Autumn brings hunters and hikers together in the woods (Compass Points Media / flickr)
Ah, autumn.
We celebrate your chilled breezes, your crystal skies, your glorious foliage. But the leaves aren’t the only thing turning orange this time of year.
As we roll into October, hikers begin to share the woods with hunters as archers first – and then riflemen and women – enter the wilderness. It’s a fact of the hiking life. From now until May, we share the woods.
Here are a couple of tips to help you stay safe if you’re hiking or backpacking on lands where hunting is permitted:
- KNOW THE SEASONS – Each state has scheduled hunting seasons – bow season for deer, rifle for bear and so on – so check with your state’s game commission so you know what’s hunted and who’s hunting them.
- WEAR BLAZE ORANGE – Most of us don’t go into wilderness to make a fashion statement (although I’ve seen a fair share of teens try to replicate an Abercrombie ad more than once). So pull on that blaze orange vest. Don that fluorescent orange cap. Besides, in many places, it’s the law that you wear a certain amount of blaze orange if you plan to enter the woods during hunting season. You might not wear all that bright color walking the sidewalks of your hometown, but in the wilderness, it’s about being seen and being safe.
- HIKE WITH OTHERS – Here’s the trick: be seen and be heard. Go hiking with a group and keep a conversation going. Don’t be obnoxious, but talk loud enough so hunters know you’re there.
- HIKE DURING MID-DAY – Hunters love the mornings and evenings. So do hikers, and it’s for the same reason – it’s usually the best time to spot wildlife. There are fewer hunters in the woods during the afternoon, but keep in mind that there may still be a few out there.
- SHARE THE WOODS – Hiking during hunting season? Keep that mindset with you. Hunting is not going to go away; it’s just a fact of the hiking life. Let’s get into a sharing mood. So much of our wilderness is public, and some of that public enjoys hunting. We’d appreciate it if hunters kept that “share the woods” mentality, and we should show the same courtesy.
These are just a few tips on how to stay safe while hiking during hunting season, which usually lasts into May. Be seen, be heard and stay safe!
