IntroC

This happened when I first started bowhunting.

On one of those black moonless nights I was walking into a tree stand in some heavily wooded river botton area when I thought I was near my stand I turned on a flashlight to find it. What a mistake that was. Everything looked exactly the same. By the time I walked around in circles looking for the stand I turned the light off. By then my eyes adjusted to the light and what little night vision I had was now completely gone. Plus I had no idea what direction I was facing. I walked around for a while and decided I better wait for sun up since I had no idea where I was going. The sun can up and I was about 70 yards from my pickup. One thing I never do anymore is turn on a flash light while going to my stand in the dark.

crokit

anytime you rely solely on something that is battery operated, you can run into trouble at any given moment.

Take your time and LEARN how to orient a map w/compass, and you can't go wrong. It's not that hard, and it's worth it in the long run!

SCBigBuckHunter

Last year a buddy of mine and I were hunting a 2500 acre piece of Game Management property and got turned around in the darkness and ended up spending 2.5 extra hours getting out of those woods. We were walking parallel with the dag gum road but never knew it. Both of us had GPS's but left them in the truck with both of our phones. Very Bright. If I had been by myself I may have freaked out but having someone to talk to helped.

superstrutter

Never been lost, but got turned around a few years ago trailing a deer at dark I shot with my bow. I did find the deer, but it took me a while to get it out. I'm not worried in the least bit about getting lost on my own property or the land that I lease. It's just not going to happen unless I get Alziemers.

adirondackhunter

Same here never lost but did get turned around.I carry a good flashlite ,extra batteries.I don't trust GPS.

Hurricanespg

I have had to spend a night in the woods before. I was in an ore field on a cloudy night so I could not usemy compass or the stars. It really was not too big of a deal since I knew that if I walked approx. 3 miles in either direction I would hit a trail or a railroad. Still I carry a map, compass, and a GPS now.

Wlfdg

It was pretty fun at the time. My brothers and I were given unlimited freedom for adventure in the woods growing up. So long as we were out in the woods and not on the streets.

Dozen Arrows

It is a good fear to have. This is the first year I will be doing some hunting on my own so I just bought me a Garmin Legend. It will be a good idea to have a compass as well. Use the "bright eyes"/ bright flourecent tacks like the others suggested to mark your trail every 40 to 50 yards (stick them at eye level so when you shine your flash light you will see them) and orange tape to wrap around small trees for markers as well but try to mark them next to signifigant land marks like fallen trees and boulders and such will be even more helpful.

Do you plan on scouting that area?

minnesotaminuteman

when one gets turned around in the young aspen on a cloudy day, its not a pretty feeling! everything looks the same! in minnesota the forest is so thick on a sunny day one could get lost in those damn aspen!

little trick! moss usually growson only the north side of trees. has never let me down yet!

the outsider

30 years ago I got lost on a flat in a snowstorm. The one day I forgot my compass! It is true that you walk in circles - I crossed my own tracks. Everything looked the same. And I did know about the moss on the north side of trees, but it was a flat with young trees.

Of course I know a lot more about what to do today than I did back then.