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Geocaching, Hunters And Safety Vests


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In most parts of the country, various hunting seasons are open or will be opening soon. Around here there a lot of caches hidden in what the state refers to as wildlife management areas. What is the overall feeling within the group about safety vests being used whrn caching?

You can find them ranging in price from $6.00 to over $75.00. Would you use one or take your chances with inebriated hunters, or just don't go geocaching?

I would have started a poll but the PTB won't allow it.

Edited by earthshaker
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If your going into the woods in deer, turkey, or any season where hunters are shooting game at ground level WEAR ORANGE! I know of crazy hunters that shoot at any movement, they need to be able to see you. I'm a hunter, and I don't want to put it in a bad light, but it only takes one careless hunter to ruin your day.

 

Stay out of the woods in the morning and evening, most hunters rest during midday. Also stick to trails, hunters like to get away from heavily traveled areas.

Edited by Airmapper
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During hunting season I always do my best not to look like a deer. In other words, no cammo, no tan clothes, and I put away the furry white tail. Just kidding about the tail.

 

I see nothing wrong with wearing an orange vest. The more clues that you give the person behind the gun that you are not a deer, turkey, opossium, pig/boar, or bear (forgot to put in squirrel) then the better off you are. Always err on the side of caution. Fashion pride is much easier to repair than a bullet or arrow wound.

 

If you dont wanna go with an orange vest, then stick to bright colors. Leave the tan green and white at home. Oh yeah, pray the hunter is not color blind. B)

Edited by The Bookends
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We've been doing a lot of caching in the NJ pines. Bow season opened a few weeks ago so we bought orange vests and hats. We've been using them in the woods. We haven't happened across any hunters in the woods yet but we've seen quite a few deer stands and this past Saturday we were out all afternoon and after 5pm we noticed that there were many parked trucks on the trail.

 

Now that the hunters are out we've decided if we go for a cache in the woods and come upon a parked truck at the trail head we'll move on to the next cache. I figure if I was sitting out in a deer stand for hours, the last thing I'd want is a couple of them 'stupid space radio people' coming down the trail looking for McToys and scaring the deer away. I know we're probably being over cautious but I figure there's lots of caches out there and it's just not worth the risk.

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Came out of the woods from caching last deer season when I saw a coupla hunters up in a tree stand . . . called to them and whistled my way out (last time I checked, deer do not whistle).

 

If you feel the cache-in-the-woods urge during hunting season . . . become a night cacher, it can be a new experience and is quite fun!

 

During the season, go into urban micro mode - one never stops caching, you can get behind in your numbers. It's the numbers that count

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Would you use one or take your chances with inebriated hunters

Exactly the kind of stereotypical bulls*** that I get sick of facing day after day. You paint with a pretty wide brush, and on top of that you use the brightest color (the one that gets the most attention). In general, hunters are the best stewards of the land, and the best conservationists and wildlife biologists you can find. On top of that, the GREATEST majority are safety-conscious--virtually EVERY one I know would not even THINK about consuming alcohol before handling a firearm. And remember this, despite people like you continually branding outdoorsmen/women as drunken hillbilly hicks that will shoot anything that moves, we continue to pour incredible amounts of our time and money into making sure not only we have habitat for the wildlife, but that that ground stays free to public access for other activities too....say maybe, oh, I don't know, GEOCACHING? Take a few minutes and research how much of Nebraska's state parks and public lands are funded by hunting/fishing license & supplies sales before you bite the hand that feeds you again. Yeah, sure, your tax money pays for some of it, but the lion's share comes from those same hunters you flame.

 

As for the vests, you can get cheap ones for much less than $6, but if you're going to be spending any amount of time in the woods, spend the $$ and get a little better one--something with the BRIGHT blaze orange. The reason blaze orange is used is it is a color that does not occur in nature, so it cannot blend in with anything. Also makes it good for S&R, high visibility. During any firearm season, I would wear it in the woods since modern firearms are capable of shooting out to several hundred (shotgun) or thousand (rifle) yards. Archery seasons it is less critical, since a hunter will likely only shoot within 40-50 yards max.

 

But, I will second some statements above--if you get to a trailhead during hunting seasons and there is a vehicle there that may be a hunter, abandon the search. Otherwise, use your best judgement, and remember, just because there isn't a car there doesn't mean there's not a hunter. I personally place a warning on my cache pages that a hunting season is active and to wear orange and use caution while searching, and will be disabling one cache during the Iowa shotgun season due to the higher volume of hunters in the area.

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I both hunt and geocache, and during hunting season I wear an orange vest or hat (or both) when outside. My son wears his when playing outside (I'm not "crazy over-protective parent", we live in the woods), and both of my dogs have either vests or orange collars (the brown and white one wears the vest, the black one wears the collar).

 

If you cannot afford to buy a safety vest (or other safety clothing) for the ones you love, you should not be spending money on gas, batteries, or beef jerky for geocaching...continue to enjoy the outdoors, but be safe.

 

nfa-jamie

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Know your local rules and consider the area first. Many of the northern states do not have a very long deer gun season, however several southern states have seasons that are 3-4 months long.

 

Some public areas become off limits, the Wildlife Management Areas and a couple of State Parks have certain weekend hunts where only hunters that are signed up are allowed for that day/weekend.

 

If you consider night caching around here you need to know the rules as well, shining lights (car or flash) can be considered harassing the wildlife.

 

Just a point that you have a much greater chance of encountering a drunk driver than you do a drunk hunter.

 

http://forestry.about.com/blconagy.htm

 

Use common sense and ere on the side of caution.

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Being a licensed hunter some of monies that come from the license fees go to supporting the wildlife management units/state game lands. I enjoy the use of these lands and will continue to do so in the future. I have placed several caches on state game lands and I feel that we can enjoy the woods hand in hand with hunters. As already mentioned it is strongly recommended that EVERYONE wear blaze orange while going into the woods. Also deer season is not the only open season. Many states have open seasons year round - deed season being the most popular. I do not see any problems as long as you use good common sense. If you are concerned about the hunters you could go on Sunday or not at all. It's not like I forced you to go after the cache you made the decision all on your own.

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If you are concerned about the hunters you could go on Sunday or not at all.

It is important to note that not all states close hunting on Sundays. Here in Iowa, you can hunt seven days a week, and I believe it is the same in Nebraska (OP's state)

 

Bottom line is, show some courtesy and use common sense. If it's an active, open season, wear orange. If there's hunters in the area, seriously consider coming back later. You can hunt the cache year round--they can only hunt a few months.

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Exactly the kind of stereotypical bulls*** that I get sick of facing day after day. You paint with a pretty wide brush, and on top of that you use the brightest color (the one that gets the most attention). In general, hunters are the best stewards of the land, and the best conservationists and wildlife biologists you can find. On top of that, the GREATEST majority are safety-conscious--virtually EVERY one I know would not even THINK about consuming alcohol before handling a firearm

 

I'm sure most hunters are conscientious and I know that they have done a lot for the preservation of land. Still there are enough yahoos out there who do a great job giving you all a bad name. Those ubiquitious signs filled with bullet holes weren't made by bird watchers and the dead porcupines and other non game animals that I find that were obviously shot, were not killed by by mounain bikers.

 

And I have enough relatives, friends and acquaintances who are hunters to know that many take flask of brandy or whiskey up into the treestand "to ward off the cold" and I've encountered enough obviously drunk hunters to know that its not uncommon.

 

Now back to the OT, personally, I'm not too worried when I'm about in the woods during bow season. A bow hunter needs needs to be pretty close to his quarry for him to be effective. There is little chance of them mistaking me for a deer. However during shotgun and especially rifle season, I wear wear an orange hat and my wife has a cheap orange vest.

Edited by briansnat
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I wear an orange (gc.com) hat when geocaching. I also try to be aware of hunting seasons and warn people a bit about my WMA caches. Getting a bright orange vest is probably a good idea. Having said that, the WMA's in western Nebraska anyway, are clearly marked and have signs up stating that hunting is allowed. Should always be aware when using the outdoors.

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In general, hunters are the best stewards of the land, and the best conservationists and wildlife biologists you can find. On top of that, the GREATEST majority are safety-conscious--virtually EVERY one I know would not even THINK about consuming alcohol before handling a firearm.

Someone else is painting with a broad brush, as well.

 

I have a relative that lives way out in the woods and she tells me she can tell it's deer season by the amount of trash on the side of the road. She takes daily walks and carries trash bags during deer season because of the "stewards."

 

Additionally, even though they are family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, I have to say I'm not too terribly impressed with their safety-consciousness. On at least two occasions firearms have gone off indoors when they thought the firearm was empty. One was lucky by only a couple of inches.

 

How about around the campfire three sheets to the wind showing off their newest "toy?"

 

So, no, in my few decades of experience I've seen enough to be appropriately nervous, thank you.

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I have no idea about US hunters, but I've personally seen French hunters finish a very liquid lunch before setting off to blaze away at anything that moves.

 

In those conditions I would rather just keep out of the way altogether. My wearing an orange vest might get my widow a slightly higher settlement in court. Woo-hoo.

 

French hunters have their own political party which regularly polls 7-8% of the vote in rural areas. Their basic credo is "we're going to hunt and fish, and we don't care what anybody else might think about other possible land usage". Most of their supporters are refugees from the extreme right-wing National Front, whose members are not generally averse to beating up people based on their skin colour.

 

Keep in mind that in France, absolutely anything is considered fair game. They shoot migrating sparrows, for crying out loud.

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When we went shopping for our orange vests, the first store we looked in didn't stock any hunting supplies. However, when we asked the sales girl about them we told her we wanted them because we go hiking. Her response was something on the order of 'the hunters I know can get really mad at people in the woods who aren't hunting. I don't want to say they'd shoot AT you but they might try to scare you...'

 

Is this heresay? Yup. Do I want think all or even most hunters have that sort of attitude? Nope. Do I want to risk finding the one-in-a-thousand that do have that attitude in the woods? Not really no.

 

After our experience with the sales girl we went up the street to hunting/fishing supply store and where found our vests and hats. While we were buying them we spoke with the folks behind the counter about how we wanted them because we play a hide and seek game in the woods where we find things that others have hidden. They looked at us like we were speaking martian.

 

IMO during hunting season, the woods belong to the hunters. When we go, we dress appropriately but we also make every effort to avoid any hunter contact.While most are great people, there are always those who you wouldn't want to meet in the woods at any time. Especially when they're armed and (as others have pointed out) possibly drunk.

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Since I'm a cacher I probably wouldn't get as ill if you came poking around my deer stand. However you would get you chops busted for trespassing :blink: Just kidding, it does ruin a hunters chances of shooting any game when you are in the area caching. Just think of it this way, say you go to a cache in the middle of nowhere, walk 2-3 miles, and get to the cache but can't look for it because their are a bunch of rowdy muggles there. Kinda the same way with hunters, they went to an effort to seek their reward and don't really appreciate it when you ruin their chances.

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Since I'm a cacher I probably wouldn't get as ill if you came poking around my deer stand. However you would get you chops busted for trespassing :blink: Just kidding, it does ruin a hunters chances of shooting any game when you are in the area caching. Just think of it this way, say you go to a cache in the middle of nowhere, walk 2-3 miles, and get to the cache but can't look for it because their are a bunch of rowdy muggles there. Kinda the same way with hunters, they went to an effort to seek their reward and don't really appreciate it when you ruin their chances.

The muggles have just as much right ot the woods as the geocachers. So what if the hunters get annoyed? So what if the geocacher gets annoyed? If it is public property and you have the right ot be there, so what? If the area is closed during hunting season, then that should be respected. If not, then noone is doing anything wrong.

 

Wear orange for safety.

 

<--I like hunting. I don't like the broad assumption that most hunters are irresponsible.

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If you are concerned about the hunters you could go on Sunday or not at all.

It is important to note that not all states close hunting on Sundays. Here in Iowa, you can hunt seven days a week, and I believe it is the same in Nebraska (OP's state)

 

Bottom line is, show some courtesy and use common sense. If it's an active, open season, wear orange. If there's hunters in the area, seriously consider coming back later. You can hunt the cache year round--they can only hunt a few months.

Nebraska allows Sunday hunting. I have never run into problems in the wildlife management areas in mid-day. Most hunters go out morning and evening. When I have seen hunters I made sure my presence was known. I also tend to just skip the hunting areas during hunting season. Safe for me, and less bothersome for them. :blink:

 

Here is the Groundspeak orange vest. I have thought of getting one just in case.

Edited by carleenp
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Since I'm a cacher I probably wouldn't get as ill if you came poking around my deer stand. However you would get you chops busted for trespassing :blink:  Just kidding, it does ruin a hunters chances of shooting any game when you are in the area caching. Just think of it this way, say you go to a cache in the middle of nowhere, walk 2-3 miles, and get to the cache but can't look for it because their are a bunch of rowdy muggles there. Kinda the same way with hunters, they went to an effort to seek their reward and don't really appreciate it when you ruin their chances.

The muggles have just as much right ot the woods as the geocachers. So what if the hunters get annoyed? So what if the geocacher gets annoyed? If it is public property and you have the right ot be there, so what? If the area is closed during hunting season, then that should be respected. If not, then noone is doing anything wrong.

 

Wear orange for safety.

 

<--I like hunting. I don't like the broad assumption that most hunters are irresponsible.

In some states, the hunters may have a different opinion, and rightly so, if the hunting area is maintained using dollars from the sale of hunting licenses, revenue sharing from taxes on firearms, etc.

 

On the other hand, depending on the route of approach, a geocacher can be a positive helper to a hunter who's waiting for a buck to pass within shot of their tree stand. If the geocacher scares the deer out of their thickets along the riverbank a half mile away, Bambi's family may flee to safety uphill using their regular deer trails, as scouted by the hunter. Buh bye, Bambi's Daddy.

 

In Pennsylvania's gamelands, during prime hunting seasons ALL visitors are required to wear orange and there are signs everywhere to remind us of that. So I obey the signs.

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There are slob hunters as well as slob geocachers. Probably the same percentage of drunks in both crowds, too.

 

A safety vest is no different than carrying an emergency blanket or band aids - it's a good idea. It's a better idea to actually wear it in hunting season than the rest of the year, but it's never a bad idea to have one along.

 

If being around armed people scares you, just let the hunters have the woods for the few weeks a year they're allowed to have their fun. You have much more access to public lands than they do, both in time and in area.

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I started caching last summer, and faced the same decision as hunting season approached. I'm not a hunter, so I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy doing a cache in an area where there was active hunting going on, or if it'd just be too weird to have guns going off in my vicinity and make me too nervous to enjoy the caching. I decided to give it a whirl and see how it went. I've actually had quite decent experiences, and wouldn't have any qualms about doing other caches in WMAs during hunting season.

 

My two cents: YES YES YES, pick up one of those blaze orange vests, and WEAR IT! I've had the opportunity to stop and chat with some of the hunters I've met while caching, and a common comment/complaint was how many times they've encountered non-hunters (hikers, birders, equestrians, etc) in WMAs who weren't properly dressed. One of the things I learned was that not only were hunters concerned about mistaking a person for an animal, they were also worried that they might shoot at a legitimate target but not see someone who was downrange and potentially in danger if their shot missed. The hunters I've met so far were just regular, sober, everyday folk - and they'd much rather miss a chance at a deer or whatever than risk accidentally shooting another person. But they need to be able to see other people to do this.

 

Other than that, just use a double-dose of common sense:

 

- Keep a constant watch out for hunters who may be operating in the area. Try to confirm that they also see you - make positive eye contact if they're close, or give a wave and look for a wave back, etc. If you're not sure whether they're aware that you're in the area, be extra cautious.

 

- If anything/anyone is giving you bad vibes, just leave - you can always come back another time. (Heck, that's true for any cache, not just ones in hunting areas.)

 

- If you're in a multi-zone park where some areas permit hunting and others don't, err on the side of caution and wear your vest if you're going to be anywhere near the hunting-permitted section. Or to put that another way, if you're not 100% positive that hunting is clearly prohibited where you're going, put the vest on. Hunters are just people, and even the best-intentioned people can make mistakes.

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Orange is a MUST here in Michigan during hunting season. I have been on State Forest land, doing work in the woods (not even caching) and heard gunshots. The noise carries a long way, so the hunters could have been a quarter mile away up to whatever distance means I'd still hear them. Just like I don't necessarily expect to see other cachers - or hunters - when I'm out, I can't expect hunters to know I'm not a deer/turkey/jackalope/chupacabras that they would like to take home. Big box stores will sell a bright orange hat for under 5 bucks; if it protects my noggin from flying weaponry, I'd say the money is well spent. Hunters get shot accidentally; there's no gurarantee cachers won't join their numbers, but I for one would advocate doing whatever it takes to reduce the likelihood! :)

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I apologize for the "i...d" hunters comment, I was just going on my personal experience around here.

That being said on with the show. This is a good thread, I am glad there has been a good response so far.

Don't apologize. It can be a legitimate concern, although I think that it is not the norm. Most hunters are very conscientious, as are most geocachers. But there can be bad apples in any bunch. I meant to address it in my previous comment and forgot. Basically, I have never run into issues around Lincoln, but I have been to some WMAs in your area (from your profile you are more central NE?) and noted more beer and alcohol containers than I see around here. Those might just be left overs from kids drinking though. Anyway, I think generally you are safe if you avoid prime hunting time of day and dress appropriately.

 

Another thing that has come up way back in the Nebraska Game and Parks forums was some feeling that hunters and fishers pay for the WMAs through license fees and cachers get to use them for free. From what I glean from some posts and mostly a bunch of private discussions, is that the hunters are happy to share the area, but wish that others who don't have to pay would respect their hobby and ability to keep people safe. As one who loves to put caches in WMAs for free, I appreciate that. What I got from them was suggestions of trying to hide caches away from the main hunting parts of the WMA, advising that hunting could take place on the page, and urging cachers to dress appropriately (e.g. orange) during hunting season. I also got a suggestion that cachers should not take dogs off leash during hunting season and to note the off leash restrictions at certain times of year (I put those on my caches pages when posted at the area). I was also told "don't get all noisy behind the people fishing at Red Tail lake!" :) Seems to make sense to me. B)

 

This also reminds me that with duck season started that I need to update some cache pages!

Edited by carleenp
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carleenp brings up a very good point...the outdoorsmen/women that pour their hearts, money, and time into managing and making WMA's and public hunting land truthfully like nothing better than to see the general public using the land and enjoying the wildlife and habitat they have worked to preserve. And, the point about making yourself visible even if you're not on a hunting area is also a very valid point. Just because you're not standing on hunting ground does not mean you may be in the line of an errant shot.

 

Yes, here in Iowa you can hunt something almost year-round, but I'd really only worry about orange during the firearms seasons for deer and turkey.

 

earthshaker: As an avid law-abiding outdoorsman with multiple firearms safety courses under my belt, as well as a rifle safety instructor for our local 4-H club, I do take it very personally whenever people make statements such as yours in yours in the OP. I also tend to react very quickly and emotionally (in case you hadn't noticed...) in those cases--had too many liberal anti-gun/anti-hunting friends in college, got too used to debating them. But, as a usually laid-back guy, I accept your apology, and also apologize if my initial words were overly harsh. Yes, there are yahoos that do hunt as you've described, and I'm all for permanently banning their hunting rights, but it ain't gonna happen anytime soon, and it's not fair to the rest of us who do put our time and energy into the outdoors and giving hunters a good name to paint us with the same brush.

 

The bottom line is, use the tools God gave you. Look each situation over, and make a good common-sense decision on whether or not to hunt the cache, and what safety provisions to take in doing so. And above all else, show your fellow outdoorsman kindness and respect; odds are you'll recieve it in return.

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I won't hunt a cache near bowhunters, not for fear of getting an arrow in my backside, but out of respect for their hunting experience. As a bowhunter, I know that it's a sport of stealth, far more so than hunting with a firearm. My skill level requires that I get Bambi within 40 yards of me before I'll attempt a shot with my bow. If the deer near a stand are nervous, the average bowhunter won't see them, and folks hiking about looking for Tupperware tends to make deer nervous.

 

I waived off a search at a local management area last weekend due to seeing a truck parked nearby. I knew that if I were to go tromping around through the woods, it would have a significantly negative impact on that hunter's experience. This is not as necessary during firearms season, due to the extended range, however, I still wouldn't hunt a cache if I knew that by doing so I might hurt someone's chance of harvesting his/her favorite critter.

 

That being said, I think wearing hunter orange is a good idea.

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Can of dollar store junk.....sucking chest wound while isolated from EMS...Hmmmmm. While a vest isn't body armor, it certainly serves a somewhat similar purpose. Frankly, we were surprised at the original question that started this thread. When you weigh the pros and cons, why would you choose not to where a blaze orange vest? What is the downside?

 

As we can't resist the political commentary going on in this thread, let us note the following:

 

We suspect that the ratio of irresponsible hunters to irresponsible cachers is one to one. That conclusion is, of course based on our own limited experience with both crowds.

 

Here is some food for thought though: if you take your dog caching, put a blaze vest on the dog as well. We have a tan/copper colored dog with a broad white tail....and she already moves like an animal! Such vests ae available at Cabela's (Google 'em), item #QS-220590.

 

May you all enjoy the hunt, whatever your quarry may be!

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B):)

 

Afraid that is all I can say on that post without getting myself banned

 

stupidity of the human spices

 

Anybody else notice the irony in this?

 

OT: I can't speak for other states, but in Wisconsin it would be a good idea to wear some orange during the gun deer and turkey seasons.

 

Actually, during the 9 day gun deer season, it would be best to just stay out of the hunting areas altogether. With 500,000 hunters in the woods it is pretty much impossible to be in the woods without getting in the hunters way.

 

The rest of the seasons I wouldn't worry about. Unless you can fly, it is unlikely that you could be mistaken for a duck and small game seasons are hunted so lightly that it would be rare to run into a hunter. Bowhunters, due to the limitations of their weapon, have to take their time and be sure of their targets before shooting at close range.

Edited by Docapi
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What about making hunting illegal ?

I hate game hunting/hunters, it's the stupidity of the human spices at its top

;);)<_<

 

I'm afraid I need medical attention, I appear to be bleeding. In my effort to bite my tounge, I'm afraid I've gone clear through.

 

Bud, you need to seriously educate yourself regarding what would happen to the wildlife if hunting were banned. Mass epedemics, starvation, disease, I could go on. As well as kiss your public lands goodbye--without hunting they would not have the budget to support them.

 

That's all I'm going to say regarding that comment--any more and I'll get myself in trouble here, and this is off-topic from the OP anyway.

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I notice the irony!! <_<

 

I am a new Geocacher and a longtime hunter/fisher/camper. I believe there are slob hunters as I believe there are slob Geocachers. It seems that every group has about the same percentage of bad apples. It is unfortunate that the portrayal of hunters as drunken maniacs that will shoot at anything that moves is all too common these days.

 

We need to share the outdoors with all that want to be there. However, I believe that due to the limited hunting season for deer and turkey (not to mention bear, elk and other big game) it is a small sacrifice for people to stay closer to home for the couple of weeks hunters have. The rest of the year is wide open for all sorts of activities.

 

It is true that in most states there is always something open for hunting. Upland bird and small game is usually open far earlier than deer but the pressure during these seasons is much less. There are far fewer huters in the woods and the hunting methods are different (and much more forgiving of other outdoor activities occurring within the same areas).

 

In the fall, it is a must to wear blaze orange clothing (a hat at the minimum) to ensure you can be seen. If you are planning to cache in an area of high hunter density, consider caching during the middle of the day or better yet, consider a different area. Keep your dogs leashed or keep them safe at home. If Fido must come out to cache with you, make certain they are dressed appropriately as well.

 

We all must be considerate of others.

 

Stay safe!

 

Cheers!

 

4HoundsBrewingCo

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Ignoring the politics.  Hunter Orange exists for a reason. It makes you safer.  If you hunt a cache where hunters are after game, it's a good idea.

What if the hunter is after you? Should you take off the orange vest?

Yes, absolutely. Then put on your camo and set-up an ambush. (Jeez, I read too many Indian books ...)

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OT: I can't speak for other states, but in Wisconsin it would be a good idea to wear some orange during the gun deer and turkey seasons.

 

Actually, during the 9 day gun deer season, it would be best to just stay out of the hunting areas altogether. With 500,000 hunters in the woods it is pretty much impossible to be in the woods without getting in the hunters way.

 

The rest of the seasons I wouldn't worry about. Unless you can fly, it is unlikely that you could be mistaken for a duck and small game seasons are hunted so lightly that it would be rare to run into a hunter. Bowhunters, due to the limitations of their weapon, have to take their time and be sure of their targets before shooting at close range.

Well all you have to do is read the news for WI to find out its just not safe to be in the woods. <_<

 

CNN news

 

you don't have to wear orange all the time but you better know what lands you are on.

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WEAR ORANGE. IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE. i have hunting friends and they will kill anything that moves or breaths. its seems to increase if they use bows. since there less deadly and can retrieve there ammo. so be careful. announce in the area.

 

Bow hunters shooting at everything that move? I have trouble believing that... they must be both stupid and rich. Bullets may be cheap, arrows are not (my hunting arrows cost about 10$ each, and they`re not even carbon). Sure, you can retrieve and reuse arrows (if they didn`t hit a rock), but you have to find them first! Any small branch between you and your prey could deflect the arrow, which could mean a long search in thick brush, on steep slopes... a bit like Geocaching, but without a waypoint to guide you <_<

 

As for the "less deadly" part, its true for small game hunting arrows, but I guess you haven`t seen the arrows people use for moose hunting...

 

Most bow hunters tend to shoot only non-moving targets, less than 30 meters (100 feet) away, with no vegetation in the flight path of the arrow (so a clear view of the target). Which is probably one reason why most places dont force you to wear orange during bow season, only during gun season.

 

Then again, why not wear orange in hunting areas during hunting season? It doesn`t hurt. With that, only color blind hunters can mistake you for something they are allowed to shoot ;)

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Aaaahhhh Yesssss!

The annual "drunken hunters v. liberal tree hugger" argument.

 

Hunter/fisherman/biologist/cacher here. I personally stay out of the hunting areas (unless hunting) during the season. A lot of preseason work goes into a hunting spot and I don't want to ruin somebodies hunting season. It is a respect thing. Yes, it is public land and the cacher has every right to be there, just like the hunter. Just because the cacher doesn't like the hunter DOES NOT give him the right to purposely interfere. If you are caching and determine that a cache is very near a hunter.....get it later. It is common courtesy. If you were going after a cache in a city park and saw that it was going to be at a park pavilion where a wedding was taking place, would you go blasting through there? Common courtesy.

 

WEAR THE ORANGE!!!!!

 

Carry on!

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Ignoring the politics.  Hunter Orange exists for a reason. It makes you safer.  If you hunt a cache where hunters are after game, it's a good idea.

What if the hunter is after you? Should you take off the orange vest?

In that case set your magellan on the ground. The stalking hunter will find it and become so lost that you could wear dayglow yellow and hire out Van Halen for a kegger and they would not find you from 20' away.

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Ignoring the politics.  Hunter Orange exists for a reason. It makes you safer.  If you hunt a cache where hunters are after game, it's a good idea.

What if the hunter is after you? Should you take off the orange vest?

In that case set your magellan on the ground. The stalking hunter will find it and become so lost that you could wear dayglow yellow and hire out Van Halen for a kegger and they would not find you from 20' away.

<_<

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Just so we all know JUST how dangerous it is out there, anyone care to post some stats?

How about telling us just how many nonhunters are accidently shot by legal hunters every year?

 

The CNN story posted above doesn't count. That was a bow hunter shot by someone (illegally? I havent heard anything the the squirrel hunter was doing so legally. Sounds more like a dumb@a** without a license) squirrel hunting.

 

So, how many in the US?

5000 a year?

1500?

 

Anyone? Bueller?

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