Fear of the Forest?!

[Jelvis]

--=/----> Start hunting early, start walking in half hour b4 sunrise. If you hunt on foot you'll be glad you started early cuz now in the early afternoon yer ready to start headin out and hunt on the way back to the Toyota 4 by, sitten thar waiting for you and the monster buck.
Jelvis -- Don't be cruel to a heart that's true -- Hunt as early as legal and search slowly along --
No need to go way back off a road go alongside it to see mule deer. . 20 yards off a back roads up Nor River 60 feet your in wilds so walk along same way

[Downtown]

No Beast as Fierce as Man, as in Apex Predator.................... not merely Male !

[HarryToolips]

Without a compass, or a visual bearing on some landmark, it is surprising how hard it is to walk in a straight line in the timber. One leg will always be stronger and you will end up going in a circle, a tighter circle than you might expect.

As for returning to your vehicle parked on the road. Never make a bearing for your vehicle. Always aim well to one side so you will know which direction to walk when you hit the road.

bingo.we.have.a.winner...

[Jelvis]

The Ram of Steel comes thru with a doozie folks -- let's hear it for the Ram!

[simonvancouver]

Coming from the Uk, the animals are not there to be feared, but upon arriving here, I spent a bit of time to learn about bear safety etc, also the woods here are a lot bigger and are wild.
Not scared being in the bush but very respectful, been here 3 years had two experiences that have made me respect the area.
hiking the HSCT which is a well traveled route, i got cold after it being warm and muggy, i was prepared with layers and food and water but surprised how quick my physical condition changed, this scared me, and i was glad to be with someone who was switched on.
The second experience was coming face to face with a grizz and cubs near some hot springs. everything slowed down and i respected the fact that i should get the f*ck out of her way. I was lucky the cubs were her side and not mine as i don't think i would not be here typing this.

Like anything though the more you do it the more confident you get... think back to driving the first time without an instructor.. getting to 100kph ... now... you dont think anything of it.

[ursusbait]

I used to work solo in the bush, many years no problems or guns. Now I don't work in the bush anymore and the wife makes me carry a gun with the little ones around.

If you have the creeps, leave. Always watch your back trail. If your not enjoying yourself, change what you are doing or how you are doing it.

Scariest moment was a lightning storm on a ridge up in the rocks. Saw it coming but couldn't get low enough to be comfortable. WHAT A SHOW!!

[Pemby_mess]

Scariest moment was a lightning storm on a ridge up in the rocks. Saw it coming but couldn't get low enough to be comfortable. WHAT A SHOW!!

You've reminded me of a time I was truly scared by nature. I was up in the alpine of the Tantalus range above Squamish. Later we would find out that there had been over 1400 ground strikes of lightning throughout the storm. Everything we had that was metal was buzzing for a few minutes. We ditched everything metallic including our jackets and hunkered down in some rocks for around 2 hours. Bloody unreal.

My wife and I were in a lightning storm, mountain biking just out of Kamloops one time as well. Multiple ground strikes within a KM of us. Same thing - ditched the metal and got as low as we could. That one only lasted a couple minutes. Nature's unpredictable power can be scary indeed.

[brian]

brian ...... good idea. Do what you have to do .... to get yourself out safely.The Game Warden may have a different view of things ..... if he was to wander into your camp .... in the dark.

Yeah I thought of that, but I figure taking a bit of precaution and getting home in one piece is better than having to explain yourself to a suspicious Co. Its just an insurance policy that I will likely never have to use but its nice to have handy.

For those that wear a real watch with hands ....... point the small hand at the sun - half way between there and 12 is south.

I use this method a lot while hunting, but I don't wear a watch. During hunting season the sun will be South of you at high noon. So you can always get a rough direction off of the sun as long as you can estimate what time it is in relation to sunrise/sunset, (which I also use the sun for). Its great for finding directions when directions only need to be vague, like I know I need to be going South East-ish to get to where I want to be.

[Wild one]

gotta have black nuts and no emotion if you wanna survive in remote grizz country; horsepacking 13 days into the bush with 8 horses isn't easy...be the type of person that when your feet touch the floor in the morning, the devil says "aww shit, they're up"

Nah you just need to be a sound sleeper and too stupid to be scared lmao

[Treed]

Ever since I've been a kid, I've set a mental waypoint where home is or where I started from. When I moved through the bush, I was always tracking where it lay. I was always thinking about where I was and how I was moving and where home was. I've spent my life working in the bush and I think I was better at it as a kid. I rely on GPS and digital maps all the time now. Feels like it had blunted what was there. I've gotten lazy cause I know I won't get lost. The few times I've been lost, the best thing I've decided is to sit down and have a bite, chew, or anything else to slow it all down and let me think. Moving just to be moving so you feel like you are getting somewhere is dangerous. Had my son out last week. We bushwhacked about 3 hours up to the subalpine. I cleared a path with an axe, hope to get him his first buck up there after sept opens. On the way back, I decided to see if there was as a better way in. He kept little looking at me - swear he was thinking you'd better not screw this up!! Me too. Made it out in the end, but having him with me raised the pressure. For me, being in the bush alone and now with my son is heaven. Having those moments when you feel electrified because of what you are
seeing our sensing is what visa can never buy.