One other thing, and then I will get off my rant. I just want to put a bug in y'all's ear. File a trip plan. Writing for deer hunting media exposes me a lot to guys who like to leave and go hunting where no one knows where they are or when they are coming back--No cell phones, no explanations, nada.
I cannot emphasize enough:
1) Leave a trip plan with someone you trust
2) Give specific deadlines. "If I'm not by Monday night. . ."
3) Give specifics of who to notify, and where to search
4) Give the location of your vehicle
5) Give a location of where you will head in case of trouble
6) If you carry nothing else, carry a whistle
This is not for you. This is for your rescuers and next of kin. You may be comfortable with becoming mulch, but one of your stupid loved ones may call the sheriff a day early, they put a team out on the mountain or down the hole and some good people may be put in harm's way.
We go over this in our hunter's ed classes. In fact, we just went over it on Tuesday evening. What I tell people is to imagine yourself alone on the side of a mountain with a broken leg, hypothermic, and needing rescue.
Then think about what you wish you would've written down to make it as easy as possible for SAR to find you.
I hunt alone a lot. I not only give the location of my vehicle, I write down the make, model, and license #. I figure my wife won't need to be looking up those details if she's dialing the county sheriff. I also leave the sheriff's phone # in the county where I'll be so she doesn't need to look that up. Along with a description of the trail I'll be going in on, how far I'll be going in, and even the locations of campsites and coordinates if I know those, which I do sometimes.
Another thing, my favorite season is nine days long. If I break my leg on day 1 or 2, I don't want to be waiting the duration for SAR to be notified so I always arrange to walk out to cell phone service about midway to call and check in. Usually by then I either need more food, have tagged out, or am ready to try a new spot anyway.
In class on Tuesday,someone asked me about the cell phone reception where I hunt. My answer was, there is none, and that's one of the reasons I hunt there. Not only to get away from the cell phone and everything that goes with it that's work-related, but I like knowing that I'm on my own and there is no 911 I can call if I do something to get myself in a jam.
Kind of sharpens your thinking.
