# 2013 Bill/ Requirement for ND Upland



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

One of the proposals that might show up at the legislature is blaze orange for upland. Haven't thought about this much but some states require it for safety sake.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

The only problem I have with this is that if you are an opotunistic hunter like me it becomes a burden. No more shooting upland as you walk out to your waterfowl blind or while bowhunting for deer cause you won't have orange on. If it happens it maybe should be for groups of 3 or more, Situations where keeping track of everyone is a bit harder and maybe during deer season...

Generally if I'm hunting with a group I/we wear blaze orange. If I'm hunting alone most times I don't.

The ND firearm/hunting accident rate is so low this probably isn't even going to make any difference.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I hate the idea. Sometimes while walking out to get to your duck spot and you scare up some pheasants or grouse or huns and I wouldn't be able to shoot because I don't have orange?

Seriously how many people get shoot in ND while upland game hunting? And of those how many would orange have prevented?

Just one more way to limit my freedom.


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

I would be against it as well. I like to hunt upland alone or with one other person and do not find it necessary or beneficial.


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## nodak1978 (Oct 31, 2012)

Whomever is sponsoring the bill must have some "scientific data" to justify the safety issue. From my own "unscientific" view, i.e. participation in hunting for thirty plus years, I can't recall many incidents of people getting shot while upland hunting... I personally do not think a law is necessary that forces people to wear orange for upland. If you want to wear it, fine...but a mandate? Before I'd be in support of that I would want to see the statistics for N.Dak.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

MN has this law in place. I think it is a good law and promotes safety.

Here is how the law is written:

Small game seasons: You may not take small game unless a visible portion of at least one article of clothing above the waist is blaze orange, *except* when hunting wild turkeys, migratory birds, raccoons, predators, when hunting by falconry, trapping or while hunting deer with archery while stationary.

So your fears of hunting by oppurtunity is not an issue. Because you are walking to your duck blind you can shoot a pheasant because you are "duck hunting". You can shoot a pheasant while archery deer hunting because you are "deer" hunting with a bow. The way it is written above is you are not targeting that specific small game you are ok.

So if this bill is introduced.....voice your concerns about how it is written IMO. Because I have had many pellets bounce off me while pheasant hunting in my 20 years of hunting prior to this law in MN. That is why I always wear orange now.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

If the bill followed MN's wording I wouldn't have a problem I guess, as my lucky phez cap is blaze orange anyway. But it is hard change old habits.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Many hunting accidents when pursuing small game are not because the hunters location was not known or he was unseen but because in the heat of the moment the shooter is focused only on the game and the person shot is tuned out and often a victim of a swing through. Many people get tunnel vision and having orange on doesn't change that. I still see that happen a lot in deer hunting. As a matter of fact thats why I quit deer hunting with groups.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just questioning the necessity. I'm not sure there are that many hunters that DON"T wear some orange already. If volunteer compliance is high enough why make it a law?

As I mentioned before I think it IS a good idea for groups of 3 or more and I do put on orange when with other hunters.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Just makes common sense to wear blaze while upland hunting. I even put blaze orange on my dog! I've seen some pretty stupid stuff while pheasant hunting, and I'll take whatever precautions I can to keep the odds in my favor.

I say keep the law the way it is. Darwinism at work. Natural selection, survival of the fittest and all that jazz.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

> Many hunting accidents when pursuing small game are not because the hunters location was not known or he was unseen but because in the heat of the moment the shooter is focused only on the game and the person shot is tuned out and often a victim of a swing through. Many people get tunnel vision and having orange on doesn't change that. I still see that happen a lot in deer hunting. As a matter of fact thats why I quit deer hunting with groups.


Dakota.... You are right it is the tunnel vision in the majority of hunting accidents. But think of it this way....if someone is swinging on a bird and then in the field of vision they see blaze orange.....it makes then stop or don't shoot at that moment. That is where blaze orange helps.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

I am a bit colorblind... could we just use a blinking light on top of your hat instead? It would make it easier for ME to see... and in the end, it is ALL ABOUT ME ANYWAY!!!! Lets pass another law that is not needed...


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Chuck Smith said:


> > Many hunting accidents when pursuing small game are not because the hunters location was not known or he was unseen but because in the heat of the moment the shooter is focused only on the game and the person shot is tuned out and often a victim of a swing through. Many people get tunnel vision and having orange on doesn't change that. I still see that happen a lot in deer hunting. As a matter of fact thats why I quit deer hunting with groups.
> 
> 
> Dakota.... You are right it is the tunnel vision in the majority of hunting accidents. But think of it this way....if someone is swinging on a bird and then in the field of vision they see blaze orange.....it makes then stop or don't shoot at that moment. That is where blaze orange helps.


Still wouldn't affect alot of people. How many deer hunters get shot while wearing orange?


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

> Still wouldn't affect alot of people. How many deer hunters get shot while wearing orange?


How many deer hunting (all hunting accidents) happen around a vehicle or while loading and unloading guns?? Too many is the answer. But with deer hunting it is a different thing all together. High powered rifles traveling 100's of years. Upland you are talking about up close. Many deer accidents (this was my knowledge years ago) happen when someone is shooting at an animal and the bullet travels out of the persons sight.....ie over a hill. Then someone gets struck.....or they happened around a vehicle while unloading or loading. Gun falls off tailgate while loaded, etc. Or while getting in and out of tree stands with a loaded fire arm.

My question is why the resistance to it??? Give a reason why orange should not be a requirement? I said that if it is written like the MN law it won't effect the shooting a rooster on your way to your duck set up or on your bow stand. So that arguement is out the window.

So why resist it or why is it a bad thing???


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

I wear blaze orange upland hunting (a hat and my regular hunting vest which has blaze mostly on the back) whenever I am upland hunting except on very rare occasions. Everyone wears it on our mentored youth pheasant hunts. I can only recall on year pheasant hunting late in December where my hunting buddy and I noted pheasants flushing early when we were wearing blaze orange, put on caps without blaze orange and were successful. Then again, that time may have just been an ********* tale like pheasants can read posted signs (saw two roosters that walked across the road two hundred yards ahead of us and stood by the posted sign as we drove by).


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

Personally just because I don't like blaze orange.

I don't like to wear it, I don't deer hunt, and I think people look stupid all decked out in blaze orange while hunting upland. I don't think people need to see me from 2 miles away when I am trying to hunt and get away from people. If I want to duck down in a field when upland hunting so some jackass road hunting can't see me, it's hard to do when your in blaze orange.

Again, this is why I personally don't want it required. Not to mention how many more laws and regulations do we really need from the government to "protect" us ordinary, average citizens that don't know any better. :wink:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

drjongy said:


> Personally just because I don't like blaze orange.
> 
> I don't like to wear it, I don't deer hunt, and I think people look stupid all decked out in blaze orange while hunting upland. I don't think people need to see me from 2 miles away when I am trying to hunt and get away from people. If I want to duck down in a field when upland hunting so some jackass road hunting can't see me, it's hard to do when your in blaze orange.
> 
> Again, this is why I personally don't want it required. Not to mention how many more laws and regulations do we really need from the government to "protect" us ordinary, average citizens that don't know any better. :wink:


 :thumb:


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Been a long time since I have not had at least an orange hat or some sort of orange on while actively hunting upland game. My guess for this request in a law change has come about with the increase in upland hunters during deer season. On a number of occasions over the past years I have encountered upland hunters without any orange while we where deer hunting. On private lands open to hunting and public this can create a dangerous situation because some of the current camo patterns do blend in well that make it very hard to detect without movement. Not this fall but last year I had done a spot and stalk on a nice buck that I chose to pass on. Public ground,I had spent a couple hours getting into position on this deer. While glassing the deer I picked up movement behind the deer a couple hundred yards. Even with good optics it took me a while to locate the hunter. He had walked in to block as the rest of his party started to work the dogs and birds toward him.

He was legal, and had no idea I was behind him and had I not noticed a bit of movement while glassing I could have easily missed him just standing where he was. Now he was in no danger from me, as I was not shooting but had I chosen to take the shot, and had he not been moving when I glassed the area he was in, easily I could have missed him and sent a round in the same direction as he was without knowing he was there even though I had glassed the area prior to assess my shooting lanes.

It is common sense to wear orange, it is sad that again legislation is needed to be proposed to try and get people to use common sense. I hunt waterfowl during deer gun season, and always have orange in my layout to signal to people that may stop and look at the spread. Unless on private land where I know access is controlled I would never hunt water for waterfowl during deer season.

Is this law needed? Some think it not, and that it is simply an unnecessarysasary rule, but this is one of those rules that in my opinion should be in place since we do have a small portion of the population that join us in the field withouabilityablity to use common sense.


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## redlabel (Mar 7, 2002)

blhunter3 said:


> Chuck Smith said:
> 
> 
> > > Many hunting accidents when pursuing small game are not because the hunters location was not known or he was unseen but because in the heat of the moment the shooter is focused only on the game and the person shot is tuned out and often a victim of a swing through. Many people get tunnel vision and having orange on doesn't change that. I still see that happen a lot in deer hunting. As a matter of fact thats why I quit deer hunting with groups.
> ...


A better way to look at it is, "How many deer hunters *were not* shot because they *were* wearing orange."


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

When people get tunnel vision, nothing will stop them from pulling the trigger. So orange while upland hunting will do nothing. Its just another feel good law like the stupid new smoking law in ND. Or the no texting while driving. There was already a law for that, call distracted driving.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

blhunter3 said:


> When people get tunnel vision, nothing will stop them from pulling the trigger.But having something like blaze orange or neon green show up in your field of vision may cause the tunnel vision to be broken! That is a fact and it is why hunting accidents went down nationwide as states implemented this law. So orange while upland hunting will do nothing. Its just another feel good law like the stupid new smoking law in ND. Or the no texting while driving. There was already a law for that, call distracted driving.


You are really out of touch on the value of orange as a safety outerwear in making you more visible to other hunters afield. No amount of backward thinking or claims you make changes the value of blaze orange as adding an additional layer of safety. Upland hunting is not a lot different and in fact with the flushing birds and such a person being visible with the orange is less likely to be injured by someone within his party adefinitelyely from someone who may come upon you afield.

Especially if you are one of those who dresses in camo colored clothing while upland hunting.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

All I'm saying is that people still get shot while wearing orange. Wearing orange will never prevent people getting shot. How many people have been shot while upland hunting in ND? We do not need another fee good law. If you want to wear orange, go ahead.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

This was they same BS that people said when it was mandated for deer. Like I saidprior it to bad that a law is needed on something as common sense as the wearing of orangewhile upland hunting especially during deer season


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