Orange Hat Requirements

[Hawkeye57]

Is it true that hunter orange hats cant have ANY logo on them? I just read the requirement and was discussing it with a buddy. I hunt upland 2-3 days a week during the season and have been stopped many times by CO's to check guns ect- never once did they give me a hard time or even mention it. My go to Upland hat is Orvis- solid orange with brown brim and brown Orvis logo. 

Curious if anyone has had this issue from a CO

[mazzgolf]

It is true - no logos. Whether or not you get written up is up to the CO. But legally, that is correct - no logos. Must be all plain orange. I never had an issue, but then again, I don't wear orange hats with logos  

[Gman]

only if that is your only orange you have on.

[Hawkeye57]

8 minutes ago, Gman said:

only if that is your only orange you have on.

Interesting- so if you have other orange, you are good to go?

It really threw me off because I never knew this and hunt upland on public so much and talk to COs all the time. 

 

I typically only have my hat too. I guess if you are respectful and doing all the right things, even a CO realizes how silly it is that a 1/4 inch logo makes you less safe lol.

[LittleM]

Agree with GMan - an orange hat with a logo and/or one of those camo orange hats is OK IF you are lso wearing other orange.

1 minute ago, Hawkeye57 said:

how silly it is that a 1/4 inch logo makes you less safe lol.

Agreed.

[mazzgolf]

The rules with the hat are "a cap made of solid daylight fluorescent orange." I think the key word is "solid".  (page 27 of the digest).

For small game and pheasant hunters on stocked lands, you are required to wear a hat now (rules changed a couple years ago on that - page 56 of the digest), so for them I don't think it matters how much orange you have on elsewhere - you need a hat and thus must follow the hat rules ("solid" orange).

Regarding logos - that is what we were told during the firearm hunter's education (this was 8 or so years ago now ) - I specifically remember the instructor telling us about the "no logos" thing and that it must be solid orange.

Honestly though - I can't see a CO giving you trouble if you have a orange vest and a hat with a logo on.

I think (and this is just my opinion, I don't know if this is how they really think about it) that these kinds of rules are probably considered "tack on" laws - if you are found violating more important game laws, they will write up every little thing by the book - they just add this ticky-tack one to your ticket to make it more painful. 

[BHC]

solid orange...but the CO has to be a prick to write a person up with something on it...but then 15 years ago I was done hunting as I shot a buck opening day of muzzleloader, my deer was tagged and laying along side my truck while I sat on the tailgate eating lunch and I was wearing jeans and sweat shirt all my gear I packed up....I was killing time waiting for my friend...CO pulls up sees the deer is tagged, and then says where is your hunter orange, I told him it's stored away with all my gear....he said you must have it on while hunting, correct you are, does look like I'm hunting? He drove away

[nickmarch]

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2019/title-23/section-23-4-13-1/

[BHC]

3 minutes ago, nickmarch said:

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2019/title-23/section-23-4-13-1/

so with that law while turkey hunting with a firearm hunter orange would be required 

[nickmarch]

11 minutes ago, BHC said:

so with that law while turkey hunting with a firearm hunter orange would be required 

Exactly!

It's just one of numerous laws that FW Council ignores since its easier to ignore than to go thru the required process to make a legal regulation.  

They are required to make regulations based on an intrepretation of the law.  They are not allowed to change the law.  

Edited June 17, 2020 by nickmarch

[Lunatic]

12 minutes ago, nickmarch said:

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2019/title-23/section-23-4-13-1/

More confusion.
No orange while predator hunting but yet I read this:

 

Quote

a. Any person while hunting deer, rabbit, hare, squirrel, fox, or game birds, other than waterfowl, with firearms in this State, shall wear a cap of fluorescent hunter's orange or some other outer garment containing at least 200 square inches of fluorescent hunter's orange material which shall be visible from all sides. The penalty for violation of this section shall be $50.00 for each offense.

 

[BHC]

best bet, carry a solid orange hat & vest...the cheap ones......see them for less then $10.00

[Hawkeye57]

I have found on more than one occasion- laws contradict the digest. I wrote a letter to the DEP once and got a ticket thrown out. However, they said the digest is ONLY a guide and it is incumbent on the hunter to know that actual laws. I pointed out that the hunter ed tells you yo use the digest to know the laws. They responded with a "officers try their hardest to get it right" 

I have only had one bad experience with a CO wanting to give a hard time. Otherwise I have always found them to be professional and reasonable. 

[BHC]

if they went with actual laws in the digest it would be 10 times thicker then a phone book, so yes it's a guide....don't ever go by the digest for what the law really is

[Hawkeye57]

Just now, BHC said:

if they went with actual laws in the digest it would be 10 times thicker then a phone book, so yes it's a guide....don't ever go by the digest for what the law really is

Agreed but their "plain language" could at least be more specific/align with the laws. But to Mazz point- wouldnt be your ONLY ticket. you would most likely be doing something else wrong.