NY’s new big game law on wearing orange

[Five Seasons]

On 9/11/2021 at 8:35 AM, wolc123 said:

Maybe that's why I have not seen a doe yet this morning.  I am all legal though, 501 feet from the house, hat and back tag on:

 

you're not even legal my friend. You need 200 square inches. Which would include a vest.

[Five Seasons]

I've said this several times and I'll keep saying it. This law would still require a hunter in a ground blind or elevated blind to wear orange. How asinine is that? This law should not apply to hunters within enclosed blinds or >12' in the air. That's how I've always worn orange in NY, even on private land. Orange hat and vest in and out and taking it off in the stand or blind. 

[wolc123]

42 minutes ago, Belo said:

you're not even legal my friend. You need 200 square inches. Which would include a vest.

Actually I am, you read the fine print a little closer to will find the word "or" when it comes to hat/vest.

I have always been a real stickler when it comes to the rules.

[ognennyy]

1 hour ago, Belo said:

I've said this several times and I'll keep saying it. This law would still require a hunter in a ground blind or elevated blind to wear orange. How asinine is that? This law should not apply to hunters within enclosed blinds or >12' in the air. That's how I've always worn orange in NY, even on private land. Orange hat and vest in and out and taking it off in the stand or blind. 

 

If you're going by the letter of the law then yes, that is technically required.  Also by the letter of the law the police can arrest you for J-walking and the judge can send you to county jail for a couple months.

 

I hunt in DEC region 5 and the rangers and Encon officers up here are cool.  They're definitely not bored, not out just looking to give people a hard time.  I'd have a hard time imagining them giving someone a ticket to someone who is minding their own business, not causing any trouble, and took off their blaze orange once on stand.

 

This law was created in response to groups of idiots that go out 10 deep, cans of beer in their hands at 9am, doing deer drives and shooting at anything that moves (aka "the orange army").  Now they truly will be the orange army even in NY.  NY created this law to protect morons like that from other members of their own group.

 

No ranger or Encon officer is going to bring a tailoring tape into the woods and measure how many square inches of orange you have on, or even care if you take it off all together once you're sat down somewhere situated.  I wouldn't be caught going into the woods with no orange at all on opening weekend of rifle season.  That's probably pushing your luck.  But these guys are chill in general in my experience.

[Five Seasons]

2 hours ago, wolc123 said:

Actually I am, you read the fine print a little closer to will find the word "or" when it comes to hat/vest.

I have always been a real stickler when it comes to the rules.

You may be correct as that's how it does seem to read. I sent a note to request clarification as I hunted in a state that had this in the past and that wasn't the intent. Will report back if and when they answer. Interestingly i couldn't find the actual regulation in the state regs.

 

 

[sbuff]

I just re read from day one when orange rule came out. It now states 250 sq inches of orange or pink variants.  Ill probably just leave my vest on . 

Edited September 13, 2021 by sbuff

[CharlieNY]

Scroll down on this page for detailed information directly from the Department of Environmental Conservation.        valoroutdoors.com.           https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html#Fluorescent

[Culvercreek hunt club]

1 hour ago, Belo said:

You may be correct as that's how it does seem to read. I sent a note to request clarification as I hunted in a state that had this in the past and that wasn't the intent. Will report back if and when they answer. Interestingly i couldn't find the actual regulation in the state regs.

 

 

Fluorescent Orange & Fluorescent Pink Clothing Requirements

New: Any person hunting deer or bear with a firearm or a person who is accompanying someone hunting deer or bear with a firearm shall wear:

1. a minimum total of two hundred fifty square inches of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
2. a minimum total of two hundred fifty square inches of patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink consisting of no less than fifty percent fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
3. a hat or cap with no less than fifty percent of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material and visible from all directions.

[Five Seasons]

yep I've read it. And I think Wolc is right. However, I spend my life in regulatory matters and what is written on a page like this is very different from the actual written regulation that an ECON officer would use to cite you. I'd like to see what that says and again, I may be wrong but I think they intended 250 inches total. The way this is written just a hat would pass, or just a vest would pass, and that's less than many of us voluntarily wear already (both hat and vest) and that's what they teach in class iirc so seems odd. 

Like I said I wrote an email asking for clarification. 

[wolc123]

The bo hat alone likely cost me a close look at what was likely a good buck last night . An "optional" vest, had I been wearing it, would have been completely hidden from that deer's sight, by my 3 ft barnwood wall.

I would like to trade my bo hat for a camo one, after I am up in my stand like I always did but that would now be breaking the law if I have a gun,  no matter how you interpret the new regs.  It is a small price to pay in exchange for the extra half hours on either end of daylight however.  

Only 20 minutes of that is usable later but the full 30 is good early, if you have a decent scope on the field edges where I hunt.

[luberhill]

It’s funny … I’ve hunted , trapped , fished my whole life since I was 14 yrs old, I’m over 60 now

Ive never seen a CO in the field it been asked for a license .

Ive fished bass tournaments all over the state, coon, deer, pheasant  hunted ..

Guess I’m just like lucky

Edited September 14, 2021 by luberhill

[wolc123]

I have been stopped on the water in my boat, 5 or 6 times.  They wrote me a ticket for not enough life preservers on Chataqua lake once.  A CO made my wife return her first walleye on Silver lake (it might have needed to be stretched about 1/64" to make 15").    The other times, they just asked to see our fishing licences.  I have never seen one while hunting, 

[land 1]

so not enough life preservers and a short eye.... and sounds like u got a break on short eye ....are u complaining or saying the dec was fair

[Gobbler Chaser]

It's a good idea not to be on the move at dawn or dusk. It surprises me how many hunters Ive seen over the years walking in at those times. Deerz can't see orange so I have no problem with it. 

[Grouse]

Deer cannot see color, but they can see intensity.  A blaze orange hat or vest stands out as a brighter object than the rest of the fall background, especially at dawn and dusk.  It definitely makes movement easier for deer to see.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Fluorescent Orange & Fluorescent Pink Clothing Requirements

New: Any person hunting deer or bear with a firearm or a person who is accompanying someone hunting deer or bear with a firearm shall wear:

1. a minimum total of two hundred fifty square inches of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
2. a minimum total of two hundred fifty square inches of patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink consisting of no less than fifty percent fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
3. a hat or cap with no less than fifty percent of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material and visible from all directions.

Will I be out of the game while an officer does all the math on my breakup/orange vest?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[The_Real_TCIII]

It’s funny … I’ve hunted , trapped , fished my whole life since I was 14 yrs old, I’m over 60 now
Ive never seen a CO in the field it been asked for a license .
Ive fished bass tournaments all over the state, coon, deer, pheasant  hunted ..
Guess I’m just like lucky

Same, with the exception of steelhead and ice fishing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[mowin]

My nephew had the local GW walk up to him on stand last yr.  He said someone complained Kayden was trespassing. Turns out it wasn't even the landowner that bitched, but a lady that parked on the road to walk her dog. She didn't even live on the road, just didn't like hunters.

[Five Seasons]

While I still don't want to wear an orange hat in my tree stand or ground blind, they did clarify that's all that's needed. Or the vest of course. 

 

Good morning,

 

Thank you for reaching out to us. Yes, you are correct. The requirements stated below are with the conditional “or,” meaning only one of the three conditions needs to be met (and thus a hat with no less than 50% of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or pink material/visible from all directions would meet the requirement alone).

 

Thank you,

 

Bureau of Wildlife

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754

P: (518) 402-8883  |  F: (518) 402-8925  [email protected]

www.dec.ny.gov | | 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Belo

[DirtTime]

44 minutes ago, Belo said:

While I still don't want to wear an orange hat in my tree stand or ground blind, they did clarify that's all that's needed. Or the vest of course. 

 

Good morning,

 

Thank you for reaching out to us. Yes, you are correct. The requirements stated below are with the conditional “or,” meaning only one of the three conditions needs to be met (and thus a hat with no less than 50% of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or pink material/visible from all directions would meet the requirement alone).

 

Thank you,

 

Bureau of Wildlife

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754

P: (518) 402-8883  |  F: (518) 402-8925  [email protected]

www.dec.ny.gov | | 

 

Deer don't see the blaze orange the way we do. They make blaze orange hats and vests with a branch pattern on them to break up the outline. I wonder if anyone knows this little tidbit? I'm not aiming this at you personally Belo, I'm just pointing out a fact that maybe some people forget.

Edited September 14, 2021 by DirtTime

[Don_C]

I have always worn an orange vest when out with a gun so this new law is meaningless to me. I really wouldn't worry about it though, deer simply do not see, care about or react to the color. I often find it amusing when I find myself surrounded by deer who never notice me until I move, even with a bright orange Mad Bomber and vest on. What our eyes see as loud and obnoxious is just a muted tone to them. On the flip side, I have to laugh when I see guys wearing blue jeans while deer hunting...

[airedale]

I am all ready to rock and roll for all hunting seasons, it is not a big deal to add some safety. 

Al

[grampy]

29 minutes ago, DirtTime said:

Deer don't see the blaze orange the way we do. They make blaze orange hats and vests with a branch pattern on them to break up the outline. I wonder if anyone knows this little tidbit? I'm not aiming this at you personally Belo, I'm just pointing out a fact that maybe some people forget.

The blaze orange, with the branch pattern is what I prefer to wear. 

To a deer, this looks like black branch on gray background.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

18 minutes ago, Don_C said:

 On the flip side, I have to laugh when I see guys wearing blue jeans while deer hunting...

I've shot quite a few deer wearing jeans. I know they are suppose to see "blue" best but I never had an issue. Scent and movement seems to be the biggest deal breaker and I'd try to stay away from detergents with "whiteners" in them. 

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, DirtTime said:

Deer don't see the blaze orange the way we do. They make blaze orange hats and vests with a branch pattern on them to break up the outline. I wonder if anyone knows this little tidbit? I'm not aiming this at you personally Belo, I'm just pointing out a fact that maybe some people forget.

My objection has nothing to do with deer. It's about other hunters. Some of us share some tight boundaries or even share land with others. I always wear a hat and vest on the ground, but I see no reason to display to the world that I'm freezing my ass off in a tree on 12/3 when the foliage is all down and I can be spotted from miles away. There is zero benefit here for me and only negative. The likelihood of being shot in a tree by a deer hunter is nearly zero, as stated by the DEC themselves. It's dumb and I cannot be convinced others.

Safety is what I do for a living and these kinds of rules are what give people like me a bad reputation.