MONTPELIER — With the 16- day rifle deer season beginning this Saturday, Vermont Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters. and anyone who goes into the woods, to wear fluorescent hunter orange.
“Studies prove that wearing fluorescent hunter orange keeps hunters visible to other people in the woods, but it keeps them relatively invisible to deer,” said Vermont Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier. “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. By wearing hunter orange, hunters can improve their chances of being seen by other hunters. It can be seen even in low- light situations.

“While it isn’t recommended to wear orange during waterfowl and turkey seasons, we certainly still recommendhunterorangewhenyou are going to and from your blind, treestandorcallingspot,”saidMeier.
While some hunters might be concerned that deer are scared by hunter orange, in fact deer are unaffectedbythecolor.Adeer’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 rely heavily on their ability to detect movement over the ability to interpret color variations and patterns.
To see a video that shows how much more visible hunters are when wearing orange, go to youtube.com/watch?v=7kjSI79ss9I.