If your hunting trips or hiking experiences begin where the last dirt road ends you need to consider some rather unpleasant possibilities before heading into the field.  On a sunny day it's all easy.  You can usually tell what direction you're going by comparing your watch and the position of the sun.  You feel that if you can walk in you can walk out too.  Between the two your confidence level is probably pretty high, and it should be.  There's both great beauty and monster game just over that next hill.  We all believe that and we are rarely disappointed.  It is beautiful and the game is there.  It doesn't take much to turn a fine day hunting or hiking into a potential disaster.
     I hunt the southern tier of New York for deer, usually on public land.  The plots are relatively small at two thousand acres or so.  It seems quite safe.  Usually it is.  When the clouds drift in and it begins to snow I personally have become disoriented to the point that I swore my compass was wrong!  I was so convinced that it was wrong that I decided it must have been being influenced by the steel in my shotgun.  Never mind that it had worked perfectly well when the sun was out.  I finally decided that the compass was right and managed to find my way out.  What if I'd lost the compass?  Even in the southern tier it would not have been pretty.  I was within one half mile of my truck but I had no shelter, no water and no food and it was getting dark and snowing harder all the time.  In the past we've driven deer on foot through swamps and thick tangles for two or three miles without crossing a road.  In either case if I'd hurt myself in a way that made it difficult or impossible to walk I would have been in serious trouble.  Usually someone from camp knows generally where we are when we hunt.  Could they find you or me before dark if something unexpected happened?  Even if you told people exactly where you were going, "Back in on top of the old burying ground.” means different things to different people.
     If I'm ever fortunate enough to hike or hunt the places some of you have right outside your back doors I will learn from my experiences and carry survival gear.  A minimum of food, water, an emergency shelter and a way to make fire are essential.  If you wear glasses pack a pair in the survival pack.  If you can’t read the compass it is not going to help you get home.  The further from the road you go the more equipment you should carry.  First aid gear should also be considered.  Antibiotics and bandages, applied at the time of the injury, can not only help stop the bleeding, but can also prevent a nasty infection later.  Common over the counter drugs can make your wait more pleasant.  A spare compass and a signaling device of some sort should be packed.  If you have ever been involved in a search for a missing person you know how difficult it can be to find a man in the woods so something bright colored to help searchers find you would be a good idea.  A spare flashlight can be a lifesaver if it's the kind that does not need batteries.  Finally some way to pass the time might help.  People who have been lost in the woods tell me the waiting is the hardest part.
     All of the above will not do you any good if what should be there is not there when you need it.  I will use an entirely separate pack to carry the survival gear I choose to take along and never tell anyone what is in it until they need to know.  You should consider doing the same to keep some helpful person from taking vital elements out of the pack.  There are commercial survival kits available if you do not have the time or interest to build your own.  Take a look at one of them to get the list of what’s in there so you can build your own.  If you buy one check it carefully to make certain everything you might need is in it.  Be sure to add personal necessities like spare eyeglasses and prescription drugs.
When you head into the woods, maximize your chances of getting back out safely.  Take a compass reading and a good look around for landmarks before you leave your vehicle.  Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.  Carry your cell phone if there's any chance of coverage in the area you intend to visit.  Please never go out into the great beyond without enough survival gear to keep yourself alive until the searchers find you.  Happy hiking and good luck hunting.



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