PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Wearing bright colors and making noise in the forest are among the tips wildlife officials are recommending to avoid being mistaken for an animal during hunting season.

Two recent victims of shootings by hunters were not wearing the bright orange vests and hats suggested to help prevent accidents.

"It might have changed the outcome," said Sgt. Pat Downing of the Coos County Sheriff's Office, who examined one of the shooting scenes.

A middle school teacher from Camas, Wash., was charged with manslaughter in the death of a man shot Nov. 1 while the teacher was hunting elk in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state.

The victim, who was picking bear grass for use in floral arrangements, wore a green raincoat and black rain pants.

In another case, a 20-year-old graduate of Powers High School was fatally shot last month in the Siskiyou National Forest in southern Oregon when one of his hunting partners fired at what he thought was a deer.

While authorities say primary responsibility falls on hunters to be sure of their targets, and what is near them, wearing blaze orange is a simple precaution against accidents.

It's especially warranted when traveling off main trails where hunters also may be pursuing wildlife, officials say.

"The best way to be visible is to wear blaze orange and avoid earth tones like brown and black," said Chris Willard, hunter education coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Most hunting accidents involve one hunter mistakenly shooting another, rather than a bystander, Willard said. Although no law requires hunters to wear bright orange, it's strongly encouraged in hunter education courses around the state.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest includes safety warnings on the back of permits issued to people heading into the forest to pick mushrooms and other forest goods, said Roger Peterson of the U.S. Forest Service.

He said he and others try to make a special point of highlighting the suggestion to wear bright colors and make noise, especially when foraging off trails.

"A lot of these are folks who may traditionally not think about the fact that it's hunting season," Peterson said.