Show Basic can save life of hunter fly By John S. S Flannery Uintah 1 Fish and Game Magazine l Writer October 1957 The hunter fired a last cartridge cartridge car car- and the deer dropped It had been a real chase There was the flash Clash of a white while rump as the buck bounded for cover Enough time to get away a snap shot Then the splotch of blood and another farther on The hunter followed as rapidly as possible since darkness was coming within an hour The broke cover again Two more more shots with no apparent hits Then had come the shot across the open meadow as the buck watched It had taken every effort to still the rifle after aCter the exertion The bullet sped true and the hunter sat sal down for Cor a much needed rest As he sat he looked around the mountains around aroundhim aroundhim him hum were cold and alien in the fall Can sunset Oh well wen he thought it wont won't take lake long to get back to camp after aCter I clean cleanthis cleanthis cleanthis this deer He lie sat to work hurrying In minutes the deer was propped open and placed on a slope to drain The hunter wiped the knife blade on the grass replaced it in its sheath put the liver in a plastic bag and picked up his rifle Now for Cor the long trek back It Il must be at least a couple miles he said to himself Ill hurry and be in by the time lime Joe has supper ready He cut across the meadow and entered the pines the trail was almost Danged rocks Now it took a hand in front to keep the branches from jabbing in his eyes He walked into a bush The trail was gone He turned retraced his steps and found it it once more It Il headed downhill Then it branched He hadn't remembered that fork Cork He consoled himself Naturally he hadn't He lie had been coming from Crom the opposite direction and hadn't looked back The left fork Cork was the one he came in on Yep it must have been He strode forward then his steps faltered Maybe it hadn't been He He- hurried back to the fork Corl looked there again was nothing to indicate the way he had come It Il must have been the left leCt one It Il seemed to lead toward camp Camp was right under that high ridge Uncertainty slowed him was that the ridge It Il had to be Of or course it was He began moving towards the ridge at a n faster Caster gait The last ray of oC sunlight disappeared and the night chill penetrated his wool shirt The hunter began to trot pushing his way through the thrusting out-thrusting limbs He slopped stop slop ped Nothing looked familiar The trail was twisting away from Crom the ridge still going downhill That couldn't be bl right Sweat broke out on his Core forehead head Better Belter cut across to the right He dived into the thicket Branches tore at his clothes Twigs scratched at his face Cace lie He stumbled on until his wind ran out Exhausted he flopped Clopped to the ground his breath coming in noisy gasps Gotta calm down he said aloud Cant panic Im I'm not lost know just where I lam am The cold seized him He jumped to his feet Cant sit here and freeze to death gotta move move Soon the trees thinned He Ill crossed more and more clearings Often he ran stumbling cursing Once he Cellon fell Cell fellon fellon on a patch of oC jagged rocks There was sudden smarting pain in his knees and he forgot the dropped rifle He Ile rushed on frantic now In the darkness he failed Called to see the abyss His right foot Coot m met t only cold black air The echo of his scream bounced from Crom the canyon walls and faded WHAT WOULD you do if you suddenly found that you were lost lest Would you react as the hunter in this story did or would you stay calm and live Mach Each ach year throughout the Country people die in the wilds In m most t cases there is one reason for Cor their deaths death PANIC The cause of oC panic is simple They dont don't know what to do dowhen dowhen dowhen when they lose lase their bearings hearings Actually ly most of oC these people are not lost One of our early explorers once said he had never been lost even in a strange country He Ill had ju just t been confused for Cor a week or two Most of oC these people are merely confused Our hunter earlier in the article mentioned the location of oC camp under that high ridge he wasn't lost I If he had known what to do his hunt would have ended otherwise Had he stopped slopped to lo think and andrest andrest andrest rest at the first Inkling of confusion he would have lived Had he chosen a safe spot to build a fire and spend the night he would have lived There are few natural woodsmen In society today loday Most of us have had to lo acquire our skill through practice and the application of common commonsense sense Those who cant can't acquire this skill should quit while they are ahead They know within themselves who they are The rest should apply these simple rules 1 Observe Observe landmarks each lime time you leave the road 2 2 Inform your companions where you plan to hunt 3 3 Take a compass reading before beCore leaving camp and carry a pocket compass if necessary 4 Take matches in a waterproof case 5 5 Carry enough ammunition for Cor signaling purposes If It you are confuSed contused when darkness falls CaUs prepare some sort of oC shelter sheller or windbreak build a fire and make yourself comfortable until morning If you feel that searchers are out fire three shots at well spaced intervals to lead them to you Dont Don't waste ammunition however Dont Don't waste energy trying to bull l through the thickets and underbrush in the dark Keep active without getting sweaty and burning up too much energy Clean up your campsite improve your shelter sheller remove rocks from Crom the spot where you will sleep and prepare a bough or leaf leaC or pine needle bed Count your ammunition am am- Whittle Sing if iC you feel the urge Or pray Dont Don't leave your contrived shelter Next morning you'll be surprised how easy it is to find your way back to camp |