Never Go Hunting Without Your Orange Hunting Clothing

When shopping for hunting clothing, you’ve most likely noticed racks full of camouflage gear – shirts, jackets, pants as well as hats, gloves and even boots.  This clearly makes sense; you want to blend into your forest surroundings so your targets can’t see you.  But near all the camo gear, you have probably noticed a lot of bright orange clothing, screaming for attention amongst the shades of green.  It’s there for a reason, and you should never go hunting without your orange hunting clothing.

Safety

The bright orange color may be obnoxious to the eye, but it serves a crucial function: keeping you safe.  If you blend into your surroundings, and then you make a sound while moving through the brush and trees, other hunters who are unaware of your presence may mistake you for an animal and shoot.  As you can see, things could turn dire very quickly.  Orange hunting clothing makes you visible to other hunters, saving you from a potentially life-threatening injury.

Deer Can’t See Orange Hunting Clothing

Orange hunting clothing stands out from all of the colors of the trees, leaves and brush that you are trying to blend into, in order to avoid being seen by your targets.  It may seem counterintuitive to put on a bright orange vest or hat.  But the truth is, research has shown that deer are red-green colorblind, which means that they see the bright orange color as simply another shade of gray.  So while your fellow hunters will be able to see you in and amongst the shrubbery, you can rest easy that as long as you maintain minimal movement, the deer will not.

It’s the Law

In most states, you are required by law to wear at least some amount of bright orange hunting clothing.  Some states specifically state how much you need to wear (square inches of fabric).  Others designate where on the body, it needs to be worn (for example, above the waist).  Yet others specify which seasons or what types of hunters need to wear bright orange hunting clothing.  Currently, there are eight states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont – that don’t require that you wear orange hunting clothing, but they do strongly recommend it.

Wearing the right hunting clothing can make all the difference in your hunting experience.  Before you go out on your next excursion, make sure you include some orange hunting clothing in your wardrobe.  Never leave home without it!