Deer hunters need to see clearly and aim accurately to bring home the big bucks. But they also need to follow basic gun safety rules to avoid harming themselves or other hunters.
First, be sure of your target—'don’t shoot until you know positively what you’re shooting at.'
Second, be visible. Protect yourself by wearing the required hunting clothes to avoid being mistaken for a deer.
In North Dakota, legislators passed a foundational safety law in 1931, making a red cap mandatory for deer hunters. Safety improved in 1959 when new regulations required big-game hunters to display at least a square foot of bright color on their chest and back, with options of red, yellow, or orange, along with a matching cap. These bright colors wouldn’t spook deer, since they’re color-blind.
Some hunters believed golden yellow was the safest of the three colors. Many still wore red hunting clothes, but some authorities pointed out that color-blind individuals might mistake red for green. Tests in other states showed that orange clothing wasn't safe in early morning or dusk light. However, researchers found fluorescent blaze orange to be the safest, especially during low-light hours.
State by state, lawmakers began to require fluorescent orange, and they found a significant reduction in the number of hunters being mistaken for game and shot at. In 1973, North Dakota adopted a new safety law, eliminating red, yellow, and plain orange in favor of blaze orange. Fluorescent orange was brighter than any other color in nature and provided maximum visibility.
By law, all big-game hunters had to wear a cap and outer garment above the waist, both in daylight fluorescent orange, totaling 400 square inches of material. This change was successful, as the State Game and Fish Department reported no hunting accidents during the 1973 deer season, crediting the fluorescent orange clothing for much of the safety record that year.
On this date in 1983, a new law modified the requirement, eliminating the need for turkey hunters to wear blaze orange.
Blaze orange worked so well that some hunters even added blaze-orange handkerchiefs to go with their caps, vests, and jackets.
Dakota Datebook written by Steve Hoffbeck, retired MSUM History Professor
Sources:
- “New N.D. Legislation No Threat To Sportsmen,” Fargo Forum, April 17, 1983, p. 6F.
- Joe Schannach, “N.D. Hunting Season Nears,” Fargo Forum, November 8, 1931, p. 3.
- “Hunters Preparing To Take Up Quest For Antlered Deer,” Bismarck Tribune, November 14, 1931, p. 1
- John Hewston, “Conservation Corner,” Hope Pioneer, March 26, 1959, p. 1.
- “N.D. Deer Season To Open Nov. 13,” Fargo Forum, September 4, 1959, p. 1.
- “Hunter Bill Would Provide Hunter A Choice of Colors,” Fargo Forum, January 15, 1959, p. 3.
- “Mark Trail’s Outdoor Tips,” Fargo Forum, November 3, 1969, p. 9.
- “Deer Hunters,” advertisement, Bismarck Tribune, November 2, 1967, p. 18.
- “Going Hunting,” advertisement, Grand Forks Herald, October 8, 1961, p. 6.
- “N.D. Hunters to Wear Bright Orange Out in Field,” Bismarck Tribune, August 22, 1973, p. 26.
- Fraser Sorlie, “Legislative,” Bismarck Tribune, March 21, 1973, p. 11.
- John Lohman, “Orange Hunting Gear Required,” Fargo Forum, March 11, 1973, p. 48.
- “No Accidents During N.D. Deer Season,” Fargo Forum, December 9, 1973, p. 7D.
- “Big Game Animals, Regulations,” Chapter 20.1-05, N.D. Legislative.gov, accessed March 20, 2025.
