I hunt about 90% by myself although with intro videoing to the mix I will have someone there more often but when I hi the big woods in the Dacks I'm solo, just the way I like it

I hunt alone all the time on public land. Been doing it forever, and until last year had no trouble.
I got lost one evening, last October, by getting turned around in a swamp thicket. I had my climber, pack and bow strapped to it. Such a heavy load, I opted to take an easier way out. Turned into a 4 hour disaster: equipment dashing, no cell service, 20 mins by car to the nearest traveled road. I scrambled through the swamp thicket for 4 hours, bruising my body head to toe, losing gear, and honestly could have died that night.

Glad you came out of it alright. I hunt private land and at first was pretty careless with my safety. I didn't communicate where I was going or when I would be home. That is until I got lost one night. I was about 2-2 1/2 miles from the road/house (friends land) on a moonless night. I was tracking a deer I had arrowed app. 2 hrs. earlier and didn't really pay attention to where the trail was leading me. Then, my headlamp went out, and I didn't have any spare batteries with me. I literally couldn't see my hand in front of my face it was so dark. Admittedly I was rattled and almost panicked. Once I settled down and got my senses, I was able to hear a train off in the distance and figure out where west was. Any way now I carry spare batteries, and extra light, cell phone, and let my wife know where I'm going and about when I should be home.

I hunt both with my friends and alone at times. During gun season though I I wear my hunter orange but I only bow hunt. Yes... even during gun season.

I was't panicked but I was putting my body through punishment. Swamp thicket, intertwined rhodedendrons, water, muck... trip, fall, land on rocks, for 30ft...hit open water, turn left 40 yards open water, turn right scramble. I had the backpack/bow, lights, but no water, food, nor wits by the third hour of madness in the swamp.

alone, but i make a point to always let 2 people, at least, know where i am

Five people hunting on 500 acres? That seems reasonable to me.

I like the idea of, "I'm always prepared to spend the night".



Great advise !!!

I can feel grateful. I'm by myself unless my son goes, which is rarely. Luckily, I hunt the area around my house and he knows where every cornpile, stand or blind is and can lead anyone to them. For the most part I only have to worry about falling out of a stand, getting snakebit or attacked by something or my biggest fear....doghunters who don't have permission to shoot on the property and shoot at anything that moves when their dogs are coming to the road. When dogs are coming, I try to move out of the woods ASAP and get to the road but I've actually had to drop my stomach and yell to keep the idiots from shooting a couple times.

I didn't know if there was only one person per vehicle nor where they were. I was not very familiar with the property due to limit scouting. If there was someone in "my" spot, I'm not sure I'd know where to go other than to turn around and walk out.