Im not sure if I posted this but 10/29 I was in stand and shot a decent buck at twilight. I climbed down, went to my truck and got my spotlight and hat light. It was during the cold snap just before Halloween so I waited in my truck for 45 minutes and headed back the 600 yrds to the stand. I found the arrow with good blood, and instantly saw the blood trail. I started tracking and an hour into the tracking my spotlight started to fade. I knew the field was to my east, so i thought I was parralleling the field. When the light went dead, I turned on my hat light (LED) and went about 100 yrds and it went dead. I walked to where I thought the edge of the field was...and I was WAY off...it was a swamp. I have only seen the swamp from aerial photos and knew I was a mile and a half at least from my truck.
It was pitch dark, and the woods were full of fallen logs, fox holes, creeks, and a ton of briars I wasnt about to walk through blind. I sat down and built a fire trying to get my bearings. Wasnt happening so I decided to stay the night and wait til the sun came up. My cell had no signal so i couldnt call anyone. I slept about 2 hours by the fire, and the rest of the night listened to howls, growls, and movement in the woods.
As the sun started to rise I was on the move towards the area I thought to go. 20 minutes I ran into a Hanover Deputy and two dog handlers. They has bloodhounds tracking me, 30 friends and family that have been searching since 10 pm the night before and about a dozen law officers. They had just called the state police helicopter with FLIR but hadnt gotten off the ground when they found me at 7:15 AM.
I didnt think it would have brought these kinds of resources out, but it is nice to know. Anyone ever had to spend the night in the woods? Man was I overwhelmed with the response.
Yea, I've been lost. I was lucky enough to pick the right direction to the road and not walk in circles getting there. I have asarcastic sense of humor and it would have been funny if you asked the deputy "Whats going on? Somebody lost?" or "you guys did'nt happento come across a deer have you? I've been looking all night.". Seriously you did the right thing staying put and building a fire. Thats what I really should have done. Glad your ok.
wow...(all that fuss) you weren't lost...just taken your time. jk I got lost on public ground once squirrel hunting. I didn't even realize i was lost until i came out of the woods nowhere near where i thought i was.
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Walk Soft, Aim Steady, Always be Ready
once on a prairie on a cloudy day - I missed by about 3 miles where I was going, but general direction I had
one in a swamp on a cloudy day - the swamp was luck we got out by dark, I was seriously messed up
Wow, what a story! I hunt big woods areas a lot. I have always made it out. There were a few times I thought I might have to camp out. Like the night that I forgot my flashlight and it was one of those pitch black nights. I used my lighter to see my compass and walked very slowly with one hand out in front of me so I would'nt smack into a tree. There have been many times that my GPS would not find satalites. I always carry a compass. I like to memorize the lay of the land so I know whatever way I head I know what I should run into.
I went i at 6am to a 50 acre patch of woods in a 75acre pasture, with 100acres of corn all around it.... I tried stalking deer and scouting. then at about 9 I started to get worried about getting back intime for class. So I started trying to find my way out. well I found my way out of the woods alright but I ended up 100yards to the south of my jeep and I came out between the corn and the woods. and I walked a good mile and a half in full gear in 80degrees. and i didnt have any water and I didnt even have my smokes or dip. and so I had to walked untill I hit a road and walk that road a mile and then another mile and then another mile in a square to get back to my jeep. and that cigarette never tasted so good and water never was so wet.
Seriously, who has gotten lost, and how bad?
