How not to get lost hunting, and what to do if you do

[Hueco]

Throw a PLB in your pac. You know. Just in case.

 

[titsonritz]

And know how to use them.

Just like any other tool, doesn't matter if it's a map and compass, handgun, 4WD vehicle, table saw or guitar - owning without knowing doesn't do much good or at least good as it could/should.

 

[johnny bob]

Throw a PLB in your pac. You know. Just in case.

And a PB&J for while you assess your situation.

 

[HaveGun]

And a PB&J for while you assess your situation.

Or a PBR...

 

[Flopsweat]

And a PB&J for while you assess your situation.

Or a PBR...

Or both, probably not right together though. PBJP?

 

[johnny bob]

Or a PBR...

That may be why you were lost in the first place. .

 

[HaveGun]

I've never been lost, but have been confused.

This summer, I was on an expedition to find my grandpa's remains up in the Marble creek area. He loved elk hunting up there and when he died, his best friend took his ashes and a brass plaque up to his favorite spot. He affixed the plaque to a rock where he and my grandpa would rest during elk hunting, then spread his ashes around it.

I had never been to the spot, and had never even been in that area. His best friend is well into his 80's and hadn't recorded the GPS coordinates. He said he could lead me to it, but it was a about a mile off the nearest dirt track and he hadn't been there in 15 years.

So, he, myself, and my 70 yr old stepdad set off for what was supposed to be a two hour hike.

We had aerial Google maps of the area, with the spot circled in red, along with plenty of water and survival packs. Stepdad also had a SPOT device.

Three hours later, we found it. The area had been overgrown quite a bit, and the old logging trails were all but gone.





On the way out, we didn't retrace our steps, but instead took an easier path down the mountain, and kept thinking we would pop out on the road any minute. Two hours later, we did, but it was 2 miles down the road from where we had parked and where we thought we would come out.

When we finally got to the rig, the old man got down on his knees, completely worn out from the trek, and thanked God that we made it out.

 

[orygun]

We always joked that the idiots in the 4 wheel


We always joke that the idiots in their 4 wheel drives are the first ones stuck, and usually the furthest off the road! Grew up snow boarding on the mountains back when it was just starting, and we would always laugh at the dumb idiots in their 4 wheel drives crashed all over the place as we motored on by in out 49 chevy 2 wheel drive pickup!
Didn't get into the 4 wheel drive thing until well into my 30s and even then, it wasn't until much later that I got serious about it!

The truck Dad was driving when he gave me his insight was a 1950 Chev (of course 2wd) half ton. I learned a lot about driving off road with that same truck. One of my best friends loves to tell the story where we went up a road where some dudes in a Chev 4x4 couldn't go but a couple of hundred yards and were shocked when I turned up that hill. We didn't stop when we got to the top. Kept going a ways and then turned around and came back down, much to their amazement. I was chained up and had a clue as to how to drive in the snow. I was 17.
When we had an inch of freezing rain here in the valley I took the same truck, chained up all 4 corners and told Dad, "I'm going out for a drive". No cell phones and no worry from Dad. Most parents these days would crap their pants over the stuff lots of us did with our parents consent.

 

[JRuby]

Northside unit east of Gallena on highway 20 as you go up on top by balance lake there is a cutout for a loop of a road i like to hunt. This cut out due to ruts is almost unpassable. You try to keep one tire in the center of the road and one tire on the side of the roads bank. I have quit driving this. I have decided it just isnt worth the wear on my truck.

 

[coop44]

The only woodsy experience I want at this time will have to have flush toilets and at least a three star rating.

 

[bbbass]

For many years I worked in 4x4 shops and we would spend many weekends out where no sane person would be, let alone in their truck (Jeep, Blazer, Bronco, etc.).

I worked at the radio shop with a young man that kept referring to this as his "truck"

When we finally got to the rig, the old man got down on his knees, completely worn out from the trek, and thanked God that we made it out.

Hey! Who ya callin "old"???

An "expedition" for me today is a trip to the Senior Center to pick up lunch. It's wild and wooly out there!!! (Watch out for cougars)

 

[bbbass]

BTW, I had a Cherokee wagon with Quadratrac and big tires, but the rig that was best in mud or snow was my old '65 Ford 1/2T with a wood rack, granny gear, and skinny tires. The big tires would spin in the mud, but those little guys would get down to solid ground.

 

[TNThomas]

Great topic! I teach Middle and High school Science and integrate topo map reading, magnetic declination, and and basic land navigation to my kiddos. Its pretty scary how many people don't know how to use a topo map and a compass.

When hiking off trail alone, I basically do everything everyone else said, but here is the unique stuff:

-I have been making long term geo caches for my two children for some time. Most are in Idaho, a few in Oregon and WA. All off trail. I usually locate a location via Google maps sattelite view, then study the mist efficient way to hike to that location. Get a solid topo map, in tandem with a reliable compass as my main tool. However, I also use a hunting APP called "OnX" which is absolutely phenominal! I dont rely on it, as hard tangibal skills will keep you alive, but its a great adition. You can get a trial run for free to test out. But basically its like google maps, but with slightly higher resolution in rural areas. Also, you can downoad maps when you have a signal (at home) that you can access and track yourself on when you DONT have a signal, and are within the pre downloaded map! Pretty cool! I font rely on it, but it has better detail especially from satellite view than a physical topo map. It runs off of a/multiple different satellites, and from my ecperience is accurate within a meter or two.

Here is an example of a pretty cool campsite I found via the app for me and about 5 other cars while offroading this summer. I usually pit "pins" at intersections that require extra attention as to not turn the wrong way. I end up being the camp site locator. And this is the best tool ive found.

But this all requires/expects that you know how to read topographically. I take screenshots as a triple fail safe. Hard maps, tech, screenshots of tech.

 

[BrentN]

Got lost for 4 days once in the Devils Backbone area of Arkansas (Civil War fame lol), separated from my unit during training, with nothing of sustenance but a canteen of water. Kept playing war, never once worried about not making it out.
Looking back, it's funny how the brain works when it stays busy.

 

[nehalemguy]

When hiking in a group , its best not to get lost....Its awkward when you have to eat your friends...
Andy