Hiking out at night.

[bearpaw]

Check you compass early and often.

Last year, I shot an antelope about 10 minutes before legal close of the day.  Got it dressed, quartered and loaded on the game cart and took off in the direction I knew the truck to be.  Every few minutes hit the horizon with my flashlight expecting to see the truck reflectors.

Then, I pulled my compass out of my pocket and was headed 180 degrees from the truck.  I stood there trying to make the needle go the right direction before I remembered the "trust your compass" rule.  Yep, 180 in the wrong direction and I was convinced the compass was wrong until I saw the truck.

Nice thing about a compass, the batteries never go dead! 

[WapitiTalk1]

Oh, almost forgot.  If you do end up spending the night in the elkwoods, away from your established camp or truck....... and wake up to a wet kiss..... don't kiss it back   

Good thread folks!     

[Hectocotylus]

Wow thanks for all the stories guys, guess just pack a headlamp and flashlight and man up!


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[Jonathan_S]

Wow thanks for all the stories guys, guess just pack a headlamp and flashlight and man up!


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It's okay to have a pucker factor now and again.  Makes you that much happier for shooting hours 

A few years back while hiking to a spot during an elk archery hunt...it was about 0300 I heard a cat yowl up on the side of a ridge maybe 150 yards away.  I was hiking by the starlight.  I think I peed a little but I never confirmed that.

[Bob33]

The mantra “it’s electronic – it can fail” gets a little overdone. I have friends who won’t use a GPS because “they’re electronic and can fail”.

So…do you use a sundial rather than a watch? Do you tow an extra vehicle in case your truck dies 10 miles from the highway? Do you not take a flashlight?

Can batteries die? Solution: carry an extra set.

Can a GPS break? Yes. I’ve never had it happen, but it can. If I’m going into a life and death situation, I’ll probably take two. They weigh 7 ounces each.

I take a compass, and know how to use it. But compasses can fail, break, and get lost also.

I think most people don’t like GPS units because they don’t know how to use them.

[Jonathan_S]

The mantra “it’s electronic – it can fail” gets a little overdone. I have friends who won’t use a GPS because “they’re electronic and can fail”.

So…do you use a sundial rather than a watch? Do you tow an extra vehicle in case your truck dies 10 miles from the highway? Do you not take a flashlight?

Can batteries die? Solution: carry an extra set.

Can a GPS break? Yes. I’ve never had it happen, but it can. If I’m going into a life and death situation, I’ll probably take two. They weigh 7 ounces each.

I take a compass, and know how to use it. But compasses can fail, break, and get lost also.

I think most people don’t like GPS units because they don’t know how to use them.

  my compass is a lot more fragile than my GPS

[bobcat]

A GPS is the best thing you can have for hiking out at night.

[WapitiTalk1]

I fought buying in to the dang-fangled new GPS thingamajig for many, many years.  Pop trained me on using a map/compass many moons ago growing up in NW MT and then a bit over 20 years in the Army using map/compass for land navigation is all I ever needed.  That said, a neighbor gave me a handheld Garmin around 2005ish (his company gave them to the employees and then installed in-dash systems in all their work vans making the handhelds obsolete).  I set it up and was using it almost solely for navigation in a WA wilderness area when the sky opened up in the worst way... and within an hour, that GPS crapped out.  Was very glad I had my map/compass handy to do some terrain association and navigate my way outa there.  I do use a GPS to mark a lot of things but still do most of my "here to there" navigation with a map and compass; guess I'm more comfortable with it.   

[fisheral87]

I think knowing the ground is paramount. I don't have a gps, map and compass though.

So if you are being trailed/flanked by wolves, what is the play? Stand and resist the prey test?

I like the Lady Gaga idea, everything within ear shot would head for the next canyon over.

Al

[Jonathan_S]

So if you are being trailed/flanked by wolves, what is the play? Stand and resist the prey test?

I'd also be curious to know that...

I like the Lady Gaga idea, everything within ear shot would head for the next canyon over.

Might attract some unwanted attention...Lady Gaga has a similar fan base to Cher doesn't she? 

[Bob33]

I've never tried it, but I've heard that if you wear a WDFW badge and tell the wolves you're there to count them, they will silently disappear.

[bearpaw]

I've never tried it, but I've heard that if you wear a WDFW badge and tell the wolves you're there to count them, they will silently disappear.

good one

I think knowing the ground is paramount. I don't have a gps, map and compass though.

So if you are being trailed/flanked by wolves, what is the play? Stand and resist the prey test?

I like the Lady Gaga idea, everything within ear shot would head for the next canyon over.

Al

I'm not specifically sure, ask Liam Neeson what works best! 
On a more serious note, I would holler at them if they got close, I certainly wouldn't run. One friend got in a tree when he was surrounded by wolves, they hung around a few hours but eventually left.

I know people who shot in the air or ground and that seemed to discourage wolves from coming closer. Not sure how that would work when bowhunting? 

[boneaddict]

I'm one of those fabled anti gps guys.   Failed on me twice, don't like, won't use.  Don't care if others depend on them, I won't.  I like my compass.   Not foolproof, but I am old school.    The last night I spent in the woods was because of gps failure.  Not to mention, my compass is a lot lighter and I don't need spare batteries.  Just my opinion though.  Most people these days will find a gps easier to use than a compass.

[boneaddict]

The key to wolves.   Make sure they know they are the prey, not you. 

[WapitiTalk1]

I mentioned this before but I guess I'll bring it up again.  For wolves, throw a stick, whistle and say "go get it boy".  When he brings the stick back, bonk him on the head.  For big cats, scratch the top of a log with your finger and say "kitty kitty kitty".  When he comes in to bat/play with your finger, bonk him on the head.  For bears, you simply set out a picnic basket with a nice red tablecloth top and again, bonk him on the head when he comes in.  Gheesh, thought you experienced hunters would know this