Hunting Alone Safely

[pruhead]

Please share your strategies for safe hunting, I love hunting alone and backpack hunting alone, the following is my strategy for safety:
Inform someone exactly where you are going and when you will return, if you don't show up on time have them look for you. keep some form of signaling device with you, (blaze orange vest is good, flashlight with strobe function) Always keep on your person in your pockets and small pack supplies and water to survive a day or two if unable to walk out. I always take an aspirin daily and keep a few on my person if there is any cardiac problems, I also have some powerful prescription pain killers from when I passed a kidney stone I keep with me in case I get mangled up somehow. I Wear good boots and watch out for rattlesnakes some of them are extremely deadly. Very Important, mark your trails with something reflective in case you have to walk out at night and keep a spare flashlight on your person as well. In my day pack I keep thermals (enough to survive a night out), windproof gloves a wool ski cap, matches, rain poncho, water, trail mix, 2-3 flashlight, some form of reflective markers, something blaze orange usually a vest. I NEVER separate myself from my pack or the items in my pockets. I learned the hard way one time, taking my pack off at night and having no reflective markers to mark it with, got lost and separated from my supplies, fortunately after a few hours I found my pack, could have ended up bad. Backpack hunting alone is an unparalleled experience but it must be done wisely.

[mattthegorby]

Very similar to me.

- Let my significant other know when I will be back and when to call the cavalry. I text her the google earth location of area before I leave.

- All the basic survival gear, ensuring that I have this in my pack when away from camp, separated from my primary shelter and sleeping bag.

- Fire starter, headlamp, foil blanket, etc... the big one is a lightweight pruning saw. I do not want to be messing around if I need to build a fire or shelter. I also sleep in a bivy bag with tarp at camp, so my improvised shelter would be something I have more-or-less built many times before.

- I carry a compass and use it when hiking through bush and just check my phone gps periodically. That way if the battery dies I am already pretty aware of my location/orientation.

- Always have some energy bars, water purification tabs, and a 3-4 days of my meds and some tylenol.

- Extra wooly socks, rain pants, gore-tex jacket, toque, mitts, and insulated layers appropriate for season. I find hunting I so not need tons of extra clothes as I am already dressed to sit for hours in the early morning/evening.

- I have a blaze rain pack cover to mark stashed camp supplies or myself. Fox-40 whistle, food bag is blaze. I have one of those tiny, little strobe bike lights.

- Carry bear spray for the day and bear bangers to use if something goes down at night. Also, got a rifle.

- Finally, I just take it easy. Slow pace, heavier boots than required, minimal scrambling around, change layers often, etc...

This list looks really big... but my pack is pretty light and compact.

[sanjuanworm]

Consider getting an inreach for peace of mind.

[Deer Hunter]

I like hunting alone. You know when the risk is getting high and you avoid it when by yourself. Having cell service is always easier. Until your standing over a dead animal. Then your getting bloody. Love it!

[Bushrat]

I hunt the same way I have for the last 45 years, jump in my truck and go, don't tell anybody, nobody to tell, don't have a gps or spot, pretty much no cell coverage most places I go. I carry a compass, fire starting provisions, some food in my pack, extra socks, cap, gloves or mits. I could be missing for weeks, nobody would know until I didn't show up for work and they would have no idea where I was........ adds to the sense of adventure.

[West O'5]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

I hunt the same way I have for the last 45 years, jump in my truck and go, don't tell anybody, nobody to tell, don't have a gps or spot, pretty much no cell coverage most places I go. I carry a compass, fire starting provisions, some food in my pack, extra socks, cap, gloves or mits. I could be missing for weeks, nobody would know until I didn't show up for work and they would have no idea where I was........ adds to the sense of adventure.

Lol...I could’ve wrote that myself,pretty much describes me to a T.
It would be a few days at least before anybody noticed I’m missing/don’t show up for work....maybe a week or more if I’m on days off?
-I often go a week or more without talking to ex or teen kids.
-I could count on one hand the number of people that know where I actually live,sorta semi-offgrid and not my “official” address

I always have a lighter cuz I smoke,nitro for my ticker,cell phone with no service as often as not,knife,compass,usual snacks&drinks for a day,and Garmin inReach GPS with expired subscription.
I’d be one of those missing persons that nobody missed,lol

[pruhead]

I learned the hard way, I have had two near bad experiences, one time as I was hiking in at night and it was black dark thirty, I couldn't see much at all. I set my backpack on the ground so I could easily bushwalk through some very thick brush over a ridge, find the way over, then come back for my pack, anyway, I got turned around, lost all my gear. It could have turned out bad if I was injured or bad weather came in, after a few hours of crawling on my stomach in brush so thick I couldn't stand up I did find the backpack. Yes, all my mistakes I agree, this is why I NEVER separate myself from the gear that would keep me alive for a day or two. I have also read experiences of other backpackers that became separated from their survival gear, not a good thing.

[weekender7]

Mentioned once already above, I always carry a whistle, like referee's use. If you are hurt and need to call out for help, you can only holler for so long till your voice will be gone. None of us that go out alone want to wind up needing help, but being prepared to attract it when needed could be the difference in it being your last trip.

[Prairiewolf]

I hunt primarily in the mountains and foothills. As such, I'm very conscious of the risk of an ankle/knee injury from a misstep or a fall.

I find I'm very deliberate in my walking when alone, and perhaps this makes me quieter.

A previous post mentions an InReach - very good advice. If you have a better half, I can say they sure do appreciate the odd text.

[Mastercaller]

Originally Posted by mattthegorby

Very similar to me.

- Let my significant other know when I will be back and when to call the cavalry. I text her the google earth location of area before I leave.

- All the basic survival gear, ensuring that I have this in my pack when away from camp, separated from my primary shelter and sleeping bag.

- Fire starter, headlamp, foil blanket, etc... the big one is a lightweight pruning saw. I do not want to be messing around if I need to build a fire or shelter. I also sleep in a bivy bag with tarp at camp, so my improvised shelter would be something I have more-or-less built many times before.

- I carry a compass and use it when hiking through bush and just check my phone gps periodically. That way if the battery dies I am already pretty aware of my location/orientation.

- Always have some energy bars, water purification tabs, and a 3-4 days of my meds and some tylenol.

- Extra wooly socks, rain pants, gore-tex jacket, toque, mitts, and insulated layers appropriate for season. I find hunting I so not need tons of extra clothes as I am already dressed to sit for hours in the early morning/evening.

- I have a blaze rain pack cover to mark stashed camp supplies or myself. Fox-40 whistle, food bag is blaze. I have one of those tiny, little strobe bike lights.

- Carry bear spray for the day and bear bangers to use if something goes down at night. Also, got a rifle.

- Finally, I just take it easy. Slow pace, heavier boots than required, minimal scrambling around, change layers often, etc...

This list looks really big... but my pack is pretty light and compact.

Great summary!!
we've added an airhorn to our arsenal as well as a whistle.
A friend found an alarm in the US where there is a trip wire you extend around your camp, when it is tripped there is a very loud alarm that goes off. I think he paid $100US for it

[smith88]

Originally Posted by pruhead

Please share your strategies for safe hunting, I love hunting alone and backpack hunting alone, the following is my strategy for safety:
Inform someone exactly where you are going and when you will return, if you don't show up on time have them look for you. keep some form of signaling device with you, (blaze orange vest is good, flashlight with strobe function) Always keep on your person in your pockets and small pack supplies and water to survive a day or two if unable to walk out. I always take an aspirin daily and keep a few on my person if there is any cardiac problems, I also have some powerful prescription pain killers from when I passed a kidney stone I keep with me in case I get mangled up somehow. I Wear good boots and watch out for rattlesnakes some of them are extremely deadly. Very Important, mark your trails with something reflective in case you have to walk out at night and keep a spare flashlight on your person as well. In my day pack I keep thermals (enough to survive a night out), windproof gloves a wool ski cap, matches, rain poncho, water, trail mix, 2-3 flashlight, some form of reflective markers, something blaze orange usually a vest. I NEVER separate myself from my pack or the items in my pockets. I learned the hard way one time, taking my pack off at night and having no reflective markers to mark it with, got lost and separated from my supplies, fortunately after a few hours I found my pack, could have ended up bad. Backpack hunting alone is an unparalleled experience but it must be done wisely.

For what it is worth, I don't think taking powerful pain meds while alone and injured would be on the recipe for a happy outcome. Disorientation, drowsiness and overexertion are things that come to mind. Not to mention the effects those drugs would have on breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.

[6.5 shooter]

Like others have said good equipment, keep it close, use your head and stay out of sticky situations......LOOK back over your trail, things have a way of looking quite different when you decide to turn around to go home.

[last minute]

Loved hunting alone until I broke my ankle worst
about 600.meter crawl back to the truck .

[Abe89]

I often get made fun of for the amount of stuff I carry in my pack, even on easy day stuff.....but if I break something I’m good for a few days. It’s a nice feeling.


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[Bushleague]

I know this isn't going to be a popular opinion, but here goes anyways... I'm good at what I do, and I go as well prepared as practical. If things go south, I'll deal with it, that's what I do. If they go really south... well, I'll just die I suppose.

[FishOutOfWater]

How do I stay safe when hunting alone ?




I bring a rifle...