Homebrewale
Old Mossy Horns
The ol' game lands is dangerous, wear lots of orange post. A myth that won't go away. WRC records show more injuries occur on private land.
Still Hunting Butner-Falls?
- Thread starter BigBadger
- Start date
The ol' game lands is dangerous, wear lots of orange post. A myth that won't go away. WRC records show more injuries occur on private land.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Have to take considerations first most hunting by far happens on private so of course more accidents. Secondly lication if you go walking around miles opening week rifle on public in that high pressured area safety would be a concetn. I'd have no concern stand hunting it or walking it on less pressure days using common sense to not do it with 3 trucks parked there. Or I would pick less pressured public and walk it anytime year with no concerns.
Clark
Ten Pointer
I wear orange and a headlight on private land too, even though no one else has permission to hunt. On public I KNOW there are guys out there with rifles.
I've had family members involved with 2 fatal hunting accidents, and I've had a couple close calls duck hunting. I've never been in combat, but I can tell you exactly what a bullet a few feet over your head sounds like. One guy said, "I was watching you through the scope". WTF?. There are idiots out there on public land.
if you go back to the pre-orange and hunter safety days, NCWRC used to publish stats on on hunting accidents, there were a few people killed each year as "Mistaken for game". Last time I looked the main cause was falling out of treestands.
i don't get it, wearing orange costs you nothing. Why the resistance? But if you want to walk around in dim light and tempt a bunch of excited guys with rifles, help yourself. Might improve the gene pool?
I was shot at in 1985 on the Jordan Lake game lands by Robeson Creek while wearing an orange vest. I had a Loc-On stand on my back and was bent over, looking at a scrape, when a small pine about 18" in front of me exploded. I looked up and saw an older guy with a lever action rifle sitting on a rock less than 100 yards away aiming my direction. I freaked out and yelled at him at the top of my lungs, then ran all the way back to the road. I wrote down the license tag of the only other vehicle parked there, but never saw it parked there again. It shook me up bad. The guys at the sports shop told me I was white as a sheet and looked like I'd seen a ghost. Told them I almost became a ghost. It broke me from hunting on public for over 10 years.
Jim
Jim
I don't mind taking my life in my own hands.. I prefer to be much more cautious when putting my life in others hands, and even more cautious when luck/chance are involved.. I don't subscribe to the GL are more dangerous theory if you are smart about it. Sneaking around on the ground when the vast majority of hunters in the area are elevated, during prime time, is a recipe for getting shot, either accidentally (stay bullet that was fired at a deer that you bumped into view of an unknown hunter) or intentionally (firing at movement as in the story above)
Everybody is free to do it as they please, but you won't catch me slipping on GL for deer.
dobber
Old Mossy Horns
One thing you could try, and just an option if the other hunters agree, but find out where they are sitting, stay away from that area, but stalk in some areas that will be known to the stand hunters. They may be into that idea as you very well could be pushing deer out to them from areas they aren't hunting. Just means having that conversation with them in the mornings, have a map and work out the details and don't veer from the plan.
JONOV
Old Mossy Horns
I don't take it that way. Talking about still hunting, you should wear more than the minimum amount of orange. If I read the regulation right, a simple blaze orange headband or hatband makes you legal, anything visible from 360 degrees.
If I'm bird hunting during deer season, or running my dog hoping to jump a deer, I wear more orange. I usually walk to my stand where I intend to hunt in a bright colored t-shirt (not orange, typically) before donning a sweatshirt/coat in the stand on gamelands. The fact is that you're likely to be heard before you're seen, so why make it harder to be seen? I know I've heard hunters moving through when I'm on stand, got excited, got my binos, made sure my rifle was ready, only to see a speck of orange through the brush. Why invite trouble?
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
well you obviously dont know of the death at jordan some time back- A right of way deal where the nephew shot uncle.
It is exactly as you jest- dangerous as hell to stroll around the piedmont GLs during firearm season.
No myth there.
But if you hunt gamelands you should by all means encourage that "myth".
Only thing more dangerous is squawking like a turkey in the spring on the ground on public land - orangeless.
Larry Eckart
Four Pointer
One part of still hunting that is not mentioned: do this only on week days, not on the weekend or holidays. I've only hunted deer two years on the local game lands. 98% during the week as I am retired. The only time I have run into anyone going into a place to sit or still hunting has been the one time I hunted on Saturday and the one time I hunted on the day after Thanksgiving. Scout on Sundays only.
Larry Eckart
Four Pointer
Also: the advice to buy a muzzle loader is spot. Much more accurate than slugs and a longer season.
cheapdate
Eight Pointer
Actually, you do own it. And so do I, and the next person ... Not trying to be a smartarse, but it's important for all of us to remember who actually owns these public lands when the government decides its time to take it away, like what happens out West.
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