I have hunted solo for almost 5 decades and the way I did it back then and today is two different deals.The outdoors is the same,but we have better ways to survive,and not going on some 5 mile hike from your camp.
Use the best tools you need to survive when remote hunting,a good sat phone,flare gun,google maps,gps plus a good silva compass,dried food that is light and last for years,water proof lighters,no bic lighters in my pack.
I use to hunt before my accident 200 miles from anywhere and another 60 miles by boat in early fall.i went on 3 canoe trips in my life and one started in early may till September solo.I spent 2 decades logging by myself and got hurt bad twice.I was logging at the age of 15 and had an appendix attack 75 miles from town,i walked all night till a logging truck picked me up and it burst sometime that day and if that truck never came along I was history,so the tuff role doesn't cut it when the unexpected gets you.
I went looking for a lost hunter and found him on the second day and had to go cross country in the opposite direction to save 15 miles of walking,buy the time I hit the other side I had put on 45 miles in 72 hours,no sleep just keep movin and rested in the dark by a fire,he was in shock so bad I thought he was going to die on me.New hunter who made a very bad move.I found him just by luck,10 years later someone killed him and his whole family,never new why.
I was playing cards in Winnipeg when the pit boss brought me a note to call home,all my wife said was Daves truck was found and you know the area well,his wife was pregnant and I called her and said don't worry I will find him.
The police had found his truck,but it snowed bad,so I got all my solo hunting gear along with my single 20 guage and tried to find some trail on which way he went,there was a large river to the west so I figured he may have got turned around in the snow so I flowed the river and just before dark I found a place a fire had been made maybe 20 hours before.
I spent that night right there and had good sleep and came to a place called chase lake a lake was on 20 years before and knew where the cabin was and walked about 5 miles and seen a bit smoke coming out of it and there was Dave,i called in a flight and in one hour back in town we were.He was all mixed up from being lost,it took him some time to even figure out it was me.
I was very afraid on the lake going to that cabin because i had no clue on how thick the ice was or with fresh snow large air holes can screw you up,i went through the ice 3 times years before twice just off shore alone and once as I stepped of a bush plane into a large air hole fully dressed and my brother grabbed my parka hoddie on pulled me out,i was going down fast a he just reached out and saved my hide.Had a door rip off a beaver bush plane and the pilot made a safe landing ,but scared the daylights out of me.
So the good parts of hunting solo or being in the outdoors solo is just being out in nature and enjoying it as much as you can,your only lonely if you think your lonely,and to me the most lonely place is walking into some mall or walking down some large city street with no one giving rats arrs on who you are.Plus your ten times more safe in the bush then any city.
I guess I am talking about this because I miss it a lot.I was at gas station and some logger was getting gas and as he walked by me the smell of pine and spruce saw dust was on his clothing and it was the best smell in my life,i forgot that smell and it made me realize how bad I need to get over this accident and go live the life I was meant to live.
Once it's in your blood it's there for ever so prepare and spend a few extra bucks on things that will make you more secure in your quest to be solo hunter.
Us older guys decade after decade solo hunting it's just a way of living,but for a knew solo hunter take the time to make sure you get home safe without being worried about your safety.Make a list and check it twice and you don't need a 50 pound pack.
Our creator has other plans for us after this life we live till we move on to another place,so if your lost or hurt out hunting solo never get scared and stay calm because either you make it or start a whole new life that a waits you and that choice is not yours to make.
The best adventures are the ones that make you stronger and solo hunting can bring out the best to test you out,Just look at Ernest Shackleton and how he never gave up under odds that defy and logic on human survival,so a few days of walking around in the outdoors is a cake walk as long as you think your ready and trust yourself 100 percent.Do short trips.learn your compass and don't bet your life on a gps,there great if there working,but any tech toy can fiss out.
Best of luck to all.
JD
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