Blaze orange break-up pattern

[boogieman]

Firearm season requires that you wear blaze everyplace that I am aware of. I also agree with the practice. Some people will shoot at movement and I dont want to be the one to find out which ones do. So anyway I bought my son a blaze orange breakup pattern parka. Im having problems finding one this year for myself. Cabelas has 2 but I would love to have a few more available to compare against.
Why I have the subject open for discussion. Deer see shades of B/W. Why do some spend hundreds of dollars getting the newest best in camo gear? While sitting against a tree I have had a doe walk close enough that she could have stepped on my foot. To be honest it was a little scary being face to face with a doe that knew something was up but didnt know what. I think she finaly saw the steam in my breath or smelled the booze from the night before then spooked and ran. I was in a dirty abused blaze orange parka with black carhart bibs. Several other occasions I have had deer look directly at me both from the ground and while in the stand and they never noticed me. IMO this proves that color is not an issue.

 

[jmr40]

Blaze orange is not required in many states.

Blaze Camo is illegal in many places where orange is required. In GA 500 SQ inches of a SOLID orange is required.

In some places, Colorado for example they also require an orange cap.

Deer do not see in black and white. Deer see in color, they just see different colors than humans. As do most all mammals. As a result they see better at night. Birds such as waterfowl and turkey have eyes similar to humans and they see the same colors as humans.

Why do some spend hundreds of dollars getting the newest best in camo gear?

Because deer are not the only species I hunt. I don't worry too much about camo when rifle hunting. At extreme close archery ranges it will help hide movment. Instead of owning a hunting jacket for deer, and a separate one in camo for waterfowl, I can wear the camo jacket for everything.

 

[Patocazador]

Check your state laws. Some states only allow solid blaze orange not the dual shade "camo" orange patterns. Other states don't really specify in the short form of the hunting regs. whether it's illegal or not but it could be in the legal description.

I was given a warning in Alabama for wearing an orange vest with hand-painted dark stripes.

 

[boogieman]

I was given a warning in Alabama for wearing an orange vest with hand-painted dark stripes

Did you have on a orange cap? I have never had an issue, but I have never encountered a game warden while wearing breakup orange.

Deer see in color, they just see different colors than humans.

In my experience blaze orange does not effect them. Any new material seems to bother them. Im guessing more of a reflection or just to much contrast with the background.

Mammal eyes contain two different types of cells that receive light: rods and cones. Rods are sensitive to low light but don't register colors. Cones pick up color in daylight. Human eyes contain more cones, so we distinguish color well. Because we have relatively few rods, however, our night vision is limited. Deer eyes are heavy on rods and light on cones, so whitetails and muleys move easily in the dark.

From F&S
They see color like we see in the dark.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Colorado doesn't allow the orange camo while big game hunting. You don't HAVE to wear orange for small game/birds but they still recommend wearing orange.

 

[Grumulkin]

Ohio - Solid blaze orange or blaze camo is OK as long as there are enough square inches.

Wyoming - A blaze orange hat is enough.

Alaska - Wear anything you like. Actually, you could probably wear nothing if you didn't mind being cold, wet and/or bug eaten.

 

[PonyKiller]

Jersey is either a solid, no logo blaze cap. Or 200sq in of blaze orange unbroken front and back, though they change that part of the reg kinda frequently so I always err on the side of caution.

Unfortunately if someone is zoned out, you could be total orange and they won't see ya.... That's a scary feeling someone looking directly at you when you are orange as a road cone and not seeing you three times in a few minutes. After that I've taken to Camo, minimum orange and peeled eyes and ears for the armed zombies wandering the woods here in deer season.

 

[black_powder_Rob]

Pony killer your experience is why I only hunt on private land. Fortunately I have a few family and friends that have suitable land for hunting.

 

[wgp]

Kansas requires blaze orange for big game, camo orange is legal if minimum square inches (100 front, 100 back, orange hat) are there.

For what it's worth, more than once I have had deer walk within a few yards of me while I sat there in plain sight in lots of orange, and if I did not move and was upwind so they did not smell me, they paid me no attention.

 

[brainwake]

I went for a walk a few weeks ago and walked up on a pack of doe...about 12....I wasn't wearing any camo. My wife and I walked up to about 20 yards and sat down and watched them. They saw us....but decided they didn't care. We had to walk through them before they would even get out of the way. Now...once the guns start firing with black powder...I am sure that wouldn't happen.

 

[PonyKiller]

Not really an option round here for a private land hunt, at least that I've found.

There are a good number of farms around, they either contract with hunting clubs or don't allow it due to fear of litigation... the few options I do have are about an hour away. My cure for the other hunters has been Be invisible, mobile if necessary and go deep. Where I've been going The past year and a bit has been knucklehead free. That being said I generally find the biggest tree in the area to sit against, I prefer an oak flack jacket to a maple one

 

[josiewales]

PA, you have to wear 250 square inches of orange on your chest, head, and back. And orange camo is allowed.

 

[boogieman]

@ponykiller- Im in S. NJ also. Near Buena. I was lucky enough to come across a land lease at a reasonable number. Zone 47. Not the best for firearm seasons but it gives me a few days in the woods. I dont venture into the game lands during seasons. I know of at least 3 people that over the years have caught a pellet. I actually had someone shoot my decoys when duck hunting. Until this year I have not hunted NJ since I was in my teens. I belong to a club in PA so I am able to get 1st week in ever year up there.

 

[boogieman]

I understand why more people dont use blaze breakup now. For those of you who do have you seen it available in any catalogs other than Cabelas?