I have hunted upland birds at least 20 days a year for almost as many years. Some years I hunt twice that much.

There is no requirement to wear hunter orange while hunting birds in Montana. Often I hunt alone, and when I'm likely to be entirely alone I may not wear hunter orange if the big game rifle season is closed.... this occurs during 10 weeks of the upland season. If the big game season is open (about 6 weeks), I always wear at least some orange. Also, if I'm hunting with someone else I always wear at least an orange cap, and prefer that other hunters do the same. I also always put some orange on my dog.

Hunting conditions are diverse here, with rolling terrain, small wetlands, and various amounts of screening vegetation with almost no organized "pushes" of fields. Instead hunters follow their pointing dogs for miles, with relative orientation and spacing constantly shifting. This style of upland hunting requires nearly instantaineous recognition of other hunters while targeting your quarry. I've had the disturbing experience of shooting towards a hunting partner once, not because I was unsure of my target (the crossing grouse died), but because the partner unknown to me had walked into a position about 50 yards beyond the bird, was screened by light vegetation, and was wearing only earth-tones in flat light. I've also been on the receiving end of such shots before wearing orange, but never since.

I strongly recommend wearing orange when upland hunting anywhere you expect to encounter another hunter, and perhaps even where you don't. Eye protection is also essential. Two seasons ago an acquaintance of mine hunting forest grouse was blinded in his right eye by a ricochet pellet that came back about 340 degrees off trees when his partner took a routine "safe" shot at a flushing bird.