Due to my getting lost and twice visiting the hog pen, I carried a compass after that. Would have gotten lost in the rocky hills around Bandera. And, I shot a huge buck back in NE Louisiana just as the light started to fail. I found the buck, who had gone into some really heavy brush in thick woods. I marked the trail with toilet paper when I walked out to get the ATV. I was able to get the ATV across a slough and to the buck. By then it was dark as the inside of a cow. Got the buck hooked up to drag, since he was way too big to get on the ATV rack, and started out. Lost the TP trail and had no idea what direction it was to the road. I had to go east to find the North South road. I had to trust the compass, even when my judgement said I was going in the wrong direction. The compass was right. My judgement was wrong. The buck weighed 280 pounds at the back end of the rut. Probably 300+ prior to the rut.

Trust the compass.

You need a real Garmin GPS. Phones need a tower but not this.

new phones dont, They have a gps chip.

Had an older Garmin handheld. It was great, loaded GPS coordinates before Colorado fishing trips and drove Ranger or hiked right to them. I just got a Garmin watch and it does the same thing, and more. For something you wear on your wrist it does a lot.

because you know how to pull a 10 pt MGRS grid and figure it out or a back azimuth? You shoukd teach a class.

ditto, look at a map a head of time and you can see where most drainages end up.

With that said learning night nav was fun in school. Ive gotten to lazy with my phone,

Very few places left any more that you cant walk out of, with out hitting a road in a few miles.

Now we have an expert here on the subject. Ever put tracking stuff on your equipment?

Txhntr still sitting on that spot waiting on you (I know that was turned around more than lost but still a FUNNY story)

Never lost or disoriented........quite bewildered a couple of times

Like an Ewok all alone.

Lol, Ya lost my reference coming out of that bowl. We did a mini circle some how between the creek and a ridge line finger and end back on our previous track. I still laugh about that. Also same day we bugled in that mountain lion.

Think we did a 10 mile rectangle that day. But ya no where near lost. We could of just dropped back in to creek and took it back up to head waters where truck was, i self corrected back to top of ridge line and hunted it back to truck

I realized exactly what I did pretty quick, but I damn sure wasn’t going to admit it.

I would never in a million years guess that someone who chooses to live in the middle of 10 million people (DFW) would get lost out in the woods.....

The Crossfit and Kuiu saved you.

Comparing the panhandle or the mountains to creek bottoms is foolish, right before I got lost I was in Colorado elk hunting. Bivy hunted for 6 days and walked right back to the truck. It’s a bit different when you’re in flat bottoms.

I’d never in a million years guess some dbag that’s never left his back yard has never gotten turned around.


Your good fence saved you

Who said I never left the house? At least I'm not so paranoid/embarrassed to tell people where I live.

Everyone I know is proud of where they are from. I kind of feel sorry for you, life is too short to be embarrassed.

talking to me?

Do you willingly live in the middle of 10 million people, do Crossfit/Urban fad workouts and wear high dollsr name brand camo?

Maybe......🤣

Im in NM waiting on GW to come seal my bear I just packed out. Since end of Aug, I’ve already hunted 24 days. CO Bighorn sheep, CO elk, NM bear and about to head to my ranch to hunt Pronghorns, Mulies and maybe I can kill another elk if there are any still hanging out.

have fun with you piggies country boy


And for the record my Wendy Allen chinks I've been wearing all week cost way more then my sitka rain jacket. Lol.

Fat boy I’ve told you were I live. I’ve actually said come on over so I can drag your rear around.

75489 I’ll meet you at the feed store. If they don’t put you in the hog pen.

I grew up on 2500 acres up north, from the time I was 5 I was in the woods with my brothers and cousins running the woods. Was taught right away to know the moon and the stars placement and to “feel” where you are at and where you came from. Was 7 years old and hunting coons with dogs, sometimes all night. Had a flashlight, wax covered matches, compass, knife and a gun. The dogs and I would get tired, I’d find a place to make camp, get a fire going, cook some coon meat and then sleep with the dogs until sunup. My momma always said for me careful and my grandpa and Dad told me to use my head whenever I took off. Been doing it ever since.

I’ve never been lost. Always calm about the situation and keep an eye on landmarks and the moon and stars. It’s hard to explain that “feeling” of knowing where you are and where you want to get to but I’m sure a few of you know what I’m talking about.

Cool story, but overcast and cloudy without technology is very difficult to navigate.

For some I’m sure it is. Probably has a large part on why they get lost.

Awesome maybe one day you can live up there if that's what you really enjoy. I personally dont want to live 15 hours from what I love to do. After spending all that time in the mountains breathing fresh air and seeing nothing but beautiful scenery it would be impossible for me to go back to the middle of concrete/traffic/10 million people and try to resume what some call "life".

This reminds me of the guys you see up in North Texas/Oklahoma with "Salt Life" decals on their truck. "Ya bro I love the salt". Even though it's 12 hours away.....lol