Hunting Season

[ironfly]

PGK, I don't think the world is as cut and dry and you'd like. It's not like the guy in the Bentley story fired at a noise, he saw what he believed to be a deer, just like Bigtoad saw what he believed to be a moose. We can all make mistakes. I once saw a bison walking straight toward me on the road, and was convinced it was a man until I was less than 50 yards away.

 

I don't know what to call these people you and others say are not hunters. They're carrying tags and weapons, they're in the field looking to bag an animal. Sounds like a hunter to me. Maybe you follow the Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety to the letter, but I think you're in the minority. I think it's a lot like the rules of the road; after a while everyone developes bad habits like rolling stops.

 

Oh, and yeah, technically there's hunting going on almost all the time, but the critical differences are volume and demographic. Why do animals roam freely, even standing in the open posing for photos all year long, except during the fall season? Why do I hear gunshots every day I'm out in the fall, but almost never at any other time of year? Not only are there many times less hunters for the side seasons, but those tend to be the most dedicated, and responsible hunters.

[Bigtoad]

Haha. Hunting season is on for about 10 months a year anywhere you go nowadays. Spring turkey & bear, fall everything, winter coyote, wolf and other predators. There's someone hunting no matter where you go what time of the year.

As Junior says better than I would have, and with more grace, I'm talking about wearing orange while hunting during rifle season. If I'm out fishing the North Ram in October where it is pretty wide open and I'm not sneaking around in the bush; fine, I wouldn't wear orange. However, as soon I am hunting by the North Ram in October and I'm moving slowly, trying to not be seen, wearing camoflage, I would at least throw an orange toque on. At least. I don't wear orange during archery season either, because I don't think archery hunters are as reckless as some gun hunters and arrows don't fly as far as bullets. But come Novemer, if I'm hunting, I put on some orange.

 

This is one of the stupidest statements I've ever read.

Obviously not a subscriber to the Edmonton Sun then heh? Don't read a lot?

 

The guy in the story is a total moron and not a hunter. He just up and fired at something he couldn't identify. He should have gotten charged for attempted murder. Hunters don't up and fire at random *hit they think 'might' be a deer. If your statement was true, our hospitals and morgues would be full of people shot by 'hunters' during 'hunting season.' Pretty ignorant.

There's a thread on the OA forum about getting shot at accidentally while hunting. There are a LOT of stories on there about personal experiences where people were either a) shot directly at, being thought an animal or b ) shot indirectly at while someone was shooting at something else. And I'm not saying the woods are filled with morons toting guns ready to shoot at the first thing they see. But all it takes is one. One trigger-happy moron in the woods with his scope on me, thinking I'm a deer sneaking along, and that's all it would take. Put some orange on, and that moron in the woods would be much less likely to shoot me, mistaking me as something I'm not.

 

Cheers.

[PGK]

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[Jayhad]

Nobody wears orange in BC and nobody ever gets shot.

you sure about that....... google is your friend

[PGK]

.

[Ricinus]

One is too many, especially if it's a good friend or family.

 

Mike

[Weedy1]

Well, maybe you just have too many cowboys in alberta then. Nobody wears orange in BC and nobody ever gets shot.

 

I'm darn tinkin' most of dem Alburta cowboys musta bee a commin' frum BC.

See here (September 28, 2011) and here (September 21, 2011).

[Littlemoodz]

It is not a law to wear orange that simple. I have been hunting for many many years and a born Alberta boy. I have had one bad call by another hunter firing in my direction and this was in the days that you had to wear orange. It only comes down to one simpl,e thing. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET!!!! Oh and bigtoad this does not mean with your scope even if you are certain your target is what you think it is. Binoc's are carried for a reason. USE THEM!! I agree there are idiots out there and I have seen my fare share of them. But damn man if it your time well I guess its your time. I do not and will not wear orange if I am not required to. I probably have a better chance winning the lottery then getting shot in the bush, and god knows that that will not happend in my life. End point being, be responsable and Identify your shot with binoculars. dont let the rush of the kill or shot cloud your judgement. If you are still not sure at any point do not take the shot!! So what if the world record got away, its better than a life in jail.

 

JUST MY THOUGHTS!!

[fish4trout]

I have heard the argument from the guys who like to wear camo that they would rather NOT be seen by other hunters. An orange toque could be enough to catch someones attention and then shoot at the moving bush. Just some food for thought...

[Bigtoad]

It only comes down to one simpl,e thing. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET!!!! Oh and bigtoad this does not mean with your scope even if you are certain your target is what you think it is. Binoc's are carried for a reason. USE THEM!!

Hey, I agree, it was a mistake, and one that I haven't repeated. I'll take responsibility for looking through the scope, but where is his responsibility in walking around an area with lots of hunters, dressed in a gillie suit, without any orange? And I don't care if it is or isn't the law, it's about responsibility. You said it was irresponsible of me to not use my binos (and I agree and am getting flamed accordingly, thank you) but to me, not wearing orange is equally irresponsible.

 

I agree there are idiots out there and I have seen my fare share of them. But damn man if it your time well I guess its your time.

Nice logic... I guess we should just do whatever the hell we feel like then heh, cause "if it's your time it's your time." Hey, let's drive 180kms down highway 2 without our seatbelts, after downing a few beer, cause it doesn't matter, "if it's your time, it's your time."

 

I do not and will not wear orange if I am not required to.

Glad you've come into the discussion with such an open mind...

 

End point being, be responsable and Identify your shot with binoculars. dont let the rush of the kill or shot cloud your judgement. If you are still not sure at any point do not take the shot!! So what if the world record got away, its better than a life in jail.

I agree with you, this is what all hunters should do all of the time. And LittleMoodz, if you were the only hunter in Alberta, I wouldn't wear orange because you seem like a very responsible (albeit, closed minded ) guy who I am quite certain would identify the target first without shooting. However, you're not the only hunter in Alberta and all hunters are not as responsible as you. So a little insurance helps.

 

I just don't get what the big deal is? Why are you soooo adamant about not wearing orange? Are you allergic to it? Does it not match your Realtree © camo boots? Do the deer mock you when they see you? Or is it your hunting buddies that give you the hard time... maybe call you hurtful names? Did you have a bad experience with orange when you were growing up?

 

What's the big deal? Tell me ONE freaking legitimate reason not to wear orange and maybe I'll get it, but so far I'm really having a hard time understanding the reasoning.

 

Cheers.

[Pipes]

Well put LittleMoodz. I am glad that Alberta lets the hunter choose whether they want to wear orange or not. I don't want someone else making my decision for me. And don't comeback with the seatbelt BS. I will re-iterate again that getting shot in Alberta is highly unlikely, getting in a car accident IS.

The hunter shot by his partner a couple of years ago may still have been shot if he was wearing orange, we don't know that, so one can't make the mistake of assuming that orange will in fact help.

Go ahead and wear orange if you feel like it, but don't tell others they are stupid for not.

Bigtoad made a huge mistake. This is not the fault of a guy in a ghillie suit. You're pissed at him and you scoped him? I can't for the life of me understand the reasoning of your comments that he looked like a moose. If you thought he did, you made a judgement error. Number one rule of hunting is identify your target. Anyway you argue it, you did not identify your target plain and simple. I'm not sure if a guy who can't tell the difference between a human and a moose that wearing orange really accomplishes much.

So for the guys who scold people for not wearing orange, move to Ontario and you will be fine. Let the government make your decision for you.

[PGK]

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[kentan]

This isnt even an arguement, IF YOU CANT IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET YOU DONT SHOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont care what your wearing! How do people get shot? I used to hunt but dont anymore. Never once in my life did I ever have to wonder what the hell I was looking at through a scope, not once in my life did I ever even think to myself "well Im not sure what it is so I think I will shoot anyways, oops" People who think that the person they just shot was an animal should be thrown in jail for murder or just for being extremely stupid enough to shoot at something they were not sure of. I learned this in a classroom in Saskatchewan when I was 11 years old! When your hunting, unless you trip and fall on your gun there is zero reason for anyone to get shot, zero! Stupidity is why people say "well I thought he was a deer" It all comes down to HOW CAN YOU TAKE A SHOT WITHOUT KNOWING FOR SURE WHAT IT IS YOUR SHOOTING AT! I know two people that have been killed hunting hence I dont do it anymore, to many total utter complete idiots out there! Beings that anyone will just go out and take a shot at anything that moves Im surprized to hear someone saw a guy in a gilley suit lol! Thats about as dumb as the guy trying to shoot him because he saw movement lol!

[kentan]

As Junior says better than I would have, and with more grace, I'm talking about wearing orange while hunting during rifle season. If I'm out fishing the North Ram in October where it is pretty wide open and I'm not sneaking around in the bush; fine, I wouldn't wear orange. However, as soon I am hunting by the North Ram in October and I'm moving slowly, trying to not be seen, wearing camoflage, I would at least throw an orange toque on. At least. I don't wear orange during archery season either, because I don't think archery hunters are as reckless as some gun hunters and arrows don't fly as far as bullets. But come Novemer, if I'm hunting, I put on some orange.

 

Obviously not a subscriber to the Edmonton Sun then heh? Don't read a lot?

 

 

There's a thread on the OA forum about getting shot at accidentally while hunting. There are a LOT of stories on there about personal experiences where people were either a) shot directly at, being thought an animal or b ) shot indirectly at while someone was shooting at something else. And I'm not saying the woods are filled with morons toting guns ready to shoot at the first thing they see. But all it takes is one. One trigger-happy moron in the woods with his scope on me, thinking I'm a deer sneaking along, and that's all it would take. Put some orange on, and that moron in the woods would be much less likely to shoot me, mistaking me as something I'm not.

 

Cheers.

 

I would just like to point out that I dont think deer sneak around in the woods lol, they live there and are innocent until smacked by a bullet, just sayin! Not against hunting!

[Bigtoad]

Well put LittleMoodz. I am glad that Alberta lets the hunter choose whether they want to wear orange or not. I don't want someone else making my decision for me. And don't comeback with the seatbelt BS. I will re-iterate again that getting shot in Alberta is highly unlikely, getting in a car accident IS.

 

I never said make a law Pipes, wear whatever you'd like out hunting. But I'm not going out hunting in rifle season without one and I'm not going with anyone that doesn't.

The hunter shot by his partner a couple of years ago may still have been shot if he was wearing orange, we don't know that, so one can't make the mistake of assuming that orange will in fact help.

He was shot at twice... TWICE! You really think he was wearing orange? Really? Come on. And orange does help. Push bush sometime with a few guys and you can spot the orange from hundreds of yards away. The same can't be said about camo can it? I mean, that's why companies spend huge $$$ on researching their camo right; so it won't be seen.

 

Go ahead and wear orange if you feel like it, but don't tell others they are stupid for not.

I'm not calling anyone stupid, but I am waiting for a reason... any good reason, why people wouldn't. All you've given me so far is freedom of choice (which I respect) but is not a good reason not to. It's seems like common sense to me, so if wearing orange isn't common sense, then someone please enlighten me on what I'm missing. Please.... anyone?

 

 

Bigtoad made a huge mistake.This is not the fault of a guy in a ghillie suit. You're pissed at him and you scoped him? I can't for the life of me understand the reasoning of your comments that he looked like a moose. If you thought he did, you made a judgement error. Number one rule of hunting is identify your target. Anyway you argue it, you did not identify your target plain and simple. I'm not sure if a guy who can't tell the difference between a human and a moose that wearing orange really accomplishes much.

Thank you Captain obvious. I know I made the mistake, I've said that already. Haven't made it again. Despite that one lapse in judgement, I am a very cautious hunter. But as I've already said, I shared the story publicly, knowing I would get flamed (thanks again Pipes) because it was a learning experience for me. It scared the sh*t out of me because it was surprisingly easy to mistake something in the bush. It's one of the reasons I wear orange. Now I made a mistake of putting a scope on someone that looked like a moose stepping out of the bush. How many mistakes are other hunters, who are not very cautious, going to make? If you want to bet your life that a hunter isn't going to mistake you for something else or shoot in your direction because they don't see you, then I guess that is your right. I can't stop you. But I really wish you would reconsider.

 

So for the guys who scold people for not wearing orange, move to Ontario and you will be fine. Let the government make your decision for you.

And I guess I could say the same for the guy who has lots to say about a topic but can't come up with any solid reasoning; Ontario might be the perfect place.

 

Just give me a good reason not to wear orange Pipes. Just one good reason. Cause I can give you lots of reasons, and lots of anecdotal stories from other people who have had close calls while hunting, that support wearing orange, but I don't see anything from your side of the argument defending why it's a good reason.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Jeffro]

What's the big deal? Tell me ONE freaking legitimate reason not to wear orange and maybe I'll get it, but so far I'm really having a hard time understanding the reasoning.

 

Cheers.

 

Simply put places that require orange still have hunters being shot each year. Wearing orange does nothing to protect you other than make your clothing clash. Some provinces have higher numbers of hunters being shot over the years despite wearing orange. If orange was capable of preventing people from being shot than places like Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick (to pick on a couple) would not have anyone being shot due to their requirements of wearing orange. Unfortunately this is not the case!

 

It's the so called hunters, not the clothing in my opinion that are the problem.

 

You wanna wear orange have at 'er. But my choice to not wear orange does not make me any less responsible than the guy who does.

[Pipes]

Bigtoad, my problem is you tell us that it's "irresponsible not to wear it". And I'm saying that #1, in my years and style of hunting I have never had an issue. And #2 there's no study valid that says it does improve my safety.

You keep asking for a reason why someone shouldn't wear it and I'm not arguing that point. I don't see any problem with people wearing orange.

If you ask me why I don't wear it, it's because I don't see the threat in my hunting (the whole point of my initial argument). I COULD wear a helmet and a mouthguard to walk down the street to get a carton of milk as there's a potential for me to fall and hit my face, but I weigh my options and decide not to.

 

So we are arguing two different thoughts. I'm not going to argue against orange, I'm arguing I personally don't see the issue.

 

You and Junior are both trying to make this a tough guy image and in my case it is simply not. As said before, I don't wear cammo. I'm not worried what I look like.

 

[Bigtoad]

Bigtoad, my problem is you tell us that it's "irresponsible not to wear it". And I'm saying that #1, in my years and style of hunting I have never had an issue. And #2 there's no study valid that says it does improve my safety.

You keep asking for a reason why someone shouldn't wear it and I'm not arguing that point. I don't see any problem with people wearing orange.

If you ask me why I don't wear it, it's because I don't see the threat in my hunting (the whole point of my initial argument). I COULD wear a helmet and a mouthguard to walk down the street to get a carton of milk as there's a potential for me to fall and hit my face, but I weigh my options and decide not to.

 

So we are arguing two different thoughts. I'm not going to argue against orange, I'm arguing I personally don't see the issue.

 

You and Junior are both trying to make this a tough guy image and in my case it is simply not. As said before, I don't wear cammo. I'm not worried what I look like.

 

Ok. I can live with that.

 

Cheers.

[Nick0Danger]

when pushing bush to bump deer for buddies danmed right the orange is on, that said we setup a shoot area only shoot if deer is in said area (unless i confirm i am safe IE i know im behind the shooter) and the area we do bump on the farm house is to the back of the shooter so he better not even point that gun in that direction or he will be picking up his teeth.

[Weedy1]

From: http://www.ihea.com/documents/Hunter_Orange_Study.pdf

 

"Several studies have demonstrated that there is a lower proportion of hunting

accidents among those hunters who wear Hunter Orange compared to those who do not

wear Hunter Orange garments.1 In New York State from 1989 to 1995, of the 125

incidents in which hunters were mistaken for game, only six (5%) were wearing hunter

orange. North Carolina laws requiring hunters to wear orange clothing have significantly

reduced the number of deaths and injuries resulting from people being mistaken for

game."

 

"It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict by how much safer a hunter would be

using solid orange garments. It is our opinion, however, that any safety measures that

reduce preventable injury and death outweigh the potential gains of acquiring more game

through the use of camouflage pattern orange garments."

 

 

[SilverDoctor]

Let me tell you about the last time I was out hunting, it was 6 years ago in the porcupine hills. I was bow hunting and glassing a ridge with my Bushnells. I was wearing a blaze orange hat and fluorescent orange camo (I normally change to full camo in the tree stand). The glasses where shot out of my hands disintegrating. I just stood there in disbelief frozen, when another high caliber round Hit the tree behind me. I hit the ground face first. Two young guys walked up the ridge to me and I pulled my knife. They looked at me like I was from outer space hands bleeding and said "where is our deer". I won't go into the details but there was compensation involved.

 

I have hunted all my life, this was the first time I had worn blaze orange for big game except for shooting ducks and upland birds. It was a present form my wife to keep me safe... I have always worn camo or hunters green and have on a great many occasions had other hunters walk by me and under my tree stand without seeing or being aware of me. I believe wearing orange will help Id you for other hunters but not from stupid fools.

[ironfly]

Well then, let me tell you about the first time I hunted in Alberta. Having learned that I no longer needed to wear blaze orange, I happily bought a sheet of burlap and put on my combats, thinking I'd now be twice the hunter as before. And guess what? I got shot at. I yelled something profane, and got shot at again. Fortunately this guy wasn't a markman, and was smart enough to figure out that animals don't shoot back. This old-timer walks up to me, wearing a blaze toque, and says something like, "law or not, please wear orange."

 

You really think getting yourself noticed because you're wearing orange increases your risks? Ridiculous. Sorry to bring up seatbelts again, but that makes as much sense as people who argue that if your car lands on its roof in water, your seatbelt will trap you and you'll drown.

[ironfly]

BTW, I'd say that those who choose to wear orange inspite of law and popular opinion are less suited to Ontario than those who are subject to the status quo and peer pressure.

[Nick0Danger]

Well then, let me tell you about the first time I hunted in Alberta. Having learned that I no longer needed to wear blaze orange, I happily bought a sheet of burlap and put on my combats, thinking I'd now be twice the hunter as before. And guess what? I got shot at. I yelled something profane, and got shot at again. Fortunately this guy wasn't a markman, and was smart enough to figure out that animals don't shoot back. This old-timer walks up to me, wearing a blaze toque, and says something like, "law or not, please wear orange."

 

You really think getting yourself noticed because you're wearing orange increases your risks? Ridiculous. Sorry to bring up seatbelts again, but that makes as much sense as people who argue that if your car lands on its roof in water, your seatbelt will trap you and you'll drown.

 

 

Im sorry did he shoot at you cause you where not wearing orange! Also if that is all he said i would of called the cops.

[Ricinus]

So much for no accidents in Alberta.

 

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Hunter...3943/story.html

 

Mike