Landscapers ― what precautions do you take in hunting season?

[Heroique]

Too many times, I’ve been in the national forests – usually off the beaten path – when nearby gun shots startle me.

And if it’s fall hunting season (fast approaching) these shots sometimes not only startle me; they terrify me – even though responsible hunters, I’m certain, greatly outnumber the clueless ones in the mountains of my region. Call it bad luck, but I’ve come across the clueless ones too many times.

Usually, my chief precaution – besides choosing periodic, non-hunting weeks to explore the woods – is wearing a baseball cap that’s bright orange. I even place it on top my bellows when I go under the darkcloth. (After all, when composing next to a tripod, don’t we all look like four-legged animals to the over-zealous hunter who spots us through branch and bramble?) Moreover, two favorite times for photographic light – dawn and dusk – are preferred times for hunters to look for shots of their own.

This season, I’m considering doing more than the hat thing. Perhaps a vest too. And maybe I’ll find or make a “hunter’s orange” darkcloth. I’d enjoy hearing additional ideas from the other photographers here.

What tips can you share?

[Sirius Glass]

For the clueless, anything that is “hunter’s orange” is as good a target as a cow.

Bring a hunting rifle with you, then you can shoot back. That will balance the situation. ;)

[Greg Miller]

I wear a big orange vest and sing a lot. But I have been startled a few times when encountering a close-by a hunter in a tree stand. I'm sure I ruined their hunting for several hours, so have been thankful they have not loosed a round in my direction. That usually is sufficient to ruin my creativity for several hours too.

[Heroique]

...That usually is sufficient to ruin my creativity for several hours too.

For many photographers, this might be the biggest cost to “shooting” in hunting season.

Namely, the distraction it represents; I’ve certainly felt it.

-----
Another habit of mine when the season is underway:

I’ll ask the district ranger’s office about favorite hunting areas – or better, if they know of hunting parties in the areas I plan to visit. Also, I’ll do more than just call a day or two ahead of my visit – if possible, I’ll visit the office the day of my visit. Not just for the most current information. A face-to-face meeting usually elicits better information than a phone conversation. Especially when there’s a forest map on the wall to refer to. Moreover, I’ll ask if a field ranger is available; their information is a useful complement to what people “behind the counter” can offer. (It’s often just plain better, too.) Finally, I think it’s important to remember that even their information could be wrong or incomplete – and head into the woods as if you had gathered information from no one, or from an unreliable source. This, of course, requires a good hunter’s imagination!

[Sirius Glass]

If you urinate regularly where you are, the animals will smell it and leave the area. With the animals gone, the hunters are less likely to stay.

That way you can be proactive!

[Alan Butcher]

Wear a blaze orange hat at the minimum, also the straps that attach my tripod to pack are blaze orange. I also avoid areas that are heavily hunted except for Sundays, no Sunday hunting in PA.

Many of the parks and state forests have areas that do not allow hunting.

--
Alan

[Heroique]

Wear a blaze orange hat at the minimum...

Here’s my cap, the one I also set on top of my bellows.

Good ol’ Filson – probably saved my life a couple of times.

When I walk the October woods, it’s the indispensable item in my field kit.

[Larry Gebhardt]

I hunt, and can tell you that when walking in the woods I wouldn't just wear an orange hat during hunting season. I would recommend you get a vest. Some of the hunting vests could be very useful to photographers.

I don't understand how you could shoot at something without fully identifying it, but it does happen. I assume it's someone who's eyes are playing tricks on them combined with wishful thinking. Orange should nip that in the bud.

[lenser]

Haven't done it yet, but I just found out that a local surplus store stocks the extremely bright yellow reflective vests (with the reflector strips) that the highway department and construction road crews use. Seems like that with an orange hat would be pretty noticeable. Maybe even add some bear bells to alert the hunters that a human is about.

[Vaughn]

I was tempted to tie a pair of antlers on one of our more dangerous and honery mules. Turn the sucker loose on opening day. Part of my job was to ride in the wilderness on opening weekends and contact hunting camps. I usually would just have one mule behind me -- with large pieces of orange on the mule's load.

Now, generally I stay out of the woods during hunting season. Fortunately there are many alternatives where no hunting is allowed, such at our local State Parks.

Vaughn

[Heroique]

I hunt, and can tell you that when walking in the woods I wouldn't just wear an orange hat during hunting season...


...I just found out that a local surplus store stocks the extremely bright yellow reflective vests (with the reflector strips) that the highway department and construction road crews use. Seems like that with an orange hat would be pretty noticeable...

Yes, better too much orange than too little.

I’m quite attached to that Filson hat – here’s their vest I might add to my field kit for the busiest hunting times.

Say, those shell pouches would be great for small items I’m always losing – like my pencil for field notes or Lee Filter accessories.

[Sirius Glass]

Unfortunately, to the clueless orange clothes are seen as moving leaves which to them mean shoot first because in might be a deer or bear or squirrel. They will shoot before realizing that it is a two legged squirrel. :(

[Leigh]

Bring a hunting rifle with you, then you can shoot back. That will balance the situation. ;)
Not for long. I'm a heck of a lot better shot than they are, so the ratio will change rapidly. :cool:

- Leigh

[Leigh]

And if it’s fall hunting season (fast approaching) these shots sometimes not only startle me; they terrify me – even though responsible hunters, I’m certain, greatly outnumber the clueless ones in the mountains of my region. Call it bad luck, but I’ve come across the clueless ones too many times.
I grew up in the farm country in central Illinois. Every fall we were inundated by hoards of "hunters" from Chicago who had never seen a real gun until they bought one a couple of days earlier.

We just painted the word COW in large white letters on the appropriate animals and stayed indoors as much as possible. Fortunately these guys seldom mistook a house for a deer. :eek:

I've been shooting since I was five years old, many decades ago. I know how to shoot. Too bad that's not true of the city-slickers.

- Leigh

[Steve Smith]

what precautions do you take in hunting season?

I find that living in England is enough of a precaution!


Every fall we were inundated by hoards of "hunters" from Chicago who had never seen a real gun until they bought one a couple of days earlier.

I am amazed that any country allows this.


Steve.

[akfreak]

I bring my Own Rifle to shoot back!

[E. von Hoegh]

I stay out of hunted areas. I suppose one could use a blaze orange (or other flourescent color like green) darkcloth.

[Brian Ellis]

My preferred way would be to carry a gun and shoot the hunters, save the animals. But since that would get me in trouble I just avoid places where hunters go. Many of them seem to use hunting as an excuse to get away from the wife and get drunk so I don't think any measure short of avoiding the areas is really safe. When these guys have their macho blood-lust up anything that moves is at risk.

[jp]

The skill of hunters has improved a great deal over the past generations. Almost nobody gets mistakenly shot in Maine anymore. Most hunting accidents are self-inflicted gene pool thinning measures. But it makes sense to not confuse someone with a gun. The "I thought I saw a wabbitt" hunters are mostly of an older generation.

I assume you are talking about deer hunting season? There are hunting seasons all year long for certain creatures, with additional seasons for deer, bear, moose, birds, etc... I'd be more concerned about bird hunters than deer hunters. The bird hunters see some branches twitch, ooh a pheasant, and have to be ready to shoot quick; it's also harder to identify a pheasant than a deer before you shoot at it.

In Maine, Sundays are no-hunting days, so that's a great day to go in the woods. Hunting season for deer is November, and fall leaf peeping in our area is an October thing.

Wear lots of orange. I've got an orange hunting vest I use when working in the woods (visiting remote tower sites) and also for photography. It has monstrous pockets for carrying dead birds, and they are great for film holders and accessories.

I would go unarmed, as you are apt to run into a game warden and with the orange and the rifle, assume you are hunting without a license. If you insist, a pistol or something not commonly used for hunting might be OK.

[Drew Wiley]

Fall is one of my favorite seasons to be out. First I'll check the schedule of the respective hunting seasons in the state or area I intend to visit. If I can't avoid the
season, I'll drive slowly and scout a bit, just to see what degree of inebriation the hunters are in, and how many there are, and stay as far away as possible. If I'm going
to hike in the woods, I pace off that first mile real fast. Not many of the bozos are in
good enough shape to get far from the road. I don't know if wearing orange help or not
since some of those idiots shoot at the sound of rustling leaves or anything else. Quail
hunters can be just as bad as deer hunters. But nothing is as bad as a meth head with
a gun who's both high and liquored up.

[Sirius Glass]

"But nothing is as bad as" stumbling into a pot farm!

[Greg Lockrey]

If you urinate regularly where you are, the animals will smell it and leave the area. With the animals gone, the hunters are less likely to stay.

That way you can be proactive!

Nah.... it attracts game.... they sell it in bottles

[Mark Sampson]

Where I live, deer hunting season- late November- coincides with short days, rain, sleet, and snow. Not weather that suggests good photographs. So I'm generally doing darkroom work then, and waiting for the sun to come back.

[Sirius Glass]

Nah.... it attracts game.... they sell it in bottles

They sell deer urine to attract deer.
They sell fox urine to attract fox.

Human urine, animals run from. One good one will keep deer away for days! :p

[Heroique]

Some people here may need to click the image below & read bullet #2.

The mountain goat is just one of many animals that seek dietary salts from human sources.

People who spend time in the wilderness don’t need signs to understand this.

[Brian K]

I wear a bright red jacket or vest, but hunters aren't the only problem. Several years back in Utah, in an almost barren, non hunting area and off season, I had a bullet whiz by me. I was told that if you can hear the bullet pass you then it's really close. That stray shot came not from hunters but from some idiots target shooting near the lake I was photographing. I guess they felt that if they missed their target it would just end up in the lake. If the image had looked a little better from a foot to the left I might not be here. Good compositional skills, saved my life!! :)

[Drew Wiley]

I was driving down a newly opened section of Interstate in Utah just as it was turning
dark for the evening. A little Opel Cadet was puttering ahead of me, stuffed with four
plump middle-aged folks. Some hunter up on the adjacent hill make an illegal shot in
the dark at a buck, and the critter bolted and jumped over the freeway fence. It
landed right on the hood of the Opel, smashing the windshield. The poor folks were
swerving all over the highway terrified, with this dead buck laying across the hood.
I personally like the taste of venison, but by now my stereotypes of Utah hunters has
been reinforced over and over, and that is, that they're a drunken and irresponsible
as Calif hunters.

[Sirius Glass]

I was driving down a newly opened section of Interstate in Utah just as it was turning dark for the evening. A little Opel Cadet was puttering ahead of me, stuffed with four plump middle-aged folks. Some hunter up on the adjacent hill make an illegal shot in the dark at a buck, and the critter bolted and jumped over the freeway fence. It landed right on the hood of the Opel, smashing the windshield. The poor folks were swerving all over the highway terrified, with this dead buck laying across the hood. I personally like the taste of venison, but by now my stereotypes of Utah hunters has been reinforced over and over, and that is, that they're a drunken and irresponsible as Calif hunters.

Someone needs to occupy the lower half of the bell curve! :p

[Jim Fuller]

Near dawn or dusk I bring alone my flashing light from my road bike. I haven't been shot at yet!

[atlcruiser]

My biggest concern is being mistaken for a bigfoot

[Heroique]

In a related thread, I shared a few comments w/ Mike Sherck about his dazzling darkcloth below (made by his daughter for his birthday).

Now, if that darkcloth were brown, chances are that an eager, near-sighted hunter would see a long-legged Alaskan caribou – and consider it fair game.

But since it’s orange, the distinction between man & animal is much more clear. ;^)

[Greg Lockrey]

They sell deer urine to attract deer.
They sell fox urine to attract fox.

Human urine, animals run from. One good one will keep deer away for days! :p

There isn't enough deer in captivity to collect enough urine to be bottled. A Michigan outdoor program did a series of shows on the very topic and found that human urine will attract deer. Deer are so used to being near man that they walk into my yard on a regular basis.

[Greg Lockrey]

I wear a bright red jacket or vest, but hunters aren't the only problem. Several years back in Utah, in an almost barren, non hunting area and off season, I had a bullet whiz by me. I was told that if you can hear the bullet pass you then it's really close. That stray shot came not from hunters but from some idiots target shooting near the lake I was photographing. I guess they felt that if they missed their target it would just end up in the lake. If the image had looked a little better from a foot to the left I might not be here. Good compositional skills, saved my life!! :)

Red is not a good color to wear.... red and blue are colors that hunters look for when hunting turkeys. Orange or electric green are what you should be wearing. It's not good to be walking down range from target shooters either.

[Michael Kadillak]

Fool proof advice. Plug your ipod into a small speaker and constantly play ACDC as loud as you can stand it. I guarantee nobody will mistake you as game but they be upset at the noise. There is not law against that. If you must take it down a notch, bring a bell and hang it above your pack so it rings freely. That is what I do in grizzly country and it has served me well. The orange is a good plan B.

[jmooney]

Fool proof advice. Plug your ipod into a small speaker and constantly play ACDC as loud as you can stand it. I guarantee nobody will mistake you as game but they be upset at the noise. There is not law against that. If you must take it down a notch, bring a bell and hang it above your pack so it rings freely. That is what I do in grizzly country and it has served me well. The orange is a good plan B.

Actually in most states there is a law agains that. Many states have what are known as Hunter Harassment laws on the books. Entering an area where hunting is legally allowed and doing such things with the intent of disrupting hunting and or hunters is considered harassment and you can be fined for it.

[Michael Kadillak]

Actually in most states there is a law agains that. Many states have what are known as Hunter Harassment laws on the books. Entering an area where hunting is legally allowed and doing such things with the intent of disrupting hunting and or hunters is considered harassment and you can be fined for it.

I stand corrected. I live out West and never give this issue a second thought. In the National Parks in Montana and Canada like Glacier and Waterton the noise tactic was drilled into me at an early age. I forget how crazy things are back East.

In retrospect hunting season is a relatively short season and likely a good time to work in the darkroom. Bird hunters should not be a problem I would think.

[Drew Wiley]

Bird hunters can be the worst, at least up in the woods when they're looking for quail.
Maybe not so bad out in the open hunting for pheasant, dove, etc, or in the marshes
duck hunting (unless you're with a Vice President). I've had some really close calls
with quail hunters, especially the once-a-year outdoorsmen with their inexperience.
There are laws against all kinds of things, including hunting inebriated. But that seems
the requisite Fall ritual. The whole point is to get up in the woods, stay roaring drunk
with your buddies the whole time, tell some tall tales, and show off the expensive new gun which hasn't even been sighted in yet. We locals learned to hike and even hunt
elsewhere when the plague of flatlanders arrived in the hills each autumn.

[Drew Bedo]

Are you NUTS?

Seriously: Don't go into the back country during hunting season. At least avoid the first few days.

If you do go out, —dress like a hunter.

[Drew Wiley]

Very few hunters get far from the road up in our hills. Most of these guys are in terrible shape trying to carry a heavy rifle they aren't used to. Lots of them just cruise up and down the road, or ride on the passenger side looking thru a telecscopic sight, or shooting from the road (illegally). A few get a little way down some old logging spur on an ATV. Besides, if they ever shot a deer they'd have to figure out how to get it out. No deer anywhere. Plenty casually feeding in the mdws just a mile or so off the roads. The experienced hunters are more likely to be down in the unforested canyons with a horse or two, probably on their own private ranch land. I backpack every Fall. You pass up the hunters real fast. They aren't interested
in a serious workout. They want to do their thing, get back to camp and start drinking with their buddies again. The most boring job in the county is the guy who
supposedly checks deer tags at the bottom of the highway. It's pretty rare anyone
gets a deer. Quail hunters can be equally careless, but shot doesn't travel very far.
Our public lands are mainly up in the forests. Not much of the open range is open
to public hunting. And the lower parts of Sierra canyons are way too deep and rugged for the average hunter to get very far into and expect to retrieve a deer.

[Two23]

I hunt, and can tell you that when walking in the woods I wouldn't just wear an orange hat during hunting season. I would recommend you get a vest. Some of the hunting vests could be very useful to photographers.



As another long time hunter, I give this a big +1. Do NOT NOT NOT wear anything white during deer or antelope season. Orange vest is your best bet.


Kent in SD

[E. von Hoegh]

As another long time hunter, I give this a big +1. Do NOT NOT NOT wear anything white during deer or antelope season. Orange vest is your best bet.


Kent in SD

I like the flourescent green, it doesn't scream HUNTER quite as loudly.

I hunt as well, but usually go to a remote area or private land and still hunt. When it comes to the rare encounters with other hunters, I invariably hear them before they see me.

[Sirius Glass]

Wear camo and reduce you life expectancy.

[Drew Wiley]

I once made up a photograph of a co-worker who was the constant sidekick of an avid
hunter, with him crawling on all fours and wearing a hat with antlers. I attached the
picture to a big red and black checkered bag and labeled it, Purina Cougar Chow.

[leighmarrin]

Unfortunately, to the clueless orange clothes are seen as moving leaves which to them mean shoot first because in might be a deer or bear or squirrel. :(

Yeah... I used to work with a couple of rednecks from Texas who were discussing an incident in which a rancher's cow was killed by a hunter taking a "brush shot". When I asked what a "brush shot" was, I was informed it was when somethin' moves in the brush, ya shoot...

[Robert Hughes]

I'd only wear camo if I were out hunting hunters... but I'm not into that kinda sport.

[Drew Wiley]

Lotsa hunters out here wear camo. Some wear orange. Doesn't make much difference
because when you hear of an accident it's 50/50 that they somehow shot themselves.
Then you've got those "sound shooters" too, that randomly fire at rustling leaves up in the woods, plus a certain number of drunks and meth freaks who shoot from the car
across roads, campgrounds, etc. Doesn't change anything in my opinion. I always scout around in the 4WD for such activity and the sound of gunfire before I set out on foot in the woods myself. Up in the formal Natl Parks and wilderness areas its generally
no problem however. Out here the idiots are primarily on Forest Service land, not on
the private game clubs or very far in from the roads. Most of them would die of a heart
attack if they had to hike two miles. Conditioned outdoorsmen are generally responsible
hunters.