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Old 02-10-2019, 06:25 AM
pruhead pruhead is offline
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Default Hunting Alone Safely

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.
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Old 02-10-2019, 08:28 AM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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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.
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Old 02-10-2019, 08:32 AM
sanjuanworm sanjuanworm is offline
 
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Consider getting an inreach for peace of mind.
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Old 02-10-2019, 08:33 AM
Deer Hunter Deer Hunter is offline
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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!
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:17 AM
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Bushrat Bushrat is offline
 
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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.
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:21 AM
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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.
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:41 AM
West O'5 West O'5 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bushrat View Post
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
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:59 AM
pruhead pruhead is offline
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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.
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Old 02-10-2019, 10:02 AM
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weekender7 weekender7 is online now
 
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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.
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Old 02-10-2019, 10:41 AM
Big Grey Wolf Big Grey Wolf is offline
 
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Default hunting alone

A good pack with most essentials already mentioned is important. However even when you hunt with your buddies you are always "alone" if you are good experienced hunter. When you walk off the cutline and start tracking elk/moose you can be 10 miles from nearest hunter and they have no idea where you are, just general possible areas.
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Old 02-10-2019, 03:34 PM
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Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
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I solo hunted for most of my hunts thru the years and like mentioned watching where and how you walk is important. I don't risk running logs or jumping creeks. I am extremely careful around beaver worked areas. There are all sorts of little sapling stumps that are perfect trippers and stickers if you fall. Wearing good boots with good ankle support can prevent a sprained ankle. Even spraining an ankle while walking thru a familiar 1/4 section at dusk can turn into an ordeal. You don't have to be way out in the outback.

When I was young I used to bushwhack on foot 5 or more miles from camp hunting the foothills and boreal forest. I realized it is smarter to get to know a smaller area. Randomly walking cutlines and/or watching cut blocks for the kill is nice but not really as rewarding as getting in the bush and knowing how the animals use the immediate area. I also learned young that it is not wise to hunt big animals alone on foot and shoot one a mile or more from where the vehicle is. Took me two days and 9 trips to pack out a moose about 2 miles.

My tips:
-Use forethought lots.

-When I used to go bushwhacking into unknown areas I would carry a spool of Jetline string in my pack too. It was almost like dental floss but had a very high tensile breaking strength. The Small and lightweight. 2000 feet and 100 lb. breaking strength in a small 2"x5" 'spool'. The string fed out of the inside of the spool. Not sure where to get such string now. I used to carry a spool of string and if I was breaking trail through the unknown bush or if I had to track a shot animal off the trail I would let out the string to the animal and then be able to follow the string back to the trail. Handy when hunting last light. I'd just retrieve the string after. I would put a few lengths of string out in certain places just for a reference points too. Nowadays there is orange fishing line. Carry a 300 yard spool of 30 to 50 lb fishing line. Useful in a few ways. Spiderwire or any kind of orange colored braided fishing line.

-When I used to hunt specific back country areas, on pre season scouting trips I would carry in sealed 5 gallon pails with a variety of goods and stash the pails so come hunting season I can pack lighter during the hunt and have a good supply of goods waiting for me. A couple scouting trips and 2 to 4 pails stashed in the area is comforting.

-Hunting alone on foot alone watch your back track. Cougars like to stalk from behind. Might be a good idea to wear a mask with a face on the back of your head when you are sitting or walking. If the cat thinks you are looking at them they might not pounce. I once stared down a big cougar that had snuck into 20 feet behind me. At least I think I did. It got up from the pounce position and walked back into the bush.

-If you wear glasses when in the wilderness it is imperative that you have a neck sting attached to the glasses in case you do fall and the glasses want to go flying. Carry an extra pair in your pack.

And sometimes the inevitable does happen. Like this 1924 find.
http://sportingclassicsdaily.com/moo...iTzsUz5KZ-FRPE
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This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
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It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets

Last edited by Red Bullets; 02-10-2019 at 03:48 PM.
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Old 02-10-2019, 04:07 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
I solo hunted for most of my hunts thru the years and like mentioned watching where and how you walk is important. I don't risk running logs or jumping creeks. I am extremely careful around beaver worked areas. There are all sorts of little sapling stumps that are perfect trippers and stickers if you fall. Wearing good boots with good ankle support can prevent a sprained ankle. Even spraining an ankle while walking thru a familiar 1/4 section at dusk can turn into an ordeal. You don't have to be way out in the outback.

When I was young I used to bushwhack on foot 5 or more miles from camp hunting the foothills and boreal forest. I realized it is smarter to get to know a smaller area. Randomly walking cutlines and/or watching cut blocks for the kill is nice but not really as rewarding as getting in the bush and knowing how the animals use the immediate area. I also learned young that it is not wise to hunt big animals alone on foot and shoot one a mile or more from where the vehicle is. Took me two days and 9 trips to pack out a moose about 2 miles.

My tips:
-Use forethought lots.

-When I used to go bushwhacking into unknown areas I would carry a spool of Jetline string in my pack too. It was almost like dental floss but had a very high tensile breaking strength. The Small and lightweight. 2000 feet and 100 lb. breaking strength in a small 2"x5" 'spool'. The string fed out of the inside of the spool. Not sure where to get such string now. I used to carry a spool of string and if I was breaking trail through the unknown bush or if I had to track a shot animal off the trail I would let out the string to the animal and then be able to follow the string back to the trail. Handy when hunting last light. I'd just retrieve the string after. I would put a few lengths of string out in certain places just for a reference points too. Nowadays there is orange fishing line. Carry a 300 yard spool of 30 to 50 lb fishing line. Useful in a few ways. Spiderwire or any kind of orange colored braided fishing line.

-When I used to hunt specific back country areas, on pre season scouting trips I would carry in sealed 5 gallon pails with a variety of goods and stash the pails so come hunting season I can pack lighter during the hunt and have a good supply of goods waiting for me. A couple scouting trips and 2 to 4 pails stashed in the area is comforting.

-Hunting alone on foot alone watch your back track. Cougars like to stalk from behind. Might be a good idea to wear a mask with a face on the back of your head when you are sitting or walking. If the cat thinks you are looking at them they might not pounce. I once stared down a big cougar that had snuck into 20 feet behind me. At least I think I did. It got up from the pounce position and walked back into the bush.

-If you wear glasses when in the wilderness it is imperative that you have a neck sting attached to the glasses in case you do fall and the glasses want to go flying. Carry an extra pair in your pack.

And sometimes the inevitable does happen. Like this 1924 find.
http://sportingclassicsdaily.com/moo...iTzsUz5KZ-FRPE
That line is a great idea. Even to string out from camp in the bush so you have a large handrail to hit.
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Old 02-10-2019, 04:59 PM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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I learned to hunt old school, A rifle, a few matches or a lighter, a light lunch, a knife the proper clothes and go.

I have never made a point of telling anyone where I'm going, unless they ask, and I never ever say when I'll return.

I've spent months on the trapline, no phone, no one expecting me back at any particular time. Just me and my work.

I drive my wife nuts, she carries two pair of shoes to go shopping, one pair for outside, one for inside. She would have me pack a months supplies and at least ten changes of clothes, for a one afternoon hunt, if I'd let her decide what to take.

Safety is a way of being, not something one carries.

I've learned to be patient. I think impatience gets more people in trouble in the bush then anything else.

Someone mentioned trying to find their way in the dark. When I can't make it home, or back to camp before dark, I make camp. Really just a fire, that's what the matches are for.

It's not all that bad to spend a night sitting beside a fire, better then stumbling around in the dark.

I guess that's the thing. With today's instant this and instant that, with a phone in our pockets and a four lane highway in front of us we panic when we can't be where we want to be when we thought we could be there.

No one has any patience anymore. We have to have a plan, and with that we have to meet our own expectations.

My expectation is, I'll get home eventually. And I won't die if it takes a bit longer then I thought it would. So, no hurry, enjoy, no need to take chances. No need to break the law, court law or natures law.
Breaking either can get a fellow in a lot of trouble.
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Old 02-10-2019, 05:09 PM
HIGHLANDER HUNTING HIGHLANDER HUNTING is offline
 
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Originally Posted by KegRiver View Post
I learned to hunt old school, A rifle, a few matches or a lighter, a light lunch, a knife the proper clothes and go.

I have never made a point of telling anyone where I'm going, unless they ask, and I never ever say when I'll return.

I've spent months on the trapline, no phone, no one expecting me back at any particular time. Just me and my work.

I drive my wife nuts, she carries two pair of shoes to go shopping, one pair for outside, one for inside. She would have me pack a months supplies and at least ten changes of clothes, for a one afternoon hunt, if I'd let her decide what to take.

Safety is a way of being, not something one carries.

I've learned to be patient. I think impatience gets more people in trouble in the bush then anything else.

Someone mentioned trying to find their way in the dark. When I can't make it home, or back to camp before dark, I make camp. Really just a fire, that's what the matches are for.

It's not all that bad to spend a night sitting beside a fire, better then stumbling around in the dark.

I guess that's the thing. With today's instant this and instant that, with a phone in our pockets and a four lane highway in front of us we panic when we can't be where we want to be when we thought we could be there.

No one has any patience anymore. We have to have a plan, and with that we have to meet our own expectations.

My expectation is, I'll get home eventually. And I won't die if it takes a bit longer then I thought it would. So, no hurry, enjoy, no need to take chances. No need to break the law, court law or natures law.
Breaking either can get a fellow in a lot of trouble.
Very well said. Safety is a way of being, not something one carries.
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Old 02-10-2019, 05:18 PM
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catnthehat catnthehat is online now
 
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When I was younger I would spend upwards to two months alone in the bush on
The trap line .
I thought nothing of taking off at night on s hunting trip downriver , or bushwhacked trails alone for days .
This was before cell phones , and I rarely told anyone where I was going or when I was going to return .
I kept prepared , and knew how to reduce risks and take care of stuff when it
“ hit the fan”
However Since I got married and had children, I now carry a cell phone , and let my wife know when and where I am going , and I always let her know when I get off the river at night of when I get to my destination - fir her peace of mind .
She worries about me , and I’m okay with that .
I still prefer to hunt big game alone however ,
Cat
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Old 02-10-2019, 06:27 PM
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Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver View Post
Safety is a way of being, not something one carries.

I've learned to be patient. I think impatience gets more people in trouble in the bush then anything else.

It's not all that bad to spend a night sitting beside a fire, better then stumbling around in the dark.

No one has any patience anymore. We have to have a plan, and with that we have to meet our own expectations.

In nature nothing is rushed yet everything is accomplished.

Going on the land with no schedule, no cell phone and no strings attached is the best feeling of freedom in the world.

I remember spending more than one night in the bush alone and not even having a campfire or tent. That has a very primal feeling to it. It is sort of magical the first time because scurrying mice became ravenous grizzlies in the dark.
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This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
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It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
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Old 02-10-2019, 07:40 PM
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Flatlandliver Flatlandliver is offline
 
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I just watch a couple of seasons of survivorman before hunting season and I’m good to go

But seriously, I much prefer hunting alone. It’s hard to describe how empowering and rejuvenating it is. That and I’m finally with someone who will listen to me. What has changed in recent years is letting someone know where I am and when I’ll be overdue. I don’t want anyone stressing over me and, God forbid, I don’t want any extra risk taken by anyone who will come looking.
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:16 PM
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Puma Puma is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by weekender7 View Post
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.
So your the guy that's always blowing his whistle three times !?!

Well cut it out ! Your scaring the animals away !

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Old 02-10-2019, 09:24 PM
Brbpuppy Brbpuppy is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver View Post
I learned to hunt old school, A rifle, a few matches or a lighter, a light lunch, a knife the proper clothes and go.

I have never made a point of telling anyone where I'm going, unless they ask, and I never ever say when I'll return.

I've spent months on the trapline, no phone, no one expecting me back at any particular time. Just me and my work.

I drive my wife nuts, she carries two pair of shoes to go shopping, one pair for outside, one for inside. She would have me pack a months supplies and at least ten changes of clothes, for a one afternoon hunt, if I'd let her decide what to take.

Safety is a way of being, not something one carries.

I've learned to be patient. I think impatience gets more people in trouble in the bush then anything else.

Someone mentioned trying to find their way in the dark. When I can't make it home, or back to camp before dark, I make camp. Really just a fire, that's what the matches are for.

It's not all that bad to spend a night sitting beside a fire, better then stumbling around in the dark.

I guess that's the thing. With today's instant this and instant that, with a phone in our pockets and a four lane highway in front of us we panic when we can't be where we want to be when we thought we could be there.

No one has any patience anymore. We have to have a plan, and with that we have to meet our own expectations.

My expectation is, I'll get home eventually. And I won't die if it takes a bit longer then I thought it would. So, no hurry, enjoy, no need to take chances. No need to break the law, court law or natures law.
Breaking either can get a fellow in a lot of trouble.


Good stuff


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Old 02-11-2019, 02:14 AM
JD848 JD848 is offline
 
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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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  #21  
Old 02-11-2019, 05:45 AM
Gary Gary is offline
 
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Early 1990s, hunting pheasants in the Brooks area on a large piece of land that I had access to. The farmer and I used to go to school together and he knew my vehicle so said there was no need to contact him, just go in anytime and park behind some bush on the property. The area was as remote as you can get in the EID. On this particular day, I had 2 friends and their dogs hunting with me. I stepped into a badger hole that was hidden by weeds. My heel went down, toes were bent up and I was locked in place. I could not get my foot out, nor could I reach down to try and dig the frozen ground away. I often hunted this area by myself. After my friends dug me out of the frozen ground, we had a discussion about the ramifications of being out there alone. It was about 4 degrees C during the day and my clothing was suitable for the daytime, but nighttime temperatures were in the -5 to -10 C. I dread to think of the outcome if I hadn't had friends with me.
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Old 02-11-2019, 08:02 AM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
In nature nothing is rushed yet everything is accomplished.

Going on the land with no schedule, no cell phone and no strings attached is the best feeling of freedom in the world.

I remember spending more than one night in the bush alone and not even having a campfire or tent. That has a very primal feeling to it. It is sort of magical the first time because scurrying mice became ravenous grizzlies in the dark.





ROFL I know what you mean!

And Squirrels sound like a herd of stampeding Eliphunks.

Ain't it incredible how a half ton Moose with a half a sheet of plywood sized antlers can sip through willow thicket with almost no noise while a squirrel or a mouse can drown out the sound of a distant train.
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Old 02-11-2019, 08:44 AM
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Originally Posted by pruhead View Post
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.
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Old 02-11-2019, 11:17 AM
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6.5 shooter 6.5 shooter is offline
 
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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.
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Old 02-11-2019, 01:06 PM
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Sashi Sashi is offline
 
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"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."

Awesome statement. JD
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Old 02-11-2019, 01:08 PM
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Loved hunting alone until I broke my ankle worst
about 600.meter crawl back to the truck .
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Old 02-11-2019, 02:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sashi View Post
"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."

Awesome statement. JD
You mean, beyond Coyote and Raven food ?

Grizz
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Old 02-12-2019, 05:42 AM
Mb-MBR Mb-MBR is offline
 
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Have hunted alone a few times but I look at hunting as a social activity and not just the act of hunting. I find hunting in itself very spiritual, I've had very few hunting buddies, hunted with my BIL till he passed and my current hunting buddy for 36 years and my has joined us the last 7 years...…..I've spent nights alone out in the woods, especially when bow hunting elk. If we've chased a herd bull and his harem till night fall, I've chosen to bed down with them just to keep them within range, plus the sound of a bull bugling through the night is mystical...…..

I'm one of those guys that lives by the motto, "plan for the best but prepare for the worst" and contents of my backpack pretty much shows it. Although the hunt for elk during archery season are usually for the day, I have enough stuff in my pack for that "just in case situation". There is no way I'm packing an elk out anyway so I carry what I need or may need...…..

I've spent many nights out in the woods some by choice and some not. And yes amazing how a darn mice or two can make more noise then a bull elk charging in to ward off another bull; or a bear woof sound so darn loud from 20 feet; or the bellar of a moose feel like an earthquake...…...
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Old 02-21-2019, 03:57 PM
cdnrokon cdnrokon is offline
 
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Default hunting alone

as we get older I do not hunt alone much.. but when i do i will always take the basics in my pack ,one new thing maybe a old idea is go to the dollar store and buy clothes pegs , spray paint them high vis orange and put a glow in the dark tack on them. Use them as trail markers and retrieve them on your way out.
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Old 02-22-2019, 12:12 PM
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As said before, prepare for the best but plan for the worst.
Whenever I am out hunting alone, I always let someone else know where exactly I will be and when to expect me back.

Additionally, my pack always has a full survival kit, this includes items to survive a night or two. So, fire lighting and wood processing means (good knife or folding saw), some kind of light tarp for shelter, water, snacks, maybe an extra layer of clothing or socks (depending on time of season and weather), compass and GPS, map of area, whistle, first aid kit, flashlight or headlamp, cordage, flagging tape. Those are just the basics and more items may need to be added depending on what and where...
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