How to stay calm in the woods!

I used to be on edge because of bears too,The early morning hikes in the dark to our moose hunting spots used to have my heart pumping,always worrying about stumbling onto a bear.This year I went on my first bear hunt and it greatly helped in calming my nerves.I took advantage of the situation and held off shooting until I had been within 30 yards of a half dozen bears.I took time to observe them,I had two bears walk straight up to me and stand up to check me out at about 10yds max.,one started climbing up the stand I was in and another small bear was harrassing us while I was tending to my kill.My adrenaline level was through the roof on the first bear I saw but by the end of the hunt I was able to remain calm even with a bear 3 ft under me on the tree.The more time you spend around critters the more comfortable you will become.
 
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Wiseguym70 said:
I am mostley worried about bears and the unknown. i come up with such odd things when i am still hunting. if i am glassing or in an open area i am totally fine and same if i am at camp. its the heavy timber that gets me one edge.
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Lots of great advice here. I might add that your fears could be abated by spending some considerable amount of time in a comfortable position in a tree stand, watching local flora and fauna from relative safety.

You'll soon learn that you are the most dangerous temporary resident in nature.

Edit: I see that I'm late recommending this plan of action.
 
I am more scared of other hunters then anything. One time we had an older man join our camp for a trip (He was the owners god father from back in old country, really set in his ways). After a few days oone of our guys walks around while hinting instead of siting in a tree stand and that night the older guy said "I was watching you walk around with the scope of my rifle"b we asked if atleast gis rufle was unloaded and he replied "no but dont worry my finger was off the trigger". He also liked to piss off the deck instead of into the tree line. He has neverhunted with us since.
 
Wiseguym70 said:
I am mostley worried about bears and the unknown. i come up with such odd things when i am still hunting. if i am glassing or in an open area i am totally fine and same if i am at camp. its the heavy timber that gets me one edge.
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As I'm reading this thread this was what I was thinking and then read your post.

As you venture out more frequently you'll over come that feeling and more so when you revisit the same place.

When we purchased our 215 acre property, mostly mixed, dense wooded/forest area with a few open areas mixed with junipers and grass it's the most amazing feeling venturing out there exploring and still is now that I'm using a atv as well to get to my starting point faster.

Was told by the previous owner about the wildlife on our property but seeing is believing. Via trail cam and eyewitness encounters I carry prepared now for my hikes. Backpack, water, some snacks, small first aid kit, smart phone with GPS/ Google map preloaded and waypoints, .44mag Mare's Leg, Boafung 2 way radio if my Wife is back at the cabin and finally big can of bear spray on my belt.

Have fun and let those butterfly feeling flutter around once in a while.
 
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Well I'll say this:

Coming onto this forum and laying out your fears for us arseholes to pick at, is a far braver feat than spending an unarmed night in the woods. Kudos to you for that.
 
elker said:
Solo hunting is an unique experience, because if you break your bone, you are done! You cannot walk back to your truck with one leg. The forest is getting darker, the wind is chilly cold,and your broken leg is hurting. You don't have much food, nor water. Your injury prevents you from getting any supply.
Then you will hate those guys who encourage you to hunt alone in this thread!
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You could bring some modern communication and some warm clothes , food,water,a flashlight,fire starter and a roll of duct tape. Being prepared is smarter then just being with another person.
Might not help if you are many days away from help but search and rescue often fly in and you'd be surprised what survival instinct will do..... People have gotten out with more then just a broken bone.
Ofcourse some people do just roll over and die.
 
When I was young, I too was a little skittish in the thick stuff, or low light. But one day, way out on a stand miles from the cabin, I'd found a comfortable blowdown to sit against and accidentally fell asleep (lack of sleep the night before). It was early afternoon when I drifted off. When I woke, it was dark and there was about an inch of snow on me. I panicked for about half a second then suddenly felt very calm. I had layed there for nearly 6 hours in a human's most vulnerable state, and nothing happened. If I can lay snoring across a log in bear/cougar/wolf country for hours and be fine, how much safer am I when I'm alert, or walking? I got up and calmly hiked back to camp in the dark.

Lastly, (and please don't take this as preachy, just something personal for me) I'm a man of faith. The hardwood pillars of the woods make a far better sanctuary than any grand cathedral in Europe. The crunching leaves and chattering critters make a sweeter sounding song than any choir ever could. For me, hunting is a spiritual experience. A time of self reflection, prayer, and meditation. Treating my alone time in the woods like this, has certainly helped my nerves find peace over the years.

KJ
 
Not preachy at all KJ.

Alone in the dark is probably the worst but a good bright light (lots of great headlight options today) and extra batteries goes a long way, I try and avoid using my light if I can but it's nice to know it's in my pocket should I hear something in the shadows.
 
Preparation is the first, last and only absolute key to safety in nature. It's also the key to your self-confidence. Make a list!

  • Survival (fire starting, flashlight, batteries, light rope, knife)
  • First aid (painkillers, compression bandages, blister care)
  • Navigation (GPS, batteries, maps, compass)
  • Communication (phone, mirror, whistle)
  • Defence (firearm, ammunition)
  • Comfort (minimal warm/rainproof clothes, food and water, bug repellent)
  • Hunting (skinning, hooks, bags, cleaning rag)
  • Optional: camping gear (stove and gas, metal cup)

Not all of that is necessarily needed, and you can add to the list. I like to carry a few feet of aluminum foil, for example: weights next to nothing and makes a nice heat and light reflector. Some people have radio and batteries. Bear spray. Small garbage bag. Gerber/Leatherman tool. You get the idea. The thing is, if your day pack isn't weighting 20 pounds at least, you've probably forgotten something you may really want in an emergency. And it's not simply for yourself: You hike in the wood and stumble on an injured hunter. Or an overturned ATV with an unconscious rider under it. What then?

You can reduce your load only if you have companions to share it with, or a camp close by where your gear is stashed. Think of crawling back to it on a busted ankle, for what "close by" means. Think of not being sure where it is anymore, too, if you get too far from it.

For the ultimate in safety, you might consider a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), though that will cost you $2-300 at least. You trigger that device, and a text message with your ID and GPS coordinates is sent by satellite to the SAR coordination centre. Sit tight and wait for the chopper with the nice men in orange jumpsuits to arrive.

What you bring with you depends only on your tolerance to risk, and it's good to push out of the comfort zone once in a while! Enjoy nature! :d
 
Only thing that has ever "concerned" me alone in the bush was stumbling onto someone's grow op. I suddenly found myself on high alert then as I made my way out of there. I wasn't armed that day as season wasn't open until the next morning and I was out scouting. I just had a freaky feeling I was being watched but that was probably all in my head. I rarely go anywhere without a firearm with me. It's comforting to know I have a survival tool of that magnitude readily available.
 
Grawfr said:
Preparation is the first, last and only absolute key to safety in nature. It's also the key to your self-confidence. Make a list!

  • Survival (fire starting, flashlight, batteries, light rope, knife)
  • First aid (painkillers, compression bandages, blister care)
  • Navigation (GPS, batteries, maps, compass)
  • Communication (phone, mirror, whistle)
  • Defence (firearm, ammunition)
  • Comfort (minimal warm/rainproof clothes, food and water, bug repellent)
  • Hunting (skinning, hooks, bags, cleaning rag)
  • Optional: camping gear (stove and gas, metal cup)

Not all of that is necessarily needed, and you can add to the list. I like to carry a few feet of aluminum foil, for example: weights next to nothing and makes a nice heat and light reflector. Some people have radio and batteries. Bear spray. Small garbage bag. Gerber/Leatherman tool. You get the idea. The thing is, if your day pack isn't weighting 20 pounds at least, you've probably forgotten something you may really want in an emergency. And it's not simply for yourself: You hike in the wood and stumble on an injured hunter. Or an overturned ATV with an unconscious rider under it. What then?

You can reduce your load only if you have companions to share it with, or a camp close by where your gear is stashed. Think of crawling back to it on a busted ankle, for what "close by" means. Think of not being sure where it is anymore, too, if you get too far from it.


For the ultimate in safety, you might consider a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), though that will cost you $2-300 at least. You trigger that device, and a text message with your ID and GPS coordinates is sent by satellite to the SAR coordination centre. Sit tight and wait for the chopper with the nice men in orange jumpsuits to arrive.

What you bring with you depends only on your tolerance to risk, and it's good to push out of the comfort zone once in a while! Enjoy nature! :d
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Fear is your friend, it will keep you alive. It sharpens your senses and heightens your awareness. The level of fear is the issue. One of the downfalls of modern society (imho of course) is that we fail to teach our children to be comfortable alone. Part of being comfortable alone means being comfortable in the knowledge that you have the necessary knowledge, skill set(s) and tools (as in Grawfr's post above) to not only survive but thrive and be comfortable alone in the bush. I fully subscribe to the 4-H motto here...Learn to Do by Doing!

It would be best to learn these things with a parent or mentor but it is not impossible to do it alone. And one important thing about learning to be alone in the bush is NOTHING can replace time spent being alone in the bush. Not books, or videos or knowledge or tools or anything else. You have to spend the time.

As a final comment...the day you are 100% comfortable in the bush, with no level of fear or concern, is the day you should probably leave the bush and not return because you are going to get hurt. The day you neglect to cut away from yourself with your belt knife is the day you get badly injured or worse. Simple things like knowing where you are placing your feet when walking can be the difference between a good day spent hunting and a survival situation where it might be your last day on earth.
Dave​
 
d4dave1 said:



Fear is your friend, it will keep you alive. It sharpens your senses and heightens your awareness. The level of fear is the issue. One of the downfalls of modern society (imho of course) is that we fail to teach our children to be comfortable alone. Part of being comfortable alone means being comfortable in the knowledge that you have the necessary knowledge, skill set(s) and tools (as in Grawfr's post above) to not only survive but thrive and be comfortable alone in the bush. I fully subscribe to the 4-H motto here...Learn to Do by Doing!

It would be best to learn these things with a parent or mentor but it is not impossible to do it alone. And one important thing about learning to be alone in the bush is NOTHING can replace time spent being alone in the bush. Not books, or videos or knowledge or tools or anything else. You have to spend the time.

As a final comment...the day you are 100% comfortable in the bush, with no level of fear or concern, is the day you should probably leave the bush and not return because you are going to get hurt. The day you neglect to cut away from yourself with your belt knife is the day you get badly injured or worse. Simple things like knowing where you are placing your feet when walking can be the difference between a good day spent hunting and a survival situation where it might be your last day on earth.
Dave​
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Yes. That bold part is absolutely true, and, it is a bit unfortunate that for many people now bush time is not easy or cheap to get.

And to the last paragraph, I just want to add that it is not "fear" that one truly needs. The care and attention (some today call it "mindfulness") that one needs in day to day living in the bush does not need "fear" to motivate and manage it. I do not think one needs to be in fear all the time. There is a state of mind necessary that is not so much fear as it is "situational awareness", so that watching where you put your feet, or doing daily tasks with the proper techniques that will be safe, is just the way you operate. Because the bush does not have any sympathy, and mistakes are never offered "do-overs". But neither does crossing the street without looking for traffic. We don't "fear" traffic, but we certainly are aware of its dangers.

One learns to deal with the bush in exactly the same way, if one spends the time. Time is the key. Fear not so much.
 
You ever take a land navigation course? Using a map and compass. Knowing where North is doesn't help much. Unless you're an elf.
Otherwise, it's experience. Even if you just go for a stroll in the bush off season, you'll get comfortable being there. Take one of those blaze orange foam filled cushions. Best nap I've ever had was sitting on one in the sun shine under a tree pretending to be hunting.
Yogi wasn't interested in you for any reason other than curiosity. He wanted to know what was causing that horrible smell.
 
Thank you guys so much! im going to go for a few walks on our property alone this weekend. maybe do some fishinf in the creeks back there! also i only hunt in stands during bow season. i think i my main problems is i just re imagine that bear everytime i go into thick timber and that was when i was 13 (18 now) so i hope to try and keep that away from my mind :) thank you guys so much
 
sunray said:
You ever take a land navigation course? Using a map and compass. Knowing where North is doesn't help much. Unless you're an elf.
Otherwise, it's experience. Even if you just go for a stroll in the bush off season, you'll get comfortable being there. Take one of those blaze orange foam filled cushions. Best nap I've ever had was sitting on one in the sun shine under a tree pretending to be hunting.
Yogi wasn't interested in you for any reason other than curiosity. He wanted to know what was causing that horrible smell.
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All a compass can tell you is which way is north......... so you think a compass "doesn't help much."??

Just makes me want to go "Hmmmmm ..........."
 
kodiakjack said:
When I was young, I too was a little skittish in the thick stuff, or low light. But one day, way out on a stand miles from the cabin, I'd found a comfortable blowdown to sit against and accidentally fell asleep (lack of sleep the night before). It was early afternoon when I drifted off. When I woke, it was dark and there was about an inch of snow on me. I panicked for about half a second then suddenly felt very calm. I had layed there for nearly 6 hours in a human's most vulnerable state, and nothing happened. If I can lay snoring across a log in bear/cougar/wolf country for hours and be fine, how much safer am I when I'm alert, or walking? I got up and calmly hiked back to camp in the dark.

Lastly, (and please don't take this as preachy, just something personal for me) I'm a man of faith. The hardwood pillars of the woods make a far better sanctuary than any grand cathedral in Europe. The crunching leaves and chattering critters make a sweeter sounding song than any choir ever could. For me, hunting is a spiritual experience. A time of self reflection, prayer, and meditation. Treating my alone time in the woods like this, has certainly helped my nerves find peace over the years.

KJ
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for me as well, the last paragraph..
 
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