Colorado Fluorescent Orange Laws

[cohunter14]

I heard a story the other day about someone who got a ticket in Colorado for packing game out and not having enough fluorescent orange on. Apparently, the wildlife officer said all of the orange had to be visible, and because he had a backpack on, it covered up the orange. I guess the officer made it sound like he needed to have orange on the pack itself.

I am looking at the rules for wearing fluorescent orange or pink in the 2019 Big Game Brochure and I cannot find any details on either of these two items. The main portion states that "Law requires hunters to wear at least 500 square inches of SOLID DAYLIGHT FLUORESCENT ORANGE OR FLUORESCENT PINK material on an outer garment above the waist while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, bear or moose with any firearm license."

To me, packing out game is not 'hunting'. I also don't see how you can interpret a backpack covering the outer garment as requiring someone to have orange on the pack itself. Anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Army of Dad]

No, I haven?t heard that.

That said I?d say that packing out is definitely part of hunting and I suppose I can see why they?d try to enforce it that way. I wonder if putting the vest on the animal (maybe attached to the antlers) would suffice. Though what if you were on a second or third trip/didn?t have antlers and weren?t carrying a hunting weapon? Probably still a good idea to have orange on, especially if a firearm season is open...


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[cnelk]

I see plenty of guides packing client's elk out and not wearing a stitch of orange.


Id probably see them in court if a ticket was issued

 

[cmuske25]

I hate to say it, but that sounds like a sorry game warden to me.  Trying to use his power in the wrong way.  I've helped with hunts in Texas hosted by Parks and Wildlife here and as long as you're wearing the vest people don't get in trouble for having a backpack.  I'd have to fight that.