Ever get lost? Do you carry a GPS while hunting?

Cadeuses

Cadeuses

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Last year during the late November deer hunt I learned a very important lesson.... carry a map and a compass with you whenever you go out hunting, especially in unfamiliar areas. Out here in the prairies of Alberta, many of the areas I enjoy hunting look the same as the next, with no really obvious landmarks available as a reference.

Being an experienced hunter and actively employed in the military, I confidently forged ahead to the hunt. I came across a mule deer buck and followed it for several miles in hopes of getting a shot which never presented itself. Well to my surprise, once I gave up on the chase and decided to turn back, I had totally lost all sense of direction. The sky was overcast, so I couldn't use the position of the sun to guide me back to my truck and I didn't have a map or compass with me.

I trudged around out there for about four hours searching for my truck. By now it was getting dusky and the thoughts of spending a long -10 degree night out in the prairies sent chills through me to the bone. Well by luck I found the truck about an hour after sundown.

That experience was very unsettling to me. I had never been lost before. Since then I have purchased a GPS in preparation for this years hunt. So... how about you? Ever get lost? Do you carry a GPS, map and compass? You should... I know!
 
I'm very cautious when travelling in unknown areas.

Can't suggest it for everyone but a three-prong approach works for me. I principally rely on my map and compass. I use the GPS for confirmation and the occassional waypoint entry and lastly I place flagging tape every 200 yards.

Years ago I was a lot more nonchalant and ended-up directionally handicapped for about five hours. You live you learn, last thing I want, is to become a burden to the rest of my group as well as the Ontario taxpayers...
 
"...Ever get lost?..." Nope. Not even when I've been told to. I've been misplaced a time or two, but never actually lost.
 
I use a GPS all the time now.

I have a lousy sense of direction, so I plug in my truck or camp all the time.

Mosat of the time you won't get lost if you just pay attention, which can be hard to do if you are focused on a distant animal.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a GPS and use it when parking in huge parking lots, either. :D
 
I carry a gps, but I also pack a compass.


Never needed them, when ever I have gotten lost, I simply panic. Usually after running at full speed for an hour or so and I will recognize something. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
AS you walk through the bush take a moment to stop and look back, you'll be surprised how it all comes back on your return.
 
C'mon, admit it, Cadeuses. You walked right by several homes and Pizza Huts and refused to ask for directions. :lol:
For the money, get a GPS if you're in an area you don't know. But, even better, a compass, a map, and lightweight backpack which doesn't hinder your shooting but includes a bit of food and a thermal blanket in case you don't find your truck and need to sleep in the cold.
Hey, if I was going into unknown country by myself...
It doesn't take long to get lost in the woods, and that's no joke.
T
 
Throw a blanket of fog on an area you know like the back of your hand and you will swear you are in a different part of the world.
GPS for finding direction and compass for navigating.
GPS 5% of the time....Compass 95% of the time.
 
sunray said:
"...Ever get lost?..." Nope. Not even when I've been told to. I've been misplaced a time or two, but never actually lost.
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I never get lost, someone aways tells me where to go usually with explicit directions on how to get there!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Out here in the prairies of Alberta, many of the areas I enjoy hunting look the same as the next, with no really obvious landmarks available as a reference.
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And a map helps you how? :?
 
erraticimpact said:
Best to learn navigation with a map & compass first then move to GPS. However relying on a GPS (with batteries) alone is a bad idea given you may end up miles from no where if it dies or gets lost. Plan ahead.
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You can lose a compass, as well.

And there is that new, crazy concept of carrying 'spare' batteries for your battery using gear. :D :wink:
 
walksalot said:
Gibbs505 said:
!
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Spent many years in Search and Rescue and it always amazed me how unprepared some hunters/hikers were for a survival situation.
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Haven't been part of S&R, but I have a number of very good buddies that have and are, in this area.

But I've been amazed at this as well. It takes very little to be able to survive a night out, and you could be fairly comfy if you had packed a spare fleece jacket and somethign to make a fire.

My mom and I were talkign on the phone today, and she was asking how hutning seaosn was going. One topic led to another, and I told her that I was surprised at how many hikers and hunters not only are unequipted, but are also not skilled at basic bush craft.

I was completely flabergasted when some folks were sitting in the rain, shivering, with no fire. I asked them if they were cold, and why hadnt' they started a fire.

No paper, no gas, and all the wood is wet. :roll:

Using Scout Master Jim Stout's methods of lighting a fire in the rain, I had a fire goign within half an hour, with no paper or gas. Although Jims tchnique included using only 2 wooden matches, I cheated and used a lighter.

I learned a bunch of skills when I was a kid, and they have stayed with me ever since. I used to think it was common knowledge, but now I have seen way too many people have horrible experiences or even die to think that everyone knows this simple, basic stuff.

I think it's important to know how to ight a fire with no paper in the rain, and how to construct a shelter whereever you may be. Other survival skills like makeshift fishign and snaring devices are good to know, but the fire and shelter will keep you alive.
:D
 
Yep, was out for walk in the woods, knew where we were, but had to stop, had to sleep in the bush in half garbage bag (though I'd recommend those light weight mylar body bags and or a mini tarp), and lit a nice fire under a fallen tree where the timber was nice and dry. Made up for the cold. Used a lighter as well :D :lol:
Its not survival is life. I have my compass tied to my jacket. For those paranoid types get the new compass watches and gps/radios. Redundancy is a good thing. :wink:
 
I use a GPS in places I don't know , but I learned a very important thing with it one time.

Hunting South Dakota for turkeys one time and got out to head down in this big canyon and when I was 200 yards from the Truck I remebered to Lock the system onto a wavepoint before i went. Well in the dark the GPS brought me out , but only to the "you have returned" point. Well needless to say ,I had a hell of a time finding the truck in the last 200 yards away from it in the dark....BT
 
GPS for finding direction and compass for navigating.
GPS 5% of the time....Compass 95% of the time.
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x2

Anyone who tells you that they have never been lost, speakth lies! If you are a serious outdoors person and spend lots of time with mother nature, you will get lost - its a given. I haven't got lost for hours in a long long time but it has happened. I hunt a lot of big swamps.... Have you ever stalked a deer across 8 swamps and cover 8 miles of terrain and realize all too late that: there is 1.5 hours of daylight left and while you were so absorbed with the chase at hand, you negelected to notice the storm front that has moved in? Now what took you 4-5 hours to navigate has to be done in dim light with no sun!!!!

It is scary how many hunters I have came across lost and soaked to the bone who don't realize that the "quick" hunt they took could cost them their life.

I always enter the bush prepared with at least the minimum: FIRE SOURCE, large hunting knife that can double as a hatchet, flashlight, GPS, compass, map, spare ammo, extra gloves (ever soak your hands through wet brush???) and a toque.... I always let someone know the general area that I am hunting in and the ETA of my return (this is most always off!!!!)

I love my GPS.... handy as hell (especially for dogging deer) but it is no substitute for a good quality SILVA compass. A compass is quicker for navigating in the bush between bearings from the GPS. I always take a bearing before
"heading in"....

Best to learn navigation with a map & compass first then move to GPS. However relying on a GPS (with batteries) alone is a bad idea given you may end up miles from no where if it dies or gets lost. Plan ahead.
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Very sound advise. I couldn't believe the number of experienced hunters that I have been with that can't even take a bearing or plan a "route" with a compass, map and ruler. Bahhh they say... I have been hunting this area for 40 years.... I never get lost! Oh yeah? 4 years ago a member of our hunt club (82 years old, strong as an ox, still a crack-shot who nailed a deer at 75 yards with his pop-gun 44-40, got lost.... Poor guy, has hunted since his teens but despite his great health and abilities, he has the on set of Alzheimers and he just walked left on the trail instead of right. We spent the entire afternoon searching for him (18 men) dusk approached and we were really worried and called in the OPP they just arrived near dusk (takes quite a while to get to our camp) to assess the situation before called in Search and Rescue...... Then (thank God) the old guy comes walking down the road.... funny thing is he ran into another hunter, also lost who between the both of them hit the road. He was embarrassed but insisted he wasn't lost (now he can't hunt anymore, tho he packs his gun in the trunk of his car "in case he sees some crows". Me and buddy never found him but we found a nice doe he shot way back in the swamp.... we gutted it and came back for it at night and hauled it across 3 swamps.... The old bugger fired 3 shots... all were in the neck or chest.... Not bad for a 82 year old with Alzheimers using irons at 50-75 yards!!!! :shock: I can only hope that when I am that old that I will do that well.

Moral of the story: Mother nature can be cruel - be prepared at ALL times. :idea:
 
Adrian J Hare said:
I use a GPS in places I don't know , but I learned a very important thing with it one time.

Hunting South Dakota for turkeys one time and got out to head down in this big canyon and when I was 200 yards from the Truck I remembered to Lock the system onto a wavepoint before i went. Well in the dark the GPS brought me out , but only to the "you have returned" point. Well needless to say ,I had a hell of a time finding the truck in the last 200 yards away from it in the dark....BT
Click to expand...

I'll keep that one in mind this year when I step out of the truck and venture forth. Mark the way-point when you're standing beside the truck! The GPS I bought through GPS Central in Calgary was a Garmin GPSMap 60C. With it I also bought the Topo Canada Ver 2, and Metroguide Canada Ver 4 software.

Man the detail in those topo maps are as good or better than the military maps I use at work. The Metroguide stuff will come in handy when I travel around different cities, and need to find the exact street address to my destination. Great tool!
 
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