How to safely climb during hunting season?

I am not a hunter but I know folks that do. How do you go out tree climbing in hunting areas and not end up mistaken for a meal?
1. Wearing orange is obvious. Take it off when high in a tree?
2. Make a lot of noise? That could make some enemies.

What else can be done? I am clueless here.

The farm country where I grew up was popular for hunting in the fall.

Every year somebody would bag a "brown short-horn deer" which was a cow. So one farmer painted "C O W" in white on the sides of some cows. A couple of days later, one of these cows was shot by a hunter.

Every one of my brothers and sisters were shot at sometime. And my mom and dad, too!

At the marina, I heard one guy ask "Any luck yet?". The other guy answered, "Not yet, but I've had some great sound-shots".

Well, Peter, that's what I saw when I grew up in the country.

Originally posted by dan2see
So one farmer painted "C O W" in white on the sides of some cows. A couple of days later, one of these cows was shot by a hunter.

Folks, I gotta be honest! I did not see the shot cow, but the local newspaper printed a picture of the cow when it was still standing, with the paint and the proud owner.

The rest of my post is what I saw, though.

When I was in High School, this hunter problem was easy to live with. I'd spend all day at school, then in the evening was homework, dinner, and chores until after dark. In autumn week-ends, us kids would visit each other, so we did not spend a lot of time in the woods.

Our deer hunting season is the first half of November. I'm chicken then; I just stay out of the woods and climb in parks or in my yard. Birders and bowhunters are less scary since they usually get a good look at what they're aiming at. It's the combination of six-packs and deer rifles that makes me nervous. Most deer hunters around here aren't like that, but the few percent that are pretty much ruin that time of year for me.

I hate people who do sound shots.

I heard about one guy who got shot. His friend took him to the ER. He asked the Dr. if his friend was going to live. The Dr. said he might have a better chance if you wouldn't have gutted him!!!!

Find other places. I have permission in the city parks. I asked!

My beef is not against the hunters, it’s against the regulations that prevail in most wooded areas. What I find incredibly frustrating is that it’s O.K. to hunt but, throw a line in a tree and you’re busted. <sigh> (So why can’t I climb?)

Tree stands (which habitually damage the tree), and firearms (which can be dangerous in a general sense), are simply part of their legal sport. The booze associated with hunting isn’t legal but even that I can understand as part of the tradition. I have no gripe with any of it. (So why can’t I climb?)

I would gladly pay for a REC climbing license so I don’t have to continually sneak around Ninja climbing in the very same place licensed hunters freely trek through the woods with a flask of brandy, a loaded firearm, and a claw hammer and spikes so they can set up their next tree stand.

I wish no harm to flora or fauna. . .
(So why can’t I climb?)

Yeah, I know my gripes don’t help the thread much but I gotta’ vent.
Therapeutic per se.

"Its just a treat"
The comments of Rocknroll and Electrojake and other comments like theirs is why I like to read this web-site. As long as there is humor like this;We will be OK.The exchange of information about climbing is good but humor is great medicine.Thanks for all the good posts.

Back on topic. . .
Most hunting laws require a minimum of 400 square inches of pure, (not camo break-up), hunter orange.
Mesh safety vests are NOT allowed.

Click the following link for some great info & photos: www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/sportsed/safety.html

The following excerpt is from the above web site. . .
Wearing Hunter Orange Saves Lives.
The effectiveness of fluorescent orange safety clothing speaks for itself.
Look at the results: Over the past ten years, 15 New York State hunters have been mistaken for game and killed, and every one of these victims was from that small minority of hunters who did not wear hunter orange. But not even one person who was wearing hunter orange was mistaken for game and killed.


What I use when trekking through the swamp looking for that perfect climber. Cheap yet effective.

It is obvious that I do not know squat here. What is a sound shot- sounder?

Thanks Electrojake on the orange wear. I did not know there was a problem with mesh orange. I will have to leave my orange mesh foresters vest at home it appears.

>It is obvious that I do not know squat here. What is a sound shot- sounder?

A sound shot is when the hunter hears something off in the brush and shoots at it - they don't see what they're shooting at, they just hear it.

BTW, many thanks to EJ for injecting some humor in here; I've had trouble lightening up about this one since having kids.

You mentioned “kids” in the hunter topic. . .
My Son wears similar orange garb when playing in the woods during hunting season. (Seems he’d be better off with a flack jacket.)

Judging from the debris I come across when exploring the woods near my home (a 1500 acre patch of trees, streams, and wetlands), I can see that there are paint ballers, fort builders, dog walkers, ATV & mini bike riders, and a number of camp fire sites surrounded by empty beer cans. I would say kids from 12 to 18 years old play here regularly. And of course me too, sitting perched in a tree looking down at the activity and relaxing.

Oh, did I mention the hunters? Yeah, mixed in with all this kid & pedestrian traffic are the hunters.

The part that torques me is. . .
The guys with the guns are actually the only legal people out there! I can assure you, every activity mentioned above EXCEPT hunting is forbidden in the local ordinances.

Can’t blame the hunters. They are legal while scofflaws like me are out there bird watching and the like. <go figure>

I’ll stop my whimpering now and try to post more constructively. Really.
–Ej-

There is the problem of illegal hunting in areas where I climb. Mostly bow hunters as far as I can tell from all the tree stands I've found, they wouldn't get away with gunfire. Generally speaking people often use woods to do things that are not permitted in the public view. Tree climbing fits right in
-moss

It appears ninja climbs now has a new theme contrary to the concept of non-authorized climbs: screaming orange clothing for high visibility. How long must rebellious climbing activities be taken out in high contrast colors to promote safety? In other words- when is it OK to don the low keyed clothing to protect ninja climbers from the possibility of harassment from the authorities who are, mind you, only doing their jobs in identifying bad and unconventional behavior like tree climbing? (I think I will start a new thread on this topic)

Here in PA, hunting is a HUGE industry. I live in the north central area. My county, Lycoming County, is consistantly the largest producer of deer and bear harvests. Our #1 concern is what we call "the flat landers". They are the folks from down state who have the $ to afford the hunting "cabins" on the large tracts of land. The phrase "what happens at deer camp, stays at deer camp" turns out to be more of a challenge for bad behaviour.

Anywho...October is archery and small game season. Not too bad as far as safety goes. But I do like to make myself obvious on my way into the woods. November is a whole different beast though. Rifle season for bear and 2 weeks of deer. I don't go anywhere near the woods. I hit the small groves located within the city limits. Ninja time. Once Christmass rolls around I'll venture back out to the wild.

If you do need to climb in the woods durring riffle season, I recomend wearing orange in, leave it at the base of your tree, and be verwy, verwy quiet.

Ron