Getting Lost

[hunt or be hunted]

Gday

This might be a bit of a silly question but I will ask anyway.

Where I hunt goats its all bush and fairly hilly. A few times I have been following a mob only to realise its time to head back and find myself saying...which way is back? Luckily each time I have made it back safely but its only a matter of time before I get real lost and spend the night out there.

So what I have been doing lately is sticking to the tracks that run through the place but I have found that if I am going to get something then I will have to go off road and scout new areas.

There's no real point tieing something to the tree's as I go because I dont cover the same footsteps on the way back. I am getting a GPS next weekend or the one after so all this will solved then but I'll be going out into the scrub before then so is there any way of finding my way back to a certain spot without a GPS?
I take note of gullies and things but if I walk in a circle I rarely go past the same spots.

I'll be going out there in a couple of hours I hope so any quick replys would be great.


Hope this makes sense to you.



Cheers Dan.

[jindydiver]

There are no short cuts to learning how to navigate. Spend time looking at a map and learn the "lay of the land" before you go and you can come up with a plan for in case you get lost enough you can't find your way back to an area you already know.
Take a map and compass with you :)

[hunt or be hunted]

Thanks Jindy.

I guess it will take time to get to know the area well.

I think I will just take it easy today and wait till I get a GPS before I start to do full day hunts out there on my own.


Dan.

[Paul R]

Try and take notice of which general direction your heading in Dan, North, south East or West. We usually hunt in the mornings and afternoon so finding the general direction of east or west with the rising or setting sun is quite straight forward. If your hunting in the afternoon then you should have an idea of what direction west lies when you start out and you can use that information to help you find your way back, same goes for the morning and east.
Fence lines can also help you make your way back to familar ground, I've followed many a boundary fence to help find my way out, or to get back faster without battling thick scrub. Eventually fences will lead you back to gates and tracks, it's just that sometimes eventually, can take a looong time.:P
Usually there are one or two major creek systems, valleys or gullies in the area, that all of the other smaller gullies and creeks flow into. Familarise yourself with them, they are an invaluable tool for navigating an area. Remember where you started in relation to one of them and it's usually just a case of following the smaller gullies (or the ridges above) down to the larger system and then onto where you want to go.
Navigating in hilly or mountainous terrain is always easier than flat featureless country, there are always plenty of land marks for references and all you need to do is get up on some high ground and have a look around.
As Jindy already mentioned use a map and compass if you can, especially if your hunting vast new areas.

[Luke]

Dan,
do NOT soley rely on the GPS. This has potential to land you in hotter water than not having one and relying on your own knowledge and skills. Technology makes mistakes and can break down.

Jindy and Paul have both given excellent advice. This is something you have to practice and put time into. Like anything, you'll only get good at it if you spend the time doing it.

At the end of the day I look at it as another one of those skills you have to have to be a good hunter, it's part of the package and IMO there are no shortcuts when your life (and maybe that of others) could depend on it one day.

Keep at it mate, learn the skills n tricks, get a map n compass and really learn how to use them in conjunction with your GPS and you'll be navigating the globe in no time ;)

cheers,

Luke

[hunt or be hunted]

Thats great advice Pual and Luke, thanks guys.

Like I said, I will take it easy today and get to know the place a little better and then next time I'll go a little further and so on until I can go there and head for ''that water hole way out back'' and things like that.


Thankyou.

[Muddy999]

Also let someone know where you will be and an estimated time back. Make sure it is someone reliable who will raise the alarm if you do not come back. Sure nine times out of ten you may have just got lost, but it may be the one time where you have seriously hurt yourself and need some attention sooner rather than later.

GPS devices are handy tools, but should not be relied upon like Luke and Jindy said. Batteries fail, it may not be able to triangulate accurately or could be damaged or on the wrong datum. Nothing beats a map and compass reading ability. It looks intimidating, but once you have the basics down it is really a snap and allows you to mark your favourite spots for next time.

Nothing at all beats knowledge of the ground though and there is only one way of getting that... doing the hard yards.

[jindydiver]

I hope you score a critter today too :)

[hunt or be hunted]

I ended up leaving the bow and just going for a look.

I rode about every damn track in that joint and didn't see a single goat:(

Looks like its back to my usual property tomorrow and then on tuesday I might head back out with the bike.




Dan.

[Luke]

Rode? On a motorbike?

[Nomad]

dan i found the old indian trick works magic for me. as you hunt, every 40-50m make a waypoint. this can be a small broken branch, two rocks stacked on top of each other, crossed sticks, a tuft of grass hanging off a branch.....the possabilities go on. this has its advantages because it becomes habit, takes short amounts of time and allows for brief stops along the way to have a looksee and listen to determine if there are any game around. i know how to use a map and compass, triangulate using those two objects but couldnt use a GPS if i had the manual in my hand. it all comes down to preference and availability. be safe, know how to use any of them. anyway, thats my tip of the day ;)

Jake

[gecko]

Have a go at using good old Google Maps/Earth, it isn’t a bad thing to do before you go somewhere your not that familiar with, or even somewhere you are but want to know better…
I found you can go to where you want to go by looking at Google Earth (use the SATELITE and the TERRAIN settings) and if where you want to go comes up, you can get yourself a really good feel for things. Look for landmarks, things like water holes, creeks, changes in the trees… things that you can make a mental note of for if you need it later to get your way around, even see in advance where you’re going to park your vehicle for best access or whatever. If you get good at it and I suppose have a bit of time to do it, studying the area you’re looking at you can actually get you quite a bit of information to use later. If you have a GPS go a step further and pre load info like landmarks and way points you can use later into that… Someone out there may be able to suggest how to gave a Satellite photo off G Earth, if you could do that you could even take that with you for a reference…