Woods still safe for nonhunters

Expect to hear occasional gun shots in the mountains.

Plan on seeing hunters carrying rifles or shotguns.

Most hunting seasons throughout the West are in full swing starting this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you should give up hiking, mountain biking and picnicking during one of the best times of the year.

Rick Thomas, an avid hiker who lives in Boise, doesn’t let hunting season stop him from going out, but he does take some precautions.

“I try to wear a lot of color,” he said. “I also think about where I am going.”

Thomas prefers to hike this time of year in areas where hunting is not allowed, such as national parks and state parks, but if he plans a trip in other areas, he dresses appropriately.

“I try to be more visible,” he said.

Wearing a hunter orange cap and strapping hunter orange vest around a daypack can help a hiker stand out in the landscape.

Avoid red, which looks amazingly brown from a distance in low light.

Hunting accidents involving nonhunters are rare, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. In fact, hunting seasons have become safer over the years because of mandatory hunter education program that started decades ago in the Western states.

The program has made a difference. Idaho has reduced the number of hunting-related fatalities from 17 in 1960 to none last year.

Hunters must wear hunter orange during modern rifle and upland bird hunts in Washington. But even though Idaho leaves hunter orange clothing to the discretion of its hunters, the state Fish and Game Department highly recommends wearing a healthy splash of the fluorescent color.

Surveys clearly indicate that wearing hunter orange virtually eliminates the chance of being mistaken for game, Idaho officials say.

Nonhunters should use the same information to their advantage.

Tack on some orange ribbon or material on your pack. If you are hiking or mountain biking with a dog, make sure hunters can see your pet with the help of a brightly colored collar or bandanna. Hunter-orange collars are available in pet stores.

It’s a good idea to put a small bell on your dog. Bells that slip onto dog collars are made to help upland bird hunters keep track of their dogs.

Don’t hike or bike on trails at dawn and dusk. Big-game hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset.

Stay on main trails where hunters are more likely to expect to see human activity. Hunters are most likely to be hunting deeper in the mountains and away from roads and trails.

If you don’t like noise, avoid bird watching at state wildlife management areas. Washington’s waterfowl hunting season opens this weekend and Idaho’s has already opened.

Hunters will be a regular fixture in the marshes until the waters freeze.