If you want to wear a bit of orange, feel free.

Just so you know, if you are starting in the spring in Georgia, the only hunting season you'll hike through is turkey in late April and early May in VA and TN. Hunting is not permitted in the main corridor and the short range shot will travel with a shotgun greatly reduces worries about an encounter.

Assaults HAVE increased in recent years, I suspect largely due to the sheer increase in number of hikers these last 10 years. All in all though, the AT is a very safe place to be.