WYOMING – With the passage of Senate File 61 and a signature from the governor, fluorescent pink will now be an option for hunters as part of state mandated visibility apparel so hunters are better able to see each other in the field.
The move means Wyoming joins a handful of other states that have also allowed pink in addition to blaze orange. The new law takes effect July 1—in plenty of time for it to appear in the backcountry this fall hunting season.
Science-based, not sexy shooting
Sen. Affie Ellis sponsored the bill adding pink but made it clear all along it was not about prettifying hunting or making any gender assumptions. She called it a science-based bill referring to research out of University of Wisconsin which indicates pink tends to stand out better in the woods because it is not a color normally seen in the forest.
Still, the new law has rankled some hunters, primarily women, who say they won’t wear pink just to avoid feeding a stereotype.
Both Wyoming Outfitters and Guides and Wyoming Game and Fish Department had no issues with the new color.
Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin have all added pink in recent years. Montana rejected adding any color that isn’t orange.
