Do I have to wear hunter orange if . . . . . .

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  • amboy49

    Master
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    5   1   0
    Feb 1, 2013
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    central indiana
    When I’m sitting in my deer blind and not seeing anything it gives me plenty of time to think about all kinds of weird stuff. Tonite, while not seeing anything, a question came to mind. Am I required to wear hunter orange when it is before or after legal shooting hours (morning and evening) ?

    As I was walking back to my truck it was completely dark. There was a 3/4 moon, but the clouds had that pretty well hidden. I was wearing an orange sock cap as my only piece of hunter orange clothing outer clothing. I did also have a hunter orange shirt on but it was covered by my coat. I was wondering if, while packing up to leave, I absent mindedly stuffed the sock cap in my pack before hiking out and then had no hunter orange outwardly displayed.

    Technically, I wouldn’t be hunting since it would be after legal hours to do so nor should anyone else be hunting. Thus, I shouldnÂ’t be in danger of getting shot since no one would/should be shooting and, in theory if pitch dark, no one would even be able to see me. Wondering if a CO would write me a ticket for failing to display hunter orange ?

    Sure hope I see a legal deer deer soon so I dont keep pondering silly topics !
     

    Mgderf

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    May 30, 2009
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    Just a guess here, but if I had a hunting weapon in my possession, I would want to have hunters orange on, just to eliminate the issue.
    That said, you are probably correct in that, since it would be before or after legal hunting hours, you should technically not be required to wear anything more than enough to meet decency codes.

    Now, I've also heard that even if you are completly concealed by a blind, you must STILL be wearing hunters orange.
    That begs the question, "why?" If you "can't be seen", who's going to see your hunters orange?

    I would not be caught in the field DURING hunting hours without hunters orange showing, unless you enjoy hassles.

    We all hope you see a legal deer soon too!

    That leads me to another thought.
    Have you ever heard the old adage, "A watched pot never boils"?
    I was sitting in my blind Sunday morning thinking exactly that.

    I slept in my blind Saturday night.
    Woke up about 7:06am thinking, "Crap! I over-slept!"
    I spent a good 2 hours staring intently out the windows of my blind, waiting for ANYTHING to pass by.
    I started thinking that I would be leaving the blind at some point that day, so I decided to start packing up my gear in preparation for leaving.
    I spent all of the next 20 minutes or so just stuffing this in the back-pack, rolling up my sleeping bag... and glancing out the window now and again.

    That's when it happened.
    I glanced out the window and saw a deer at the bottom of the hill in front of my blind.
    It was about 70 yards away, and browsing behind some small trees and a bunch of honeysuckle.

    I picked up my scoped rifle to get a better look. It was only looking through the scope, and through the honeysuckle, that I finally saw antlers.
    I watched that buck for another heat-pounding 20 minutes or so before he finally stepped into enough of a clearing to get a good sight picture.

    BANG went my .44mag, and down went the largest buck I've ever taken. A very respectable 9 pointer.
    I was not able to tell just how big he was until I was standing over top of him.

    I know this is not what you want to hear, but don't try so hard.
    Just let it come to you, and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature, until you get the chance to disrupt it!
     

    Mgderf

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    Don't forget that your blind requires 144 sq inches of orange on each side. 4 points of the compass if you have a round blind, I guess.

    This is true, but only for ground blinds.
    If your blind is elevated more than 4 feet off the ground the hunters orange requirement disappears.
    Mine is 54" off the ground. :thumbsup:
     

    rosejm

    Master
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    11   0   0
    Nov 28, 2013
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    NWI
    Brother, with all those buck-crazy gun nuts (purple, not purple) out in the woods I wouldn't take a **** next to my truck without plenty of orange on.
    Daytime, nighttime, anytime. They've got ammo loaded and there's plenty out there itichin' to use it so it won't go bad over the winter.
     

    x10

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    Apr 11, 2009
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    Martinsville, IN
    This time of year, there is no "technically" if you have a firearm you are hunting, you can try any logic games you want but you will get a citation. I've hunted all my life and over the years me and my hunting friends have got tickets for all sorts of things. and hunter orange is a big one. When a CO decides to write a ticket your getting a ticket. I could tell you plenty of stories and while I've only been cited once for a B.S. citation it was clear to me that I was getting a ticket and if I started arguing I was going to get several tickets. I didn't violate any hunting laws but it was my word against theirs and they were writing the tickets.

    Wear your orange, This isn't the movies you won't survive a 12ga slug or a rifle hit to the torso. Keep at least a small flashlight on while your moving if your on or near any public land. Even if your not sure keep a small light on.

    Indiana has pretty reasonable orange laws so just go with it. If you want to be hard headed just remember if the EMT's are dragging your dead or wounded body out of the woods that's a time where they could be helping someone else.
     

    printcraft

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    ....Technically, I wouldn’t be hunting since it would be after legal hours to do so nor should anyone else be hunting. Thus, I shouldnÂ’t be in danger of getting shot since no one would/should be shooting and, in theory if pitch dark, no one would even be able to see me. Wondering if a CO would write me a ticket for failing to display hunter orange ?
    .....

    I would NOT base your safety on that assumption.
     

    bocefus78

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    39   0   0
    Apr 9, 2014
    2,023
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    Hamilton Co.
    Gun season = dress like a pumpkin.

    Don't underestimate a "hunters" ethics to shoot past dark, at a bush that moves, at a shadow, or anything else. People die every year from such stupidity.

    I'll take you to some state ground where you'd be scared to walk out without orange all over and waving your flashlight for all to see.
     

    stocknup

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    Mar 28, 2011
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    I would never be without the required Orange on .....Don`t assume everyone out in the field go by the rules and/or are competent and ethical Hunters .
    I have read on this site and many others, people asking about which load to use and how to site in their gun of choice , or which gun to buy .....all a day before season opened .
    Not much practice or fore site. .....I say , Never Too Much Orange .
     

    dung

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    Feb 9, 2017
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    Charlestwon
    Brother, with all those buck-crazy gun nuts (purple, not purple) out in the woods I wouldn't take a **** next to my truck without plenty of orange on.
    Daytime, nighttime, anytime. They've got ammo loaded and there's plenty out there itichin' to use it so it won't go bad over the winter.

    I haven't been hunting in forever, but when I did I only liked ground stalking deer. I am terrified of being shot by some idiot so I don't do it anymore.
     

    JHB

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    Oct 7, 2016
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    The last time I went deer hunting we stopped at the DNR offices to use the facilities. As we were walking through the parking lot back to our vehicles I heard two hunters having a discussion. One said I got off two sound shouts but it was to dark to see other guy yea me to. I inserted my opinion I told them you might be careful about shooting at what you cant see. I shoot back and haven't missed anything I have shot at in years. Nah leave your orange at home you don't need it!
     

    Tex281

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    Oct 27, 2015
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    Since I’m bow hunting public land and considering how many others I’ve already seen this year I think I’ll just stay out of the woods until the 3rd.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    amboy49

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    Feb 1, 2013
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    central indiana
    The last time I went deer hunting we stopped at the DNR offices to use the facilities. As we were walking through the parking lot back to our vehicles I heard two hunters having a discussion. One said I got off two sound shouts but it was to dark to see other guy yea me to. I inserted my opinion I told them you might be careful about shooting at what you cant see. I shoot back and haven't missed anything I have shot at in years. Nah leave your orange at home you don't need it!

    I’m not sure how my original comments have been misconstrued to indicate I am a proponent of NOT wearing hunter orange. The question I posed was whether failing to display hunter orange after hunting hours in the dark would result in a CO issuing a citation. I have been hunting for over 4 decades. I have had the unpleasant experience of being stopped and questioned by a CO on three different occasions. Once I was accused of hunting from my vehicle when I was simply driving out of a field. The second time I was stopped because there had been reports of poaching in the area. The last time I was accused of baiting during deer season. I have never knowingly violated any game laws and have never been issued a ticket. With that being said, the three first hand experiences I’ve had with conservation officers is that at least those three assumed I was guilty until proven innocent ( or until they can’t figure out a way to charge you with anything ).

    (Feel free to flame on)
     

    Ark

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    Went out to the HNF for the day and was surprised to see no hikers wearing orange. I was like...y'all do know this is the middle of regular firearms season, right?
     

    JHB

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    Oct 7, 2016
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    All the interactions with conservation officers that I have had were positive and cordial. That could have been because of the way I was handling my firearm when we approached each other.

    I can tell you this if I was a CO and saw someone coming out of the woods at or after dark with out orange on the first thing to come to my mind would be. This person strikes me as a possible poacher.
     

    x10

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    Apr 11, 2009
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    Martinsville, IN
    I’m not sure how my original comments have been misconstrued to indicate I am a proponent of NOT wearing hunter orange. The question I posed was whether failing to display hunter orange after hunting hours in the dark would result in a CO issuing a citation. I have been hunting for over 4 decades. I have had the unpleasant experience of being stopped and questioned by a CO on three different occasions. Once I was accused of hunting from my vehicle when I was simply driving out of a field. The second time I was stopped because there had been reports of poaching in the area. The last time I was accused of baiting during deer season. I have never knowingly violated any game laws and have never been issued a ticket. With that being said, the three first hand experiences I’ve had with conservation officers is that at least those three assumed I was guilty until proven innocent ( or until they can’t figure out a way to charge you with anything ).

    (Feel free to flame on)


    the way the original message was written it sounded like somebody who had been hunting less than a season

    that's why the anti orange sentiment was read into the message. We all get too close to the message we write.

    If you've been stopped they why would you even ask, you know they are just looking for an excuse to write a ticket.
     

    trailrider

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    GREENSBURG
    Buddy of mine got a warning for having his orange hat in his coat pocket walking back to his truck on my property. It wasn't dark yet, but CO told him orange goes on when you leave the truck and stays on til you get back in the truck. I wear an orange hat if I'm doing anything in the woods on my own property during gun season.
     

    JHB

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    Oct 7, 2016
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    Columbus
    Around here during gun season we wear orange if we are out of the house.

    I wish more people had your commonsense.

    About ten years ago I am sitting on a dear trail in Yellow Wood NF. All of a sudden I hear leaves rustling at the bottom of a ravine. Cant see a thing but it sounds like a deer coming up the path. About fifty yards from my stand I see white. A little closer it turns out to be two guys on horse back with white cowboy hats. I cleared my throat when they were almost on top of me. Talk about startled I asked them if they knew it was hunting season. They said they forgot I asked them do they know what color a deer's but is. They quickly put there hats under there coats. Then I let them know there was 1/2 dozen cars parked at the entrance to the fire road.

    I wore orange when squirrel season opened in August.
     
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