I jumped ahead without reading replies because I really think this is important.I really wanted to reply.


I know a person here locally that is in a wheelchair because ofnot letting everyone know where and when he would be home.He went out to hunt after work and because his wife works a different shift,she never new he hadn't come home untill 24 hours later.He fellasleep and fell forward onto his head.He layed there for 24 hours before they found him.2 things,have a cell phone handy and always where a safety harness.


I can't step foot on the property I hunt untill I tell someone that I am there and where I will be.I always cary my cell phone.I don't get a signal in thehole I hunt but I can get a text message out.

i always leave my gps unit in my car. it has my plots of were im going and which way im going into the woods. the old lady knows how to use it and if i havent called here within a half an hour of it getting dark, she will call the farmers and they all know were my stand is as well. hell it is there property.

Great post HCH, for this reason I always have someone with me when I hunt or at least hunting near by on land and they know where I am. I've missed out on a few hunts because I didn't have anyone to go with me but I want to make sure I go home to my wife and kids. I have a wife and 2 daughters and 1 more due to arrive in about 6 weeks. Too much at stake to take the risk though I love to hunt and have had many weekends where I wanted to be in the woods and couldn't.

One thing we teach in Hunter's Ed is to always give a hunting trip plan to someone you can trust to come looking for you.
Give the location and expected time you will return and let them know what to do if you are not back by X time.

Also we recommend carrying a cellphone and survival bag on all trips as well as showing someone the area you will be hunting before the trip if possible.


That being said my wife knows where all my stands are except for 2 and my close friends know where they are at. I tell her where I'm hunting each time I leave the house and about what time I'll be back. If I've taken a deer or am held up for another reason I give her a call.

I would be out of luck. Even if I told my wife where I was going, she would have no clue where I was talking about. I suppose I should print out some maps with coordinates and lether know where I'm planning to go each time out. If the cell was functional and my gps too, unless I was seriously hurt I would normally have a way of communicating my whereabouts, but the extra precautions wouldnt hurt.

Most of the places I hunt somebody else at least knows the property,so I could give adequate directions over the phoneif need be. But as far as leaving notes, maps, or telling people where I'm going, that's part of the reason I hunt in the first place, to get 'lost' for awhile.