Deer season is open and many of our ‘brothers in orange’ are out there doing what they’ve been waiting all year to get back to. Just because you’re fishing (and not hunting) does not mean you don’t have to wear your blaze orange during hunting season!
Hunting is a safe activity, when everyone plays by the rules and the widespread use of blaze orange, and the laws that have been enacted to mandate its use during hunting seasons, have dramatically reduced hunting-related firearms incidents in the field. While hunters are required to wear blaze orange during certain seasons, all outdoor users who are in the woods during hunting seasons should wear blaze orange clothing as a precaution. If you plan to enjoy the outdoors during hunting season, review these tips:
Know when and where hunting is allowed, you can review your state’s lists of public lands and whether or not hunting is allowed on them by visiting your local fish and wildlife website. Also make sure to know the ins and outs of your states hunting laws, like seasons and when hunters can and cannot hunt. For example, Massachusetts does not allow hunting on Sunday, but Rhode Island and Connecticut do, however there are exceptions to those rules, so make sure you know the law. Most state parks and forests are open to hunting, and many towns allow hunting on municipal lands. Research the property you plan to visit beforehand to learn if hunting is allowed. If being in the woods during hunting season makes you uneasy, find a location where hunting is not allowed or plan your outing for a Sunday or another day outside of hunting season.
Make your presence known. Talk loudly or whistle to identify yourself as a person. You may also consider wearing a bell. If you see someone hunting or hear shots, call out to them to identify your location. And be courteous. Once you’ve made your presence known, don’t make unnecessary noise to disturb wildlife or hunting. Hunter harassment is against the law. If you have a pet, make sure they also have some orange on them so hunters don’t target them by mistake.
So when you hike in to that secret trout stream, or take that wooded path to get to your favorite backwater striper spot, make sure you’ve taken the proper precautions to keep yourself safe. If you’re fisherman, then you may have had to deal with access laws limiting where you can fish. Taking safety precautions, like wearing blaze orange, protects you and also protects the hunters’ ability to maintain legal access to the property, fishermen, of all people, should be extra sensitive to that.