Wear your orange; firearm season for deer hunters opens Wednesday

Make a fashion statement. Wear orange.Firearm season for deer hunters opens Wednesday, and hunters and hikers alike are urged to wear bright "hunter" orange when venturing into or near the woods.History speaks for itself. Since 1977 in New Hampshire, there have been 43 incidents of hunters failing to identify their target, and 37 of the victims were not wearing hunter orange."It's one more proof that hunter orange saves lives," said Peter Lester, hunter education program leader for N.H. Fish and Game. "People should wear at least one very visible article of clothing with hunter orange. Deer can't see the difference, so there's no excuse for not wearing hunter orange."Orange is recommended not only for people but for pets as well. Four Your Paws Only in North Conway sells bright orange vests, collars and bandanas for dogs."I highly recommend them," said Brian Ahearn, of Four Your Paws Only. "I've been out there."Bandanas sell for between $4 and $8, collars for $10 and vests for $17 at Four Your Paws Only. The vests come in four different sizes and also have reflective strips, to make dogs more visible to motorists at night.Ahearn said all of the bright orange items are very popular this time of year."People are very conscious of it (safety) up here," he said.Firearm season for deer hunters starts Wednesday and ends Dec. 8. Archery season started in September and continues through Dec. 15.Last year, there were four hunting-related shooting accidents in New Hampshire. In all four instances, the injuries were self-inflicted or involved hunting partners.Fish and Game recommends that non-hunters wear orange, keep dogs on a leash and avoid areas where there is a lot of hunting activity.