Orange wrap on a tree

[saltysenior]

a few years ago a state required a hunter to mark his location by wrapping an orange marker on a tree ...has any research been done on the effects it has on turkeys .......seems like a simple safety measure for someone hiding in the bushes making noise like a turkey..   

[The Woodsman]

It's still that way in the fall here in Pa. No issues. As far as research, it's their law/rule, adapt....

[saltysenior]

It's still that way in the fall here in Pa. No issues. As far as research, it's their law/rule, adapt....

  i meant if any research has been carried out whether it effects the  turkeys..

[beakbuster10]

As long as you sit still you're fine. I watched a gobbler strut for an hour right after the forester finished flagging trees with bright orange surgery tape around one edge of our field.


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[NYlogbeards]

Have you ever seen all those orange ribbons on a marked tree by a logger? That's probably all the Turkeys think it is if they even notice it in the first place, now whether or not hunters notice it and even use common sense to wonder if a hunter is under the orange ribbon is another question.

[saltysenior]

I believe that law requires more than just a ribbon.....some of the experiences i have had on public land, i would use an orange blanket if i knew that it does not bother the turkey   

[owlhoot]

Missouri did a study back in 1982.  About 400 people.
I have used mine some and still have the orange safety band used for tree wraps.
It works very well for wrapping a turkey after the kill for transport out before using a vest to carry.
On PDF WITTER-791-799.pdf Missouri orange alert wrap.

[surehuntsalot]

here in Ms. is not required by law, but I have always done it on both public and private land when I hunt

[Marc]

Turkeys can certainly see the color orange.  But they also seem completely unaware of anything amiss in their surroundings (if I used a turkey blind duck hunting in my area, it would be tough to kill birds).

I would think with heavily pressured birds, they might catch on to the avoiding orange ribbons though.  I would also take along plenty of orange ribbon so that I could cut the excess off the ribbon so that the "tags" do not blow in the wind.  (I imagine two orange "snakes" flapping in the wind might dissuade a scrupulous bird).

I do think that turkeys sometimes see (or sense) something amiss and hang up or leave (which is why I do not like to call at a bird I can see).  I know that there are times when I am holding perfectly still, and that bird is eyeballing me hard, and leaves.  Maybe they saw me blink, or maybe they can hear my breathing (who knows)... 

Maybe that orange ribbon would have not effect, or maybe that older bird might hang up...  I have no idea

[NYlogbeards]

My Uncle always hunted turkeys in spring with an orange hat on and he got a turkey every year, I've had turkeys walk right by me at 15 yards during deer season wearing an orange vest. Turkeys are either stupid and blind or only observant when you don't want them to be, now I don't recommend wearing orange but it may or may not effect turkeys.

[lowoctane]

Saw a video some years back about this and the hunters were in a orange wind blind that the linesmen use and they killed their turkey.Told me everything I needed to know.

[renegade19]

Took this pic last deer season at about 12 yards.  Orange hat, orange vest.  Sitting pretty much in the open.  Swore I was going to wear all orange this spring!

[GobbleNut]

I think the real question to me is not whether turkeys will be spooked by off-colors in the woods, but whether making hunters use something like this has any affect whatsoever on safety.  Studies years ago indicated that accidents are caused mainly by two things.  One is the careless handling of firearms and accidental discharges.  The other is the "phenomenon" of the human mind, in certain situations, to interpret what the eyes physically see as something entirely different in the mind. 

In other words, a hunter is so focused on seeing a turkey where he expects there to be one, that the mind interprets something seen as being the target.  Fortunately, that phenomenon is extremely rare.  The point is, however, that an off-color used to deter someone from shooting someone else might actually have the opposite affect in some situations. 

Admittedly, I have not seen any data that would reinforce or contradict whether something like the orange flagging requirement is effective,...or just a "feel good" measure to make everybody think it is a deterrent to accidents.  However, my personal opinion is that its merit is dubious, at best. 

[saltysenior]

can not find any results of tests (if there were any)....I believe.a test or tests that shows a turkey's actions are not effected by some blaze orange wrapped around a tree would not sit well with the camo clothing folks..I,myself, would feel better with that orange on the tree..

[Happy]

I am not convinced that hunter orange prevents all that many accidents myself.  I think it helps a lot as far as courtesy goes in not interfering with other hunters but at the end of the day the rules of safe firearm handling are going to do far more than orange clothing. I don't believe turkeys are alarmed by bright colors. Movement triggers them. That being said a brightly colored object moving gets picked up much quicker than an object that blends in. I believe it would hurt me to wear orange while turkey hunting. Slipping into a good calling position would definitely become a much tougher propisition. Putting an orange wrap around a tree could be problematic  under some circumstances as well and I am not convinced it will help much as far as safety is concerned.

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