Survival tips for big game hunters

This is the first of a two-part series about survival in the Great Outdoors.

A large number of hunters are in the field now. Some are hunting in areas they have never seen before. Some will become disoriented or lost. Will they be prepared?

We have discussed survival before in this column, but a review before a large number of hunters are headed for the Great Outdoors is prudent.

The following tips were compiled from several sources, including the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Sharing them with your hunting partners may save a life. Read them aloud while enjoying a campfire during elk or deer camp or at any time during the year. While some are on the basic side, they are all important when headed into the Great Outdoors.

Every fall, hunters get lost in the woods, and while most escape no worse than tired, chilled and hungry, the hazards of being lost in the woods shouldn’t be underestimated. Hunters can/should take precautions and prepare for an unexpected stay in the woods.

Don’t rely only on electronics

Items like GPS receivers, cell phones and two-way radios are handy, but dead batteries or other malfunctions render them useless. A map and compass are low tech and less likely to fail, but you also have to know how to use them.

Dennis note: Always carry spare batteries for all the electronics you carry. This is a precaution, yes, but remember any electronic device may become disabled for a variety of reasons besides battery failure.

Teaching our youth how to use a compass is an important part of survival. There is a sport called orienteering where players use a map and a compass to navigate from point to point through unfamiliar terrain.

A family can do the same as a way to teach the use of a map and compass. Simply identify points on a map and have family members go from one to another and another and another. This can take place while camping or at a local city or state park.

There is another sport using a GPS; geocaching. There is a main geocaching website where almost three million geocaches are listed worldwide. There are 535 geocaches within 30 miles of Colville.

The website is free, but a minor registration is required. The geocaches are listed with a description and coordinates. The coordinates are entered into the GPS and the family follows these to the cache. This is a fun, educational and family-friendly sport.

Know the area you’re hunting

Always be conscious of your surroundings, such as river or creek drainages and prominent points. Occasionally turn around and look behind you, so you will remember what it looks like when you’re coming back.

If you’re on a trail, don’t hesitate to put a temporary marker at intersections. Things can look different on your return, especially if you return in the dark.

Let someone at home know where you will be hunting and when you expect to return

Often hunters are out longer than expected, especially when they are pursuing big game animals far from a road. You may want to set an absolute deadline and have someone who can alert the authorities if you haven’t returned or contacted someone by that time.

Ditto for your hunting partner

Hunters often get separated, so set up a rendezvous time and place and decide in advance when a third party will seek help if you or your partners do not return in time.

Watch the weather

You’re more likely to get lost or turned around in poor visibility when it’s raining, foggy or snowing, which are also conditions under which you don’t want to be lost in the woods.

Next week: More survival tips.