in feet. I was moving kind of uphill following some elk tracks in the mud (I'd heard noises earlier as they moved) when a set of person tracks showed up coming from the side. I could see just a little bit ahead and there was a shape ahead. As I watched it turned into a hunter wearing a mix of green, brown, and grey wool clothing. I eased out of the area and found somewhere else to hunt.

I wear Hunter Orange when hunting. For me, I think it's a good idea.

 

[DuncNZ]

Here in New Zealand where blaze is not mandated ,many have moved to blaze blue camo . Most people can see it , it doesn't change color when it gets dirty and deer seem to ignore it .

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

Blaze Orange fades over time. I have heard that Game Wardens or Conservation Police Officers as they call them here in Virginia have a scale that tells them if your item is still serviceable and actually still Blaze Orange within specs. If not, you can be cited. I wear this along with a Blaze Orange hat on the Wildlife Management Areas. Traditional, and meets the requirements.

 

[Auldjin]

When I saw the question, my first thought was that's one for an Ulsterman!

 

[Brokennock]

Some states, Maine I think is one, do actually have a brightness level requirement. I think it involves some type of light meter for the test.
I think it is basically to prevent people from using some old faded 50 year old vest, but I'm not sure.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

I generally hunt three States. Maine, New York, and Virginia. Maine requires two items. Virginia now requires it during the muzzleloader season, so I wear a Blaze Orange hat there. New York also now requires Blaze Orange. I never wore Blaze Orange in the Adirondacks but now do.

With most of my hunting now done on public land it makes sense to wear it. Historic or not, I just don't know the level of experience, mindset, or competency of people on public lands.

 

[good ole boy]

Very true.I don,t wear FO when I hunt on the home farm but I would any where else.

 

[Caterpillar Hunter]

I spray boundary markers on my property with either fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink paint. I think the fluorescent pink actually shows up better to my eyes. I don't like having to wear fluorescent clothes, but, honestly, it really helps to be seen, and to see other hunters at a distance.

 

[JakobinWisconsin]

I feel I should clarify I am 100% in support of wearing orange talk to any DRN ranger and they can show the numbers of how accidental shootings go way down when orange is mandated. My real question is can I use some non florescent orange cloth I own to make a hunting smock or should I save my pennies and order some proper blaze?

That said I do love how this discussion has expanded to enclude good hunting safty practice as a whole and fully support this expansion.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Been hunting in this state since the 1960s. Ive never worn orange, also dont get seen by other humans when Im in the bush. Someday they might catch me, but not today.

They proved in the Army that wearing orange stuff on motorcycles does ZERO to stop soldiers from being hit. The Army removed the requirement.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I had a F&I period wool waistcoat made in Blaze Orange that is my muzzleloader season hunting vest. Keeps me in period and safe at the same time.

ADK Bigfoot