Vermont Fish & Wildlife is reminding hunters to wear fluorescent hunter orange while they gear up for the start of Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day regular deer season from Saturday, Nov. 14 to Sunday, Nov. 29.
A hunter may take one legal buck during this season. Vermont hunting licenses include a buck tag for this season and a late season bear tag (for Nov. 14-22).
“Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities, and it’s getting safer thanks to advances in education as well as science,” said Vermont Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier. “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.”
Meier said 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 times 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.
Hunters might be concerned that deer are scared by hunter orange. In fact, deer have been shown to be unaffected by the color. 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.
Hunters who get a deer on Nov. 14 or 15 can report their deer at one of the biological check stations. Local stations include Singleton’s Store in Cavendish and Keith’s Country Store in Pittsford.
Hunt smart. Hunt safe. Wear orange.
