LOST- deep in the public land

[headgear]

Oh yes, I've been turned around plenty but can't say I have ever been truly lost or done any over nighters. Like others have mentioned sometimes those short trips into the woods are the worst.

I have also has similar stories to the guys tracking wounded deer and getting lost and getting turned around while gutting a deer, then dragging it in the wrong direction. The time I got lost tracking I found the buck still alive but you could tell he was near the end. Just as a find him my light dies on me, I also managed to drop my buck knife on the adventure so there I am with no light, no knife, a deer to drag and no idea where I am. I sat there for about 10 minutes contemplating my next move when a car drives by 30 yards away, talk about a feeling of relief! It turns out I came out on the other side of the wood on the wrong road so I had a half mile walk back to the truck with no flashlight but I didn't care because that was one sweet 30 yard drag. I even came back the next day and managed to find my knife.

[Singing Bridge]

He could see I was about done for, he turned around and stayed with me till we got to the hatchery then gave me a ride home. I walked in the door at 5:30, everyone I was with that morning was in a panic. I was supposed to be at work at five. I called, gave them the story, drank a half a gallon of water, then about five cups of milk while downing 8-10 homemade cookies and went strait to bed. Waking up 18 hours later I went back to try to find the deer, never did find it.

Great to know there are people out there that do the right thing... that guy following you back and driving you home was acting above and beyond. I had a couple of Canucks lend me a big assist last bear season, I was fortunate they came along.

[Singing Bridge]

I pulled out my compass and put the white pointer on north and said lets go.

I can back you up on that, it's never a good thing when you follow the white pointer north!

[Bucky]

Got lost once in hill country, ended going almost 5 miles from where I started and hit a rd... this one was in daylight no biggie.

Got lost in Northern WI on a large chunk of public and it got dark on me... age 18 or so, that time I hit panic mode for a while... but eventually figured it out

[hoyt]

I think the worst, most helpless mess I've ever put myself in was about 35yrs or so years ago off the St. John's River on an Island called The Bird Sanctuary.

Instead of going into all the details I'll just tell the worst part.

Me and a buddy were deer, hog and snipe hunting . We were in his air boat and had deer and hog hunted that morning then walked the marsh flats during the middle of the day shooting snipe. That afternoon we were back on the island deer and hog hunting. He went one way and I went another. lt was overcast and the island was flooded with water. 99% of it was under water. Only a very few hammocks were above ground. Feet were in about mid shin high water almost all the time.

I was still hunting away from an old woods trail that ran from one end of the island to the other. I had gone quiet a ways and was getting a little concerned about finding my way back. I didn't have a flashlight or compass with me, so I kept looking behind myself trying to remember land marks. I was walking the edge of a cypress swamp when I heard splashing way up ahead in the swamp. It was big animals and knew it had to be either deer or hogs running off. I eased into the swamp which was about knee deep and made my way toward the noise. I kept hearing splashing, but couldn't get close enough to see what it was. I'd get about 75ys to it and couldn't see anything...then finally saw a white tail loping through the cypress trees.

I was really getting concerned about it being close to dark and I knew I didn't know exactly how to get out of there..just had a feeling of which way I should go...but wasn't sure of that. The deer sighting kept pulling me in and before I knew it pre-dark was on me. I gave up and turned around, starting my way back out. In no time the water got deeper, deeper than I had walked through coming in. Every direction I went it kept getting deeper and the night kept getting darker. So dark in fact that it was a new moon and I absolutely could not see my hand in front of my face.

I soon found myself in water up to my chin. The swamp was clogged with water hyicents and they were bumping against my nose and face. I was holding my shotgun up over my head, sliding one foot ahead of the other so I wouldn't step in a hole over my head and trying to find shallow water.

This place was full of gators and poisonous snakes and I kept hearing animals or something splashing all around.

Finally, my lead foot slid upwards on the bottom and then the next step also. The water got shallow and I was in mid shin dept water again, but still didn't have a clue which way to go or where I was and it was pitch black dark and I had no light.

It was late enough now that I figured my friend must be back to the air boat so I fired 3 shots from my shotgun. Not long afterwards I hear an air boat start up and said to myself. “ He heard the shots and is coming to get me”, but then I hear another air boat crank up and another and they all heard on off out of hearing. Then a very short time later I hear a fourth crank up and it comes my way and my friend works his way towards me and picks me up.

[BassBoysLLP]

ttt

[BassBoysLLP]

I like getting lost. Sometimes that is when I found some of my best looking hunting spots.
Now if I could only find some of them again.

I'm guilty of this one!

[BassBoysLLP]

I've gotten lost four times.

Twice in Ontario, no where near roads. I use to spend 1-2 weeks in the bush up there and it was always for a half day or so. It was part of the adventure.

Once lost in hill country. I got turned around in a big, thick, tangled bottom, dropped my compass, and picked the wrong path out. I didn't make it out until after dark. I started carrying a GPS in addition to a compass after that adventure.

One time lost trout fishing in Northern WI. I was young (16ish) and tried to take a "shortcut" out of this backwood beaver pond. I got out before dark but I was definitely starting to panic after a couple hours. I eventually saw something familiar and worked my way out by deduction. I started carrying a compass the next day.

[lostinstateforest]

As my name would suggest i get lost a lot. More times it's on purpose than not. Truly though here in PA you are never really lost, a couple miles in one direction will get you out to some type of road. Now Colorado was an entire different story. My brother swore the compass was wrong after the walk was a little longer than we thought, so we double back get really lost and we were in serious trouble. Luckily we stumbled on to a camp and got a ride out shortly after dark. Very close to being a bad bad day.

Lesson carry more than 1 compass and if you don't trust the one you have.

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[Swampbuck]

I got turned around a two seasons ago that could have been bad... I hunt a 30,000 acre flooded cypress swamp, walking distances is un doable. I was about 5 miles deep in my pirogue (mini canoe type boat), scouting an area i have never been.. The only way to travel this swamp is by old logging runs which are now grown over and not really even visible. you could cross one and never know it unless you know its there... Anyway i got to a main run and realized my gps had fallen out when i drug over a log. Went back and found it and it came on but it was wet so i turned it off... No worries, i got back to the main run and crossed over and proceeded deeper explored for a few hours.... Came back to the main run and needed to get to the run i had come in on... After heading west for too long of a time i knew i had either come out a different run or had passed it up... GPS is not working at all... It was getting late and very cold front was coming through that night and i didnt have the proper clothes to deal with it... I was never truly lost as i knew which way to go, but without those runs i would have to travel by foot and that was hopeless.... I had 3 choices, try to keep going west and find another run that i knew was there, try to go back and find the run i came in on, or cut through the swamp for a mile on foot to get back to the main ditch... I knew going for the run i had never been on was virtually hopeless as i wouldnt see it, so i elected to cut through the swamp... After dragging and jumping logs a couple hundred yards i knew it was hopeless... I had about an hour of light left. I knew my only hope was getting back to that run i came in on, so i got back to the main run and dragged my boat behind me at a hectic pace back east hoping to find it. About 10 minutes before dark i saw the tree that i had mentally noted when i left that run.... I had travelled right past it the first time!!

Anyway it was a good lesson.... Always have a backup GPS, always be prepared to spend the night, and never be too confident with my sense of direction!

[mheichelbech]

I didn't read every post so hopefully I am not repeating something but why is it that people tend to walk in circles when disoriented in the woods. Last year, my son shot a doe just before dark, was on totally familiar ground searching for this deer, although he made a good shot (muzzleloader) there just wasn't a lot of blood. I ended up walking in a circle twice and the second time I literally said, I ain't walking in no circle! I have never been lost, disoriented a few times but always got myself out but I have noticed several times and did read on here about other guys doing this but I've never know why it occurs.

[mag1]

Walking in circles is due to your dominant side, I can't remember, but I think you take a longer stride on that side of the body, hence you end up going IN A circle. Been turned around once in familiar ground, cloudy day and for some reason, things looked different. Wife bought me a gps for next anniversary. Maybe I need to get lost again, I need a updated one, that was over 12 yes ago. :)

[ Post made via Android ]

[mag1]

Walking in circles is due to your dominant side, I can't remember, but I think you take a longer stride on that side of the body, hence you end up going IN A circle. Been turned around once in familiar ground, cloudy day and for some reason, things looked different. Wife bought me a gps for next anniversary. Maybe I need to get lost again, I need a updated one, that was over 12 yes ago. :)

[ Post made via Android ]

[ihookem]

I never really got lost , but came out on to the wrong road. Walked up and down that road for 2 miles. Couldn't figure out where the truck was. A logger was cutting in the woods and he knew we were on the wrong road. We figured it out. This was in Lorreta , Wis. I was 17 and dumb. A few times I thought I was lost but was just a lot deeper in the woods than I thought. I hunt western Price co. and Flambeau River State Forest. It is some big country.