How to route find in the dark

[KFhunter]

Hell if you have a smartphone just get the onXmaps app or the Gaia GPS app. Either one will do you right for $4 a month.

This.  I hunt hard until dark, and only then do I start hiking out.  Never a worry with my phone and extra battery pack along.  Make sure you download your map before leaving service though.  I sure wouldn't mark any sort of trail      Had an absolute honey hole get destroyed last year because the only other person hunting it decided to make a horse trail into it.      Met several new people who said they cut this trail and followed it up into the little hidden bowl.     Seriously!!!!  Why would you mark a trail straight into your secret spot?  We are completely paranoid about people knowing where we hike in.  I will park at a gated road or something that goes off in the opposite direction that I am actually hunting, or have my wife drop me off.   

He's riding his bicycle up past a locked gate already getting past most of the other hunters out there,  then he's contemplating putting tacks on the uphill side of the trees so he can see them on the way back down which would hide the tacks from anyone looking up the hill.  I suspect his hidey hole will stay well concealed with this method, the tacks would be more discrete than ribbon blowing in the wind.   

Your rant -while relevant to other situations- isn't relevant to this one.

[Alchase]

I find I can hike in in the dark and hike out in the dark using a red filtered flashlight or headlamp without destroying my night vision.
Knowing the area is a big help as well.
I try to stay away from using a flashlight in the dark that does not have a red filter unless an emergency.
And a GPS

[elkboy]

All good suggestions above.  Compass, map, and GPS are all very smart ideas, along with a backup headlamp.  For night navigation, I also like a 100 lumen (or more) tactical light for really looking ahead (especially if there are cliff bands or other dangerous terrain traps).  Of course, the bright LED light will spook game (unless you have a red filter), and so may be reserved for emergencies.

 If you want to leave minimal sign, stash your bike at a recognizable culvert, tree, stump, bigleaf maple cluster, etc., etc.  Then, on your way out, swing wide to one side (if the road is continuous up the valley) so that you know with certainty that your bike stash will be to your right or left, depending on which direction you "threw the error".  And I would only begin flagging my line 100 yards in from the road, to minimize the chance that someone else will pick up on your 'honey hole' stand location. 

With time, one can always improve navigation without flagging, tacks, GPS, etc. by getting a feel for terrain, for unique landmarks (again, trees with deformities, wetland features, openings, major stumps or downed wood, stream confluences, etc., etc.)  Even the most mundane industrial tree farm of young Douglas-fir will have some unique features that can be used as landmarks. 

Not to wax too eloquent, but the vegetation can also give you clues.  For hypothetical example, north-facing slopes in your area may have more sword fern, while south-facing slopes may have more salal and ocean spray.  Fallen trees dating back to a wind storm often point to the northeast due to the regionally prevalent storm wind direction (this is something to verify with a compass, during the day, in a non-emergency situation, based on your knowledge of the history of the area).  As you scout during the day, get a mental map for where timber stands of different ages are (recent clearcuts usually have road access), so that if you stumble into, say, a 10-year old plantation while navigating in the dark, you will know where you are in your local watershed.       

Best of luck!  Entering and leaving during darkness is a great way to see a lot more game!

[crabcreekhunter]

Get to know the area really familiar there will be certain tell tell landmarks to learn and lead you, I do pretty much all my hiking in the dark once I learn an area. Also you can download a route from a gps or PC program onto certain GPS watches that you can use to guide you, I prefer the first option!  Never mark a route into an area you plan on keeping to yourself!

[Watimberghost]

Compass is about your only other option after the two previous replies. I'd just invest in one of the simple little GPS's which are under $100

This is the guy to listen to! Learn to use a compass first and then use a GPS as a back up. Also the Cell phone stuff a lot of places don't have coverage.

Last resort is Bread crumbs! The other option is a huge ball of string. Ran into a thread line a few years ago that went for ever.

You don't need cell coverage to use your phone. Pull up Google maps and find where you plan on hunting but don't zoom in too close. Then when you want to see where you are just open the Google maps app and turn on your gps. The blue dot is you. You're even able to zoom in and out if you have. I've never tried this with an iPhone though

I do this all the time when I'm in the backcountry.

[JimmyHoffa]

Leave a trail of cans, silver bullets and keystone light are pretty good for this.   

[Hectocotylus]

Leave a trail of cans, silver bullets and keystone light are pretty good for this.   

lol


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[buglebrush]

Hell if you have a smartphone just get the onXmaps app or the Gaia GPS app. Either one will do you right for $4 a month.

This.  I hunt hard until dark, and only then do I start hiking out.  Never a worry with my phone and extra battery pack along.  Make sure you download your map before leaving service though.  I sure wouldn't mark any sort of trail      Had an absolute honey hole get destroyed last year because the only other person hunting it decided to make a horse trail into it.      Met several new people who said they cut this trail and followed it up into the little hidden bowl.     Seriously!!!!  Why would you mark a trail straight into your secret spot?  We are completely paranoid about people knowing where we hike in.  I will park at a gated road or something that goes off in the opposite direction that I am actually hunting, or have my wife drop me off.   

He's riding his bicycle up past a locked gate already getting past most of the other hunters out there,  then he's contemplating putting tacks on the uphill side of the trees so he can see them on the way back down which would hide the tacks from anyone looking up the hill.  I suspect his hidey hole will stay well concealed with this method, the tacks would be more discrete than ribbon blowing in the wind.   

Your rant -while relevant to other situations- isn't relevant to this one.

Possibly,  but the horse trail i referred to started over two miles down a brushed in and gated road.   People will travel miles and miles with a trail or road.   I sure wouldn't risk it.   

[zike]

I've haven't tried this, i found it on another site. "A little trick I used to show some friends that were afraid to go in the bush....At last light and a bull elk bugling..They said their gps wouldn't lock on to any satelites and they feared getting lost..The trick I showed them was to face toward the cutline or road they wanted to return to and then open their compass..Then turn the dial so the needle went into north ..Close the compass then go in after the elk..After hopefully shooting the elk open the compass and dont touch the dial ..Just turn your body till the needle turns to north in the compass ..The direction straight ahead is your way back to the road or cutline..You can ribbon your way then return with quad and lights and gear and retrieve the animal..That's 4 guys that aren't afraid of a evening hunt for elk anymore.. "

[idaho guy]

I've haven't tried this, i found it on another site. "A little trick I used to show some friends that were afraid to go in the bush....At last light and a bull elk bugling..They said their gps wouldn't lock on to any satelites and they feared getting lost..The trick I showed them was to face toward the cutline or road they wanted to return to and then open their compass..Then turn the dial so the needle went into north ..Close the compass then go in after the elk..After hopefully shooting the elk open the compass and dont touch the dial ..Just turn your body till the needle turns to north in the compass ..The direction straight ahead is your way back to the road or cutline..You can ribbon your way then return with quad and lights and gear and retrieve the animal..That's 4 guys that aren't afraid of a evening hunt for elk anymore.. "

  gps is cool and I use one but I have more confidence in the old school compass. I also think you miss out on some opportunities and don't learn the area as well when you are are staring at your gps or phone all day trying to figure out where you are at on the tiny map. I found some of my best spots with a map and compass. I also agree with not flaggin your way into to a " honey hole" .  I do flag kills and blood trails though. 

[davk]

What I personally use is a mix of using the terrain, landmarks, compass, ribbon, and backup with GPS.  Being from WI I find it incredibly easy to navigate around the mountains because there are actual features to go off of instead of just flat. Have a map, and pay attention to the terrain.  Im always taking mental notes of features like large rocks, downed trees, any anything else notable.  Ribbon only goes on timber entries.  If Im crossing a meadow, rock field, clear cut, etc. Ill put a piece of ribbon on where I want to enter or a know distance from where I want to enter then I watch for the feature that is my actual entry point.  I tend to use my GPS more for marking spots of interest and for checking my distance traveled, but its their for backup in case I need it.  But I wouldnt rely on it(actually fell out of my pack last year.  Luckily I found it 2 days later). 

[JJB11B]

http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Specialties-Reflective-Trail-Tacks/dp/B0043H4LEC

Maybe hang an LED lantern at the end of the trail of tacks on top of your 1500 foot climb, one you can see a long ways off with long run time just leave it on all day long. 
Once you get to the lantern use it to follow the tacks down through the trees to the truck.

Some of the ones on Amazon run for 6 days or more.  That would be better than a GPS and headlamp, GPS I'm always zig zagging and guessing.  No disputing the glowing tacks.
I always have a roll of ribbon in my pack.

Just make sure you use twice as many tacks as you think!! Seems what looks like a good distance in the light might be harder to find in the dark and line of sight changes. Or I have been told.

make sure you put two tacks side by side about 6' up and 3 inches apart...

[Magnum_Willys]

Allens Trail Tacks - $2 per 50. 

[Alpine Mojo]

make sure you put two tacks side by side about 6' up and 3 inches apart...

I'm going to remember that and use it on someone that really deserves it someday.    haha