Caching during hunting season, how to be safe AND inconspicuous

[+RedKori]

So with hunting season starting here (New England, USA) What do you wear ?

I usually go caching in a black hoody, keeps the muskies away if needed and the needles/branches etc out of my hair.

With hunting season starting this seems a little dangerous. Of course I can stay out of hunting areas but the way things go here even your back yard is not always safe.

So do you wear an orange vest or hat ? How does this affect trying to stay 'invissible' when muggles come close to the scene ?

[+F1stKnight]

Wearing blaze should indicate to the muggles that you are a hunter, most times they will accept this a stay clear.

[+briansnat]

Just a word of warning when discussing "hunting season". In many states it's hunting season for something pretty much most of the year. In NJ, not a state with a huge hunting tradition, there are only 4 months of the year when it's NOT hunting season for some animal. Some states have year round hunting.

 

A lot of people confuse deer season with hunting season. Granted deer season probably brings the most hunters afield by far, but it isn't the only time hunters might be out there. So it's best to be familiar with all of the hunting seasons in your state to stay safe.

 

As far as staying safe, I have a hunter orange baseball hat and a mesh orange vest. I'll wear the hat during gunning seasons if I know hunters may be afield and if I find myself in an area where I encounter hunters I'll throw on the vest too. Bow season I'm not as concerned. Bow hunters have a limited range and need a good view of their quarry before letting loose. So the chance of being mistaken for a deer is miniscule. Since they usually (at least in NJ) shoot downward from stands so the odds of being hit by a wayward arrow are also very small.

 

My big concern about hunters is not realizing they are there. One time I had the need to use the outdoor facilities. I dropped my pants, and squatted. And when I was done, as I was pulling up my pants I noticed something next to a nearby tree. I looked up and there was a bow hunter in the tree not 30 feet away and I did my business in full view of him. He was probably cursing me out under his breath the entire time. And if you are with your SO and have the urge to merge, it's a good idea to take a very good look around first during bow season unless you want applause at the end (happened to a friend of mine).

Edited September 15, 2013 by briansnat

[+QuiltinNana]

In PA, during at least deer hunting season, you MUST wear a certain amount of orange out in the woods. We usually go in the woods on Sunday, rather than weekdays or Saturdays.

[+Manville Possum]

Blaze orange is a requirement during the two weeks of rifle season here in Virginia. We also are not allowed to hunt on Sundays. Most caches placed on NFS property are close to trails, and hunting is not permitted near established hiking trails.

I will respect your right to hunt ammo cans if you will respect my right to harvest deer.

[+T.D.M.22]

Just a word of warning when discussing "hunting season". In many states it's hunting season for something pretty much most of the year. In NJ, not a state with a huge hunting tradition, there are only 4 months of the year when it's NOT hunting season for some animal. Some states have year round hunting.

 

 

In Alberta, Canada, it's hunting season every day. It depends on what you hunt, and what you hunt with, that determines how popular it is. Some places have bow only, and muzzle loader only hunting periods. For example I can hunt coyote anytime of the year-except for big game season in certain areas.

 

Wear blaze orange, and don't sound like an animal. Stick close to roads and trails(some places have laws that you must be a certain distance from a road or building to hunt) If you hear animal sounds it means that either there is an animal(and you could be hit by a missed shot) or that there is a hunter calling an animal(and you could be mistaken for said animal) Some places have restrictions on hinting during certain times of day. Cache during those times. Or don't cache at all-you really don't have to get every cache.

[+humboldt flier]

I wear the brightest blaze orange I can locate. The Camelbak hydration system is the brightest red with orange I have ever seen ... or I stay out out of the hunting zones.

 

Bigger problem here in "The Emerald Triangle" is during the run up to "Mary Jane" harvest. (Stay urban and stay alive} Many grows are booby trapped.

[+Manville Possum]

I wear the brightest blaze orange I can locate. The Camelbak hydration system is the brightest red with orange I have ever seen ... or I stay out out of the hunting zones.

 

Bigger problem here in "The Emerald Triangle" is during the run up to "Mary Jane" harvest. (Stay urban and stay alive} Many grows are booby trapped.

I don't enter places until after harvest season. Our problem here is finding meth lab dump sites near geocache placements at pull-overs along the road. I can shake a box of Tic-Tac's in a crowd and pill heads pop up like gophers. Headlines in today's paper reads "Prescription drug abuse at epidemic levels."

[+Isonzo Karst]

Blaze orange vest, florescent orange cap - I generally wear one or the other, sometimes both when I'm in areas with any kind of gun hunt active.

I avoid opening and closing weekends of General Gun (deer season) and any area during Hog/Dog season (dog packs used for tracking & catching pigs in swamps).

 

Agreeing with Brian, it pays to know the specifics of hunting seasons. The opening post says, "hunting season starting here (New England, USA)" and I'd bet 10,000 quatloos that each state regulates hunting seasons separately, at a minimum.

 

Where I live, each different hunk of woods has different seasons, with different requirements. Any "special opportunity" hunt period means that ONLY hunters who paid the fees, & won that lottery may be present, no recreational users at all. Some areas, the ONLY time I can drive in is during the hunts, and I don't have to be hunting - I do have to stop and get a free rec user permit from the wildlife officers. There's archery, deer, hog, hog/dog, small game, game bird, fishing and frogging, turkey, spring turkey, general gun. All kinds of "hunting season".

[+Glenn]

I wear the brightest blaze orange I can locate. The Camelbak hydration system is the brightest red with orange I have ever seen ... or I stay out out of the hunting zones.

 

Bigger problem here in "The Emerald Triangle" is during the run up to "Mary Jane" harvest. (Stay urban and stay alive} Many grows are booby trapped.

 

I'm very hopeful that Washington state's new law legalizing recreational marijuana will open up more areas to geocaching. There is a hill near me that has seen a couple of geocaches over the years but they usually get archived after a couple of months due to the nearby illegal grow operations often mentioned in the logs. I'll be so happy if the State is successful in putting the illegal growers out of business.

[+manicgecko]

Wear blaze orange and know the hours of the various seasons... I personally try stick to the dreaded urban caches and cemeteries in active hours until the gunfire settles down. If I get shot - well at least I am there all ready...

[+Manville Possum]

Wear blaze orange and know the hours of the various seasons... I personally try stick to the dreaded urban caches and cemeteries in active hours until the gunfire settles down. If I get shot - well at least I am there all ready...

We have more shootings in the urban areas than in the woods.

[+Ma & Pa]

In our pre-caching days we belonged to a hiking club. They never hiked in hunting areas during hunting season.

 

When we started caching, we had to adjust. One year we were out caching in the wilderness on the first day of hunting season.

 

[+wimseyguy]

Some of our best hiking caches are in NC Game Lands. It's a requirement to wear blaze orange when in the woods during hunting seasons. I won't hike/cache there during season except on Sundays as I go there with my dog and let him run off leash. The hunters don't want us there when they are hunting, and I don't want to take any unnecessary risks.

I see no reason to worry about being inconspicuous when hiking in game lands. I don't worry about it much when caching outside of the game lands either.

[+ras_oscar]

I keep a blaze orange hat in my geomobile and if I'm uncertain, I pull it on. Also, I refrain from entering the woods during deer season, which is usually the 2 weeks after Thanksgiving in my neck of the woods. ( That's why LPCs were invented!!!) That still leaves me 50 weeks to cache.

[+fuzziebear3]

Safe -- know when it is hunting season and where it is allowed, and avoid that area.

Inconspicuous -- you are in the woods, I wouldn't try to be inconspicuous. Wear bright colors.

[+cerberus1]

In our pre-caching days we belonged to a hiking club. They never hiked in hunting areas during hunting season.

 

When we started caching, we had to adjust. One year we were out caching in the wilderness on the first day of hunting season.

 

Curious why you'd completely disregard the commen sense of the hiking club you belonged to, once you started geocaching.

Roaming around the woods, especially during the two-week rifled deer season, could get you fined under many State's hunter harassment laws - at best.

- This type of behaviour is why we must temp disable our hides during the busiest hunting seasons.

In PA, game lands are not funded by the legislature (tax dollars), so we need to be more respectful of our hunters, whose license sales make up the bulk of game commission funding. They allow us to cache in their woods for free.

[+RedKori]

I should clarify. I'm from Holland where there is no real hunting season and the only hunting is done by game controllers (professional hunters).

 

I now live in the US and am not very familiar with when hunting season is where and under what rules. Being in New England I realize makes this more complicated as I have multiple States to consider.

I was just wondering what other cachers do. I DO want to be inconspicuous as the areas I hike and cache in are frequented by other hikers and I find myself often 'hiding' as not to give the cache site away when I grab and sign the cache. There is so much mugging going on already as it is.

I guess the trick is then to stay in hunt free zones ... Now just have to find out which ones those are ...

[+Ma & Pa]

In our pre-caching days we belonged to a hiking club. They never hiked in hunting areas during hunting season.

 

When we started caching, we had to adjust. One year we were out caching in the wilderness on the first day of hunting season.

 

Curious why you'd completely disregard the commen sense of the hiking club you belonged to, once you started geocaching.

Roaming around the woods, especially during the two-week rifled deer season, could get you fined under many State's hunter harassment laws - at best.

- This type of behaviour is why we must temp disable our hides during the busiest hunting seasons.

In PA, game lands are not funded by the legislature (tax dollars), so we need to be more respectful of our hunters, whose license sales make up the bulk of game commission funding. They allow us to cache in their woods for free.

 

It is not illegal for people to go out in the woods during hunting season around here but the hiking club avoided the woods because of fear of being out in the woods on weekends when there were lots of stories of people spending the weekend getting drunk at night and hunting all day. The time we geocached during hunting season was in a wilderness area on a week day and I had to assume that the hunters would know and notice the difference between us in our bright orange attire, and a deer.

 

I find your comment about the illegality of being in the woods a little confusing. Does that mean if I have a gun, I can go in the woods without a problem but if I don't have a gun, I could be in trouble with the law?

Edited September 16, 2013 by Ma & Pa

[+JBnW]

I should clarify. I'm from Holland where there is no real hunting season and the only hunting is done by game controllers (professional hunters).

 

I now live in the US and am not very familiar with when hunting season is where and under what rules. Being in New England I realize makes this more complicated as I have multiple States to consider.

I was just wondering what other cachers do. I DO want to be inconspicuous as the areas I hike and cache in are frequented by other hikers and I find myself often 'hiding' as not to give the cache site away when I grab and sign the cache. There is so much mugging going on already as it is.

I guess the trick is then to stay in hunt free zones ... Now just have to find out which ones those are ...

OK. Every state has a wildlife management agency, each has a webpage that more-than-likely publishes the various seasons, may have a list of public hunting areas, legal hours, days, etc.. There is a lot of variation between state-to-state and season-to-season, but good information to know. Avoiding these areas during season is a good idea..hunters only get so long to enjoy their season, caching can be done year 'round. Avoiding very early or late hours of the day (usually prime hunting times) is another good idea. But, if you find yourself in an area where hunting is allowed, you DO NEED TO BE CONSPICUOUS!!! A muggled cache is not worth an unfortunate accident... EVER!!! (Sorry for the shouting) Any cache can be replaced or even archived. Other things can't.

[+snowcrustracer]

Every state in New England requires hunting permits.

Just do a search for say a Connecticut Hunting License and you will get a web site that will give you the regulations for hunting in that state.

This is Connecticut's web page.

 

http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2707&Q=323846&deepNav_GID=1642

[+cerberus1]

In our pre-caching days we belonged to a hiking club. They never hiked in hunting areas during hunting season.

 

When we started caching, we had to adjust. One year we were out caching in the wilderness on the first day of hunting season.

 

Curious why you'd completely disregard the commen sense of the hiking club you belonged to, once you started geocaching.

Roaming around the woods, especially during the two-week rifled deer season, could get you fined under many State's hunter harassment laws - at best.

- This type of behaviour is why we must temp disable our hides during the busiest hunting seasons.

In PA, game lands are not funded by the legislature (tax dollars), so we need to be more respectful of our hunters, whose license sales make up the bulk of game commission funding. They allow us to cache in their woods for free.

 

It is not illegal for people to go out in the woods during hunting season around here but the hiking club avoided the woods because of fear of being out in the woods on weekends when there were lots of stories of people spending the weekend getting drunk at night and hunting all day. The time we geocached during hunting season was in a wilderness area on a week day and I had to assume that the hunters would know and notice the difference between us in our bright orange attire, and a deer.

 

I find your comment about the illegality of being in the woods a little confusing. Does that mean if I have a gun, I can go in the woods without a problem but if I don't have a gun, I could be in trouble with the law?

The first and last day of most big game seasons sees the best chance of taking game.

If a hunter feels you're intentionally spooking game so he can't hunt, sure.

In most States they are summary offenses, but you could be in for a couple hundred bucks in fines.

A few States even allow the hunter to sue for his "damages" (the waste of a day and meat on the table). NJ is one.

Canada has a subsection in the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1997, Chapter 41, Section 13 that seems to be a hunter harassment law to me...

[Clan Riffster]

In our pre-caching days we belonged to a hiking club. They never hiked in hunting areas during hunting season.

 

When we started caching, we had to adjust. One year we were out caching in the wilderness on the first day of hunting season.

 

Curious why you'd completely disregard the commen sense of the hiking club you belonged to, once you started geocaching.

Roaming around the woods, especially during the two-week rifled deer season, could get you fined under many State's hunter harassment laws - at best.

- This type of behaviour is why we must temp disable our hides during the busiest hunting seasons.

In PA, game lands are not funded by the legislature (tax dollars), so we need to be more respectful of our hunters, whose license sales make up the bulk of game commission funding. They allow us to cache in their woods for free.

 

It is not illegal for people to go out in the woods during hunting season around here but the hiking club avoided the woods because of fear of being out in the woods on weekends when there were lots of stories of people spending the weekend getting drunk at night and hunting all day. The time we geocached during hunting season was in a wilderness area on a week day and I had to assume that the hunters would know and notice the difference between us in our bright orange attire, and a deer.

 

I find your comment about the illegality of being in the woods a little confusing. Does that mean if I have a gun, I can go in the woods without a problem but if I don't have a gun, I could be in trouble with the law?

The first and last day of most big game seasons sees the best chance of taking game.

If a hunter feels you're intentionally spooking game so he can't hunt, sure.

In most States they are summary offenses, but you could be in for a couple hundred bucks in fines.

A few States even allow the hunter to sue for his "damages" (the waste of a day and meat on the table). NJ is one.

Canada has a subsection in the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1997, Chapter 41, Section 13 that seems to be a hunter harassment law to me...

Just to clarify one point. Regarding the offense of harassing game, it's the hunter's opinions that might get the game warden involved, but it's not their opinion which will get you in trouble. If you accidentally spook Bambi whilst hunting an ammo can, no matter how vociferously the hunter complains, you will not be charged, as you had no intent to harass game. (If you're beebopping down the trail with a boom box on your shoulder blasting Beastie Boys, all bets are off) That being said, I agree with the notion of staying out of the hunting woods during prime hunt times. For me, it's not so much a safety issue. I generally know where the hunters are long before they know where I am. Rather, I stay out because, while my caching time is pretty much year round, their time is quite limited.

[+ras_oscar]

Or google [insert state name] hunting season. The first result will usually be a pdf with a description of the games and seasons. IUn my state, there is something in season pretty much 12 months a year, but by far the most popular hunt is gun season for deer.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

In RI, *ALL* users of DEM WMA properties must wear 200 sq in of Blaze during hunting seasons, and 500 sq in during deer black powder & shotgun seasons.

 

The RI DEM website has the regs and hunting season dates.

 

I always were a hat and vest (which always gets me the 500 sq in). Out int he woods, there are very few muggles to worry about.

 

For the OP, here's a link to the Mass hunting website.

[+RedKori]

Thank you all for the information and links !!!

 

As far as the Beasty Boys on Boom box goes, I think the current generation most likely to do this would be going for the Caching Harlem Shake 😉

[4wheelin_fool]

You should be aware of which areas allow hunting and which ones don't. Even so, it doesn't mean that you wont encounter a hunter where it is not allowed. I discovered some posted signs put along a public area, and checked and found that the neighbors put them up to keep hunters out. I went back and dismantled the deer stand, as well as removing the signs.

 

In other areas where it is allowed, in Fish and Wildlife management areas the hunters have taken it upon themselves to declare it a "hunting only" place, and removed several geocaches, leaving cards behind. If the area is being heavily used by hunters it is a very bad idea to go in looking for a geocache, even if you are wearing blaze orange. This will only annoy them, and may cause them to remove the caches if they figure out what you are doing. Being another outdoor activity, many hunters carry GPS units and are aware of this hobby. Around here its deer season on Saturdays, or early in the day before noon. If you see someone hunting it is best to be respectful and stay out.

[+briansnat]

Until last year NJ didn't allow any hunting on Sundays, so hikere and geocachers were good to go without worry. The state passed a law legalizing hunting on Sundays in wildlife management areas and on private property. State parks and forests are still off limits. I think other states also have a no Sunday hunting law. As mentioned earlier, it's best to know your local hunting seasons if you really want to be safe

[Clan Riffster]

In RI, *ALL* users of DEM WMA properties must wear 200 sq in of Blaze during hunting seasons

Florida has what I consider to be a very strange version of this law. Persons hunting deer, or accompanying persons hunting deer, must wear 500 square inches on blaze orange above the waist. There are several critters you can hunt at the same time as deer season. So, anyone who is hunting without blaze orange need only claim they are hunting hogs, or coyotes, or whatever.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Persons hunting deer, or accompanying persons hunting deer, must wear 500 square inches on blaze orange above the waist.

 

This Florida requirement is based on the stats. Hunters overwhelmingly wound themselves, and when not themselves, members of their own party. It makes sense when viewed against the reality of people being shot accidentally during hunting season.

[+fbingha]

Persons hunting deer, or accompanying persons hunting deer, must wear 500 square inches on blaze orange above the waist.

 

This Florida requirement is based on the stats. Hunters overwhelmingly wound themselves, and when not themselves, members of their own party. It makes sense when viewed against the reality of people being shot accidentally during hunting season.

 

Seems to only make sense if it applied to all hunting, not just to deer hunting.

[+edscott]

In PA, during at least deer hunting season, you MUST wear a certain amount of orange out in the woods. We usually go in the woods on Sunday, rather than weekdays or Saturdays.

 

... if you are on State Game Lands. I'd recommend it other places but it is not required.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

In PA, during at least deer hunting season, you MUST wear a certain amount of orange out in the woods. We usually go in the woods on Sunday, rather than weekdays or Saturdays.

 

... if you are on State Game Lands. I'd recommend it other places but it is not required.

 

I'd *STONGLY* recommend wearing orange in the woods wherever you go, as well as your dog. A woman was shot last year in MA on a conservation property (no hunting allowed) because a hunter (off duty police officer) thought her dog was a deer. He fired, and wound up hitting the woman.

[4wheelin_fool]

In PA, during at least deer hunting season, you MUST wear a certain amount of orange out in the woods. We usually go in the woods on Sunday, rather than weekdays or Saturdays.

 

... if you are on State Game Lands. I'd recommend it other places but it is not required.

 

I'd *STONGLY* recommend wearing orange in the woods wherever you go, as well as your dog. A woman was shot last year in MA on a conservation property (no hunting allowed) because a hunter (off duty police officer) thought her dog was a deer. He fired, and wound up hitting the woman.

 

It was New Years eve and on a property where hunting was allowed. He had a hunting license and was using a black powder rifle, and she was only 800 feet in the woods. Charges of negligence were filed, but dropped by a judge. I think she filed a civil suit over the medical bills.

[+Lieblweb]

I avoid any and all hunting areas during hunting times. On Sunday, hunting is not permitted. If we go caching during hunting season within hunting grounds, it's always on Sunday and I will wear blaze orange even on Sunday.

[+cerberus1]

I avoid any and all hunting areas during hunting times. On Sunday, hunting is not permitted. If we go caching during hunting season within hunting grounds, it's always on Sunday and I will wear blaze orange even on Sunday.

Not so. I hear folks say this often and figure they don't see the number of vehicles in lots as in big game seasons, they simply believe it to be true.

Though certain game isn't popular with many, hunting is allowed in PA every day of the year.

Crows, foxes and coyotes can be hunted on Sundays, with Sunday the best for coyote (few or no folks in the woods).

[+Ma & Pa]

Deer are friendly in PA. Here is one following MA on the AT. I believe that a guy down the trail offered him a ride in his truck.