Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game "Blaze" Orange

One learns the damnedest trivia here on the Campfire! I confess that this is one of the reasons that I apparently can't stay away.

I took:

Hunter orange means a daylight fluorescent orange color with a dominant wave length between 595 and 605 nanometers, excitation purity not less than 85% and luminance factor of not less than 40%.


directly out of the published law book. Truth of the matter is I need a dictionary to figure out 1/2 of what is being said.

"Blaze" orange is highly subjective.....grin

Ahem.....



true dat......

It is required so da game wardens can spot you easier....has nuttin to do with safety

I know of nothing in Montana that defines "blaze orange' but I think a prosecutor would be hard pressed to stand before a jury and argue someones orange wasn't orange enough.
Maybe something references the standard nanometer waive length definition- but even then it better be something in addition to a very bad flagrant violation.

I've got lots of 'orange'. I'll be wearing some before the day's through in fact. Of course, I'm more likely to do it instead of a proper blaze vest the less likely I feel I am to run into folks of any shade.

yeah, with all the "chicken littles" of the world Oregon is requiring Blaze Orange on Kids under 18 y/o...

when I take kids out, I have them wear Orange... but I resent the fact it is NOW required...as I look at the motivation was probably another opportunity to write citation ( read that as MORE revenue generation)... and they got it past the democrat legislature and governor because once again...."its for the children!" their excuse for anything that they may think might be a problem getting passed if it is another revenue raising racket...

How many kids have been shot deer hunting in Oregon in the last 15 years??? (I am sure there is the typical liberal response... ONE is too many!!!)

This pisses me off, as we had two boys written up when I use to hunt with my buddies in Wisconsin.. some DNR dick wanted to see the boys licenses... so as they were standing there while he was looking at the licenses, each boy took off his orange hat....

one was just getting hot, and the other took it off to scratch his head...

The DNR hands them their licenses, pulls out his ticket book and wrote each boy a $130 fine for not having their orange hats on....one was 14 and the other one was 16 at the time...

This SOB always took two 'witnesses' with him all the time evidently... brother in laws....wasn't so much for "witness" as it was to keep the DNR finding him hanging upside down in a tree, with his mouth ducktaped, hands tied behind his back and the crap beat out of him... or worse...

just more DNR or F&W crap in my opinion...

by the way, I wear one of these from Walmart.. or a yellow one..that Sez "Ducks" on it..



Seafire Jr's high school colors are Blue and Orange, so he has about 5 sweatshirts that are bright orange and about 10 tshirts and athletic shirts...so we do wear orange..but where we hunt, we have many suburbanites that are back there walking their dog, or jogging or dirt bike riding or ATV and dirtbikes even tho the area is posted that it is illegal... doesn't seem to phase the local Beavis and Buttheads..

And, if you lose it or mess it up you ain't lost much. I do the same.

I think you just forgot to rememberize that. At least, that's how my mother in law makes excuses for her bad memory.

Louisiana is pretty strict on this. Must be 400in2 on body and a hat, but private land can opt for just the hat. I've never seen anyone get a summons for the orange being too faded, but plenty who have gotten a warning about it, including me. That's what one thing I like about bowhunting and small game on private land, No orange requirement; try sneaking up to air rifle range on a squirrl while dressed like a traffic cone.

You can get out of it in LA by hunting in an elevated stand.



Honestly unless I travel out west I haven't even really thought about it. Been hunting in TX for the last 15 years where it's not required except on public land hunts.

Having run into literally hundreds if not thousands of hunters in LA, TX and MS while working in the field and/or riding along with a Game Warden I have never personally witnessed a hunter in gun season for deer actually wearing anything hunters orange except on a public land (Forest Service) or WMA hunt. I've yet to see anyone get ticketed either, but I'm sure it happens.

Just for fun I looked up South Dakota law:

"Any person hunting any big game animal, except turkey, with a firearm shall wear in a visible manner one or more fluorescent orange exterior garments. The exterior garment shall be a hat, cap, shirt, jacket, vest, coverall or poncho worn above the waist. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. "

I don't know anyone who objects, but then I don't know everyone. Haven't heard of faded being an issue, common sense applies I suppose.

Maybe we're more used to it as it's common to wear orange when walking for pheasants in heavy cover. Helps us stay together more than anything.

I concur with eh76. Is there ANY state that requires EVERYONE who is in the woods to wear orange??? Hikers? Photographers? CONSERVATION OFFICERS??? Anyone else besides hunters?? IF it was truly for "SAFETY", EVERYONE,including a farmer who is out on game land during an open big game season would be required to wear orange.

But you guys aren't smart enough to pump your own gas...

Same in NY. I usually wear a vest while moving from spot to spot, even on my own land. Strictly camo or my buffalo plaid wool coat for still hunting or on stand.

Wisconsin's blaze orange regulation is based on a percentage of color rather than a square inch number.

This is the first year bowhunters can hunt during the gun deer season and they must comply with the blaze orange requirement.


Blaze Orange Requirements
In any area of the state where a firearm deer season is open (including the regular
9-day hunt, muzzleloader season, October 8�9 Youth Hunt, October and December
4-day antlerless-only hunts, and CWD hunts), no person may hunt any game, except
waterfowl, unless at least 50% of the person�s outer clothing above the waist is colored
blaze orange. A hat or other head covering, if worn, must be at least 50% blaze orange.
Faded or stained blaze orange clothing is unsafe and may not meet law requirements.
Camo-blaze that is 50% blaze orange is legal, but is not as visible as solid blaze clothing.
100% solid blaze orange is recommended.

Yeah, while you're in the stand. You still have to wear it to and from. And most hunters in LA hunt on clubs that require wearing more than the min hat. As far as seeing someone get ticketed, come hunt on Red Dirt Management area in Kasatchie National Forest, you'll see it. I've seen vest being measured to make sure they were 400sq.in. And I've see someone ticketed, while wearing a vest, for not wearing his orange hat.

Washington's Hunter Orange Requirements:


Under the following conditions a minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent hunter orange exterior clothing is required. It must be worn above the waist and be visible from all sides. A hat, by itself, does not meet this requirement.

Anyone hunting deer or elk during any modern firearm deer or elk general season is required to wear fluorescent hunter orange clothing. All modern firearm permit holders must wear fluorescent hunter orange clothing. This includes archers and muzzleloaders while hunting in units (e.g. GMUs, Deer, Areas, Elk Areas, Wilderness Areas, etc.) that overlap modern firearm seasons.

Anyone hunting in an area that is open for modern firearm deer or elk hunting must meet hunter orange requirements if they are hunting any of the following species: Bear, Bobcat, Cougar, Coyote, Deer, Elk, Fox, Grouse, Hare, Rabbit, or Raccoon.

During any upland game bird (pheasant, quail, and partridge) season, anyone hunting upland game birds or rabbits with a modern firearm is required to wear fluorescent hunter orange clothing. (Grouse are not upland game birds.)



Hunter Orange Clothing is Not Required:

During an upland game bird season for anyone hunting upland game birds with a muzzleloading firearm, bow and arrow, or for falconry.

While hunting in a muzzleloading or archery only GMU and possessing a valid muzzleloading or archery deer or elk tag.

Like many other states mentioned, Utah requires 400 sq. in. across the head, chest, and back. As of 2009, you can wear the hunter-orange camo patterned clothing although the DWR discourages it. Blaze orange is not required on certain hunts though (unless there is an overlapping centerfire hunt in the same area):
* bighorn sheep hunt
* mountain goat hunt
* bison hunt
* moose hunt
* hunt requiring the hunter to possess a statewide conservation permit
* hunt requiring the hunter to possess a statewide sportsman permit

As for ticketing for not being "blaze" orange I've never seen it. My dad has worn the same hunter orange coat since before I was born and in many places the orange has nearly completely worn off and is nothing but white. If anybody could get cited he could, but he's never been harassed about it. I imagine it depends entirely on the mood and temperament of the officer though. I've met some really nice, helpful gentlemen and I've met some who acted like real pricks.