Favorite orange hat?

[Loyalist Dave]

I disagree, and here is why. The orange of a vest is easily seen by other hunters and as long as it is motionless will not spook game animals. It is movement that will spook game animals and it is impossible to hunt without moving the head around to scan your surroundings. And you need to move your hands and arms to raise the rifle to take a shot. I don't see the orange vest as much of a handicap. But don't want it on my head, arms, or hands.

Not sure that's accurate everywhere....
. When I walk along a woodland path that goes over a rise in the woods...the first part of me that's visible as I come over the top, is the orange hat on my head.

Where I live is one of the original 13 colonies; same where you are. Now where I am a lot of the boundaries going waaaay back are creek beds, which often are intermittent with water. Folks have put up fences along these beds, and have left trees growing down in these "hollers" as it's tough to get the tractor down into them and back out, for planting crops, and why not leave some habitat for critters? Well when one group of farmers is out in the field with rifles, and I happen to be in the woodline in the holler, going up over a fence, I'd like them to see the orange on my head and not shoot in my direction.

As to vests not "spooking" deer...not sure of that either. I've had deer come into the area where I am and look right at me and freeze. They don't see "orange" but they do see the lighter, brighter patch and if it isn't right, they will notice me.

I have also seen deer when I'm on private land with my flintlock, dressed in historic replica clothing of an Easter Longhunter (dull gray and brown) spot me from a distance. I was in a defunct vineyard. I was standing among 4x4 posts, and was up against a post as I heard them coming. I was hoping they wouldn't notice that one of the posts was a lot fatter than the rest that morning...one doe sure took a very long very hard look at me and then moved off. In both of the above instances I didn't move and the wind was not from me to the deer. Now granted, had I moved, the game would've been all over...but they did notice me and shy away from me. Would the doe have bolted and alerted the rest had I been in a vest? Who knows, but she noticed me none the less.

Luckily in both cases there is usually one straggler that doesn't clue in the rest of the group of deer are alerted. I got the straggler each time.

LD

 

[Random 8]

I hunt deer with both camouflage (archery season) and pretty much full blaze orange in rifle season. I've noticed very little difference in how deer spot me and react to their discovery provided I have some sort of basic concealment working to break up my outline. They key on movement and contrast. If you're not moving, skylined, or otherwise contrasting with your background, you're usually not seen even at quite close distances regardless of clothing color so long as you are not wearing solid blocks. In MN, "blaze camo" is legal so long as 50% or more of clothing above the waist is blaze orange. My hunting coat wears a homemade version of "dazzle" camouflage applied with a brown and forest green sharpie, and I've found it quite effective. I do believe this is helpful when forced to sit in the open as against a treestump, on a chair, etc. You can create a "contrast silhouette" by being dark on light or light on dark, the contrast in camouflage can help with this, but not so much as natural brush, branches, and patterns of light/dark to break up your silhouette and contrast. They do seem to see blue and purple as "un-natural," it gets their attention, so I never wear any of that spectrum.

I'm also with LD, the orange hat is the most important article to have orange for safety purposes. In highly pressured areas, I also wear orange gloves while walking for signaling purposes. They are kept hidden while hunting for above reasons unless I spot/hear another hunter approaching and wish to quietly alert him to my presence.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I'm really glad to hear positive comments on orange. So many hunters up here poo poo it and oppose any talk of requiring it. I'm the only person I know who wears it, and I've only seen one person wearing it in the field, and all he had on was a hat (which was enough).

 

[LoonWulf]

Had this one since 2010, got nicknamed the flop hat of doom.

I'm really glad to hear positive comments on orange. So many hunters up here poo poo it and oppose any talk of requiring it. I'm the only person I know who wears it, and I've only seen one person wearing it in the field, and all he had on was a hat (which was enough).

I ware an orange T-shirt even when bow hunting, could care less what other folks say/ think, the orange is for me, not them.
I also caution anyone walking around in a nature reserve, or other hunting area here to have orange on, especially some of the places that only open during bird season. Here it's only required if your carrying a firearm which is stupid.
I've seen enough dumb crap I want every advantage to not be a crappy statistic.

 

[Buckeye63]

I wear a Tenn Volunteer hat !!!!

Go VOLs !!!!!!

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I wear a Tenn Volunteer hat !!!!

Go VOLs !!!!!!

Who do you think you are? Bill Dance?

 

[jdh]

Had a Trout Trooper once tell me the hood on my orange fleece does NOT count as a hat under the law

 

[Axis II]

My favorite is a mossy oak one with half the brim in brown. It fits very well and the brim stays rounded. I have had that hat for probably 10yrs. If its super cold I wear either an orange face mask or camo face mask. Ohio only requires an orange vest.

 

[Double_J]

My favorites are a generic orange watch cap that I bought a LONG time ago, a cableas? baseball cap that I bought about 10 years ago, or my favorite orange boonie hat from a random flea market.

We have some areas back ho.e that one does not go without wearing as much orange as you can wear or you MIGHT get someone pointing a rifle in your direction. the game wardens tell everyone camping and hiking to wear at least an orange vest if not a hat and gloves (when cold enough) or risk Bubba shooting at them. I stay away from that area as there are no game animals nor do I like being a target.

 

[v8stang289]

I have a pretty big head, so a lot of hats don't fit me well. The last couple of seasons I've been wearing a fitted XL UnderArmour blaze orange hat. I like it a lot, but looking just now all I see available are the stretch fit.

 

[Patocazador]

I've never had an orange hat just an orange vest. No law for it here just 144 sq. in. of orange.

As mentioned previously, your head is turning and moving constantly, your body much less.

 

[v8stang289]

I can see both sides of the argument for hats or vests, but a lot of times I'm wearing a pack or possibly a climber when I'm walking in. And that blocks the majority of my torso from that side. So I prefer to wear a hat. That's on my highest part and should be visible from all sides.

 

[Mark1964]

Cap is mandatory for upland bird hunting here. My favorites are:
Most weather: Ball cap, any kind as long as it fits. Kind of like 'em with brown duck brim when I can find 'em and they fit.
Cold weather: Radar O'Reilly knit cap, but not the Thinsulate insulated ones. Those get to warm for me.
Rain: Boonie

 

[hillman23]

Oregon State Beavers here. It looks great wherever you are.