Hunting and Trapping Newsletter

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 10/05/2020 10:56 AM EDT
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Hunting and Trapping Newsletter

Be Safe, Be Seen: Hunter Orange Saves Lives

DEC encourages every hunter and outdoor recreationist to wear blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Wearing bright orange or pink prevents other hunters from mistaking a person for an animal or shooting in your direction. Hunters who wear hunter orange are seven times less likely to be shot!

New York State law requires hunters age 14 and 15 and their mentors who are hunting deer or bear with a gun to wear fluorescent hunter orange or fluorescent pink visible from all directions: a shirt, jacket, or vest with at least 250 square inches of solid or patterned fluorescent orange/pink (the pattern must be at least 50 percent orange or pink) OR a hat with at least 50 percent fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink.

Blaze orange and dogs:

Pet lovers - help spread the word! Wearing bright and reflective gear in the woods this time of year isn’t just for people. Keep your furry friends safe and easy to spot this hunting season by dressing them in blaze orange or other bright colors.

While not required by law in New York State, more than 80 percent of big game hunters, as well as two out of three small game hunters wear hunter orange. Let yourself be seen by other hunters while afield!

a comparison of the visability of orange vs brown clothing

Did you know that deer cannot tell blaze orange (or pink) from green?
Hunters who wear camo and those who wear blaze orange are invisible to deer if they don't move. What would you want to be wearing if there were another hunter nearby with a deer between you?

Hunting is Safe -- Let’s Keep it that Way

  • Hunting is among the safest outdoor recreational activities. Nationally, the injury rate from hunting (1/24K people) is much lower than other activities like cycling (1/71), snowmobiling (1/300), and swimming (1/313).
  • In NY, the hunting injury rate has been reduced by almost 70 percent since the 1970s.
  • There are over 600,000 hunters in NY and only 1 in 14,000 will be involved in an accident. 99.9 percent of hunters do not cause firearms injuries.
  • Nationwide, more people are killed by deer-vehicle collisions than in hunting-related shooting incidents.