Armored farmer
Member
Cheap compass is pinned to the shoulder strap of my hunting bibs.
Cheap compass is pinned to the shoulder strap of my hunting bibs.
In the dark, looking for blood trails in the little circle if light from a flashlight can get you really lost in your own woods.Me too. It usually comes in handy when shooting a deer from high in a tree with an arrow. Take a compass reading of the last spot you see him by glancing down at the ball compass. When you get down on the ground, things look a lot different. It will lead you to the blood trail without searching in circles.
In the dark, looking for blood trails in the little circle if light from a flashlight can get you really lost in your own woods.
I know. I hate it too. I swear between the bifocals and the inability to see in the dark, i step on every stick in the woods.See, that's why I really prefer to bow hunt in the morning. I HATE tracking in the dark. Only thing, if a rifle doesn't kill DRT, you won't get the blood trail that you get with an arrow (or bolt in my case).
How about a zooming, lens flashlight? Mine goes from a spot to approximately 120° flood and illuminates surroundings pretty well. Then again, if I ever need to track a blood trail in the dark I've already screwed up royally...In the dark, looking for blood trails in the little circle if light from a flashlight can get you really lost in your own woods.
Most apps don't need cell service to work, just a view of the sky for the gps sats.I don't have cell service where I hunt so phone is out.
Ive got 3 boys. Those late night blood trails weren't always mine, but i have had a few.How about a zooming, lens flashlight? Mine goes from a spot to approximately 120° flood and illuminates surroundings pretty well. Then again, if I ever need to track a blood trail in the dark I've already screwed up royally...
I thought they still triangulate off multiple cell towers.Most apps don't need cell service to work, just a view of the sky for the gps sats.
I thought they still triangulate off multiple cell towers.
Moon and stars, the sun and a lensatic compass with glow in the dark dials.
If I lived in the flatlands, a GPS would be of limited value due to the forest canopy blocking the signal.
TOPO maps would be virtually useless as well.
Learning to use a compass, and dead reckoning would probably be your best bet.
Much of navigation is common sense. If I park my truck on a logging road that runs north and south, them enter the woods in a westerly direction, all I need to do if lost is head east. I might not get right exactly to the truck, but I will get to the road the truck is parked on.
Another little trick if you're hunting in the mountains.
Go downhill! sooner or later you'll cross a stream. Follow the stream down and sooner or later you'll cross a road. When you're on a road, you're not lost anymore.
Garmin GPS, gps watch, compass, and VFR. The Garmin has excellent battery life, and a spare is not out of the question. The GPS watch is for emergencies since when using the battery life goes fast. Compass is nice since it doesn't need batteries, but it only points one way.