Berry picker shot by bear hunter in VT

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This is the exception, not the rule. I'm certainly not trying to stir up the hunter/anti-hunter debate, just a reminder that it can be dangerous out there. If you are going to be in the woods, the hiking trails, especially those that are up high, are the safest places to be. I don't worry about it on the hiking trails in the Whites, but lower down and away from the big peaks I'd wear blaze orange and make some noise.

These two hunters shouldn't be taken as representitives of the sport.

-dave-

kinda scary

Last November (Thanksgiving) it was an unbelievably warm day so I had to take a walk. I went into the woods in bright yellow and was spooked by about 5 hunters in less than a 1/2 mile. Even though they said they saw me coming from a long way away I then decided I would never hike during deer hunting season again.

How do you know when hunting season begins and ends? Isn't it different for each state? And game? Are there laws against hunters hunting near marked trails?

Crystal

crystaljc said:

How do you know when hunting season begins and ends? Isn't it different for each state? And game? Are there laws against hunters hunting near marked trails?

Crystal

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Hunting seasons can be found under each states fish and game regulations. Vt opened for bear season as of September 1rst.
Dave's comment regarding these two "not to be taken as representatives of the sport" is well said. IMO, anyone who truly hunts would have never, ever, pulled the trigger on a "noise" or "something he couldn't identify" in the woods.

crystaljc said:

How do you know when hunting season begins and ends? Isn't it different for each state? And game? Are there laws against hunters hunting near marked trails?

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It's almost always hunting season for some type of game. The biggest seasons are bear and deer, which take place in the fall. Dates for NH are here

For the most part, hunters are allowed to hunt anywhere in the National Forest, but most will stay away from hiking trails for a variety of practical reasons. Here are the regulations but I haven't gone through all of them. The main one related to resticted hunting is 300 from any occupied dwelling.

Again, it is extremely rare to see hunters in the popular areas of the Whites, especially on or near major hiking trails. Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful and wear a piece of blaze orange, and put some on your dog if you hike with one.

-dave-

Reminds me of a situation where my friend is from in PA. Farmers in that area began spray painting the word "cow" in big orange letters on the sides of their cows for some time. It seems a couple of "hunters" from somewhere in NJ who had never even seen a deer killed a local farmer's cow, gutted it and were dragging the beast to their car when accosted by the farmer.

jbrown said:

Reminds me of a situation where my friend is from in PA. Farmers in that area began spray painting the word "cow" in big orange letters on the sides of their cows for some time. It seems a couple of "hunters" from somewhere in NJ who had never even seen a deer killed a local farmer's cow, gutted it and were dragging the beast to their car when accosted by the farmer.

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Wow! You'd think people would know what a cow looks like at least, even if they had never seen a deer.

What an idiot...All he had to do was run and get help and it would have been manslaughter at the most probably, right?

jbrown said:

Reminds me of a situation where my friend is from in PA. Farmers in that area began spray painting the word "cow" in big orange letters on the sides of their cows for some time. It seems a couple of "hunters" from somewhere in NJ who had never even seen a deer killed a local farmer's cow, gutted it and were dragging the beast to their car when accosted by the farmer.

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I call urban legend. Never happened.

-dave-

Great thread! As a hunter first and a hiker second it saddens me to hear of stories like this. Thakfuly hunting accidents of ANY kind are rare thanks to the wonderful volunteers who teach hunter safety......something that is now requiered in ALL states to purchase your first liscence. But, alas, there are still many "idiots" who slip through the cracks. In my 4 years in the woods Ive seen some DUMB things done (all that thankfuly did not result in injury) and have heard many horror stories.

One "good" thing to note is that the "average" hunter rarely travels more than a mile from his/her vehicle, and rarely more than 100 yards into the woods from a road or trail. So most hikers will never see a hunter on the trails and may never even realize it is that time of the season! But it is still worth being careful. A simple and cheap precaution is to wear a hunter orange vest no matter what you plan to do in the woods. Wal-Mart sells em every year in the hunting section for a couple of bucks. Its also wise to keep your dogs leashed or also wearing blaze orange, especially if your dog happens to have any tan or white on it. Most hunters you cross wouldnt do anything stupid anyways, but its not the "smart" hunter your worried about. I hunt here in Manchester sometimes and one day a homeowner expressed his concerns about his dog and how it likes running around in the back where me and my buddies hunt. Despite the fact there is a leash law in Manchester I told him not to worry, Im a responsible hunter, but I later realized that how is he suppoesed to know Im responsible. So just be aware, but dont get too crazy about it (to the point you dont want to take your pets with you.

And on this note I want to take this moment to remind everyone that New Hampshires Bow season starts next Thursday, Spet. 15th. Muxxleloader season (if I reme,ber correctly) starts October 29th, and regular firearm Nov. 9th. All seasons end on December 15th (except for Pheasant last I checked which goes till the very end of the year.)

Be safe, best wishes, and glad to share the wonderful woods with everyone!
Brian

It pays to take extra precautions to not blend in during hunting season. In addition to wearing an apparatus that allows me to hang a spinning disco ball 12 feet over my head, I usually try to announce my presence by singing various Bon Jovi songs as loud as I can. (Disclaimer: I'm from New Jersey)

On a more serious note, it's worthwhile to mention that accidents can happen, even to the most careful hunters out there. It's the age-old dilemma of bullets being able to travel further than a hunter's line of sight in the woods. All the more reason to try harder to be seen and heard.

Wow, that story is a bit scary. Up in maine the hunters in the news tend to be out of staters that shoot other out of staters. Funny how another guy w/ a gun can look like a deer/bear when you've had a 12 pack before sunrise.

As a former hunter, I have a couple of additional suggestions for safe hiking during hunting season. First, wear LOTS of orange, visible from 360 degrees. An anxious hunter may not to see a fully visible target, rather he may see part of a head, a shoulder etc. If you have an orange vest with a bare head and a hunter sees just your head .......possible bad things.

Think about how your pack might be viewed from behind. Be sure to cover it with orange material as well. Lastly, be aware that most big game activity occurs around dawn and dusk. Better to avoid early starts and get out of the woods an hour before sundown if you are hiking in the same area as hunters are hunting.

No hunting in Maine on Sunday. Hunting is permitted in Vermont on Sunday; don't know about HN

As criminally negligent as this hunter was after the shooting, he certainly would not have fired if he knew it was a human, based on his reaction.

Yardsale makes an excellent point! Lets wear lots of orange when we are where the hunters are. I have an orange hat, gloves, shirt, and I attach orange to my pack. I found orange gaitors at Ragged Mountain Outfitters.

As Dave M. points out, this grunt is a rare minority among hunters, but this is precisely the type to avoid. Know where they are, and when they are there!!!

Thanks for the link.

For some reason, ripe berry patches in bear country always spook me just a little. Same with moose country thickets where visibility is very limited. So a little whistling-in-the-dark type thing helps make me feel more secure while passing through. I don’t whistle, but carry on a good robustly voiced conversation, even when alone. The plan is that whatever's around will know I'm coming or in there.

I’d sing, but my sense of vocal pitch and voice generally are so terrible any wild critter might think of me as “competition” or get otherwise het up, and any itchy-trigger-finger Nimrod might figure something truly wild of trophy size is afoot. Neither would be a good thing, in my estimation.

The slain berry picker makes a very sad story. It never should have happened. If the facts are as depicted in the newspaper report, the shooter has earned having the book thrown at him.

G.

FWIW, Sunday hunting is allowed in NH. Maine is the only northern New England state without Sunday hunting -- and even then, it can be allowed on Penobscot land.

My blaze orange hat gets less and less silly-looking with every day of use. I strongly recommend two articles of blaze -- hat and vest, say -- particularly when in traditional hunting grounds (i.e. anywhere outside the popular WMNF rec areas).

Remember that as a new game season opens, there is often a flush of excited nimrods (note that that's not an insult; it should refer to "a mighty hunter before the Lord") anxious to participate in the ancient rites of the hunt. Unfortunately, the consequences of being a little over-anxious can be serious, as in this case. Once the initial rush of a season dies down, hunter numbers go down (and safety goes up) until the last few weekends of the season.

If you are afraid of encountering a bear, learn the bears' habits. If you are afraid of hunters, try chatting with one -- they're friendlier than bears, and you might just learn something too. The traditional sportsmen I've met know more about the woods, mountains, and ponds of Maine than almost any hikers!

el-bagr said:

. . . Remember that as a new game season opens, there is often a flush of excited nimrods (note that that's not an insult; it should refer to "a mighty hunter before the Lord") anxious to participate in the ancient rites of the hunt. Unfortunately, the consequences of being a little over-anxious can be serious, as in this case. Once the initial rush of a season dies down, hunter numbers go down (and safety goes up) until the last few weekends of the season.

If you are afraid of encountering a bear, learn the bears' habits. If you are afraid of hunters, try chatting with one -- they're friendlier than bears, and you might just learn something too. The traditional sportsmen I've met know more about the woods, mountains, and ponds of Maine than almost any hikers!

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Glad you made that comment about use of the term, "Nimrod." It does not necessarily connote "doofus," and shouldn't, although increasingly common (and illiterate) usage these days is pushing it in that direction.

I also have to agree with you that in general "traditional sportsmen" (hunters and fishermen) I've known are far more all-around woods savvy than many -- perhaps even most -- hikers.

The guy who pulled the trigger on the VT berry picker clearly seems to qualify more as doofus than Nimrod. Based on the news account, I would not rate him as a "traditional sportsman," but as a (Swiftian) Yahoo.

G.

Yo, ExploreTheEast

It would seem likely that more people have been shot beneath spinning disco balls than by hunters in the woods.

As mentioned previously, if you hike with a dog, get them a blaze orange vest. 99.9% of hunters would not shoot without knowing at what and even where they were aiming, so this illustrates the worst possible case. This guy should do hard time.

Chances of a car accident on the way to the trail are WAY higher, but caution is good, especially with your dog.

CT bowhunting begins 9-15, no hunting on Sunday. Almost all of the AT in CT is in State Forest or borders private and reservation land in NY & CT where hunting is allowed. Pre-Dawn and post-dusk are the most likely times to encounter hunters, but they are few and far between. I have a blaze orange neck gaitor I cover my sleeping pad with, or hang across the back of my pack. I always wear red, orange or yellow shirts or fleece and a blaze orange hat or bandana on my head this time of year. Stop by kmart or walmart, this stuff is cheap and in stock.

I call urban legend. Never happened.

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Well dang me, Dave!
This was seriously passed on to me from a buddy of mine who swore it was truth.
Chalk up another rube taken in by an old urban legend!

To add to the rest of the thread, I found a cool Syracuse University Orangemen knit hat that I wear and I have a blaze orange vest that I drape over my pack as well. My dog gets a big orange bandana if he's out with me as well. I don't need some dope mistaking him for a small bear (100+ lb black lab.)