The History of Hunter Orange

Hunters did not always don Blaze Orange. The orange vest was a mid-century experiment conducted on a military base.

“Hunter Orange—Your Shield of Safety,” is how outdoor writer Frank Woolner titled his October 1960 article for Field & Stream. It was the first mainstream recognition of “Blaze Orange” in relation to hunting, and Woolner’s article made the case for its adoption based on the findings of a 1959 study conducted by the United States Army, the American Optical Company, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game, and the Massachusetts Division of Law Enforcement at Fort Devens, MA. 

Woolner describes the trade-named Blaze Orange as “almost painfully brilliant daylight fluorescent,” and “the color least likely to be associated with anything else in the world of nature, the color that is most visible in the perilous half-light of dawn and dusk.”

At the time, non-fluorescent yellow was a color starting to gain traction in the hunting community after a 1956 California study found it to be the safest, but it was never compared against more modern fluorescents like Blaze Orange. This yellow was shown to a man named Ralph “Jack” Woolner (author Frank Woolner’s brother) in New Hampshire in 1955. Jack happened to work for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game and became the driving force behind the Fort Devens study. He didn’t feel like yellow was actually the safest color for hunters in New England deer country. 

It was clear to Jack and others that hunters everywhere were looking for visible outerwear that made them safer than traditional all-red wool jackets or red-and-black Buffalo Plaid, the latter having been worn religiously by lumberjacks, frontiersmen, and hunters since Woolrich Woolen Mills introduced it in 1850.

The Experiment and Its Findings

The Fort Devens experiment was the largest of its kind ever attempted. One thousand one hundred men from the Army’s STRAC (Strategic Army Corps) were screened and chosen by optometrists and represented a cross-section of the U.S. male population, including approximately nine percent who had some type of color-deficient vision. 

The goal of the study was to determine which color or colors best stood out in a wide variety of field conditions. The six colors chosen, plus white for a control, were non-fluorescent yellow (the same used in the California study), non-fluorescent bright red (think traditional red wool coats), and four of the newest fluorescents: Blaze Orange, Fire Orange, Neon Red, and Arc Yellow. 

Daylight fluorescent colors, which reflect light instead of being charged by it like phosphorescent colors, had only started being mainstream in the 1940s when the Switzer Brothers invented them, making fluorescent paints that were used in various ways during World War II. 

In 1957, a year after the California study, the brothers were able to patent a new process for producing daylight fluorescent pigments, milling them into an appropriate particle size that allowed them to become inks, paints, and other standard printing materials. In 1959, the same year as the Fort Devens experiment, the Switzer Brothers got a huge break into the commercial world by creating an iconic package for a consumer good. They debuted the fluorescent orange Tide^® detergent box. 

Taking place from late October 1959 through January 1960 (to utilize typical hunting season foliage and a winter snowfall), the soldiers participating in the three field tests observed all the colors exactly 22,346 times in conditions that varied from grown-over fields, through brush, among hardwoods and evergreens, in midday and low-light conditions, and at ranges from 25 to 100 yards. 

The field tests required observation skills and reactions to pop-up targets adorned in different colors. In the observation tests, soldiers were asked to name the color they saw in both stationary and moving targets at varying distances and light levels. The reaction test asked soldiers to shoot only white targets in four seconds or less when a pop-up appeared. Throughout every test, Blaze Orange was the only color never confused to be another color by any soldier, including the nine percent with color-deficient vision.  

The results were indisputable. Blaze Orange was the safest color a hunter could wear in the woods. It screamed “Don’t shoot me.” In second place was Neon Red, followed by Fire Orange, and Arc Yellow (all the fluorescents). 

Fluorescent colors reflect between 200-300% of their color by converting short color wavelengths into longer wavelengths. Conventional colors only “reflect a maximum of 90% of a color present in the spectrum.” This is why fluorescents appear up to three times as bright as their counterpart colors.

Across the board and considering all scenarios, the two worst-performing colors in the study were non-fluorescent red and yellow–the former being a color that had been worn for over a century by hunters and the latter being the one California researchers thought was the new best thing. In the course of Woolner’s study, yellow was not only proven to fail at the tests, but with support from a vision specialist with the American Optical Company, it was shown to possibly be dangerous. 

The center of the human eye cannot register yellow. If a small piece of yellow material is placed on a wall and the observer backs away about 40 feet that yellow will appear white. One conclusion drawn was that a hunter’s yellow cap could be mistaken for a deer’s flagging white tail in some circumstances. 

But another curiosity about human vision is that our eyes are more sensitive to some colors than others. And though the center of our eye may not register yellow, our peak sensitivity to color occurs in the yellow-green part of the visible spectrum. Fluorescent orange, like Blaze Orange, is on the brighter end of the spectrum and we see it better, especially in low-light conditions. In fact, in the whitepaper linked directly above it was noted that in “areas of heavy foliage, orange may provide a better contrast with the background.” Remember, we wear Blaze Orange to be seen and to stand out to other humans, but does that mean we also stand out to deer?

Can Deer See Orange?

Deer have dichromatic vision, meaning they only see short- and medium-wavelength light in shades of blue, purple, and green. Humans have trichromatic vision, which adds in long-wavelength light and a sensitivity to red and orange hues. Lacking this third photoreceptor (or cone cell) in their eye, deer cannot really see orange.

“Orange comes across as a muted yellow,” says Dr. Gino D’Angelo, Assistant Professor of Deer Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia Deer Research Laboratory. “Their peak sensitivity falls short of hunter’s orange. Deer can only see wavelengths up to about 537 nanometers.” The exact definition of Blaze Orange is having a dominant wavelength between 595 and 605 nanometers, a luminance factor of not less than 50 percent, and an excitation purity of not less than 90 percent. 

In other words, Blaze Orange needs to be within a particular wavelength range, reflect a certain amount of light (luminance factor), and be a certain distance from appearing white (excitation purity).

“Now there’s other orange in nature, of course,” he says, “so they can certainly see orange as something distinct from the brown bark of trees and greens. It’s just probably not as pronounced as the way we see it.”

In the wavelength ranges deer can see, especially in short-wavelength blues that are more prominent at dawn and dusk, they can see much better than we can because a deer’s lens is clear; whereas our eye lens is more like wearing yellow shooting glasses that filter out a lot of ultraviolet light. 

So is there a color one shouldn’t wear in the woods? “I probably wouldn’t wear blue jeans when hunting,” says Dr. D’Angelo. “They would really stand out to a deer.” He is also a proponent of getting his Blaze Orange a little less brilliant and recommends washing it several times, perhaps even getting it muddy, before taking it into the field. New Blaze Orange often has some ultraviolet enhancements and brighteners from the factory so it really pops to the human eye but can also come across as blue-enhanced to deer, so much so it might even glow to the deer’s eye. 

Optical brightening agents are fairly common and are chemical compounds that give a whitening effect to fabric. They work by “absorbing light in the ultraviolet and violet region and re-emit[ting] the light in the blue region.” Getting more of these chemicals out of the fabric will lessen the chance of the garment reflecting light in a blue wavelength that deer can see. 

What deer can see well is movement, and their field of vision is about 300 degrees at any one time. Think of it this way: imagine a pizza cut into its normal eight slices. Remove one slice of pizza and what’s left is a deer’s field of view (with the missing piece being what’s directly behind their head). A human’s field of view is more like half of a pizza, plus our peripheral vision is much poorer than that of a deer’s. 

Deer have a horizontal visual streak. Their pupils are not round like a human’s. Instead, they are horizontal and have a wide band with the ability to see detail. This is how deer can detect threats along the horizontal plane (which is from where predators attack them). 

Deer have less visual acuity than humans, however, which means they see with less attention to detail and lack our ability to focus on small things. They will never see the veins on a leaf; they will see the entire leaf depending on how far away they are from it. Deer have 20/100 vision, so what detail a human can see in an object that is 100 feet away a deer would need to be 20 feet away to see the same level of detail.

This could factor in for choosing your next camo pattern, where large blocky patterns would do a fine job of breaking up your human silhouette and finely detailed sticks, twigs, and bark patterns would be somewhat useless for what a deer would see it as. 

Hunter Orange Requirements by State

In the six-plus decades since Woolner penned his article, Blaze Orange has still not been adopted as a requirement for hunters in every state during its firearm seasons. The first state to require it, unsurprisingly, was Massachusetts in 1961. The most recent state to come on board is New York. Only in 2021 did hunter orange become a requirement there for both youth and adult hunters during firearm seasons. 

Below is the full list of hunter orange requirements by state, but regulations can change frequently. Please double-check your state’s requirements prior to every hunting season. 

There are many notable exceptions for when hunter orange isn’t required. Most often, it is not required during archery season, when waterfowl or turkey hunting, or when hunting from a boat. A handful of states only require it for youth hunters. Some states don’t require it if hunting from a treestand at least 12 feet high, when in a fully enclosed blind, or when night hunting (typically for raccoons and opossum). The amount of Blaze Orange required may also differ between states, ranging from just a hunter orange hat to 500 square inches worn above the waist and including the head. 

You may see references to pink / hunter’s pink in your state’s legal description. You can skip ahead to read more about this color and its legality. 

States Where Hunter Orange Is Required

Alabama
Hunters must wear at least 144 square inches of solid Blaze Orange above the waist, or a Blaze Orange hat during firearm season. No camouflage-patterned Blaze Orange allowed. Turkey and waterfowlers excepted. Hunters in a treestand at least 12 feet above the ground or in an enclosed blind are excepted.

Arkansas
Hunters and those in their company in firearms zones must wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange or hunter safety green above the waist as well as a fluorescent orange or green hat. Pop-up ground blinds must also display at least 144 square inches of Blaze Orange or hunter safety green on each visible side. Waterfowl and night hunting excepted.

Colorado
Hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of solid Blaze Orange or hunter pink, including a hat or head covering. This is required while rifle hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, or bear. Camouflage-patterned orange does not count. Archery hunting excepted. 

Connecticut
From September 1 through the last day of February, all hunters, including archery (unless sitting in a treestand at least 10 feet high) must wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange. Camouflage-patterned orange is permitted. Stationary turkey and waterfowl hunters, and night hunting, excepted. 

Delaware
Hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange on their head, chest, and back. Ground blinds must also display the same amount of Blaze Orange within 10 feet of the blind and at least three feet off the ground. Waterfowl and game bird hunters excepted.

Florida
Hunters and their companions must wear at least 500 square inches of Blaze Orange while on public land. Hunter orange hats are recommended but not required. Bow hunters and those hunting on private lands excepted.

Georgia
Hunters and their companions rifle hunting deer, bear, and feral hogs must wear at least 500 square inches of Blaze Orange above the waist. While head coverings or hats are not required, they do count toward the square inch minimum.

Hawaii
Hunters and their companions pursuing game birds or mammals during firearm season on public hunting land must wear a solid or mesh Blaze Orange shirt, vest, jacket, or coat. Archery-only public land hunting excepted.

Illinois
Hunters must wear a minimum of 400 square inches of solid Blaze Orange or hunter pink, including a hat, while hunting any game species during a firearm season. All upland game hunters must wear a Blaze Orange hat. Only migratory waterfowl hunters excepted.

Indiana
Hunters of deer, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant, woodcock, quail, and turkey (when fall turkey season overlaps a deer firearms season) must wear one of the following in solid Blaze Orange: a vest, coat, jacket, coveralls, hat, or head covering. Camouflage-patterned orange is not allowed. Bow hunters outside of firearm seasons are excepted. 

Iowa
Deer hunters using firearms must wear at least one of the following in solid Blaze Orange: a vest, coat, jacket, sweatshirt, sweater, shirt, or coveralls. Camouflage-patterned orange is not allowed. While hunting in a blind, 144 square inches of Blaze Orange must be visible in all directions. Upland bird or small game hunters must wear a hat or head covering that is at least 50 percent solid Blaze Orange.

Kansas
All deer and elk firearms hunters and their companions must wear a minimum of 200 square inches of Blaze Orange, with 100 square inches being visible on the front and the back of each hunter. They must also wear a Blaze Orange hat, of which at least 50 percent visible from all directions. Camouflage-patterned Blaze Orange can contribute to this requirement. 

Kentucky
All hunters must wear solid Blaze Orange on their head, chest, and back while hunting during deer, bear or elk firearm season, including muzzleloading season, or youth firearm season. Camouflage-patterned Blaze Orange is not acceptable. Waterfowl and dove hunters excepted.

Louisiana
All firearm deer hunters using centerfire rifles, shotguns loaded with slugs or buckshot, or muzzleloaders must wear a minimum of 400 square inches of Blaze Orange or hunter pink above the waist, including a hat or head covering. Quail and woodcock hunters and hunters participating in special dog seasons for rabbit, squirrel, and feral hogs are required to wear at least a Blaze Orange or hunter pink hat. 400 square inches of Blaze Orange or hunter pink must be displayed outside concealed blinds. Hunters hunting in elevated stands or on privately owned land may meet the minimum requirements with only a hat or head covering. Archery hunters on land not open to firearms are excepted.

Maine
During an open firearm season and for those using crossbows, hunters must wear at least two pieces of solid Blaze Orange clothing. One of these must be a hat or a head covering, and the second covering a majority of the torso and visible from all sides. Waterfowl hunters while hunting from a boat, blind, or with waterfowl decoys are excepted.

Maryland
Hunters and their companions must wear a solid Blaze Orange or hunter pink hat and either a vest or jacket totaling at least 250 square inches, which is the same amount that must be displayed while hunting from ground blinds. Hunters of wetland game birds, doves, crows, and wild turkeys; falconers; and bow hunters during archery season are excepted.

Massachusetts
Hunters during deer firearm season must wear at least 500 square inches of Blaze Orange above the waist. A Blaze Orange hat must also be worn by hunters in Wildlife Management Areas during pheasant or quail season. Waterfowl hunters in a blind or on a boat are excepted.

Michigan
All firearm hunters during daylight hours between August 15 and April 30 must wear a Blaze Orange hat, vest, jacket, or rain gear. Camouflage-patterned hunter orange that is at least 50 percent orange is acceptable. Archery hunters during archery deer season are excepted, as are archery bear hunters, turkey and migratory bird hunters, falconers, and stationary hunters pursuing bobcat, coyote, or fox.

Minnesota
Hunters and trappers must wear two pieces of Blaze Orange or a hunter pink, including a hat or head covering, during firearm season. Camouflage-patterned orange that is at least 50 percent Blaze Orange or hunter pink is acceptable. Outside of firearm season, hunters of small game (other than turkey, migratory birds, raccoons, and predators) must wear at least one piece of Blaze Orange or hunter pink above the waist. Migratory bird hunters on water or hunting from a stationary position are excepted, as are trappers on the water or hunters in archery-only areas.

Mississippi
All deer hunters, regardless of weapon, must wear at least 500 square inches of Blaze Orange visible from all sides. Hunters in a raised stand or a fully enclosed blind are excepted.

Missouri
All firearm deer, elk, and bear hunters must wear a Blaze Orange hat and shirt, vest, or coat. Camouflage-patterned orange is not acceptable. Migratory bird and small game hunters are excepted, as are hunters on archery-only lands.

Montana
Big game rifle hunters and their companions must wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange above their waist. Archery hunters are excepted. 

Nebraska
Big game hunters and turkey hunters during the firearm deer season must wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange on their head, chest, and back. This includes archery hunters during the November firearm season and the January 1-15 antlerless deer season. Otherwise, archery hunters are excepted.

New Jersey
It is required for people hunting deer, hare, rabbit, squirrel, fox, and non-waterfowl game birds with firearms to wear at least 200 square inches of Blaze Orange. Hunters in a ground blind must also display 200 square inches of hunter orange. Waterfowl, crow, wild turkey, coyote, fox, and woodchuck hunters are excepted, as are archery hunters, except when carrying a deer decoy into or out of a hunting area.

New York
Hunters must wear a Blaze Orange or hunter pink hat or an upper body garment that is at least 250 square inches of solid or camouflage-patterned Blaze Orange or hunter pink and is visible from all directions when hunting deer or bear with a firearm.

North Carolina
Hunters of bear, feral swine, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant, or quail, as well as deer hunters during firearm season, must wear a hat or outer garment that is Blaze Orange and visible from all sides. People hunting fox, bobcat, raccoon, opossum, or upland game birds other than turkey and landholders and their immediate family hunting on their own private land are excepted.

North Dakota
Hunters must wear a minimum of 400 square inches of solid Blaze Orange, which must also include a hat or head covering. Archery hunters during bow season are excepted. 

Ohio
During firearm and muzzleloading deer seasons hunters must wear at least one piece of Blaze Orange, either solid or camouflage-patterned. This can be a vest, coat, jacket, or overalls. Waterfowl hunters are excepted. 

Oklahoma
Deer and elk hunters must wear a hat and garment of solid or camouflage-patterned Blaze Orange that is at least 500 square inches. The hunter orange portion of the clothing must be at least 400 square inches. Archery hunters and other hunters hunting during open firearm seasons must at least wear an orange hat. Waterfowl, crow, or crane hunters and hunters pursuing fur-bearing animals at night are excepted.

Oregon
A Blaze Orange hat or garment worn above the waist and visible from all directions is only required for youth hunters under the age of 17. Camouflage-patterned hunter orange is acceptable. Otherwise, Blaze Orange is only recommended for firearm hunters. Archery, turkey, and migratory bird hunters are excepted. 

Pennsylvania
Any deer, bear, or woodchuck hunter must wear at least 250 square inches of Blaze Orange. Waterfowl, dove, turkey, crow, or furbearer hunters; and archery deer, bear, or elk hunters during archery season are excepted.

Rhode Island
Hunters must wear a total of 500 square inches of solid Blaze Orange during firearm deer season. This includes at least 200 square inches of hunter orange as a hat or head covering, and the remaining as a garment visible from all sides. Camouflage-patterned Blaze Orange is not permitted. There are many other restrictions in place, including small game hunters during small game season, fall turkey hunters while traveling, and muzzleloader deer hunters during muzzleloader deer season must wear at least 200 square inches of hunter orange. Archers traveling to and from elevated stands during muzzleloader season must also follow this requirement. Hunters using pop-up blinds during firearm season must display 200 square inches of Blaze Orange. Waterfowl hunters in a boat or blind, over water or field with decoys are excepted, as are crow hunters utilizing decoys, spring turkey hunters, first segment dove hunters, and raccoon hunters at night.

South Carolina
Blaze Orange is only required for hunters on Wildlife Management Area (WMA) lands. Dove, duck, geese, turkey, and other migratory bird hunters, plus nighttime small game hunters, are excepted.

South Dakota
One or more Blaze Orange garments above the waist must be worn by all big game rifle hunters. This can be a hat or a vest or coat. Turkey and mountain lion hunters are excepted.

Tennessee
Rifle hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of Blaze Orange during firearm seasons. This must include a hat and outer garment above the waist that is visible from all sides. Turkey hunters are excepted.

Texas
Blaze Orange is only required for firearm hunters during daylight hours while hunting on public lands, including national parks, state forests, and publicly managed grasslands. Then all persons must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange including a hat or head covering, or at least 144 square inches of Blaze Orange on both the chest and back. Desert bighorn sheep, turkey, migratory birds, and alligator hunters excepted.

Utah
Big game hunters are required to wear a minimum of 400 square inches of Blaze Orange on the head, chest, and back. Camouflage-patterned orange is allowed. Those hunting mountain goats, bison, moose, or bighorn sheep are excepted.

Virginia
During firearm deer season but excluding muzzleloading season, hunters must wear a solid Blaze Orange or hunter pink hat or a garment on their upper body that is visible from all sides and at least 100 square inches of material at shoulder level or higher. If hunting from a ground blind, hunters must display at least 100 square inches of solid Blaze Orange or hunter pink colored material. Waterfowl and dove hunters, dog field trial participants, and fox hunters on horseback without firearms are excepted. 

Washington
Hunters pursuing any wildlife or big game, including hunting upland birds (except grouse) and rabbits with a non-muzzleloading firearm, are required to wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange or hunter pink on their body above the waistline and visible from all sides. This can include a combination of the colors to reach the minimum. Bear, mountain lion, and migratory bird hunters excepted. 

West Virginia
During the firearm deer and muzzleloading seasons, all hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of Blaze Orange on their exterior regardless of hunting on public or private lands. 

Wisconsin
All hunters must wear Blaze Orange or hunter pink for at least 50 percent of their outer garments above the waist and it must include a hat or head covering. Camouflage-patterned orange or pink are acceptable for garments. Grounds blinds must also display 144 square inches of solid Blaze Orange. Only waterfowl hunters excepted.

Wyoming
Hunters during firearm seasons must wear at least one piece of Blaze Orange or hunter pink, either as a hat or vest, coat, shirt, jacket, or sweater. Camouflage patterns in either color are acceptable. Archers hunting during archery-only seasons are excepted.

States Where Hunter Orange Is Only Recommended

• Alaska
  
• Arizona
  
• California
  
• Idaho
  Hunter orange is only required on sponsored hunts, such as organized youth hunts, or when hunting pheasants with certain permits that list it as a requirement. Then 36 square inches of hunter orange is required to be worn above the waist.
  
• Nevada
  
• New Hampshire
  
• New Mexico
  244 square inches of Blaze Orange are required when hunting on military properties or in Valles Caldera National Preserve.
  
• Vermont

What About Hunter Pink?

For better or worse, many manufacturers in the hunting industry have tried appealing to female hunters by offering pink camo, pink guns, and even pink fluorescent hunting vests. In 2016, Wisconsin became the first state to officially allow fluorescent pink (aka. hunter pink) along with Blaze Orange as a safety color for hunters. Since Wisconsin’s adoption of hunter pink nine other states have done the same: Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, Wyoming, Washington, and New York.