Hiking out at night.

[ghosthunter]

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.

 

I spend lots of hours during hunting season in the dark on the mountains.
I think the biggest risk is a fall. You can get hurt bad by just tripling over something.
A walking stick is a big help.

I our camp we do not turn off our radios until the last hunter is back in camp.

Nothing better than breaking over that ridge and seeing a well lit camp in the bottom after dark.

like many here I started with a compass and moved to GPS. Still carry both.

For guys new to GPs at least on the Rhino 650, if you change the batteries you have to re-calibrate the compass.
I have taught a lot of guys gps and I try to tell them not to use Track back or Go To.
Because most guys forget to Stop Navigation when they get where they want.
I set my GPS for Track up and just point and walk to my waypoints like camp or truck.
I do use the Route function if I am in a area where going in and out the same way is needed.

[pilebuck]

Black power season last year hunting up marias creek out of chewsaw up by the infamous cowpuncher road.. I know the roads well and where I was hunting had 2 gates where I knew my jeep was on the GPS it let me know when inwas close to the gate proximity alarm went off had 3 flashlights GPS plenty batteries and a vhf radio with camp but at night the cattle up there scare the sh__out of ya loll 

[Bob33]

Black power season

[JJB11B]

Not gonna lie here, I am a little uneasy in the dark when I am not armed to the teeth

I didn't start carrying a flashlight until I got married.  I absolutely love walking in the dark.  Cool, peaceful, seems quieter and I seem to be able to walk further and faster if on trail.  If course with getting older comes loss of low light vision.  So I can't do it like I did when I was young. 

I miss those days!  I'd walk right up on deer, elk and bear.  They wouldn't know what I was until I was practically on top of them.  One bear I jumped in the same spot, same ditch same time three nights in a row.  Like having a 300# grouse come out from under your feet.  Great fun if you just relax and enjoy it. 

The cats do freak me out a little.  As do those darn owls that nock your hat off.  They can hit you rather hard sometimes!  Glad they never sunk any talons into my scalp.  The worst was almost stepping on a skunk on a really dark evening.  I never did see him, but he sure gave my pant leg a dosing

I don't mind the dark as long as I have at least a pistol

[Bean Counter]

Black power season

That's been the past six years

[JJB11B]

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? 

I think if that happened to me WDFW would be packing up some dead friggen wolves....

[jackmaster]

this may sound odd to some, but i am so much more comfortable int the dark than in the daylight when hiking i figure the most dangerous things in the woods now days are humans, to many yahoo wingnuts that still shoot at move ment or sound.. if its dark geberally those types are already home in their recliner racked out or passed out  as for advice, get to know the area you plan to hunt by the back of your hand, i am talking every nook and cranny, then there are no worries, just being happy 

[rickomatic]

One other thing to at least think about when it comes to coming out of the woods in the dark.
I believe I've read some threads on here about guys being ticketed for hunting after legal hours because some yahoo WDFW guy saw them, checked their gun, and said if it's loaded, you're hunting. Stupid, I know, especially if you're concerned with safety. Is this just a rural myth? Or is it a possibility?

[Bob33]

One other thing to at least think about when it comes to coming out of the woods in the dark.
I believe I've read some threads on here about guys being ticketed for hunting after legal hours because some yahoo WDFW guy saw them, checked their gun, and said if it's loaded, you're hunting. Stupid, I know, especially if you're concerned with safety. Is this just a rural myth? Or is it a possibility?

Of course it's a possibility. How could it not be? What if the person really is hunting?

To eliminate any possibility, unload.

[bobcat]

I almost never unload my gun until I get back to my vehicle. I don't want to have to use my gun as a club in self defense, if needed. Could run into a bear, a cougar, or a meth head. I take no chances.

[jasnt]

I almost never unload my gun until I get back to my vehicle. I don't want to have to use my gun as a club in self defense, if needed. Could run into a bear, a cougar, or a meth head. I take no chances.

same here!  It's my right to open carry weather it's dark in the woods or not.   Guess innocent till prooven guilty is a myth these days.  Luckily I've never had a bad encounter with wdfw and it's pretty rare for me to even see an Leo while hunting or in the woods at all for that matter.

[saylean]

Cougar at 13 steps tend to freak you out. 

[JimmyHoffa]

Just take your squealer predator calls and practice calling during the walk back.  Then you won't hear things that go bump.

[full strutting]

Need all options of survival in backpack. And to also know your comfort levels in the outdoors. Common sense of your limitations


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[pashok23]

All joking aside bears are no joke at nite, I went for a day hike and ended up walking the last 4 miles of gravel road in the pitch black. I heard what I thought was something run away in the brush, no biggy  then I heard it again and realized it was coming at me. so i picked up the pace. every time i moved it ran for me untill it reached the side of the road next to me. I yelled profanity really loud and kicked gravel at it in the dark and it ran off. 

Crazy.I would have a panick attack right there