Hunting season and hiking

[Chabela]

Hello,

What is your opinon about hiking (mainly in remote areas, trailless peaks of Maine and New Hampshire) during the hunting season? In National Forests, in public lands, etc?

We were looking for hiking this weekend either in the Rangeley Region or near the Kancamagus Hwy (Nancy, Vose Spur..). Should we wait ( ) or risk our life

 

[Chip]

Hello,

What is your opinon about hiking (mainly in remote areas, trailless peaks of Maine and New Hampshire) during the hunting season? In National Forests, in public lands, etc?

We were looking for hiking this weekend either in the Rangeley Region or near the Kancamagus Hwy (Nancy, Vose Spur..). Should we wait ( ) or risk our life

I'd go forth in confidence. As long as you're not dressed in brown and bush-whackin for berries, you'll be fine.
Violate the LNT "visual" rule by wearing some florescent orange, green and yellow. Have fun.

Hunters prefer meatier game, anywho.

 

[jwind]

This time of year freaks me out. I've come up on Bow hunters on my bike and been within striking distance before know it... It startles me to say the least.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

I'd go forth in confidence. As long as you're not dressed in brown and bush-whackin for berries, you'll be fine.
Violate the LNT "visual" rule by wearing some florescent orange, green and yellow.

I think the hunter orange or a bright blue work great. Yellow is great most of the year but with the leaf drop it actually tends to blend in. And yes, avoid the Moose skin vest with matching ear muffs at all cost.

 

[sardog1]

At this writing, it's the midst of the Maine firearms deer season and the NH muzzleloader deer season. The former will draw the most hunters of Maine's various hunting seasons. The latter will draw somewhat fewer hunters than you'll see when the NH firearms season opens Nov. 14. The moose season is over in both states. Small game seasons will continue into the late winter.

Bowhunters will still be hunting for the next six weeks or so, but will mostly wait until the firearms seasons end. Bowhunters need to be very close to their quarry to be effective, which reduces the risk to others in the woods. Negligent shooting of other humans by bowhunters is very, very rare but it has happened.

Anyone going into the woods during these seasons (at least the deer, moose and bear seasons) should be wearing bright colors. All of the White Mountain National Forest is open to hunting, for example, with some small restrictions. Blaze orange is best; it is significantly better in low light conditions than almost any other color. Very few hunters will be farther than a mile from a road or ATV-accessible trail.

For particulars on dates for the hunting seasons in New England and NY, check the thread titled Hunting Season Sticky.

 

[cushetunk]

Thinking a little like a hunter might help make the decision. For example, I rarely worry about being in danger if the trail I'm on heads steeply up the side of a mountain... it's just not where hunters will want to be. On the other hand, rolling low- or mid-elevation terrain, especially if it has some cut-over areas with good browse... well, I'd wear lots of bright colors if I went there. And early morning and late afternoon are prime times to be more cautious.

Also, hunters really appreciate it if you wear orange. They don't want to be on the trigger end of an accident. Just having an orange hat on helps you not only stay safe, but also generate some good will all around.

 

[forestgnome]

Blaze orange is best; it is significantly better in low light conditions than almost any other color. Very few hunters will be farther than a mile from a road or ATV-accessible trail.

These are the two most important items.

Hiking to Vose Spur from Sawyer River Road is a great choice. Wear orange and stay on the trail for the first mile if you're really concerned, but I doubt you'll ever even see hunters.

Along the Kancamagus, there are many old logging roads. This is where most hunters go. Just stay on hiking trails for the first mile.

happy trails

 

[Mad Townie]

Wear blaze orange. Period. It stands out (see avatar). I know a lot of very careful hunters who always make very sure they see their target. On the other hand, I've met a few who talked about taking "sound shots."

Remember that rifle bullets travel long distances unless something stops them. There could be a deer between you and a hunter, and she might see the deer but not you. Not much anyone can do about that except do everything you can to be visible. Making noise helps, too.

Be careful out there.

 

[dug]

Never had a problem. Rarely even see a hunter. Since they are looking for quieter areas as hikers (groups) are more likely to scare off game, they are avoiding trails except for low areas where they are used as access to where their "spot" is. It's tough to haul their prey 4+ miles out on a trail, so after a mile or so you probably won't see a hunter anyway.

Where orange, but you are more likely to get in a car accident on the way to the trailhead than to be hit by a stray shot in the woods.

 

[Toe Cozy]

There could be a deer between you and a hunter, and she might see the deer but not you.

Nice way to do a little subtle stereotype breaking, MT!

As for the making noise...well, when asked "wasn't I afraid of hiking during hunting season" I suggested that to some French Canadian hunters on ATVs. That made them even more upset. Insert Quebecois accent:" Tsk, tsk, tsk. No, the hunters don't like when you make noise and scare the animals". Um..okay, Mr. riding around the trails on your noisy machine...whatever!

 

[dentonfabrics]

There's an article in todays Globe that talks about eliminating the last of Massachusetts' blue laws that prohibits hunting on Sundays. Opponents of that proposal argue that Sunday is the only day that hikers and nature lovers can enjoy the woods without fear of getting shot.

As much as I'm flattered that the folks on Beacon Hill are concerned for us, I think that argument is a lot of hooey (can I say "hooey" here?). I'm not a hunter, but I support their right to be in the woods in season. I've come across a few hunters on the trail and find myself surprised at how comfortable I am while stopping to talk to heavily armed strangers miles from nowhere in the middle of the forest.

As far as accidents go, yeah, they happen. But I use the same rationale for hiking as I do for air travel - think of all the miles flown/hiked and compare it to the amount of accidents and you'll find that the number is very small. It's pretty safe out there.

I'll be out there in the woods tomorrow, nattily attired in my spiffy hunter orange, and not worried about a damn thing.


bob

 

[griffin]

Make sure any four-legged companions wear blaze orange - and perhaps a cow-bell too.

 

[--M.]

Agree completely, Bob, and I saw the article, too (http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar...o_consider_ending_longtime_sunday_hunting_ban). It wasn't until half-way through that this question was answered: Why should hunters have to abstain? The other side's answer is the shared-woods/impact-on-others argument. I'd say that problem should be addressed in other ways than moratorium.

But back to orange: here's one of those tips you want to learn, like not walking on the other guy's lie as he prepares to putt. The exact hue of "Hunter Orange" is a specific code to hunters. It's a quantum step above ANY other color for wearer safety, and literally SCREAMS "Don't shoot here" to a hunter who sees it. ANY other color is way down the scale in sending that message.

So if you're in an area that may get traffic -- and we saw hunters with rifles on the Marcy Loj road a couple weeks back -- it may bring you peace of mind to know the inside scoop.

Yellow & blue are great, may even work. But Hunter Orange has been put in a class by itself.

Hope this helps all those hunting-season hikers out there!

 

[grouseking]

I've never had a problem in the White Mtns, but I heard the shots go off in the distance while hiking Waumbek one day. It's amazing how things echo up there.

There is one time that will always be etched in my memory.

I decided to talk a little walk in the woods in my hometown of Chester, NH on Thanksgiving on a warm 65 degree day. I entered the woods and I was as quiet as I usually am. I completely forgot it was hunting season for some reason. Then, when I got to the bottom to of the hill, I came across some guy with a big gun hanging out in a tree, looking down at me. The exchange went like this. I said....

"Oh sorry, I didn't see you there." I'll be on my way."

That's ok. I saw you coming from a long way away."

Yeah that made me feel good. I definitely wasn't wearing orange that day. Should have been....It was a dark, dreary day, threatening to rain too...learned my lesson. Thankfully the guy was nice. I took my left onto conserved land and hightailed it home.

So in general, during hunting season, I try to stay off trails in my hometown because they are crawling with deer and hunters. I mean they have a gun or bow and I don't..I'll give them that and I'll steer clear for a couple months.

But when it comes to well maintained trails up in the White Mtns, so far, I haven't had any trouble. Perhaps an orange hat would be helpful...

grouseking

 

[WhiteMTHike]

As long as you don't go hiking in Pittsburg, NH this time of year you should be fine. The area of the Kanc is a good choice. I've gone hiking on the trails in that area many times at this time of the year and never had a problem with hunters. In fact I don't ever recall seeing or even hearing one. Just stay on the trails and wear that bright orange. Enjoy.

 

[DougPaul]

But back to orange: here's one of those tips you want to learn, like not walking on the other guy's lie as he prepares to putt. The exact hue of "Hunter Orange" is a specific code to hunters. It's a quantum step above ANY other color for wearer safety, and literally SCREAMS "Don't shoot here" to a hunter who sees it. ANY other color is way down the scale in sending that message.

Yellow & blue are great, may even work. But Hunter Orange has been put in a class by itself.

No matter what the merits of any other color, the hunters are looking for orange, not "any bright color".

Doug

 

[michaelb]

Although wearing hunter's orange is a good idea and hunters are trained to look for it, I disagree with the suggestion that hunters orange is even remotely the brightest color you can wear. This is pet peeve of mine for some reason. My understanding is that hunters wear orange for safety because it is the brightest color they can wear and remain relatively invisible to wild animals. The orange is not that bright relatively and most animals see in that color spectrum poorly and don't distinguish those colors. Part of the sales pitch to hunters to wear orange is that it won't adversely affect their hunting.

Other colors, particularly the florescent pinks and yellows and even blues are way more visible and provide far more contrast in the woods.

 

[rocket21]

There's an article in todays Globe that talks about eliminating the last of Massachusetts' blue laws that prohibits hunting on Sundays. Opponents of that proposal argue that Sunday is the only day that hikers and nature lovers can enjoy the woods without fear of getting shot.

Personally, I try to take caution in the woods in MA during hunting season on any day - you're probably more likely to get shot by a hunter *not* following the rules (ie hunting on a Sunday) than one who does follow the rules.

 

[RoySwkr]

Bushwhack routes in areas not commonly hiked are probably the most dangerous. In NH it is legal to shoot and kill somebody if they are in an area that you don't expect anybody to be, at least according to the jury in the Croydon case a couple years ago.

Hunting seasons vary in different states and MA and ME don't allow Sunday hunting, I find it pretty easy to avoid hiking during the regular deer firearms season by careful planning. Muzzle-loaders are single-shot and arrows don't travel far so these seasons are safer.

 

[Chabela]

Good enough! I am convinced now! I've liked the comment about people who would eventually hunt on Sundays in ME even if not allowed! At first thought, I've said to myself "Super! Let's go on Sunday only and be safe!". But, I agree that even if you might have less hunters out there, it might not be the "better" you will encounter.

It is unfortunate though that we have to be almost idle for a month when you just have Winter and trailless peaks left to hike! Don't tell me we will have to "hike for fun", without pursuing a list !!

So, I guess we will go at a Mt. Washington-like place where you have "no" chances of being shot or stay in our living room!