Missourian Bill Bellm was hunting on public land on opening day of the 2004 firearms deer season when another hunter entered the area.

The man disappeared behind some brush and never reappeared, which puzzled Bellm.

A while later, a deer appeared, and Bellm shot it. The deer ran a short distance, and Bellm considered taking another shot to ensure a kill.

But the animal’s path ran across the last place he had seen the other hunter, so he held his fire.

“It’s a good thing I did,” he said. “When I went over to tag my deer, here this guy came out of his blind. I said ‘Oh, my gosh, I didn’t even know it was there.'”

If Bellm had not seen the other hunter arrive, he might have unwittingly put the other hunter at risk.

The incident worried Bellm so much, he called the Missouri Department of Conservation to suggest a regulation change to require hunter orange markings on ground blinds.

Ground blinds are increasingly popular among deer and turkey hunters for several good reasons. They allow hunters to change positions and stretch without being seen by deer.

They are easier to move than tree stands. Furthermore, they are easier to get in and out of than tree stands, and they eliminate the risk of falls.

In response to Bellm’s suggestion, Conservation Department officials discussed the possibility of changing the Wildlife Code to address the issue.

In the end, they decided not to change regulations.

Instead, the Conservation Department hopes to educate hunters who use ground blinds to use good judgment in the field.

However, hunters who use ground blinds would be wise to mark them with hunter orange. Deer don’t have color vision, so wearing hunter orange or putting it on a blind does not hurt hunters’ chances of shooting deer.