# Hunter Orange While Fly Fishing



## Hawk87 (Apr 4, 2014)

Hey guys,

I am headed up to fish a stream that runs through a popular hunting area. Do you guys wear hunter orange while fly fishing during hunting season? I am inclined to just wear a hat, but I am not sure.

I also might juts bag it and go somewhere else, but I like that stream.

Thoughts?


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## mlob1one (Aug 29, 2014)

I'd bring a hat and if you see a bunch of trucks or hear atv's slap it on. Most mid week hunters are not idiots.

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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Hunter orange mattered more in decades past, where a higher percentage of people used open sights. Today, its rare to see open sights. Ricochets or shots over ridgelines will still happen, and any amount of hunter orange wont prevent it.

I love Wyoming and the simple orange hat rule.


-DallanC


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Man, if I even thought there might be Utah hunters near where I was fishing, I'd have on a vest and hat. Utah hunters are the most dangerous of the rocky mountain states. And if I'm in a stream, behind some willows or something and a guy in on the road, I want them to see me. I know I preferred to just stay out of the mountains during the rifle hunt in Utah. No fishing is worth it.


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## mlob1one (Aug 29, 2014)

I've been hunting and fishing pretty consistently for the last couple of months and haven't been too concerned myself, but to each his own.

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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Great idea...the fish will think your deer hunting and not fishing:mrgreen:


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I wouldn't be too worried about it. If you are, an orange hat should suffice. If it really is a popular hunting area, I'd be more worried about screwing up someone's hunt by fishing through it than I would about getting shot. 

Unless you screw it up too much for the wrong person, then whether you get shot or not will likely have nothing to do with the clothing you were wearing at the time. (joking...of course)


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## Hawk87 (Apr 4, 2014)

Vanilla said:


> I wouldn't be too worried about it. If you are, an orange hat should suffice. If it really is a popular hunting area, I'd be more worried about screwing up someone's hunt by fishing through it than I would about getting shot.
> 
> Unless you screw it up too much for the wrong person, then whether you get shot or not will likely have nothing to do with the clothing you were wearing at the time. (joking...of course)


I am actually not too concerned about that. The stream is pretty near (within 100 yards) the main trail into the area, I doubt people hunt that valley, never know though.

I am thinking a hat, with a vest in my bag. Fishing for spooky fish in hunter orange should be fun


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## Trigger (Sep 11, 2007)

Man, if I even thought there might be Utah hunters near where I was fishing, I'd have on a vest and hat. Utah hunters are the most dangerous of the rocky mountain states. And if I'm in a stream, behind some willows or something and a guy in on the road, I want them to see me. I know I preferred to just stay out of the mountains during the rifle hunt in Utah. No fishing is worth it.

Gary
Just curious where did the information come from that you would make a general statement like that. I tried googling it but couldn't find any statistics. I however do think orange during hunting season is a good idea no matter what you are doing.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Vanilla said:


> I wouldn't be too worried about it. If you are, an orange hat should suffice. If it really is a popular hunting area, I'd be more worried about screwing up someone's hunt by fishing through it than I would about getting shot.


Speaking of someone screwing with someone elses hunt, opening day of my Wifes LE deer hunt, we were first up the road, and were sitting on the edge of a big sagebrush flat, watching deer just coming out to feed. Some imbecile drove up in his razor with 4 kids, said "We dont have a deer tag, but we're going to go call coyotes" then drove around us, down through the sagebrush to setup 400 yards away and start making all kinds of coyote'ish racket. Seriously... opening day of a LE deer hunt.

I wanted to slap him up side the head.

-DallanC


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## Hawk87 (Apr 4, 2014)

DallanC said:


> Speaking of someone screwing with someone elses hunt, opening day of my Wifes LE deer hunt, we were first up the road, and were sitting on the edge of a big sagebrush flat, watching deer just coming out to feed. Some imbecile drove up in his razor with 4 kids, said "We dont have a deer tag, but we're going to go call coyotes" then drove around us, down through the sagebrush to setup 400 yards away and start making all kinds of coyote'ish racket. Seriously... opening day of a LE deer hunt.
> 
> I wanted to slap him up side the head.
> 
> -DallanC


Like I said, I wouldn't be fishing there if I thought I was going to screw up someone's hunt. The fact that I am going tomorrow morning (since it's a weekday) should help as well.

Still though, it's a valid concern. I haven't made up my mind if it's worth the risk with all the hunters there or not.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

GaryFish said:


> Man, if I even thought there might be Utah hunters near where I was fishing, I'd have on a vest and hat. Utah hunters are the most dangerous of the rocky mountain states. And if I'm in a stream, behind some willows or something and a guy in on the road, I want them to see me. I know I preferred to just stay out of the mountains during the rifle hunt in Utah. No fishing is worth it.


I'd love to see a source on that too, everything I've read shows a dramatic continual drop in the number of accidents each year.

https://www.nssf.org/PDF/research/IIR_InjuryStatistics2013.pdf

-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Hawk87 said:


> Like I said, I wouldn't be fishing there if I thought I was going to screw up someone's hunt. The fact that I am going tomorrow morning (since it's a weekday) should help as well.


As a avid hunter, I cant imagine your fishing having even the slightest impact on hunters. Go have fun, catch a bunch of fish 

-DallanC


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## Hawk87 (Apr 4, 2014)

DallanC said:


> As a avid hunter, I cant imagine your fishing having even the slightest impact on hunters. Go have fun, catch a bunch of fish
> 
> -DallanC


:mrgreen: thanks, I appreciate the insight.

I am an avid duck hunter, so I have had my fair share of hunts ruined by ill mannered people. I tend to error on the side of caution when it comes to messing up others hunts.

I deer hunt when I can draw a tag, but I wouldn't say I am "good" at it. Ha ha.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> I'd love to see a source on that too, everything I've read shows a dramatic continual drop in the number of accidents each year.
> 
> https://www.nssf.org/PDF/research/IIR_InjuryStatistics2013.pdf
> 
> -DallanC


Nice source document. Good information on hunting in general. But I'm not seeing anything that might compare states. Utah and all of our neighbors in the table had no data. So tough to say there.

Anectdotally, I grew up hunting in Idaho, and then hunted in Utah when I moved there in the late 1980s. Hunting in Idaho, there was no hunter orange requirement, and still isn't. Yet I never once looked through my binoculars to find another hunter looking at me with his rifle scope. I never once had bullets hit around me. I never once had anyone threaten me if I didn't leave "their spot." I have had those same experiences more than a dozen times hunting in Utah during the general deer hunt. After having those experiences, I gave up public land hunting in Utah completely 10-12 years ago. If I didn't draw a CWMU tag, I didn't hunt. I moved back to Idaho two years ago, and haven't heard of a single hunting related shooting here. Yet, the two previous years in Utah both had people getting shot in Utah. (I've not heard of any this year. yet.)

So back to the question - should a guy wear hunter orange if he is out fishing during a hunt? If I were in Utah, absolutely I would.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

GaryFish said:


> I moved back to Idaho two years ago, and haven't heard of a single hunting related shooting here. Yet, the two previous years in Utah both had people getting shot in Utah. (I've not heard of any this year. yet.)


October 03, 2016
http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/idaho/utah-sheriff-shot-in-hand-in-idaho-hunting-accident/328657629

Sept 06, 2016
http://www.postregister.com/article.../06/nampa-man-accidentally-shot-while-hunting

Sept 2016
http://www.eastidahonews.com/2016/09/womans-rifle-discharges-hits-son-during-hunting-trip/

http://www.khq.com/story/5614190/teenage-boy-dies-in-apparent-hunting-accident

Sad, but it happens everywhere.

-DallanC


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## WillowCreekMan (Dec 17, 2014)

If you do decide to wear orange I think you should also consider riding an ATV right up next to the steam bed and make sure you slam the tail gate on your truck and holler and your hunting...oops I mean fishing buddies as loud as you can.

Any other behavior in Orange is considered unacceptable


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

If you think there is a chance of needing hunter orange, then you should also believe there is a chance to screw up someone's hunt. Of course, you are just as entitled to use the area for your choice of recreation as they are. Just be respectful. A hunter walking through anarea you are fishing won't do anything to your fishing trip. A fisherman walking through an area someone is hunting could really mess things up. 

Just be respectful and mindful of your impact. You should be okay if you follow that rule. (Which we all should ALWAYS be following anyway.)


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

I wear my hunting jacket orange side out even when I go jogging all the time.

Better the cars to see me with.

Pedestrians have the right of way on sidewalks and in crosswalks but most motorists are half blind -- even when they are speeding and/or tailgating.

Many people who are hunting are half blind too -- they see antlers on everything even ducks.

That's what buck fever does to you.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Many people who are hunting are half blind too -- they see antlers on everything even ducks."Quote Karl" 

Antlers on ducks? Wow :shock:


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Dunkem said:


> Many people who are hunting are half blind too -- they see antlers on everything even ducks."Quote Karl"
> 
> Antlers on ducks? Wow :shock:


Duck-a-lopes, now there would be a unique mount.


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## wiggley1 (Oct 31, 2016)

I don't know about a particular state but, hunters from the "city", makes me wanna wear one of those strobe lights like they give you at Applebee's when your table is ready on top of my head and a bullet proof jacket.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Speaking of someone screwing with someone elses hunt, opening day of my Wifes LE deer hunt, we were first up the road, and were sitting on the edge of a big sagebrush flat, watching deer just coming out to feed. Some imbecile drove up in his razor with 4 kids, said "We dont have a deer tag, but we're going to go call coyotes" then drove around us, down through the sagebrush to setup 400 yards away and start making all kinds of coyote'ish racket. Seriously... opening day of a LE deer hunt.
> 
> I wanted to slap him up side the head.
> 
> -DallanC


No offense, but I hate this mentality. I get that, for you, the LE hunt should take precedence over someone else's coyote hunt because they can do it year round on any year without any kind of special tag. But, his right to be in the outdoors recreating on public land is just that--his right. I wonder if he wanted to slap you upside the head for screwing up his coyote hunt....

When dealing with hunting/fishing/recreating on public land, we have to understand--whether we have a special LE tag or not--that other people have the same fundamental right as we do to use that land for their recreation. Your special tag doesn't give you any extra special privileges that place your hunt above someone else's. I know that it sucks sometimes, but that is how it should be.

With that being said, on my LE elk hunt back in 2007, we had a couple of grouse hunters screw us up. I was totally irked and wanted, like you, to slap them upside the head. However, the difference, is that these two yahoos were riding trailbikes in a non-motorized area illegally. Had they hiked in and been shooting their shotguns at grouse and messed us up, I would have been irritated, like you, but never questioned their right to hunt in that area or even suggested that my hunt had the priority.

Anyway, sorry for the hi-jack and the rant.

I would wear hunter orange if I thought I were in an area where lots of hunters would be out and about and my life was potentially in jeopardy otherwise.


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