good reminder for all of us!

[cavebear]

This weekend started really well got to go hunting with the familly.

Then it went wrong.

Now I am putting this thread here because it is all about having the right gear.

My familly got home just fine. Then the phone wrang. The wife of my best friend and hunter partner was on the other end. To make the long story shorter he never came home. He was due at 2pm and no show that night was his birthday party and still no show.

Now any of us and probably all of us have been late due to our vehicle or because we got one that took longer to get out then planned.
Well I loaded up the truck picked her up and headed in. Now It is crucial to tell people where you are going. I knew the rough area so knew where to start looking.

As 2:30am rolled around i was told he went for the same cat we ran a week ago. That one piece of info changed my hole search pattern from a vast area down to a 20 or 30 km.

With the help of two additional trucks filled with great people we located his truck with in the next 1 and 1/2. Unfortunatly what we all expected to find ie him and his partner sitting in a broke down truck, wasnt what we found. The truck was locked, no hunters no hounds!

So this is the gear part wether you think your going for 5 minutes or three days you always should have your emergency gear ie fir starter orange garbage bag for signaling and to help keep you dry, food water etc compass a light Wear the right gear for the terrain and the weath or potential weather. There has been a lot of talk about spots if you can afford i say buy it. Gps is graet but what happens when the batteries die or in the case of this weekends mishap it falls off and you loose it.

Needless to say that after about 35 hours exposed in heavy rain fog snow we finally found them safe but very cold and still pretty shook up.

THE RIGHT GEAR IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.

So to all stay safe and happy hunting, but take the right gear and tell someone where you are going!!!!!!!!!

[cavebear]

PS thanks to everyone that help bring them home safe this was not a one man job it was probably hundreds of people involved.

thanks to everyone:-D:-D:-D

[BlacktailStalker]

So now lets hear the story.

[cavebear]

OK, here it is

They headed out saturday morning into the very back of copper canyon area.
They dogs struck near the very top of the mountain. Now the last time we struck in this area the cat went along the crest and treed on the far side. This time however they went up over the top and down the backside, then over the next two ridges. The bulk of the time my buddy and his partner were following by sound. Well when he went to look at his gps it was gone somehow it had been lost on the way in. So now their out in no mans land and the reason he had went to look at the gps was because of the fog bank that rolled in making it impossible to see. Well the fog never lifted and now its night. Saturday it also rained hard all day so they are soaked and lost as they looked for somewhere to try and build a shelter they at somepoint found the dogs who also were not in the best of shape.

The area is so wet that it made it impossible to start a fire and keep it burning. So that night they huddled together with the dogs for as much warmth as they could under a small lean to. In the morning they got there barrings and made there way to a road around 2ish. Soaked cold hungry you name it.

Just happy that they are safe.

My story may not be exact but it is what i understand from the bits and pieces i have heard so far.

[bugbones]

All I can say is SPOT.SPOT. SPOT. This is the best thing to come along ever..
save thousands in search cost and save a lot of tears.
Buy one.

[Peters Wildlife]

Glad to hear it ended well!

[Spokerider]

Glad they got out safe and sound, and with the mutts too.
Can`t say it`ll never happen to me, but if it does, hopefully some of the things in my 28lb pack that I regularly curse, will help see me through the night.

[Mr. Dean]

Yeh, I can't say enough about S.P.O.T. For what they cost (Nothing in comparison to general hunting equipment), I can't see why everyone doesn't own one.


Glad it all worked out. :smile:

[shawnwells]

Glad they got out safe and sound, and with the mutts too.
Can`t say it`ll never happen to me, but if it does, hopefully some of the things in my 28lb pack that I regularly curse, will help see me through the night.
Hell ya man...you took the words right outta my mouth...

[cavebear]

bought a spot myself tuesday. Got the tracking package sent my wife a message from the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

its awsome :-D

[Squamch]

Yep, I went out in the bush once without my survival gear...that was the only time I ever had to spend the night...

[swampthing]

I pack a lot of crap and curse the weight of it as well. It does give me a secure feeling.

[Spokerider]

bought a spot myself tuesday. Got the tracking package sent my wife a message from the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

its awsome :-D

Yep, I`d like one too.........but, a SPOT won`t start a fire for you :wink:

[BimmerBob]

A GREAT reminder Cavebear! Thanks for passing it along and THANKS for being the guy you are and going out after your friend in the middle of a miserable night, glad it all worked out. I always carry too much but I am sure it won't be enough if I end up needing it...

[cavebear]

A GREAT reminder Cavebear! Thanks for passing it along and THANKS for being the guy you are and going out after your friend in the middle of a miserable night, glad it all worked out. I always carry too much but I am sure it won't be enough if I end up needing it...

Good hunting partners in my opinion are hard to come by. I am very lucky and have few, I would do the same thing for any of them and I know they do the same for me. :-D

[cavebear]

Yep, I`d like one too.........but, a SPOT won`t start a fire for you :wink:

ya but it can have someone bring warm coffee and gas for the truck! :-D

[landphil]

bought a spot myself tuesday. Got the tracking package sent my wife a message from the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

its awsome :-D

What, you communicating to your wife with no way for her to reply? :mrgreen:


Yep, I`d like one too.........but, a SPOT won`t start a fire for you :wink:
Yup, while it may be a very useful tool to get help on the way to the right location, it won't help you survive until help arrives, which could be measured in hours or perhaps days depending on weather.


ya but it can have someone bring warm coffee and gas for the truck! :-D
That's dandy when you need your broken leg splinted and to be air lifted out, eh?:wink:

[Walksalot]

It's the "IT Won't Happen To Me" syndrome. When I belonged to Search and Rescue it always amazed me how unprepared some people were for a survival situation.
Many moons ago I was out with my son and we were pulling a sneak on a deer. Playing the wind and taking advantage of the convolutions in the terrain to conceal our presence I stopped and asked him where the truck was. I hope that lesson is etched in is sub conscious.

[BCLongshot]

I'm glad everyone's okay.

I can't stand the "advice" from the roadhunter type mentality who really would never get lost anyways.

When these things happen boy do you ever have a bloody learning curve !

GPS and SPOT are great tools but you still have to have "fieldcraft".

The pack is a pain but it sure comes in handy when you need it.

Most guys have a pack......The box of their truck full of "stuff".

[NaStY]

Ya I always pack way to much crap. You just never know when your going to need it. :mrgreen:

Glad to hear everyone came out safe.