Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Emergency help while hunting?

Don't have an answer, but it reminded me of one the most beautiful scenes in movie history. Good luck.

I've never seen clouds or fog affect my gps equip. Equipment I use everyday.

Physical objects, yes- like topography of tall landforms, or in deep canyons will affect or block oblique signals from birds below the line of sight or near-horizon sats. Even the human body will block half the incoming signal to the sky. Leafy canopy and a matrix of overhead limbs story will disrupt it too. Most times if youre having signal difficult it just may be a bad gap in the daily almanac positioning of the array.

Gps signals are about 10-20cm I'm pretty sure they can weave their way around suspended atmospheric water vapor
I would power cycle the unit so it recieves the freshest ephemeris data from the sats.
JFC

this, big part of the reason ive been interested in emergency first aid is alot of the places my ex and i hunted, IF we called for help it was a minimum 2 hours for help to get to us from the nearest hospital, and thats if we were next to the road....i liked having a VERY well stocked kit in the truck and a decent kit i could temporally patch a major hole in someone in my pack....but being at the papers made me a lil gun shy cause ofcourse we had every mishap story from around the state cross our desks at work, unreal how common major injuries are

find someone to hunt with you, I'm sure it would be great for both of ya'll

Rain blocks our Sat reception and GPS. Fog I have no clue but seemingly would be possible.

It certainly messes with Sat phone also really badly. At least it has a few times in Colorado for us OR it was a HUGE coincidence.

My wife wants me to hunt bears with a long bow. No arrows, just the bow.

SPOT if she is worried.

Some of the noted emergency communication devices must be excellent and thus great for those whose outlook and/or family circumstances call for them. I've been hunting mostly alone for almost 50 years - much of that in difficult and remote places in the SW - and have heard many of the same expressions of concern (and maybe fear) from my wife and daughters through the years.

They are lovely people and their concerns have been genuine, but my attitude (and bent) always has been to just get out there solo, be careful, hunt hard and have great time - without any such devices other than a simple compass. Much of the motivation for doing thus has been the opportunity to be disconnected from everything else and fully connected with what's out there. Due to circumstances, in the past two years I have agreed to carry a cheap cell phone - but it rarely obtains a signal out there.

All of this stuff is different for differing folks and, even now, it has changed for me. Then again, if we needed a rescue or ambulance at our home place, it would take an hour for them to get here and at least another hour to get us to the nearest small ER. Different strokes.

But, maybe next time I will have one of those gizmos along - if there is a next time. Happy hunting.

Added later: As others have mentioned, I always do leave a well-marked map and other info about dates and my intended location(s). And, yes, my loved ones know that, if it happens, dying out there rather than in a hospital, etc. would be my choice.

heres the spot device (3rd generation) people are talking about

http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100

they have some on ebay too.

you have to buy the device...then you have to subscribe to the service

$100 a year, or $10/mo I believe.

Sycamore

I hunt a good bit by myself. While I always carry a cell phone, it sometimes has marginal coverage. If it does work, I can use an app called Glympse. It sends a map with my location pinpointed on it.

I always tell my wife where I'm going to hunt. It doesn't mean much to her because she doesn't have a clue where the property is, but she knows that if she gives the information to my sons or my brother, they can go straight to the stand I am using.

I have also told her that if something happens and I check out while hunting, she should understand that there is no better place for me to have spent my last minutes. She should feel good that the Lord allowed me to go doing something that I loved to do, in a place of my choosing.

one thing about cell phones for those that hate texting and such......one thing ive learned up here, in places impossible to get a call out a fair number of times i can grab enough signal to get a text out.....

and keep in mind if you have a family, its not always just you you have to worry about, other people may depend on you.....you shouldnt give up what you love over it but maybe you should take extra precautions especially ones so readily available today

If you have a signal, a cell phone is by far your best bet.

If you don't have a cell phone signal, the next best thing is ham radio. There are an amazing number of mountaintop repeaters in the country, and if you can access one of those, you can summon help.

The Technician Class license gives you access to those repeaters. The test is only a few dollars, and is available through a volunteer system all over the country. The test is about 50 questions, multiple choice and you can learn all the required information in a few days. A handie-talkie is easily available for under $150.

Well, I'm 79 and will be Turkey hunting this spring. Will have my cell phone with me but I'll probably be only 1 or 2 miles from home.
This fall with Deer and Antelope on the menu, I'll be 5 to 30 miles out. Antelope with my neighbor with me, Deer solo. I'll be 80 in 8/15 but still rasseled a 180 lb Mule Deer into my pick-up last year along with a wimpy 110 lb Antelope.
Hangin' in there and still chasin' the cook around the kitchen.

Lot of good advise already given.... but I'd also recommend, try to not to get that far off the beaten path anymore if you can't take someone out with you....

also it is important to let people know where you are going to be, and what time you plan on being home... if that doesn't happen, then they have an idea of where to look for you....

don't get too far from your truck and leave a note that can be found, letting them know what direction you headed in...

I'd highly recommend that you also take a course from the Red Cross on Wilderness Survival.... they have a real good course... but from taking it, I can tell you it is based on three Boy Scout Merit Badge Books... which can be bought for about $5 each..

BSA also puts out other easy to read and easy to follow books on what to do for surviving... along with a life saving tip...stay put... you will be easier to find...over the last 5 years, several lost scouts, who were only 11 and 12 years old, got lost and stayed put and were found and saved.....their being lost hit the national news no less...

have items to be able to signal people also....know how to build a fire, and have something to be able to make an emergency shelter...have a signal mirror...

a little planning and common sense can save a life...

best of luck and happy birthday!

Happy Birthday Coyote:

In addition to all of the good info received you might want to look at the CALSTAR
(California Shock Trauma Air Rescue) web page.
For $50 / year per family you receive big bang for your bucks.

I worked and trained with these folks during my CDF career and they are top notch.

Only this thing I have to add is don't. "Tell" someone your plans and alternatives if any . Trite them down!!!!!! Preferably with a marked map , and stick to the plan.

Verbal is subject to interpretation , misunderstanding, memory, etc. on the part of the listener, especial wives. Mine anyway.

Ask me how I learned this one......

Ok that should have been "write", but maybe trite isn't that far off anyway.

When I've hunted alone, I've always left a digital copy of a map of the area I will be in, with where I will camp, park and the hunt area (circle where I will be within the GMU) marked on the map.

I tell my wife when I will be contacting her and how long to wait before she contacts the local sheriff and reports me overdue. I take a cell phone. Even without service, you can cycle it on and off and they can find you if they are looking.

I keep stuff in my pack to keep myself alive for a few days. If it's a catastrophic problem (ie - fall or heart attack) at least they'll know where to look for the body. Chit happens. I'd rather die in the woods than in a mall.

Delorme In-Reach....

This is a good idea: Spot