Tracking a Wounded Deer

By Tom Remington

 

 

You’ve made the shot! Now what? Many times when we take a calculated shot at a deer, it falls nearly in its tracks. Other times we are not so fortunate.

 

I have heard hunters talk about a shot they made and never found the deer. As conscientious and ethical hunters, the last thing we want to do is leave a wounded or dead deer in the woods someplace because we couldn’t find it.

 

Sometimes when we make a shot it may not have the results we were hoping for - even what we would consider an easy shot. We are all human and at times shots get deflected or more often than not, our adrenalin rush forced a bad shot - or a not perfect shot.

 

After making your last shot and the deer did not drop where you can clearly see it, I would strongly recommend flagging the spot where you are standing. If you fired more than one shot and you moved in between shots, try to go back and flag the location of each shot. If you don’t carry flagging tape, I suggest you pick some up and put it in your pack.

 

Flagging the spot where you shot could be advantageous before the search is over. Many times when we are recounting the events that led up to the shot, the shot itself and finding your trophy, we realize we can’t remember the EXACT location of where you stood when you fired.

 

Knowing exactly where you stood when your fired your gun can be of great help in determining where a bullet may have gone, if not into a deer. Which brings me to the second thing you should do.

 

Locate the specific spot the deer was when you fired your shot or each shot to include them all. This is not always the easiest thing to do but I would suggest spending the time. Once you have marked the locations of where you fired from and where the deer was each time you fired, it can help you to determine several things.

 

Wounding a deer does not always provide telltale signs. I have killed deer before that never bled a drop of blood externally nor was there any visible hair at the site of the shooting. Other times, the blood trail is very obvious and easy to track. There is one thing I can guarantee you. Each and every time you shoot and hit a deer the blood trail or any other signs will never be the same.

 

If you can’t easily find a blood trail or any other signs that you have wounded the deer, take some time to align the location you were at when you shot with the spot where you think the deer stood. Look from all angles and directions and search carefully for broken small branches where a bullet may have hit and deflected. Also look for large trees you may have hit. Yes, we have all done it at one time or another. You need also to search for places where a bullet may have hit the ground and furrowed up the soil. If you find any of these, mark them with your flagging tape. Try to determine the outcome of each bullet that you fired.

 

Following a big trail of blood is easy. It’s the tiny specks that present a challenge but one that you have to undertake. Look for blood, hair and bone. All of these can give you clues as to where you may have hit the deer. Bright red blood often indicates a hit in the leg. Dark red blood may have come from the main body of the deer. Look at any hair closely. White hair comes mainly from the belly but there is white hair on many parts of the deer. Brown and grey hair comes mostly from the main torso area. A combination of blood color and hair color could help you to determine the location of a hit. Lastly, look for any bone fragments. Sometimes when a bullet enters a deer it hits a bone or bones and will shatter it. Sometimes pieces of the bone exit the deer and are found on the ground. This occurs mostly with a leg shot but not always. We all know there are exceptions to every rule.

 

When you find any of these indicators, mark them for future reference. You should know the general direction a deer ran when you fired at it. From the location of the first drops of blood and/or hair and bone, slowly and methodically work in the direction you think the deer went looking for any more signs. As you find them continue to mark them. Try not to disturb the area you are searching in. It is easy to cover up signs by flipping over a single leaf or stepping on a branch.

 

Don’t forget also in your search to look for blood and hair on bushes, shrubs or small trees. Sometimes a wounded deer, if running, will pump blood out and it will land on leaves and branches on brush, bushes, thickets, anything that is adjacent.

 

One of the mistakes young and inexperienced hunters will make is to get too excited and hurry off looking for the deer thinking they need to catch up to it. Deer will not run long distances even when completely healthy. They certainly are not going to run far if they have been wounded. Sometimes just sitting down and taking a break for 15 or 20 minutes will give the deer a chance to lay down and die. So, relax and do all the right things so you can go home at night knowing you did not leave a wounded or dying deer in the woods.

 

If you continue to mark each sign you have found and continue following the trail, you will eventually find your deer. This doesn’t always happen but more times than not it will. Don’t give up simply because there is no blood or hair or bones. Attempt to track the deer by following where it dug up leaves or earth when it ran away. If there is no blood trail, slowly follow these tracks and keep looking. Very often deer will not start bleeding until sometime after they have been hit.

 

The worst case scenario is when you have looked and looked and you can’t find any sign whatsoever that you have hit the deer. You have marked from where you fired to the location the deer was in when you fired. If all you have found is some tracks running away and you have marked those spots as well, continue trying to follow the tracks until the deer stops running. If you can do that, often a deer will run for a while, slow to a trot and eventually a walk and then stop. If you are adept enough to follow the tracks to where a deer stopped and stood, you may find some blood there. A deer may be bleeding so little that the only time it shows up is after it has stood in one spot for a while.

 

Scour an area thoroughly before giving up. Mark all the areas you have searched and only after you have exhausted every attempt at finding this deer, do you give up. I can relate a story that happened to a friend of mine while hunting together.

 

It was a foggy day when my buddy fired at a deer. He felt confident that he had hit the deer yet in his initial search he found no signs of the deer being hit. Still feeling as though he must have hit the deer, he continued his search with help from another fellow hunter. The search lasted long into the afternoon until just before dark, somehow a speck of blood no bigger than half the size of an eraser on a pencil was found on a brown leaf.

 

He marked that spot and began a methodical search that took hours. It was getting dark. I can say most people would have given it up - at least until the morning but he was determined to go to bed that night feeling he had done all he could.

 

We returned to our hunting camp only long enough to get flashlights, a Coleman lantern and a roll of toilet paper. With the Coleman lantern, a small piece of white tissue paper no larger than a dime shows up like a beacon.

 

With flashlights and lanterns we continued the search. A second drop of blood about the same size as the first was found about thirty feet away. We marked it and continued on. The search became somewhat easier in that we got a general idea of the direction the deer seemed to be headed - walking at this time by the way.

 

When we had gotten to the point where we were ready to give up the search, my friend suggested that me and another fellow hunter remain on the deer trail and he was going to take a flashlight and make a small circle around the edge of a small swale. Within five minutes, he yelled over that he had found the deer. A nice buck and he laid dead just on the other side of the swale.

 

In all my years of hunting, I have never seen anything quite like that. I learned a lot that day and night in our search for a wounded deer and we all went home knowing we had done everything we could.

 

 

 

Taking a Stand

By Tom Remington

 

Available in Audio

 

“Taking a stand” is an expression that is used in hunting in perhaps two different ways. For many hunters, it means going to your favorite location where you have erected your tree stand or blind and getting into it to wait for the trophy buck to come along. For others, including many Maine hunters, taking a stand means to locate yourself in a specific area and wait for that trophy deer to come by. That specific area is determined by occurrences that are taking place in the area you are hunting. Let me give you some examples of what I mean.

 

Morning breaks and you are headed for one of your favorite hunting spots and on the way in, you notice other hunters in the area. You think about it a minute and realize that often when this happens you know exactly where deer like to cross when pushed by other hunters. Another example may be when you are hunting with one, two or three other hunters and once you have discussed what each of the hunters in your party are going to do, you decide to go sit or wait at one of your favorite places you know deer travel through when hunted by other hunters.

 

Whatever the reasons are that you might decide to “take a stand”, you are not equipped with portable blind or tree stand - there is just you, your rifle, a survival pack and perhaps a “hot seat” to sit on. There are proper ways or should I say less intrusive ways to take a stand that will increase your chances at seeing or bagging a deer.

 

 

Deer, and especially the trophy bucks, are not stupid animals. They are much like us in that they are creatures of habit and what seems to have worked for them once or twice, their instincts will direct them in that same manner more often than not. You as a hunter need to learn what those habits are and apply them to your hunting strategies.

 

Here are a few examples of how deer might react under certain circumstances. When you hunt an area often, it shouldn’t take you too long to learn the layout of the land - deer know this layout better than you do. Remember what transpires each and every time you hunt in a particular section. If deer get pushed or jumped, where do the go? What direction were you traveling, what was the weather, what direction was the wind blowing and what was the time of day, just to name a few. This may seem like a lot of information to process but it is what makes hunting enjoyable. It is part of the chase.

 

By learning these bits of information, you can determine better how to hunt that area. If you know that under most circumstances when deer are pushed out of that area from hunting pressure, the deer escape via a well hidden ravine on the west end of the land it would only seem logical that that would be a good location to take a stand and wait.

 

Over time, you will discover some very rewarding places to take a stand. Perhaps that place will be a favorite knoll, ravine, crossing on an old logging road, ledge, swamp, field or next to an apple orchard. Wherever it is, once you get there, don’t ruin a good opportunity by not knowing how to take a stand.

 

I repeat, deer are not stupid nor are they blind. One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced hunters make in taking a stand is to remain in the open. Many times I have suggested to a fellow hunter to go to a particular spot on an old woods road and wait. When I arrive at that point, I find them standing smack dab in the middle of the road.

 

When taking a stand, you want to be able to see well enough to spot a deer and that can be accomplished without standing in the middle of the wide open area. Look around for a minute or two when you get there. You should have knowledge of what direction you think a deer might come and where the favorite crossing spot is. Assess the wind direction, sun, etc. and from that determine in what general area you should be, i.e.. put the wind in your face and sun to your back if you can.

 

Once you’ve determined in what general area you should take a stand, now is the time to find the best strategic spot available to you. Is there a bit of a rise or knoll that would give you a better view? If so, use it. Find a place on that rise where you can camouflage yourself with the natural surroundings. If you are standing alone in the open and a deer comes by, chances are that deer may not recognize you as a human and danger but it will more than likely determine that you are something that doesn’t belong there. The deer will turn and go in another direction and you are left looking like a fool.

 

Put your back to a clump of trees or underbrush. If you can put some small bushes in front of you - enough to help blend you into the surroundings without impeding your site to shoot. If you are going to sit down, find the spot and clean it up. Make it so any small movement on your part doesn’t create noise - deer have acute hearing. Sit in a manner that is conducive to making shooting more easily accomplished. What I mean by this is simple. The spot you are watching for deer is more than likely relatively small. Hopefully small enough so that you don’t have to keep turning your head from side to side - that’s too much movement. Sit so you can see and you can raise your rifle easily when needed.

 

If you opt to literally stand when you take your stand, again find a place where you are best camouflaged and clean the area where you will stand. Move the dry leaves and branches from under foot. The result should be a moist dirt area free of crackling leaves and twigs. Any movement by you of your feet should be silent. Stand in a position that affords you the best sight and when necessary you can raise your rifle to shoot with the least amount of movement - deer will spot the slightest amount of movement or noise on your part.

 

The bottom line is to use common sense. This is actually a game of hide and seek. The better you can hide yourself and at the same time making every effort to keep a clear vision for yourself, you are increasing your chances at success.

 

One last thing that I will add to this is to have patience. I know in my early years of hunting, I would take a stand somewhere and run out of patience. I would decide to move to another spot or get antsy and start shifting positions only to hear a deer running off in the other direction. The hunter with the most patience will in the end be the one that brings home the deer while your buddies, family and other hunters will be wondering why you and not them.

 

Happy hunting.

 

Are You Spooking the Deer on Your Way to Your Stand?

By Shane Gulbrandsen

The answer to this is, of course you are. And if they are not spooked, they are aware of your presence.

All the pre-scouting and work to get your stand just perfect, might well be all for nothing. Have you ever been on your way to your stand and seen tails fleeing or heard deer snorting? Sure you have, we all have.

Now you get in your stand and your confidence and excitement level is not the same as when you started out. After sitting awhile without seeing a deer, you start to doubt your chances and abandon your stand. If this sounds familiar you’re not alone.

This is something all deer hunters face and no sure-fire solution. I have taken many hunters to a stand over the years, as well as gone to a few stands myself. I have learned some things about how to increase your odds of the deer not knowing you’re in your stand.

There are many products on the market that help hunters get deer to come within sight - scents, calls, camo you name it, it is all for the same goal. The problem is if the deer already know you are there, you’re in for a long day.

Let me tell you about this one occurrence I observed. This one stand I was in is at least a half a mile from any road. It is solid bush and no clearings and you could hear the traffic go by. I had been in the stand about a half-hour, when this 11-point buck appeared. He was slowly walking and feeding without a care in the world. He could hear the traffic as well and paid no attention to it.

Then for some reason, a vehicle that I could hear heading down the road, started slowing down and eventually stopped. Now remember this is a half-mile away from me with solid timber the whole way.

As the vehicle slowed to a stop, the buck lifted his head and totally froze. There was a big broadleaf plant in his mouth and he even stopped chewing. The vehicle eventually started off again and the farther it went the more relaxed the buck got.
The buck eventually fed his way out of sight.

Now you may think that this is nothing new or no big deal but all this took place with the buck only 20 yards from me. He never had a clue I was there. He showed more attention to a sound a half mile away from him, without any concern that I was above him.

Just imagine that vehicle that stopped out at the road was me and I was on my way to the stand that I was already sitting in. Would that buck be in the area by the time I got to the stand? Would I be able to lure him back out with calls? Of course not, he would already be wise to what was going on. Whitetail deer (especially bucks) are creatures of habit and routine.

The plan years ago to get to a stand was to use the four-wheeler the majority of the way, then walk the rest. Makes sense right? Wrong!

In 1995 an older gentleman from New York was hunting with me. Getting off the four-wheeler and starting our walk in the dark was starting to get too much for the hunter. One morning he asked me to take him right to the stand with the four-wheeler. I stated that this would spook the deer and to walk in quiet would be best.

He then stated that we were probably spooking them more by trying to walk in quiet. He said to take him right to the stand but do not turn off the four-wheeler or shine a light up to the stand to help him see to get in. Once he was in the stand and set up, I was then and only then to get out of there.

The old fellow killed a good buck at first light that morning. He told me that evening that as soon as I left him he was watching the lights of the four-wheeler weave its way back through the bush when two bucks started to spar about 100-yards from him.

Now those bucks were probably sparring while we were on our way in and saw and heard the four-wheeler coming. They simply stopped and watched the four-wheeler come and then go and resumed their match. As daylight approached they had no idea the hunter was in the stand.

The 11 pointer I had watched from the stand that listened to the traffic, I had someone bring me to the stand with the four-wheeler that day. Once I was in the stand, the four-wheeler left. Eventually it got back to the road and I could hear it being loaded into the truck. I heard all of that and so did the deer.

If you can get the deer in your area to get accustomed to hearing a four-wheeler coming in and going out, I would bet that you would see more deer. To the deer when they hear you coming in, they think trouble is arriving. When the four-wheeler leaves, they think trouble has gone. Do not shut the motor off though. Let the deer concentrate on the bike.

My trail camera pictures also prove this method works. I have pictures of deer looking in the direction that I always approach when I come to exchange the card in the camera. Then I get photos of deer right after I have gone.

Try it this fall for yourself. Early in the year, start riding into your stand, sit a few minutes with the motor running then leave. The deer will get accustomed to this activity and you can figure they have you patterned. Have a friend bring you in to your stand when season starts. Maybe you can return the favor to your friend. I hope this helps someone get the trophy buck of there dreams.

Shane Gulbrandsen  www.gulbrandsenoutfitters.com

How to Remove Rust From a Gun

By Steven T. Remington

    Removing surface rust from a gun without damaging the finish can be quite tricky if you aren’t familiar with the process, but there are a couple easy methods that can be used that will save you time and energy. If the rust isn’t very bad you may only need to spend 5 minutes. If there is serious rusting it could take 20 minutes per day for a few weeks. Keeping your gun free of rust helps preserve your gun’s beauty and value, and it will help keep it functioning properly.

Here is how:

* Get your gun oil out. I sometimes use “Inhibitor” but whatever you normally use to lube up your guns to prevent rust. Also head on over to the Home Depot and pick up some fine steel wool. You will want to get 00 steel wool normally found in the paint department. Once you get those 2 things find a nice comfortable spot where the gun can lay down without being scratched if the gun should slide around a bit. Newspapers on a work bench or a towel will work fine.

* Check to see if your gun is loaded. If it is, unload it.

* Apply oil directly on and around any rust spots.

* Now apply oil onto the 00 steel wool and gently rub the rusty areas. You won’t need to rub hard just nice and softly working the wool back and forth.

* Have a rag handy and occasionally remove the oil and inspect the surface. The oil will turn brown if any of the rust is being removed. So wipe off the dirty oil occasionally and reapply clean oil onto rusty spots.

* Repeat as necessary until all the rust is gone. Sometimes you may want to lube up the gun and put it away for a couple of days and work at it again if the rust is real bad. Sometimes the outer surface of the rust needs to be loosened over time by the oil.

* This process will not harm the “bluing” on your rifle. Just be sure to not scrub so hard you’ll scratch the finish. Firmly is fine, but remember it isn’t necessarily strength that will remove the rust, but rather persistence, patience, and time.

*Once you remove all the rust, make sure to coat all steel surfaces of your gun with oil, using a clean rag, after each use.

 

By Steven Remington

 

Nine Survival Tips if Ever Lost in the Woods

By Steven T. Remington

We all enjoy getting out in the woods and searching for game. Our thoughts of coming up victorious are in the forefront of our minds throughout the season, but are we prepared for the worst case scenerio? Usually the times when we are unprepared is when we least expect it. Make sure you hope for the best experiences while at the same time expect the worst. Below are 9 basic survival tips when lost in the woods. If you remember these tips your chances of survival will increase dramatically if ever you become lost while in the woods.

1) Stay Together!
DO NOT separate if you are with a friend or even a pet. A friend or a dog can provide body heat for one another in colder temperatures. You are able to cuddle up and stay warm. Do not let a dog loose, but keep them close by. Companionship is also important. A lot of times people act strange while alone and lost and are quicker to make irrational decisions. You and your friend have a better chance of surviving by keeping each other in check and bouncing ideas off each other.

2) Stay in one place or area.
DO NOT WANDER! This is the most important rule. If you can walk away from reading this list and are able to remember just one of these survival tips, please remember this one. When you wander around you are almost impossible to find. The reason is that those searching for missing people move very slowly while searching for clues and if you are constantly on the move then it becomes difficult to catch up to you. Sometimes surviving depends on hours, or even minutes. Another reason for not wandering is the great possibility of falling and getting hurt. When you are lost and then become hurt you can become hopeless and it is quite a tragic event.

3) Keep Warm.
Keep warm with the clothes you are currently wearing. Never shed any clothes! Look for exposed skin such as fingers, neck, and even your face. Try to find ways to cover these parts even if they don’t feel cold at the time. This strategy is not to “become” warm BUT to “remain” warm. If you are wearing a jacket, make sure it stays zipped. Though you may feel more warm than desirable the heat may save your life in near future encounters with changing weather temperatures and conditions.

Try to keep moving by collecting brush, branches, and leaves. Later it can be used to stay warm while you sleep. Try not to over exert yourself. The key is to keep moving so you keep your blood flowing through your body so you can remain warm, and at the same time not tire yourself. Make sure to keep your eyes open for any possible searches if you choose any little projects.

A good tip learned the hard way is to watch out for shoe laces. Branches have a tricky way of sticking into the tied laces and undoing them. Double knot your laces. If you lose a shoe for just a few seconds, your toes may never find warmth again until you are found. The most important article of clothing is a hat. If you do not have a hat try to find something that will cover up your head as best as you can. Over 70% of all your body heat escapes through your head.

4) Find a Cozy Waiting Place, Not a Hiding Place.
A cozy waiting place means, a warm place out of the wind and rain but not a place where people searching for you can not see you. Find a large tree and remain still. If you jump into thickets or bushes it is quite possible searchers will walk right by you.

5) Put Out Something Bright.
While you sit and stay warm, put out something bright to make searchers aware of where you are. We don’t expect you to create an entire camp from scratch but make a flag using what you have. Try not to take off any clothes to make your flag. It is important for you to keep your clothes on to remain warm. Some suggestions offered by trained search and rescuers are white paper, money, hair ribbons, a strip from an orange garbage bag, etc.

Also what has helped in past situations is spell the word “HELP” or “SOS” on the ground using rocks and sticks or even make a large arrow with them, pointing to where you are. Do anything that will attract attention to where you are.

6) Look For Searchers.
In previous situations people who become lost give up hope and forget people are searching for them. Always expect searchers to be coming and begin looking for them. If possible, your waiting place should be near an open space. When you hear someone coming, move to the middle of the clearing and call. Never run in the direction of the noise. Let them come to you. If it is an aircraft you heard, lie down so the pilot has a bigger target to look at. Then wave with both your arms and legs, like making an angel in the snow. Stand up immediately after the aircraft has passed because the ground can be very cold.

7) Do Not Lie on the Bare Ground.
The only exception to this rule is when an aircraft is flying above you, so laying on the cold ground for a very short period of time, attracting attention, will be more beneficial. Being in direct contact with the ground for any length of time is dangerous. The cold ground will steal your body heat from you. Build a mattress using available materials such as branches, moss, leaves, etc. Try to make the mattress as thick as the one you sleep on at home! After the mattress is completed, gather the same amount or more, of the same material and use it for the blankets. This is called a survival bed.

Do Not Eat Anything you are not sure of.
Do not eat any berries, mushrooms or anything else unless you are 100% sure what they are. Being hungry is not as bad as compared with being violently sick. Even field experts have made mistakes by not properly identifying wild berries. In turn, this can be fatal. If it doesn’t directly kill you, it can inhibit your chances of staying warm, being found, and making rational decisions. And remember, there won’t be anyone there to look after you. You can go without food for a long time, but you cannot go without water.

9) Stay Away from Large Rivers and Lakes.
You must have drinking water to survive, but be careful where you get it from. Do not go near any large bodies of water. Instead, drink from a water supply that is smaller than you are, so you can not fall in. Another source of water can be found on leaves in the form of dew.

By Steven T Remington

Outdoor Navigation Tips

By George G. Spearing

 

Hunting or hiking, particularly in remote areas, is a great experience if approached with due regard for fitness, safety and skill.
One of the major skill categories, is the ability to navigate with or without compass and map. Ideally, no one should head off the beaten track without map or compass, but what if you find yourself in that situation, or you lose or damage your compass?
Here are a few basic ‘skills’ that could one day be of use to you.

Finding direction by using your watch…
If you have a watch that is working correctly, you can always quickly determine the points of the compass as long as the position of the sun is visible.
The method used varies depending upon which hemisphere (northern or southern) that you happen to be living in. The following methods are described using an analog watch, (that’s a watch with an hour and a minute hand) but they can be applied just as well if you own a digital watch – just use your imagination to superimpose the 12 hourly numerals and the relevant position of the ‘hour hand’ on the face of your digital watch.

Northern Hemisphere
Holding your watch horizontally, point the ‘hour hand’ of your watch at the sun.
Note the direction that lies exactly midway between the ‘hour hand’ and the numeral twelve on your watch. This will be south.
Once you have established this, it will be easy to determine the other points of the compass.

Southern Hemisphere
Holding your watch horizontally, point the numeral twelve on your watch at the sun.
Note the direction that lies exactly midway between the twelve and the ‘hour hand’.
This will be north.
These methods will give you a good approximation of compass direction.
If your watch happens to be adjusted for daylight saving at the time, then ‘remove’ the daylight saving for greater accuracy.

Another method of determining compass points can be used if you do not have a watch. This method takes longer and also requires enough sunlight to cast a shadow…

To find North without a watch
Before noon, on level terrain, position a stick of about 3ft upright into the ground.
Mark the tip of its shadow with a peg or stone.
Using the tip of the shadow as a radius, draw an arc around the stick.
The shadow will shorten as it approaches noon, pulling back from the arc. It will then lengthen again - where the afternoon shadow once again touches the arc, place another peg or stone.
Now draw a straight line between the two pegs/stones - this will be an East/West line, with the first peg being in the westerly direction.
You can now draw a North/South line at right angles to the East/West line.

The following (less accurate) method can also be used at any time of the day without drawing an arc…
Peg the tip of the first shadow, then about 20min later peg the tip of the moved shadow. Draw a straight line between the two pegs, and this will be an approximately East/West line, with the first peg again being the westerly one.

A typical error when lost is a tendency to wander off what you may think is a straight line bearing, sometimes even slowly circling back on yourself.
To prevent this, note an object (tree, rock, terrain feature) that lies directly ahead of you in the direction you wish to travel, then aim for it. When you reach it, take another bearing on the direction you wish to head, sight another object directly ahead of you and repeat the process.
In areas of restricted distance visibility, you may have to repeat this quite often over short ‘legs’ to ensure that you are remaining on course.

Keeping a course by the clouds…
What if it’s a cloudy day with no sun visible to get a bearing on, or the bush canopy prevents you getting a clear “shot” at the sun?
Well, if you’re lucky, it may be windy with the clouds moving in a constant direction - note the directional flow of the clouds, and adjust your course relevant to their direction.
e.g., If the clouds are moving from your front from right to left over your shoulders, keep them there, at the same time, sight an object straight ahead of you and head for it.
To retrace your steps in the same general direction, just do an about turn, then keep the clouds moving from behind and now left to right over your shoulders, and repeat the process.

As another example of ‘cloud navigation’, once, when moving inland through dense bush away from a coastal beach, I eventually decided to retrace my steps to where I’d left my kayak. Surrounded by dense undergrowth and trees, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any idea in which direction the coast lay.
Before entering the tree line, I’d noted that the clouds were moving in a direct line from the trees to the coastline – it was just a simple matter then of looking up and following the direction of the clouds to enable myself to head in the correct general direction and once again access the beach.

Being aware of your surroundings will often pay off, so try to cultivate that habit.

George Spearing is author of, “Dances With Marmots – A Pacific Crest Trail Adventure”
ISBN:1411656180
http://www.danceswithmarmots.com

Masking Your Scent

By Tony Middleton

A lot of folks spend a lot of money in an attempt to mask their scent. A cheap way to do that is to pick some foliage from the area you’re going to hunt and put it in a clothing bag along with your hunting clothes. They’ll absorb the smell of the plants into the material.

Gun Identification

By A. Sayward Lamb

#1 To insure a positive identification of your guns, simply remove the butt-plate and inscribe either your name or a number that would prove you are the owner of that gun. Replace the butt-plate and no one else will know that you have this I.D. Be sure to write down and save what you have used for this method of identification.

#2 Be sure to write down and save the Serial numbers of each of your guns. This list will be very helpful if you ever have to prove ownership of that gun. Save the list in a secure location where it can’t be easily stolen or lost in a fire.

First Aid

© 2003, GL Benton

As I looked down at the young man lying on the forest floor, I could see the pain in his dark eyes. His skin color was pale, his words where mixture of fear and anxiety, and his breathing was rapid. I quickly looked around the area and determined his injury, a possible fracture of the right leg, was the result of falling from a ledge approximately six feet above us. I knew, from the symptoms, he was suffering from shock. Shock is a condition that results when the circulation of blood is inadequate for the oxygen needs of the body’s tissues. What this means in a nutshell is a lack of oxygen to cells, which may result in cell death, and eventually it could lead to the death of the casualty.
Knowing the importance of reassuring the victim, I kneeled and spoke in a firm but kind voice to him. I kept talking to him as I determined his right leg appeared to be broken. I joked with him a little as I started treating his injury. I assured him that help was on the way, asked him about his pain, and eventually got him to talking about his new child. My goals of take charge, assess, and assure, had been met. Three days later I past him in the building we worked in. He had survived.

One aspect of the outdoors most of us pay little attention to is first aid. Why? I suggest that most of us think injuries will always happen to you, but not me. In psychology we call that attitude denial. It is an “it will never happen to me” attitude, and it is a very dangerous stance to have in the woods. See, all of us will sustain some type of injury eventually if we spend much time out of doors. It just happens.

Now, most of our injuries will be scrapes, shallow cuts, a fishhook in a thumb, or perhaps a small burn. These are easy to take care of and they usually never lead to larger problems. However, it is important to remember that the key in any emergency treatment is a two-step process (injury treatment and shock treatment).

First, you must determine the extent of the injuries and ask yourself if you are qualified to treat them? Obviously, if someone is seriously injured or near death, you may be out of your level of treatment. Nonetheless, in any situation you can do some things to assist the victim until help arrives. In a remote location during a survival situation you may be all the help that will be available for some time. No, you should never attempt any medical treatment you are not qualified to do, nor should you sit on your duff and cry the “poor me” song out over and over.

Your first step should be to assess the injury or illness. Take charge. But, keep in mind the most qualified individual should be in control. If someone on the scene is more qualified than you, let that person control the situation.

If you are the one to control the emergency, ask yourself the following questions;

First, is there still a danger in the area. Look around and ask yourself, what cause the injury and is it still able to hurt someone? This is important if the injury is the result of an electrical source, wild animal, human assault, weather, or other situations. I cannot cover all possible situations, but evaluate the cause first. You do not want to become the second or third victim of a mishap.

Second, is the injury life threatening? If not, it is a very simple process usually to treat the injured person. You can determine if the injury is serious by checking for breathing and pulse. Even if the victim is conscious, be cautious. Some injuries will not show all of their symptoms until later. Treat all victims for shock, which is covered further along in this article.

When you approach a casualty look to see if they are breathing or choking. If breathing is not a problem, check to determine if there might be neck or spinal injuries. Is the body bent at an awkward angle? Is there a loss of feeling in the spin or neck area? Is there intense pain in one or both of those areas? Do not lift or move the victim until you are able to determine the extent of injuries. If you remotely suspect a neck or spinal injury, do not move the casualty. Make them comfortable in place, if it is not life threatening to do so. At any rate, always remember your a, b, c’s….Check the airway, the breathing, and the circulation (abc).

Now, I cannot cover every type of emergency you could be faced with, but I will suggest you purchase a good quality first aid book and keep it on you at all times in the bush. You may never know when you will need it. If you suspect spinal or neck injuries, seek medical assistance immediately. But, while you wait there are some things you can do.

In any painful or frightening situation you may encounter a victim going into shock (Just like the man in my opening paragraph). Early signs of shock are,

-Pale skin, lips may have lost color
-Cold, clammy skin
-Restlessness
-Weakness
-Increased rate of breathing or a shallow rapid pulse
-Anxiety
-Severe thirst or vomiting
-Confusion

In the later stages of shock the victim may

-Show no interest or be unresponsive
-May lapse into unconsciousness
-Have vacant or sunken eyes

In all cases of shock you should do the following

-Reassure the casualty. Speak to them often and in an assuring voice. Keep your own wits about you and do not panic. You patient will know immediately if you lose control.
-Cover the individual to maintain body temperature. Remember to cover both over and under the injured person. Also, protect them, if possible, from the elements.
-If no spinal or neck injury, elevate the persons feet approximately one foot.
-Loosen all clothing. The key here is to improve blood circulation to all tissue, especially the vital organs.
-Do NOT give any food or water. Remember, there may be internal injuries and in that case food or water could cause problems.

If the casualty is unconscious and you do not suspect spine or neck injuries, you can place them in a “recovery” position until help arrives. This is done by raising the persons closest arm above the head as you prepare to roll the individual towards you. Guarding the head, rotate the entire body toward you as one unit. Place the individuals other hand under their chin to maintain a clear airway. By doing this you will assist in keeping the head tilted slightly in the event the injured vomits.

All of the stuff above is a bit scary, but it can and must be done in serious cases. However, in most day-to-day situations you will be back to fishing, hunting, camping, or hiking in no time. Keep in mind that the most common injuries are cuts, bruises, and scrapes.

In cases of open wounds, cuts and scrapes, make sure you clean the injured area. I care a first aid kid with items to clean and bandage open wounds. I usually use plain old soap and water to clean with, treat with a disinfectant, and then cover with a bandage. There, good as new! The key here is to clean the injured area and to cover it, to avoid infections. Small cuts and scrapes can become very serious if they become infected. And, very few of us are really that clean in the woods.

Another common day-to-day injury in the woods are burns. Most of the burns you sustain will be small burns, usually the result of picking up a hot lid to a pan or from touching a smoldering piece of wood. This type of burn is usually classified as a 1st degree burn and while painful, it is a minor injury.

A 2nd degree burn is identified by redness and the formation of blisters. This type of burn is serious and can be life threatening if large areas of the body are affected. Both the 1st and 2nd degree burn can be treated with cool water. This will lessen the pain and assist to lessen the amount of damaged tissue. Keep in mind that in the case of a 2nd degree burn, if the burn covers a large area it may not be possible to immerse the injury in cool water. In all burns, except minor 1st degree burns seek medical treatment immediately.

The last type of burn is a 3rd degree burn and it is by far the worse. The burned area will be charred or black in color. Surprisingly there may be little pain at first due to severe nerve damage. Use cool CLEAN water to treat the injury and cover the injury with a lint free cloth. Seek medical attention immediately! Keep in mind to treat for shock as well.

Most of us will cover many miles and sleep many nights in wilds of the world. We are usually as safe there as we are in our own bedrooms. But, just like at home, at times things can happen. Some of these things that occur cause bones to break, blood to flow, and skin to burn. You must know what to do and do it when the need arises. Remember to take charge, assess and assure. Be in control, evaluate the environment for other dangers, and assure your casualty that all is well. Treat the injury and then treat for shock.

By following my simple guidelines, reading more on first aid, taking course offered by the Red Cross or other organizations, you too can develop the knowledge needed to treat all types of injuries. Plan for the worse and expect it. Know that things can go wrong and usually will at the most inconvenient time. Remember, through preparation you too can be a survivor!

One aspect of this article that is important to remember is that these steps are for use in only in emergency situations until qualified help arrives. If you must apply any first aid, or use survival techniques, do so with extreme caution. The results of your actions will be yours and no one else’s. And, remember, no two emergency situations are ever the same. So, it would be foolish of me to give you the impression that I have all the answers. I do not. Only the person on the scene can accurately make the difficult calls that are often made in emergencies. The whole purpose of these articles is to stimulate your thought processes and to motivate you to learn more. I hope we have succeeded. Learn to Survive!

Stay safe and take care, I’ll see y’all on the trail.

Gary is a retired US military sergeant with over 26 years of active duty. He spent 12 of those years teaching parachuting procedures and survival skills.

Field Dressing a Deer

By Anonymous

 

There may have been years worth of work that has gone into bagging your first deer and not always are you fortunate to have someone with you that first time that can teach you how to field-dress a deer. The following directions are the basics of field dressing. Please keep in mind that everyone has his or her own favorite way to do this. Many prefer to completely dress the animal in the woods and others choose to “field” dress and finish the job when they get back home. The option is really yours and where you prefer to be. Personally, I like to do as much as I can in the woods.

 

Having someone with you to assist makes the job easier but I will assume that you are alone with your prize.

1. Locate a spot in the woods that can be beneficial to you. Most prefer to dress a deer on a bit of a downhill grade, so if that is not an option, look for a slight rise in the nearby terrain and drag the deer there. You can use the grade off one side of the rise.

2. The single most important thing that you want to focus on is not cutting into the “ponch”. The ponch is the stomach and intestines. Rupturing those can be messy and the odor sometimes is overpowering so work slowly and methodically.

 

3. If you can position the deer on its back that would be helpful. Again, if you are alone use your dragging rope to assist in tying the deer into position. Don’t be bashful. I find that if I straddle the deer’s head and hold its front legs apart with my knees, it affords me room and keeps both hands free to cut. If you have rope, use it to hold the deer’s two front legs apart.

4. You will find that the dead weight of the animal can be difficult to handle so be patient. The lower part of the deer will be rolled to one side or the other. Starting at the chest area and working toward the butt of the deer is easiest and at a point you need to move from your straddle position at the head to the rear.

5. Start at the chest. Find the point where the rib cage joins together and with one hand grab the hair and skin and lift it up and away from the stomach cavity. With the other hand, use your knife, and you better hope it is sharp, and begin cutting the hide being careful not to go too deep. As you cut, you will find that there is the layer of the hide and directly under that is a thin muscle area that protects the stomach and intestines. Go ahead and carefully cut that as well.

6. Move from the point of the rib cage toward the rear. Approximately 2/3 to ¾ of the way down the torso you will need to switch ends and move down and hold the hind legs apart as you finish opening the deer. The farther you get away from the rib cage, the easier it is to hold the hide and inner muscle layer up and away from the ponch.

7. If the deer you have shot is a buck, you will soon come to its testicles. Choose one side or the other to cut around but eventually you will remove those from the deer. Continue cutting and slice the hide all the way to the anus.

8. This is where most hunters have differing opinions as to what to do next. Most are correct – just different approaches. Hopefully you have succeeded in keeping the stomach in one piece. There are two more things that you need to keep tabs on and work hard not to rupture if possible as some contamination could occur. One is the bladder, the other is the intestines. Many times both will have matter contained in them. Assume that they do.

9. Roll the deer onto one side with the opening you have just made in the body cavity facing downhill. This will require loosening or retying your ropes if you are using them. Let the guts roll out onto the ground along with the blood that has collected in the body cavity. You will now need to get down and get dirty. Reach up into the chest cavity until you find the esophagus. That is the “pipe-like” tube coming from the throat to the deer’s stomach. Once you have found it, reach in with the other hand and a knife and cut it off. This will release the majority of the guts and the intestines will still be connected to the rectum.

10. While holding the hind legs of the deer apart, take your knife and finish removing the testicles. Once that is done, continue cutting with your knife into the meaty part between the hind legs until you strike bone.

11. Move to the very rear end of the deer and locate the anus. Like a fine surgeon, carefully cut around the anus. If you follow the anus through the cavity located between the deer’s hind legs, you would discover that the intestines connect to the anus. If you are careful you can continue to cut around the anus moving deeper and deeper at the same time lightly tugging at the intestines still connected to the guts you have rolled onto the ground. Once successful, you will be able to remove the anus in one piece still connected to the intestines. Some hunters will cut the intestines to finish removing the guts before they remove the rectum and anus. If you choose this option, be as careful as you can not to get deer feces inside the deer cavity. If you have shot a doe, remove the female organs with the rectum and anus.

12. Next, the bladder should be removed. When you removed the testicles of the buck or female organs of a doe, you cut the tube that carries the urine from the bladder. At the end of the bladder toward the head of the deer, is another tube that enters the bladder. Cut it off being as careful as you can not to rupture or spill urine into the cavity. With both tubes cut try to remove the bladder by holding both tubes to prevent urine from escaping.

13. All that is left is the diaphragm and the lungs that you will find deep up inside the chest cavity. You will need reach up inside and cut through the diaphragm to gain access to the lungs. The furthest reach you will have is to locate the windpipe and cut it off. Once that is done the lungs and diaphragm come out quite easily.

That is pretty much it. Again some hunters prefer to only remove the ponch and finish the job later. That’s up to you. If you have access to water, it is helpful to be able to rinse off yourself and some opt to rinse the inside of the deer cavity as well. Some will do it well when they get home.

A couple more helpful hints: Carry some extra paper towel sheets with you or I carry baby wipes. They can clean up a lot of things and I often use them as toilet paper. Also, once the deer has been gutted, I like to roll the deer into a spread eagle position and leave it while I clean up etc. and let a lot of the blood in the cavity drain before it clots.

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