Twice last year I had the opportunity to talk to someone who had been lost in the woods. It was quite interesting to hear their experiences and how they reacted to them. The first was in bow season. I was walking along a game trail on the side of a ridge when I saw what appeared to be an American flag moving down on the fire trail below me. Being naturally curious I had to see what it was. I slipped down over the ridge and made my way over to the bright colors. When I got there I found a young man in full camo with a huge expedition style pack, with an American flag motif. We got talking and it turned out that the year before he had gotten lost in the woods. He was the type, like myself that liked to get off the beaten trail where you see less hunters. Well he had gotten turned around at night when coming out of the woods and had to spend the night in the woods by himself. He did not have any equipment other than his bow so he curled up and piled leaves over himself. He was like most people I have met, he had never truly been alone in the woods after dark for more than a few minutes. The experience scared him badly, and his first reaction was to decide he would never hunt again, but he fought that urge and he came up with a plan that worked for him. He would go out, but take along everything he needed to survive (in his mind) for an overnight. He also said he did not go off the trails more than a few feet anymore. He had a tent, sleeping bag, propane cook stove, food, cookware, cell phone, spare clothes, jacket etc. Even though I thought he was going a tad overboard, I did have to give him credit, he was trying
The second guy I met, I actually found. My brother-in-law and myself were driving around the trails, looking for new places to hunt. This was in muzzle loading season. We were just turning around on a trail, deep in the woods, and this wild man came running out of the woods after us, screaming and waving his arms. We stopped and found a young man in camo pants and a sweat shirt, sweating, crying, scared and desperate. After giving him something to drink and sitting with him to settle him down. We found out his story. He had started in the woods that morning, it was approx. 12:00, with a muzzleloader, hunting pouch and accessories, warm coat, hat and gloves, none of which he had when we found him, and he had no idea what had happened to them. He had started a couple of miles from where we found him and had cut diagonally , lengthwise, through the tract of woods he was in. He had crossed more than a couple of fire trails and foot trails, but he reasoned that he had no idea where they went so he did not follow them because he did not want to get more lost!! Such was his mindset that he could not reason that each one went somewhere, in at least one of the directions. Also since he was supposed to be familiar with the area he was in, he should have known that at the widest north/south point the woods he was in was just over 2 miles. That means that if he traveled in a north or south direction the farthest he would have had to travel is 2 miles no matter where he started. And he was equipped with a compass, at some point. The direction he was traveling would have eventually led him to a paved road in about 6 miles from where we found him. If he did not cross it like he did all the trails he came to. He had at some point lost his rifle, coat, hat, gloves, compass, and several other items, and he never remembered what he had done with them. Last time I heard of this gentleman he had sworn never to set foot in the woods again.
Just some food for thought.
The second guy I met, I actually found. My brother-in-law and myself were driving around the trails, looking for new places to hunt. This was in muzzle loading season. We were just turning around on a trail, deep in the woods, and this wild man came running out of the woods after us, screaming and waving his arms. We stopped and found a young man in camo pants and a sweat shirt, sweating, crying, scared and desperate. After giving him something to drink and sitting with him to settle him down. We found out his story. He had started in the woods that morning, it was approx. 12:00, with a muzzleloader, hunting pouch and accessories, warm coat, hat and gloves, none of which he had when we found him, and he had no idea what had happened to them. He had started a couple of miles from where we found him and had cut diagonally , lengthwise, through the tract of woods he was in. He had crossed more than a couple of fire trails and foot trails, but he reasoned that he had no idea where they went so he did not follow them because he did not want to get more lost!! Such was his mindset that he could not reason that each one went somewhere, in at least one of the directions. Also since he was supposed to be familiar with the area he was in, he should have known that at the widest north/south point the woods he was in was just over 2 miles. That means that if he traveled in a north or south direction the farthest he would have had to travel is 2 miles no matter where he started. And he was equipped with a compass, at some point. The direction he was traveling would have eventually led him to a paved road in about 6 miles from where we found him. If he did not cross it like he did all the trails he came to. He had at some point lost his rifle, coat, hat, gloves, compass, and several other items, and he never remembered what he had done with them. Last time I heard of this gentleman he had sworn never to set foot in the woods again.
Just some food for thought.
