MONTPELIER — Vermont Fish & Wildlife is reminding hunters to wear fluorescent hunter orange.
“Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities, and it’s getting safer thanks to advances in education as well as science,” said Nicole Meier, Vermont Fish & Wildlife information and education specialist. “Our volunteer hunter education instructors stress that wearing orange during hunting season is important, and studies prove that wearing fluorescent hunter orange keeps hunters visible to other people in the woods, but it keeps them relatively invisible to deer.”
“Every year we should strive to be the safest we can be by wearing at least a hunter orange hat and vest,” she added.
Meier says hunters moving into the line of fire of other hunters and mistaking other hunters for game are common causes of the state’s accidents.
The time that deer are most active, during the dawn and dusk hours, are times of especially low visibility. You can improve your chances of being seen by other hunters by wearing hunter orange, which can be seen even in low-light situations.
“While it isn’t recommended to wear orange during waterfowl and turkey seasons, we certainly still recommend hunter orange when you are going to and from your blind, tree stand or calling spot,” said Meier.
Concerns that hunter orange scares deer are unfounded. A deer’s vision is based on movement, patterns and color variations. Unlike humans, deer do not have multiple color receptors in their eyes. They can see color, but their spectrum is limited. This means deer must rely heavily on their ability to detect movement over the ability to interpret color variations and patterns.
Regardless of how well deer see orange, ample anecdotal evidence suggests they aren’t bothered by it.