Myosmith

I was riding along some minimum maintenance roads and prairie trails yesterday. I was going through wooded areas around a series of small lakes and noticed a large number of deer tracks in the sandy soil. At first I thought "Cool. Maybe I'll see some wildlife." Then it dawned on me that it was already bow hunting season and gun season for deer is just around the corner. So here I am following deer trails through the trees, on a bicycle, wearing a black MTB jersey and Khaki colored shorts. To make things worse, I have a white helmet and it'll be whitetail season. I've got some bright colored road gear, but my MTB clothes are more subdued. Hmmm, I know most hunters are competent and cautious, but there are always those few . . .

My trail bike, The Goat, is black but has plenty of silver aluminum components. It's also possible that someone might see my torso but not the bike through the brush. I'm not worried about bowhunters, so I am safe for now, but when the rifles come out the game changes completely. I could just stick to open paved roads during deer season, but fall is such a beautiful time of year to be biking the back trails that I'd hate to miss it.

Well, I got a bright orange, long-sleeve quarter zip running shirt and a tech fabric safety orange t-shirt today at WalMart. I thought about an orange safety vest instead, but wasn't fond of the idea of it getting snagged on overhanging brush. Not sure what I'm going to do about the white helmet.

Anyone else wear bright colors this time of year for outdoor activities, especially in wooded areas, just to avoid unfortunate mistaken identity? I've never heard of a cyclist being shot or shot at by a hunter, but every year there are stories of hunting "accidents" involving someone who "thought it was a deer".

hodag

Pretty awesome question. I hunt and ride so here's my centavo. Hunters will always hear and see you coming before you see them. If you're on a public road and not on private land don't worry. Personally I'd throw a cheap blinky fore and aft on the bike and wear my safety green jacket. I wouldn't ride during the first or last hour of daylight either. Visibility is poor and anticipation is high. Some hunters posting up near roadways will like that you 'push' deer to them while others will not like that you 'spooked' the deer away from them. The latter should anticipate traffic if they post close to a road. And finally, it's illeagal to fire a weapon in the direction of a road if you're within a certain distance. It's usually around 100 yards but you can check that on Minnesota's DNR website. I'd say you're safe, go enjoy some crisp air and fall colors!

Myosmith

Thanks for the advice. I already planned on having my blinky on and don't ride in the boonies near dark. It's too risky for a variety of reasons and I really don't want to get stranded in the woods overnight. A lot of the "roads" I like to ride my trail bike on are minimum maintenance roads, fire trails, access roads and snowmobile/ATV trails. Some are little more than a pair of wheel tracks through holes in the brush and many don't show up on maps.

I grew up hunting and as I mentioned, the vast majority of hunters are competent and cautious. Unfortunately there are some "hunters" who don't fit that category. Just like drivers and cyclists, there are a minority of reckless and/or clueless individuals who really shouldn't be out there. Ask any game warden and they'll tell you story after story of deer shot from moving vehicles, "hunters" who had a six pack for breakfast, and yahoos who bought their first gun on friday to go hunting that weekend. In the 1980s I worked for Montgomery Ward in Burnsville, MN, in the sporting goods dept and was one of the few who had the keys to the gun racks. You would not have believed some of the customers who came in looking to buy a firearm who did not know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun or who would come in several times during hunting season for more shells because they had burned through the two boxes they bought last weekend but hadn't hit anything yet. One guy even told me about getting off a few "sound shots" but he never actually saw a deer. In other words, he was shooting at noises in the bushes. My family farmed and during goose season we'd see guys in their shiny four-door sedan stopped along the road, emptying their 12-gauges at a flock of geese that were flying so high and far away that they were just dots in the sky. That <5% of the "hunters" are the scary ones.

fietsbob

Orange clothing ..

azgreg

I recommend not wearing your antler helmet.

Barrettscv 

I would mount a rear mounted blinky and a front mounted headlamp to your helmet.