Solo and safety

Rocky7

Rocky7

CGN frequent flyer
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Location
Central Alberta
For one reason or another, it seems a lot of us hunt alone as is clear in the existing thread on that topic. I thought it might be useful to share what we do and do not do in that regard to stay safer. I said stay safer, not stay safe. If we wanted to stay safe, we’d stay at home.

I have hunted alone for years after losing partners due to accidents or health problems. I am a senior now and will continue to hunt until my legs won’t move and/or I cannot dress an animal. At first, I never gave safety much thought; I grew up in the bush and know my way around. My wife asked years ago how she’d find me if I didn’t come back. I told her to come across the **** River and look for ravens……..that’s where I’d be. She didn’t think that was funny.

So, after some thought I bought a satellite device so I could check in and call for help if needed. And it would make it easier to find me. :) It gave her some peace of mind when I checked in from a remote location and I figured that’s worth the cost. Ironically, I came to appreciate it as well:

There was the time I put my quad over on its back at the top of a steep and suddenly rutted mountain trail (which, incidentally, permanently fixed my achey back when 700 lbs came over on top of me). And a few years ago I stepped in a deep den of some sort in high grass and thankfully knew enough to immediately throw myself backwards and fall on my back (knees don’t bend the other way). Why do I mention those things? Sht happens is why. I don’t know if hunting with a partner would make any difference in those cases or if some other unexpected happens as I tend to walk or sit by myself anyway and my partner wouldn’t know something was amiss until I didn’t come back to camp. Still, there is some additional risk to solo hunting and satellite equipment is not as expensive as iit once was. Had a sat phone for some years, now I carry a Garmin InReach Mini 2, which I like a lot. It is small, suscription service can be suspended when I’m not hunting and it sends/receives text message from damn near anywhere.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and stuff you’ve tried and things you do.

Happy Trails,
 
Hmmmm, pretty much the same here, inreach, tell people(wife, daughter) where I am heading and how many days out!
I also carry the usual, axe, saw, first aid, bear spray, my rifle or rifles, enough food for my stay plus one day. Maps and compass.
Usually travel by canoe so PFD spare paddles etc.
Stay of the water when it’s real rough!
That’s it I think…
 
I generally do the same, tell the wife where I’m going and keep her updated if I change locations. Give her a reasonable idea of when I plan on arriving back home, I have a way to stay in touch if there’s no cell service. Either by handheld radio or sat comms.

While I’m out in the bush I have a first aid kit on my person, enough ammo to signal with. I think the most important thing is to keep mindful of what you’re doing or your surroundings, situational awareness goes along way.

I work in remote settings and we do the same while working, a lot of the time if we had to evac someone it’s likely with a heli. Taking the time to be careful and mindful while working reduces the risk a lot.
 
I mentioned in the other thread about making maps printed off google earth and from other sources. I highlight trails and routes and locations and then get them laminated. I have topo maps for some areas as well. I also do a fair bit of fishing in the ocean when the opportunities arise and keep laminated charts of my favorite fishing areas too.
Besides that , on my laptop in google earth , all my destinations and points of interest are marked with a pin. If I were to fail to check in at home , the areas are all clearly marked for any searches to have a starting point of reference.
Then the Inreach Garmin unit and the yearly subscription because I live rural and use the back country year round. Winter season I could be ice fishing or hunting wolves and cell service 1/2 hour from town becomes non existant quick. I only get one bar on my telus network from home on a decent day I might see 2 LOL
I always check in with the wife at predetermined times. Like if I say I'm going for 5 days but might stretch it to 10.... she will be hearing from me on day 5 regardless.
Same thing when I go ice fishing.... she will get a text when i am off the ice and ready to head home.
Hunting, I have my gear belt that is on me from the time i get dressed for the day till I go to bed. It's low profile makes it barely noticeable and with suspenders it is super comfortable to wear over my base layers but under my jacket. On the belt are a compass pouch that also hold a small number of batteries for my range finder , GPS and my flash lights. An ammo wallet that holds 7 rounds of 7mm rem mag or more of smaller cartridges. My main field dressing knife, rangefinder pouch, gps pouch and a thin pouch that holds a flashlight and flint/striker.
My day pack has a life straw , first aid kit that includes trauma kits with touniquets, ointments , T3's and Tramidol.
I also carry a ziploc with an instant oatmeal pouch, a instant chicken noodle soup pouch, a bit of instant coffee, some chocolate and nutrigrain bars. I might slip some smoked salmon or a jar of canned kokanee in the pack for the day too.
In the pack is a 50ft roll of 3/8 paracord, roll of butchers string, multi tool, spare lighters, knife sharpener, another flashlight and more batteries. Gerber hand saw, caping knife, a few garbage bags, a foil type emergency blanket, a thin orange 12x12 emergency tarp, toilet paper, plastic whistle . home made firestarter sticks (granpa's beard, pine pitch rolled inside birch bark) and 2 emergency candles
Usually have the above items as staples in the pack and I will add my daily lunch, water, ect.
With my gear belt and my pack , and preparations at home, I like to think I could survive in a worst cased scenario by staying put and building a big fire. The wife will know the area I am in and the main locations I will be wandering to and from so staying put until found would be the plan.
 
I usually text my wife a photo of truck, plate, and trailer/sxs and plates, just so she stays current and needs to send info if required. Gives her pc of mind if #### hits the fan and a search party is required.

I also carry a zoleo. Great to stay in touch, have a one touch "sos" button, and they also work great for hunting buddies in the area for help in retrieving game.

For quick day trips I also print off a quick map of the areas I intend to be in and post on fridge.

Goes without saying all the standard other safety stuff we carry, just in case.
 
I've got a whatsapp group chat with the guys I hunt with. If I'm going out solo always send a message detailing where I'm going and when to send help if they don't hear from me.

My wife is useless with directions, so she knows when I should be home and a rough idea of where I am going, but not the details as they're meaningless to her. Shes good friends with one of the guys I hunt with and knows the rest of the group, so if she needs information she knows she can call them.

I've been considering a satellite messenger of some sort, but at this point I'm just waiting for Samsung to introduce sat messaging on their phones. The tech is already in the phone, they just need to activate it like Apple has recently done.
 
My wife hunts from the couch and I head out a couple of miles or so. She knows where all my stands are (with gps coordinates) or where I will be walking and we text back and forth all day.
 
No cell service where I hunt. I buy local RM property maps and circle in pencil where I will be and leave it with the wife.

If I am not home by 2300 or heard from, send help.
 
Good stuff. I've been carrying Israeli combat bandage in my first aid kit. Saw a guy stab his leg one time when he put his foot up on a stump and the hunting knife on his belt (which had worked its way too far forward), went through the bottom of the sheath and into his thigh. Didn't hit a vein but it was bloody. I'm thinking about switching to something simpler and bought a couple tourniquets that are a small package.

There are more and more grizzlies on the Eastern Slopes so I have started putting out a couple game cams near camp. There was a large chocolate coloured boar grizzly caught on cam about 100 yds from my tent in broad daylight headed my way a couple years ago. I never saw him but that footage and the fresh #### I was seeing farther away convinced me to move camp. He knew where my camp was, no doubt about that and he was obviously not concerned. If I had to shoot that bear (not likely but possible), there'd likely be no end of stupid questions from some Woke fish cop and he'd want to seize my custom rifle. I figured better to move.

I like the ziplock idea, 45ACPKING. That would go nice with a couple tins of sardines that I do carry. I have never been lost but I have come out on a road or trail some ways from where I thought I would come out. There's always a first time. Also the pain killer...never thought of that.

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I use and carry a Zoleo. I always let my wife know where I'll be and when I travel to hunt, I make sure she has contact info for people who know my spots. When I hunt outside of Province or country, I'll "check-in" with my Zoleo so my contacts get my GPS location.
 
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