I have a story to tell. My family and I hunted mainly Utah and Wyoming where orange is required. Dec 2005 my dad, our friend Mark,and I went down to Texas, where it isn't. We were together literally all day that first day, no orange on but not worried. 15 mins before dark I shot a doe, and out stepped two fawns, which my dad subsequently finished off as well(we were on a doe hunt population control for a buddy with the perq of hogs and javelinas). He told me he was going toclean thethree deer and that I should go and try and get another before dark.I took one deer rifle, Mark the other, and my dad had our open sighted .22. First off, my dad that morning shot a coyote on the run at over 350 yards, having a 5 second window from first sighting it to stopping the car loading the gun and firing. He is a scary good shot.
Anyway, I walked down the sendero a ways in my black sweat shirt, hood up due to the chill about 200yds from the stand. I sat down and waited for dark. about 5 mins later I looked to my right, away from the truck, and heard something whistle past my ear. I whipped around to "see" what it was, when again something whistled past my ear, then something stung me in the leg! Istood up andstarted to yell that I was behind the stupid rabbits that my dad was plinkin' at. I watched my dad throwdown the .22 and start racingtowards me.When hewas 1/2 way there it dawnedon me that he wasn't shooting at the rabbits, but at me. Hemistook me for a javelina.
I was shot through theupper left thigh, right between the femoral artery and the femur, and raking the bottom of my right leg. Very lucky to not have serious damage.

Now, we were both stupid, but completely unaware as to the severe complications that would occur. As a rule, no matter what we are hunting, or what with, we wear orange somewhere and do our best to stay together. He hadn't seen me go down that direction and had thought I was behind him.

Wear orange, it is just worth it, plain and simple.

(getting off soap box)