Broke the 1st commandment to hunting..

J

Jimbobob08

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23 years old and i've spent most of my life in the bush and i've never been lost untill yesterday. I had the day off yesterday so I headed out to my brothers house in the sturgeon falls area. Once there I realized I forgot my compass at home. I was cocky and decided i'd be fine that I wasn't going to go far, just a little explore behind his house on crown land with my rifle in hand. 6:20 PM I reached a highway atleast 5miles North, and maybe 2-3 miles East from the turn off to my brother's, 6:30pm it was dark out, I had been lost the entire day and only got out 10min before dark.

It was nothing but luck that I found a river that I followed untill I heard a highway in the distance. I almost spent the night in the bush in jeans and a T-shirt with almost no gear because of my stupid choice. In the end I'm fine with only a few slight cuts on my arms that almost fully healed overnight.

Be prepared and safe people.
 
This year we've did the impossible.... hunting, then darkness fell and in the dark headed back to our camp on the river with no lights(what so ever), down rocky river. Good thing the moon was glimpsing through the clouds.
 
Welcome to the club! You don't have to describe the phase where you don't need a compass, I know all about it.
Nor the next phase where you find out you can get lost! I know all about that, too.
I could come close to describing your feelings that day. No, I'm not lost, soon as I'm out of this thick stuff I'll get my bearings. Damn, I didn't know that what's the country looked like just over there.
I could be lost, but it will only be temporary. Time is sure flying. Why doesn't that sun come out for a bit. --------
 
Last year myself and 2 other bow hunters, one of whom owns the property we hunt and his house is .5 km away, got turned around and temporarily lost while tracking an arrowed deer in the dark. No compass, pitch black,fairly thick and uneven terrain. No big deal but we had to walk towards the sound of the highway to get out, maybe 2-3 km out of our way. Pretty silly getting lost where we did. Main point, no compass. Even using a GPS, bring the compass-doesnt need batteries or satellite reception.
 
Been there, done that. Now I carry a compass, a whistle, and a GPS with spare batteries. I also ensure I dress appropriately (i.e. not jeans and a t-shirt) and carry lighters and matches in my pack or pocket. I'm confident I could spend the night in the bush if I had to and not freeze to death.
 
Lost? No, I always know exactly where I am.

...Sometimes, though, there's a problem with knowing where anything else is. :redface:
 
TheTooner said:
Lost? No, I always know exactly where I am.

...Sometimes, though, there's a problem with knowing where anything else is. :redface:
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times like these its good to stop and collect your bearings :D

(much easier when you have a compass)

I've been out following game sign and my kit was still in my bag on the quad back on the trail :rolleyes: Hmmmm.... where did I leave that now :redface:
 
I'm sure you'll always carry a basic kit with you from now on :) Something to make fire and a little shelter at least and a little water in case you do get stuck out.

And of course nav gear to make sure you don't have to stay out overnight :)

It happens to everyone once. I suspect you won't let it happen again.
 
Glad to hear you're okay and you aren't alone. Not the first and definately not the last. I spent the night on a mountain in the Atlin Lake area of northern B.C. a few years back. A saving grace was that, being as it was the first time in an unfamiliar area, I had fairly carefully gone over a topo map. From that I knew where the main geographical land marks were in relation to each other. By the time I started down off of the mountain, it was at the end the afternoon and starting to get dark. My problem, when I worked my way down to the river, would I be up stream or down stream of where I'd parked the truck & camper? I built a fire, tried to get a little sleep and walked into town the next morning. The RCMP officer there drove me back out to my camp spot.
 
Very interesting Johnn. In 1968 I spent a week up there all by myself, trying to get a good, trophy caribou. I knew an old timer in town who had spent all his life up there and he would tell me where a good area was, then tell me where I could find a cabin to stay in! Great country, geat trip and saw over 100 caribou. None met my hopefull antler criteria, but finally took one. Always managed to get off the mountain by dark, also.
 
H4831 said:
Very interesting Johnn. In 1968 I spent a week up there all by myself, trying to get a good, trophy caribou. I knew an old timer in town who had spent all his life up there and he would tell me where a good area was, then tell me where I could find a cabin to stay in! Great country, geat trip and saw over 100 caribou. None met my hopefull antler criteria, but finally took one. Always managed to get off the mountain by dark, also.
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Great country Bruce and I really enjoyed it. I spent about three weeks in that area and during that 'visit' mentioned to my wife that I could quite easily live there. Without quick access to a plane her answer was a very emphatic NO!!

My wife was pregnant with our daughter at that time so a night alone in our camper in strange country, husband 'somewhere' in the bush, with our spooky German Shorthair dog was somewhat 'trying' to say the least. Back during the beginning of that evening, once I sat down, figured out my position and options, I thought as long as she doesn't go out with the dog looking for me, things are still sort of in control. However my greatest fear was that if she did go looking with the dog, there'd be three of us lost.

My incident took place in 1974 and as I remember, the RCMP officer indicated I had been in the area to the south of Spruce Creek and east of Union Mountain. He estimated my walk to town was about 20 miles. ;)Pre-metric era:p. A little different experience unexpectedly spending the night in bush, in Grizz country:).
 
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I used to teach teens how to prepare for a 'not by choice' overnight when day hiking.

Today was a classic hypothermic event waiting to happen: low 50s (that's about 12º for you youngsters) warm and sunny until late afternoon then the wind picked up and the mist turned to rain. Get caught in that in jeans and T and you better have some skillz.

Got caught being to slow coming out of a local wilderness park (East Sooke Park for those of you that know it) and it got dark. We had to follow the tip of my girlfriend's dog's tail. He was black, the trail was black but the tail tip was white.

Got in a good lesson about how trails look black in moonlight but low bush sort of shines.
 
Yes, it doesn't take minus 30 to perrish over night. Soaking wet from moisture that started as snow, then rain as we got lower on the mountain, with no chance to get off before dark and too dangerous to travel after dark. Two of us were once in that predictament. Before dark we found a shelter tree and wood to burn. Last of our clothes dry by 10:00 pm, then quite a comfortable night. Clear and cold next morning and noon when we got to the trail to our vehicle.
And Johnn, you were pretty close to where I got my caribou. I was between Union Mountain and Sentinel Mountain.
 
I have been turned around...I now carry 3 compasses. The third is to break the tie if the others have different readings...:D
 
I need to be careful, as I have been known to get turned around. Last year, I was hunting in a square section of pasture that I have hunted for the past 40 some years. I met a fellow who was in his pickup. He said he would take me to such and such a spot, and by the time I got back to my truck, it would be quitting time. This little trek took me to a different 1/4 where I hadn't hunted before. I knew I was turned around, but spotted a big old spruce tree that stands in the cemetery where my grand and great-grand parents are buried. I wasn't too far from my truck, but it was a weird experience.

I have a GPS and finally have a compass. I need to learn to use the compass regularly, so it becomes second nature.
 
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