Thread: Not getting shot or shooting someone by mistake

Originally Posted by 303Guy

I'm undecided on whether to be unseen or mistaken for a deer. Being unseen means a very small chance of being hit by a stray bullet while being seen and misidentified and shot at means a good chance of being hit. Pink would surely trigger 'woman' in any man's head - I thought of this ten years ago. Apparently one can actually get pink cammo. Anyway, I don't know what is best, to be very visible or very invisible. Blaze orange would make one look like grass or leaves to a deer. But does it make one look like a deer to other hunters? It did to at least one hunter who reportedly says he thought he saw deer hair so he shot at it and hit the other hunter in the head. I've always wondered what part of the deer he thought he could see.

I can’t say I understand the I’ll wear camouflage so no one will see me idea.

Camouflage clothing does not make you invisible. If you are moving the human eye will still see you. If you make noise the human ear will still hear you. If you move a bush it will still be seen. Camouflage clothing would only be an advantage if you stopped moving i.e. you thought something / someone else was there. Planning for this to be the case out in the bush means you are putting your faith more in your ability to silently hunt and detect another hunter in the bush before they detect you. Chances are if they hear you moving or see you brush by a bush they will stop moving until they know what you are… chances are if they don’t know what you are they will try and ID you through their scope…

Rather than simply rely on my stalking ability I try to stack the odds in my favour by wearing blaze clothing. Not just a hat but a full blaze orange shirt with a black camo pattern. Yes, people have been shot wearing blaze. I remember reading somewhere that in the excitement of the moment the brain can “see what it wants to see” or “see what it expects to see”. I wonder if it is more or less likely to do this with blaze or camouflage clothing or simply at darker shade skin… or the hair on someone’s head…