Aside from sportsmen who are in the woods after game, it is also incumbent upon those who choose to be in the woods for other reasons to be aware of the different seasons and to wear blaze orange accordingly.

I don't hunt deer during the shotgun season here in Massachusetts, nor does my wife. But we still choose to often be in a favorite patch of woods belongng to a wildlife management area to walk (run) our Brittany dring this time. You'd better believe we ALL wear blaze orange, including Gabe, our Brit. Sometimes I'll even go as far as to put a bell on his collar.

There was a horrible situation that happened in a neighboring state 5 or so years ago. It was either Vermont or New Hamnpshire. Anyway, a middle-aged gent thought it a fine afternoon to go pick some wild blueberries in one of his favored spots in the woods. It was bear season. He wore no Blaze orange, and went about picking his berries.

Now, on the other side of this patch were a couple of brothers from my state of Massachusetts who were in the woods solely to hunt bear. It was late in the afternoon, they hadn't gotten anything from their long day's hunt, and all of a sudden they saw a lot of movement from BEHIND a blueberry bush. Movement.

As you've no doubt guessed, one of the brothers open fired at that "movement". When they ran over to check on the imaginary bear they saw a dying man instead. They did nothing to try to save him, and basically ran away scared. Back home in Massachusetts the story came out in closed quarters, and all the shooter's family members basically helped the guilty guy to go to the police and admit his deed.

Who was to blame here? Undoubtedly, the impatient hunter who chose to shoot at movement in bushes instead of an actual bear that was clearly sighted. Add to that their reprehensible behavior in turning tail and skedaddling instead of trying to get some medical treatment for this man and the shooting takes on an even more sordid aspect.

Would this story have had a different ending had the berry picker been more aware of his calendar and put on some blaze orange before entering the woods? Quite possibly.

Please understand that I am not suggesting he was the one at fault here. Still, I do think it wise and prudent for non-hunters to know exactly when other people with guns will be in the woods at the same time as them and choose their attire more carefully.