• Trail Running Safety in Hunting Season

    9 tips to keep you safe.

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The 2019 Maine deer hunting season has begun, and rifle season will continue until sundown on November 30th. Many trail runners take the month of November off in order to avoid safety concerns. This is not strictly necessary, but although you can trust 99% of sportsmen to behave legally and ethically, the other 1% create 100% of our tragedies. I was raised in the kind of hunting and fishing family that believes in responsibly sharing the wild. Here are a few of my personal strategies to be confident and safe in the woods.

1. Wear blaze orange. Hunters are legally required to do this, but it's optional for the rest of us. Wear blaze orange to look as unnatural as possible in the woods. This is the easiest way to stay safe. You can get blaze orange headbands and hats and from Spandits. Stock up! Also, consider your layering strategy in these November temperatures. If you need to add or shed a layer during your run, will your blaze orange still show? Spandits can make you any of their garments in Trail Blazer, their high-visibility fabric, to help you stay visible at any temperature. I'm a Spandits ambassador, and you can use the code CHICKPEA10 to save 10% on your order.

2. Don't wear white. That 1% of hunters you can't trust? They're reacting to moving flashes of white in the woods, which their poor judgment misidentifies as the hind of a running whitetail deer. None of us look much like deer but if you avoid wearing white in hunting season, you seal the deal.

3. If you see signs of hunting, choose another spot for your run. Big pickup truck at a trailhead? Find a tree stand in the woods? ATV parked seemingly in the middle of nowhere? Even an overturned bucket (makes a great seat) is a sign that this particular patch of woods is seeing some current hunting activity. As much as you may be nervous to see hunters, they actually don't want to see you either--your human noises are scaring off the deer. Turn around and find a patch of woods you can have to yourself. It's a win-win.

4. Run in the midday. The best hunting opportunities present themselves just after sunrise and just before sunset. If you can run in the midday, you're less likely to share the woods with hunters.

5. Run with buddies. Lentil once told me that she could hear Bea Q. and I chatting and laughing for 20 full minutes before we popped out onto the trailhead. Granted, we were working a series of switchbacks on the slope directly above her, but the sound of human voices carries further than you expect. Running with a friend is already awesome, and the sound of your voices will alert others in the woods to your presence and keep you safe.

6. Run on Sunday: Maine state law prohibits Sunday hunting. Just be sure to wear your blaze orange anyway, because poaching happens. If you ever stumble upon illegal hunting activity, the game wardens want to know! Tag your location on your GPS watch and make your report once you are safely away. 1-800-253-7887 is the statewide anonymous reporting line for Operation Game Thief.

7. Trail run in a state park or preserve that is closed to hunting. You can put on some fun miles without much worry about crossing paths with hunters. Again, wear your orange. Shit happens-- that 1% of hunters may get disoriented or willfully ignore boundaries. (Again, tell the game wardens if you see something shady. Your willingness to report unsafe or illegal behavior will keep the rest of us safe.)

8. Obey trail closures. This is a matter of good stewardship and should be done regardless of season. However, our safety is more at stake during hunting season. Many trail networks, single track and ATV trails alike, cross privately owned lands and rely on the owners' goodwill and terms of use. It's not unusual for trails to close during deer season so that landowners can hunt, a term of the access agreement forged by the trail builders. If you see closure signs or the gate is locked, turn around!

9. Put blaze orange on your pups too. Everything I've said about your safety applies to them. If Cujo won't tolerate an orange bandana or vest, he's got to stay home. 

This is my basic protocol for trail running safely during deer hunting season. What do you do to stay safe?




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