ORIGINAL: Pace Maker
Well, I called the Montana fish and game dept. The woman I spoke with there seemed very confused when I asked the question about the vest. She said at first she didn't know, and then later told me that it had to be solid. Further into the conversation she described to me what an orange vest was! She acutually said to me that an orange vest was "a vest you wear over your clothes, They come in different sizes, some are small and only go part way down your sides and some go all the way to your hips." If I don't know that, I better not be allowed to carry a gun! Not the definitive answer I was looking for. I'll try emailing them and see what I get for an answer.
Geez, I'm sorry about that, after I advised you to phone these "reliable" people. Kinda like when you recommend a friend to a job and he turns out to be a lazy slob. All I can say is they have always been helpful and knowledgable on the phone with me.
She is right though, vests are meant to be worn over your clothes. My son had one on under his jacket and I couldn't see it at all, even with binoculars. And they do come in various sizes. I bought a larger one for me and smaller ones for my sons. I could tell we needed different sizes because when we stand next to each other, I need to look down to see their faces. Purty smart of me, huh? Didn't you know this?