Hunter orange

[Limbhanger]

Do any of you have any expierence at bowhunting spring birds from a blind with hunters orange on it?Only been bowhunting birds a couple of years and never displayed orange on it yet.Although after a close call with a hunter sneeking in and shooting right over my blind,I've considered it for safety reasons.I actually herd the bb's whizz over my head before I heard the shotgun blast,which really makes me wonder about sitting in a blind.My thought is that turkeys are spooked by hunters wearing orange all season as they move about,and might learn to associate any orange they see as danger.I really don't want to put orange out but I'm considering it,have you ever bowhunted this way,and if so did it have any negative effects?

[geezer]

For what its worth Pa requires hunters to wear 100 sq inches of orange and an orange hat while moving in the woods during the spring and fall season turkey season and during the fall they must place 100 sq inches of orange within 15 feet of their blind.

Maybe you could tie a couple of orange pieces of tape around a tree or something near your blind - you can't be too careful - two years ago i had a amish guy sneak up on my position and take a bead on my decoys - i had to yell DECOYS to stop him from shooting - he didn't like it and said "do those decoys work" - i replied well they fooled you - he just walked away

good luck
take care

[Limbhanger]

That's why I wonder geezer,I'm not a fall bird hunter because I bowhunt deer this time of the year.But I have heard others say while displaying orange they think it screwed them up for not taking one.Just don't have the expierence either way to really say it will mess ya up or not.

[lureboy98]

I've never had the problem with a hunter shooting at me (knock on wood) but I do know that turkeys have very good eyesight so if you put orange on your blind it doesnt seem unreal to me they would be able to pick you out pretty quickly. This could be why you are required to but hunter orange close to your blind in PA. I'm just making assumptions though. I still think it is pretty ridiculous that people shoot for one at decoys (they dont move or make noises or anything) and that they dont check their surroundings first. To me, a blind sticks out like a sore thumb even if it is all camoflauge.

[Thunderflight]

Put a few of these around you.

http://www.adnkronos.com/Esteri/servizi/Risposta/schede/claymore.jpg

If another hunter comes to close then....

http://8tharmy.korea.army.mil/UNCHonorGuard/images/Claymore%20Mine%20Explosion.JPG

[geezer]

I'm with you Lureboy 98 - my decoys were set about 20 yards in a open field - don't know how that amish guy though he could sneak up on some turkeys in the open - especially when they did not move at all - but he did

stay safe

[Darron]

Them amish are some interesting fellers that's for sure. We had some move in across the road from our place. Sure hope they don't start stalking my calls:p

[Limbhanger]

Hey Thunderflight,Ilike that,don't give me any ideas now!:D

The two incidents I incountered were indivuals shooting at turkeys by me not decoys.In both cases hunters snuck in because they heard gobbling,never called and shot.Picture this,I'm in my blind on a field edge bowhunting birds,no hunters around when I first started.After two hours of working some birds with a tom gobbling every so often,it was finally coming together,well that's what I thought.As the hen passed in front of my blind I could hear the tom spitting and drumming to my right following her.So I got ready and just started to draw my bow anticipating the tom to come into view any second.Then I hear the tom start to fly,then WHIZZ as the bb's flew over my blind,followed by the shotgun blast.This hunter snuck up the woodline and popped into the field because he heard the gobbling,and took a crack shot at 60 yards.Thank God he startled the bird and he got off the ground sending the shot directly over me,or I would have definitely got peppered.Why someone would even want to shoot a gobbler without calling,baffles me.Isn't the tradition of turkey hunting to call them in then harvest them.I personally wouldn't shoot a gobbler if I accidently jumped him by walking and he had 2in. spurs and a 12in. beard.Much more rewarding to call them then to just shoot them.And if all hunters followed the law,you wouldn't have to worry about these type of wantabe turkey hunters.The law clearly states BY CALLING ONLY.Excuse me for rambling on but this kind of behavior really eats at me and has cost me a lot of birds.But the said thing is both hunters in both cases were veteran turkey hunters not beginners,which tells me some will continue to do this regardless,so be safe and watch your blindside.

[epe]

Um.... turkeys can see in color guys....

http://www.wildturkeyzone.com/articles/michels8.htm

http://www.jesseshuntingpage.com/site/bowhunting-turkeys.html


When we hunt them in the fall with our x-bows from our treestands, we had to cover up our colored fletching, as we got busted three times trying to shoot at them... This fall I was muzzleloading hunting, was sitting in a treestand, in full orange, and a flock came through to roost and raised holy h@#l when they saw me.. Scared all the deer away....

[OHBOW76]

I have shot turkeys in PA during the fall wearing an orange vest and Hat.....They see color but its movement that scares them.

[lureboy98]

People get so excited sometimes I think that they turn into idiots. It have been kindve interesting if the Amish harvested your decoy and tried to fry that bad boy up!!

[MUZZY MAN]

LOL, clacker optional.

[Ohio Sportsman]

You have to remember the Amish follow old time traditions and beliefs, they do not believe in the new fangled approaches that modern hunters use. By law they are wrong in todays world, but if we were Amish and believed in their ways we would follow those same traditions.

The Amish need educated on the rules and be made to understand that in todays world the rules are different than their beliefs and by breaking these rules they are acceptable to modern penalties even though they do not follow the laws of today. You can't fault people for their beliefs, you can only try to educate those with different values that as a society we all have to follow the rules regardless of who we are and what we believe.

[geezer]

well - i'm not banging on the amish - i have respect for them and have done business with them - (but no respect for tresspassers) just relating what happened in the decoy incident - he was wearing the triditional black/darkblue dress which is a no no in the turkey woods - and sneaking along the edge of an open field where i had placed my decoys -

i believe your right about people getting too excitied - maybe to the point that logic is lost - a few years back some poor guy in ohio shot and killed his son bow hunting - mistook him for a deer -
i never saw a man that looked like a deer or a turkey - and i'm not good enough to sneak up on a turkey in an open field but maybe some are

years ago a friend of my dads was shot in the hip squirrel hunting - then the shooter walked up - looked - and just walked away and left him in the wood bleeding - was a serious injury - was crippled for life -

stay safe
take care

[geezer]

yeh Lureboy98 - i still have a vision in my mind of that decoy exploding - would be interesting to see the look on a hunters face after he harvested a decoy -

[eschatts]

Hmmmmmm I wonder if poaching and trespassing are an old amish tradition.

Ed

[Duffy]

It would seem that way. But on the plus side, they do make great cheese!

[eschatts]

Duffy,

Well, everybody needs to be good at something. Yes they do make good cheese.

Ed

[Ohio Sportsman]

Originally posted by eschatts
Hmmmmmm I wonder if poaching and trespassing are an old amish tradition.

Ed

You may call it poaching or trespassing but like I tried to explain, they have different beliefs and don't look at it as poaching trespassing. I'm not trying to defend their actions but you have to open up your own mind to be able to look at their mindset of religious beliefs and traditions. They probably feel that what we do is wrong, which is their right as americans. I can open up to see another view on things, is it right what they do ? No according to the laws of modern society, but thats why they need educated on all issues concerning the outdoors so they understand the new ways of modern society and that their practices aren't acceptable standards anymore.

[eschatts]

is it right what they do ? No according to the laws of modern society, but thats why they need educated on all issues concerning the outdoors so they understand the new ways of modern society and that their practices aren't acceptable standards anymore.

I agree that some of them might need educated as you say. Is it going to do any good? That is another question. If their beliefs are that strong then I don't think all the education in the world is going to change the way they choose to believe.

Ed

[Ohio Sportsman]

If we don't give it a try then we will never know, will we ? Just ignoring the facts only makes situations like these worsen with time, without education on subjects like this the probability of things like this usually turn into chaos somewhere down the line. We can either be part of the problem or part of the solution, I prefer to be part of the solution.

[eschatts]

I applaud your conviction sir. I wonder if it would do any good. We have been trying to educate these folks since their existance and have failed to this point. Who knows maybe miracles really do happen.

Ed

[lureboy98]

There are a few Amish that do work for the owner of the property next to ours. Consequently they are permitted to hunt on the land and this must be a more liberal group of Amish because they put out scent patches and even decoys during turkey season. They dont seem any different from anyone else and it does not seem to me like they flaunt their religion. However, they will scare you when its pitch black by coming up behind you when you're packing your truck to talk about the day :eek: :eek:

[OHBOW76]

They probably dont consider it poaching or trespassing, they call it hunting for subsistence. Just like some native americans dont have to abide by the same game laws as eveyone else, the Amish probably feel that they have some sort of divine right to harvest what they please or go where they want.

[eschatts]

OHBOW76

You are probably right.

Ed

[OHBOW76]

It would be hard to educate peopel when they dont feel what they are doing is wrong. Thanks eschatts...

[eschatts]

EXACTLY

[Limbhanger]

Thanks for everyones reply,I actually found some info. on my very own original question.Came across this info on another site,where they stated an actual study was done on this.Wish I had more info to further research it,but didn't say by whom or where.The study claimed that turkey hunters could be successful while displaying or wearing hunter's orange,but their success rate was reduced by one third.If that's true I'd have to say it's a disadvantage,paticularly with bowhunting,it's hard enough with some many other things that can go wrong and will go wrong,and by now adding a one third chance more of something else going wrong isn't too good.:(