It started last week. Although I was sitting at Queen’s Place, watching curling, so I didn’t really take much notice. But it is hunting season.
I can remember a time when a red hat like the one in the picture was considered quite proper for this time of year. But that was a long time ago. I believe I may even have had a similar hat. It probably wouldn’t fit. I was considerably smaller at the time.
It’s been many years. I have gone through a few orange hats in that time. And maybe a few jackets and vests and a number of other bright orange items. They tend to fade a bit.
If you’re a hunter, you might have experience with Conservation Officers and the little colour card they can use to make sure you haven’t faded too much. Hunter orange can be very bright, but it doesn’t stay that way forever.
Like my hat. I’ve had a orange hat that moves into regular hat rotation pretty much every year around this time. I like the hat. But it’s time for a new one. I looked at it the other day and released it was looking a bit dull. A have a somewhat newer vest I also like to wear this time of year, and it is quite a few shades brighter. So I guess it’s time for a new hat.
Now I will say, I no longer hunt. But I do like to wander around areas where others may be hunting, so I like to make sure that if there are others hunting I look nothing like something that should be hunted.
I also have a dog that is fairly close to deer coloured. She also wears an orange neckerchief at this time of year. And I make sure to keep her close. Finding hunter orange neckerchiefs is not always easy, so there have been several T-shirts that have met their end to keep her properly dressed for the season.
Hunter orange, for many in our area, is a fashion statement this time of year. But it’s more than that. It’s about safety. So be sure to wear your orange and be seen. Which sometimes means making sure you’re wearing the right orange. Not the faded orange of a hat you got for free twenty some years ago, no matter how much you like that hat.
Some times you need a new hat.
