Ever been lost?

[Bill Hall]

Never been lost, but one time I got caught in a fog that wouldn't let me find my jeep, or even the road. Visibilty was less than 40 feet, something very rare for my state, and I didn't know how to deal with it. Even though I was never more than 200 yards from the road, I just couldn't find it. I walked into a fence that I was familiar with, and knew the road was straight west of there, so figured I could find it no problem. The road should have been at the bottom of a hill. I found the hill, but no road. As I found out later, I had somehow turned east and was at the opposite hill, but couldn't know that at the time. I wandered around for a while until I came to a fence. I followed the fence until I came to a boot track in the mud. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me" I says, it was my track from about an hour earlier. I didn't even realize I had turned the slightest from my path, but I had made a complete circle. From there I pointed my rifle straight where the road should be and just tried to follow where the gun was pointed. I must have looked like Elmer Fudd sneaking behind his wabbit gun. I was almost standing in the road before I finally saw it.

All in all, I was only lost (not really lost, just blind) for about two hours. But it's an awfully weird feeling when you have no idea where you are, or which way to go. Feels like you're going to be there forever.

Quite a learning experience. Made me realize just how much I rely on the sun and landmarks to keep my bearings. Never gave it a second thought before that. Bill

 

[Zip]

Another preseason scouting trip a buddy and I hiked to a hilltop where we planned to bivy overnight to be in place for the Sat. opener. The Fri. before season opens we truck up to the area and snow's wheel rim deep and coming down. We don our packs and hike, in places up to our knees.

We get to our spot and start digging with our rifle buttstocks to clear a place for our tent and find out we're on top of the manzanita bushes. It's cold and the snow's coming down harder. We look at each other and say "fergit about it" and decide discretion really is the better part of valor. "Let's head back to the trucks." "OK."

Doug takes off hiking in the opposite direction I'm heading. We had contoured the hill, but he hadn't noticed. "It's this way," I says and off we go. Soon we cut an old barbed wire fence we found on the way up and follow it back down to the trucks. A check of the map shows nothing but lots more forest the way he was about to go.

He said I coughed and hacked all night in the truck's camper. He was parked and sleeping in his own truck camper next to me. I noticed when I get cold I cough some. But, at least, I was on a bed of sofa cushions, under my sleeping bag and out of all that blasted snow. When we got up the next morning the drifts were hub deep. We didn't see any deer and had to four-wheel out before the axles started dragging. Not lost, just a "lost" weekend.

 

[jethro224]

Just a couple weeks ago I was out squirrel hunting on State forest land. I was following a marked trail that runs in a 1.75 circle, just moseying along watching the treetops. When I saw a squirrel I'd get off the trail and sneak in close enough for a shot.
The 3rd squirrel was about 50 yards off the trail way up high in an oak tree. I sneaked over there, keeping a close eye on the squirrel, and shot him. Then I started back out toward the trail at a angle that would take me thru less thick underbrush.
Peering ahead thru the trees I could see the trail so I adjusted my direction of travel slightly and got back out in the clear.
1/4 mile later... :hmm: I don't remember there being a hill on this trail... :idunno:
1/2 mile later... :hmm: I don't remember the sand being so deep on this trail... :idunno:
A couple hundred yards farther... I know there wasn't a field along the side of this trail!
I wasn't lost but I was on the wrong dang trail and had to backtrack to where I shot that last squirrel. 2 trails loop within 15-20 yards of each other right there and apparently I had crossed the second trail while my eye was on the squirrel without my noticing. On the way out of the brush I just assumed the first trail I came to was the one I had been on and took it. Ended up walking twice as far as I had planned.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Up where I hunt there are "glacial ponds". The glaciers just moved dirt and rock around and formed little hills running in every direction. You'd have to see it to understand. Anyway, I was in those little ponds when fog rolled in so thick that I think Bill must have sent it my way. You couldn't see the tops of the little hills, and they're only about 30 feet high. There was no snow on the ground, and it's a lot like bogs, so you don't really leave any footprints. Lots of moss and pine needles, but no dirt showing through. I spent most of the day in there, an area about 2 1/2 miles square, before I finally saw the sun so I could get my bearings.

 

[Zip]

If I remember to put it on I try to carry one of these: http://www.rei.com/product/408083/suunto-m-9-wrist-compass.

Even helped me out in Hong Kong with the family. We had gotten into a warren of streets and side alleys sightseeing and all. All I knew after awhile is that we were east of the main road that led to our hotel. When my wife and daughters were done shopping, I rotated around until "W" was under the red arrow and started walking. In no time at all, we were back on track and headed home. Seeing how a lot of the folks didn't speak English well, I think the little thing served quite well. :thumbsup:

 

[Bill Hall]

Or just maybe you sent that fog my way. :hmm: I wonder who had it first. :rotf: Bill

 

[hoochiepapa]

Well, you probably got it from me, that incident was a long time ago. Mid '80's.

 

[deseeb2001]

I've been lucky so far, never been lost and when I got turned around I had somebody with me that still had his bearings.

Years ago, my uncle got royally lost one time up elk hunting. Wandered back into a particularly nasty canyon and got turned around right before nightfall with temperatures already well below zero. Eventually fired off a whole box of 30-06 rounds, but because of him being in a bowl and the deep snow my dad & grandpa only heard the very last one, and barely. When they finally found him, he was near hypothermic and attempting to try and light the whole forest on fire in a last-ditch attempt to get somebody's attention before he froze to death.

paulvallandigham, I know I for one would be interested in learning some more about your tracking strategies :hatsoff:

 

[BrownBear]

Up here the sun circles you in summer and fall. Better know what time it is if you hope to get a clue. That is, if you can see the sun. Fog or storm clouds can settle in for days on end. And the tundra in many areas can be so vast you won't see so much as a pimple on the horizon for orienting.

You have a natural sense of direction without the help of a compass? Stay tuned and pack lots of survival gear. :bull:

Know how to back trail and recognize terrain you've passed through without a GPS? Stay tuned and pack lots of survival gear. :rotf:

 

[hoochiepapa]

We had a remedy for getting lost....but never had to use it. Get lots of dead pines and quakies, lean them up against a tree that is by itself, in the fashion of a teepee and set fire to it. It will be seen for miles around, especially by the forest service. This was an emergency only remedy, say if you broke your leg or are completely lost. Your uncle could have used our remedy.

 

[Zip]

Deer season here is plenty dry Mike. What if the fire gets to you before the rangers do? :shocked2:

 

[hoochiepapa]

That's why you use a tree that's all by itself. Plenty of'em around here.

 

[Robby]

If this is inappropriate and doesn't pass muster, I apologize, and please delete. This is true, and comes from an old Adirondacker, Which is one of those loner types, that lived their whole life in those mountains, making a living any way they could, guiding, trapping, etc., as long as it didn't require leaving those mountains. Dead serious, "If you find yourself lost, sit down and j#$k off, somebody is bound to see you!"
Robby

 

[Bill Hall]

Mike, my dad told us the same thing when we were kids. I always figured I would die in the fire. :rotf: When I got older, I figured I would rather die than to face the fine imposed by the Forest Service.

Speaking of stupid fines, about ten years ago Bobby Unser (the race car driver) and a guy I knew in high school got lost on snowmobiles in northern New Mexico. They spent about two days out there. They finally found a large open meadow where they waited to signal any helicopter that might be lookng for them. Well, it worked, and they were safely transported back to civilzation. Turns out they had crossed into a wildeness area and were HUGHLY fined for illegally using a motorized vehicle within the park boundaries. When Bobby was interviewed on the local news, about every third word was bleeped out. they ended up paying the fine, but just goes to show you what kind of beaurocratic B.S. jerks are managing OUR land. :cursing: Bill

 

[Zip]

Robby, whatever became of that old Adirondacker? :hmm: Iffen I ever meet up with him, I think I'll pass on the obligatory handshake. :shake:

 

[Rev_William]

No but I have misplaced my camp a few times :blah:

 

[Rifleman1776]

I've never been lost. Confused in the woods a few times. But, I live in the Ozarks and I claim it is impossible to get really lost here. Flat land is a rarity. If 'confused' just go uphill, eventually you will find an old logging trail. Walk the upslope of that trail and it will eventually lead to a better used old logging trail. Repeat the upslope and it eventually will bring you to a road. The walking uphill is the hard part.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you want to learn, send me a PT and I will guide you, and be there to answer questions. I have been doing this for about 57 years now, and I will be happy to give you a head start on your education about tracking, and cutting sign. Reading tracks is the fun part, and that takes a bit of learning before you can do it well. But, I taught my second wife how to read tracks, and she called me at 7 A.M. on day, waking me, several years after our divorce, to tell me, all excited, that she had tracked a kitten who had come up on her front porch leaving tracks in a light dusting of snow that fell overnight. She was excited because she was able to read exactly what that kitten did as it retreated back across her lawn to a corn field, just as if she had been there taking a picture of that kitten as it walked, jumped, stopped to smell things, etc. She did apologize for waking me, but she wanted to thank me for all my patience in teaching her how to read tracks. :thumbsup:

 

[Renegade Dan]

Very Confused but never lost :shocked2: :wink:

 

[twobarrel]

Never lost or confused, just mad because some prankster keeps moving my truck while I'm hunting. :rotf: :surrender: