Ask a CO: Do I need to wear a blaze orange helmet while riding an ATV during hunting season?

Why is it so difficult for some to grasp the simple things in life. This covers that question: You most certainly can hunt from a MV. You just can’t shoot or have a loaded FA. So rather than have a hunter hat under a non hunter coloured helmet that may flop around, either get the orange helmet cover for about $10, or go buy an orange helmet. No need to waste time getting the proper headcover on. Step off the bike, load and shoot safely.

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Originally Posted by Fisherman

Why is it so difficult for some to grasp the simple things in life. This covers that question: You most certainly can hunt from a MV. You just can’t shoot or have a loaded FA. So rather than have a hunter hat under a non hunter coloured helmet that may flop around, either get the orange helmet cover for about $10, or go buy an orange helmet. No need to waste time getting the proper headcover on. Step off the bike, load and shoot safely.

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Somehow there is a"traveled portion of road or road allowance "clause present.. ..then comes the "loaded firearm 8 m from the edge of the traveled road or road allowance".......

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

You could do that,but,then you can be charged with failing to properly wear a helmet. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. To me,when you're riding an ATV,you're not hunting and you don't need a hunter orange head cover until you dismount and load a firearm. Then,that's when you're hunting and require a hunter orange cover. For me,getting a ticket for any one of those,guaranteed,will be going to court.

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But he does say Quote» in order to meet the helmet requirements and the hunter orange requirements.” Quote

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Originally Posted by Fisherman

Why is it so difficult for some to grasp the simple things in life. This covers that question: You most certainly can hunt from a MV. You just can’t shoot or have a loaded FA. So rather than have a hunter hat under a non hunter coloured helmet that may flop around, either get the orange helmet cover for about $10, or go buy an orange helmet. No need to waste time getting the proper headcover on. Step off the bike, load and shoot safely.

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Yes it’s very simple and why I don’t understand why the CO said what he did in that article.

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

You could do that,but,then you can be charged with failing to properly wear a helmet. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. To me,when you're riding an ATV,you're not hunting and you don't need a hunter orange head cover until you dismount and load a firearm. Then,that's when you're hunting and require a hunter orange cover. For me,getting a ticket for any one of those,guaranteed,will be going to court.

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For us, it was much easier to comply and wear hunter orange skid lids….driving 18 hrs to court isn’t an option!!!
It all depends on the CO you run into, and we have ran into a few winners over the years !!

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Originally Posted by rick_iles

For us, it was much easier to comply and wear hunter orange skid lids….driving 18 hrs to court isn’t an option!!!
It all depends on the CO you run into, and we have ran into a few winners over the years !!

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I've worked with CO's in the past who would write the ticket knowing full well the hunter wasn't about to travel to fight it as you've pointed out. I felt very uncomfortable about it then and I feel the same way now. That regulation needs to be challenged and changed. It's just not right,IMO.

If you are cruising around, actively looking for deer, it appears that you must be wearing an orange headcovering, regardless if you are in a truck or on an atv, even though you can't have a loaded gun at the time. Apparently, if you are moving between hunting sites, you don't need the headware, because you aren't actively hunting. As far as I'm concerned, you can't be actively hunting if you don't have a loaded gun, but that is just my personal opinion.