blaze orange

White Eagle

White Eagle

New member
I know this topic has probably been beat to death but,do any of you hunt predators with blaze orange on????The only reason I ask is our deer season is still in progress and we just got some new snow so if I hunt predators I need to were it
 
I don't hunt predators in blaze orange, but did call one up to three of us all decked out in orage during the elk season. Some animals see color and some don't. Coyotes don't seem to discern color as humans do. I think they may see it as more a mix of grays like a deer or elk.

IMO, the color that will get you busted is blue. It seems that most animals are very sensitive to UV and blue is a big offender. I once got busted by an elk when i stayed perfectly motionless wearing camo upper clothing and a pair of blue jeans. I was cuddled up against a big spruce in some dark timber and saw them coming. The lead cow got within sight of me and turned and bolted immediatley!
 
I've heard that about blue.Most everything I wear hunting is camo including blaze the only time I wear solid blaze is if I go on public land.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Then I want to stand out like the great pumkin . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Hey Longcruise, I don't think it was your blue jeans that got you busted. Are you sure it wasn't the Blue Spruce you were curled up under? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Never thought about the tree being at fault!!

All my hunting partners know that if they are going to hunt with me for preds or big game, don't show up in blue cause they will be on their own!!
 
White Eagle we have the same problem here we usualy take a hooded cover up and drape it over us as we walk in then we sit on it while we call.
This is on private land I dont have the stones to try it on public land.
 
Orange is no problem. The camo suggestion is good. This coyote came in where he could see the orange just fine, but didn't veer off until I moved (at about 10 steps).

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Coyotes don't seem to discern color as humans do. I think they may see it as more a mix of grays like a deer or elk.




That is true, at least in my experience.

We trained retrievers with retrieving dummies that were assorted colors. The WHITE ones, GREY ones, and BLACK ones were easy for the dogs to see once they got close to them, but the ORANGE ones were invisible to them unless they caught their scent. Canine eyes have trouble discerning orange from other colors.
 
Probably the closest we can get to the canine point of view is this. I bought a black light from Bass Pro, like fishermen use to see monofiliment line. Use it in total darkness.

Hunter orange looks dull gray.

Blues, such as denim, glow like a neon sign!!!!!

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I always wondered if blue is such a bad color to wear then why do just about all of the guides you see in magazine photos or shows have on blue jeans. Personally I buy everything in earth tone colors but always did wonder why the guides wear blue jeans.
 
Last deer season I was on stand and a yote ran up to within 20 feet of me.He was on the track of a fisher which passed by moments before.I was not wearing blaze orange but I had a bright red hunting coat on.The yote stopped at 20 feet and stood there for maybe 5-10 seconds.He was scanning for that fisher with his eyes.He never saw me until I moved to bring the gun up to shoot.
I do agree with cjg beef that animals do see blaze orange as a block of light but probably not as the color orange.I've had deer look right at me many times with red on and as long as I remained motionless they did not detect me.Not true with blaze orange.Had deer look at me and bolt or freeze almost immediatly.They saw "something" and it was not movement. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
There ya go, Critr Gitr is correct. If you get a chance to use a black light you'll see like a dog/yote sees. Blaze orange looks like a dark gray to them. Won't hurt a thing until you start moving.

Here's a thought (and I do this), on private land when making a stand we'll take our hunter blaze orange vests (or what ever we have) and hang it high above our heads on the same tree we're sitting under. IF someone comes along, etc; they'll see it and know we're there. Same thing is done when turkey hunting. As for public land, I too do not have the stones not to wear a full blaze orange jacket and hat. But mostly I'm on private land, so it's a bit more relaxing to wear less orange. It's a mandatory thing up here and I do believe it saves lives, but as far as your game seeing you because of it, no way. Most all game including deer do not see color, just blacks and grays and whites. I get a kick out of the TV commercials that indicate you will 'vanish' wearing their camo. Ya, you'll vanish alright, to other hunters! Not good.
 
"It's a mandatory thing up here and I do believe it saves lives,"

Rcpilotjae,where in New York is blaze orange mandatory?I do agree that it saves lives.
 
New York does not have blaze orange mandatory and every year more and more die not wearing it.

The NY F&G site says that in a nine year period, where 80% of all NY deer hunters wear blaze orange by choice, none wearing blaze orange died but fifteen not wearing it died.
 
I have heard how lots of animals are color blind and it may well be true. Seems odd then that most prey species are dull earth tone colors...
 
Yes, I should have clarified, my mistake, I apologize. On every public land I've hunted in NY, it is mandatory for blaze orange. In fact they go as far as to tell you it has to be covering your front/back from neck to waist and also a blaze orange hat. There could be public land that doesn't require orange in NY, all I can do is vouch for the ones I've been at. Usually on preserves.

I really don't like hunting public land, but there's one spot that's within 15 minutes of home and it's nice to go there when I can't (or not enough time) to go to the private land (two hours away). So I do what they ask and wear the orange and haven't had a bit of problems. (knock on wood...) It's fairly good public land, but the blaze orange thing is posted everywhere for hunters to see and in this particular spot you have to have a day to day permit, which can be obtained at the entrances along with the rules postings. But even on the private land I wear it, just not as much. Helps me to feel a bit safer.

But again, you guys are correct and I should have clarified my statement. I feel... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

As long as we're on the subject of animals being color blind, it's my opinion that since most game have much better hearing and smelling, they don't really need color. Even seeing the grays/whites and blacks their eye sight is sharper too. With the three senses being heightened they don't need to process color. Just my thoughts on it.
 
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