Lost in the woods
 

Have you ever gotten lost in the woods while hunting?

I think that is one of my biggest fears. I have to have a GPS where ever I go. I know they have specific ones for the woods, but I dont have one. Would it be a good thing to invest in one of those?

RE: Lost in the woods
 

I did for about half an hour once when I was a kid....25 years or so ago. Walked in big circles for awhile until the sky cleared up. Never, ever forgot my compass since that day. I'd carrymy GPS, but I gotta enough crap to tote the way it is. Probably will soon.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Yep! When I got my drivers lic. I went out coonhunting with my (young) dog. He struck a track that took him all over creation. When I finally caught up to him I had no idea where I was. I was soaked to the bone, beat down and exhausted. I shot the coon, skinned it, made a fire, ate it up with the dog, curled up with him tucked in my jacket and went to sleep. In the morning I shot 4 squirrels ,cooked and (we) ate them. We followed a creek to a road and followed that to a road I knew and found my truck. It was quite the adventure.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Good Lord! I coon hunted for years and never had an adventure like that! I bet when you think about it now you realize how neat that was. Just you and your hound roughing it.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Oh ya a few years back .
I had purchased my 80 acre lot the year before ans was doing some hunting and scouting ,
I had my fanny pack on witch contained my compas , binoculars , scents, extra clip and more .
I was abought 150 yards in ans all ofthe sudden looked down and noticed my fanny pack had fallen off .
Wow what a grim fealing ,
Luckly there was a road close enough by so when a car went down it I new witch direction to go in .
My next plan was to climb a tall tree using its branches to see where I was .
Since then I carried 2 compasses one in the fanny pack and one clip to my coat ..Best 2
$2. I spent ......
Although I have been thinking abought getting a GPS .
Are they realy worth it ?????

RE: Lost in the woods
 

The Dark will get you. Everything starts to look the same when the sun goes down. Your eyes start to really play tricks on you. If you are hunting a vast or remote area it is best to leave yourself a foolproof way out. Reflective tacks work good on the way in and out. If your light goes out your screwed. GPS works good until your battery goes dead. Shooting an azimuth with you compass works good as well. Knowing the terrain features (draws, spurs, ridges) helps. Its good to know as many different things about the area as possible. If you do happen to get lost, don't panic. It is hard not to. Once you realize you are truly lost, fear kicks in and scrambles any rational thoughts you might have. Sometimes it is best to sit down and let the adrenillan slow and calm down before moving any further. Think about things that could help get you back; a creek that runs toward your truck, land marks that are distinguishable (large boulders, old oak trees, dead fallen trees....). Sounds, lights, anything that could be helpful. If you still remain lost. Stop where you are and spend the night Don't keep walking all night, it could potentially get you good and lost. When the sun comes up it will usually reveal that you are surprisingly close to your trail or destination.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Never.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

I never have , but another guy in my lease did.... on our lease. But he had his cell phone on him, and even though it barely held a signal, he called me and I understood enough to know he was at the lease. I got in my truck , with my phone, my GPS, and a handgun, and went after him. I found him and got him back to my truck. He was happy enough to cry. He was scared, exhausted, and hungry. He had been lost for a few hours before he ever called...... pride kept him from calling immediately.

I have been using a GPS for about 15 years now.... and I will always own and carry one. I have tried several, but I currently ownmy 2ndGarmin, I have found them to beeasy to use and more reliable in the area where I live / hunt.

Should you go ahead and get one... Yes, absolutely..... and ALWAYS carry it and an extra set of batteries.... I have had the batteries die while out, BUT I always carry extra batteries.

God Bless

MET

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Been turned around for a while but never lost. You are only lost if someone has to come out and find you.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

twice last year as a matter of fact. I have not ever before, I just got turned around on new ground. GPS's are good but you have to watch where you are. I know a guy who bought a brand new unit and when he got to the mountain it screwed up and he would have been in trouble if not for his compass.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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!

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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.;)

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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?

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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!

RE: Lost in the woods
 

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.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Been "turned around" more times than I can count, but only once would I consider myself lost.
Early in my hunting career chasing deer in un-familiar territory and without a compass... recipe for trouble or what ?!!
Ended up close enough to a highway that every time a semi went down I could just barely hear it.
Just kept listening for that next truck to keep a bearing.

Since then, I ALWAYS carry two compasses with me on every hunting trip. GPS are great tools to have, but don't rely on that as your only means of navigation.
A decent quality LED flashlight, a compass, fire starter, and a little survival knowledge will help ensure you return safely.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Well... I know who NEVER to go hunting with

RE: Lost in the woods
 

I have hunted alot of wild country but have never been as lossed as 2 years ago after returning from a trip to the bahamas I couldn't find my car in the air port parking lot .I never go any where in the woodswith out a compass .Why would I?My gps is fun but I depend on my compass.


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RE: Lost in the woods
 

Just the opposite.. hunting the Canadian Boreal forest in late November is a world away from a Southern food plot on a private ranch.
You panic up here and it can cost you your life.
In these woods, getting "turned around" is part of life for any hunter that ventures off the beaten path ... staying calm and getting back on track the sign of experience. ;)

RE: Lost in the woods
 

I would panic if I didnt know the area. Definitely. Then Id get mad for getting myself lost... I would waste so much energy

RE: Lost in the woods
 

never actually got lost but i have got stuck in the middle of the woods when a thunderstorm came up.Pouring rain and lightning all around me and i was over a mile away from my truck. I knew how to get back but I wish i had a gps so that i could cut straight through the woods instead of on the trail.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Nope,never been lost. I always was sure what state I was in. Been turned around plenty of times, but never been totally lost. If you have a compass, you are usually good to go.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Happened to me once. I left the truck figuring I would only walk in and keep the road in sight when I cut on a scrape line and some fresh track a few hundred yards later I got turned around. Wouldn't you know my compass and gps were in my daypack back in the truck, figured I wouldn't need it. I did learn my lesson, my compass and gps stay in my jacket pocket and now I always mark a waypoint when I get out of the truck even if I know the area. When I finally came to a road I knew something was up, the road I came out on was paved the one I went in on wasn't. I did find my way back to my truck after about an hour and a half. Most important thing is to stay calm and don't panic.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Got lost years ago when I was 14 while hunting with Dad. I was supposed to push through a swamp and them meet up with my uncles on the other side. I slid past the edge and went over a hill, then started downhill. I missed the meeting place and walked for 6 hours before coming out to a road. I was scared and from that time on always carried a compass. Today in addition to 2 compasses I carry a GPS loaded with topo maps.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

I've been lost in the woods plenty of times :). Always had my compass withme though. Yeah the GPS is nice but it can go on the fritz at any time.I'veseen it happen on more than oneoccasion.

The one thing that always stuck in my mind was DO NOT PANIC! Once you start to panic things can go from bad to worse in just a few minutes. Apply theSTOP method.

Stop what you are doing and sit down once you realize you are lost.
Think about your situation and how you got there. Try to recall some of your steps. This will help you to calm down and start thinking again.
Observe your surroundings. Sitting down and observing your surrounds you might hear a river or brook, or machinery noises. Or perhaps a road or cars driving.
Plan out your course of action. Most people agree that you should stay put. Gather some firewood to spend the night and try to make a shelter. Keeping your mind active is the best way to keep panic from setting in.

Good luck this year.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Getting turned around happens to everyone. Getting lost is a different story. I have never been lost, simply because of the preparation that goes into my hunts.

RE: Lost in the woods
 

Never been lost. I have always carried a map, compass, and GPS. I started with a Garmin Legend. It got the job done, but wouldn't work under tree cover and you need a compass to use it effectively. It doesn't have a built in compass, so you can't tell which direction your facing when you stop moving.

I've sinced bought a Garmin 60CSx with TOPO maps. This thing not only works under tree cover, it works in the basement of a house. It also has the built in compass.I've never had either of the GPS' go on the "Fritz" as someone else said. But with the TOPO maps loaded in the GPS, you can verify its accuracy by comparing the terrain around you to the GPS topo map.

Even while hunting alone in the Rocky Mountains, I'm confident I'll get back with ease.