Chapter 16

How to Find a Lost Hunter

In case one of your party does not show up at camp when night falls as has previously been his custom, do not get excited and do not do a thing until 6:00 P.M. If you start signaling before 6:00 P.M. other hunters who have not gotten into camp are likely to butt in and make it very misleading.

Eat your supper and see that the lantern is full of oil. Then go outside with rifle, lantern and flashlight. At exactly 6:00 P.M. fire two shots. Listen a moment for a reply. Not hearing any, walk about one-quarter mile and repeat your signal. If you get a reply, see a fire or note any odor of smoke, continue the signals, always walking in the general direction that you believe your man is located.

In the meantime what is the “lost” hunter to do? If, in late afternoon, he realizes that he is lost or so far from camp that he can not get in, he selects a sheltered spot where dry wood is handy, starts a fire and collects a lot of wood before dark. At exactly 6:00 P.M. he listens for a signal. On hearing it, he answers and the signals continue the same as in the daytime. Hearing no signal he wastes none of his shells but pounds a signal at regular intervals with a club on a sound dead tree. If there is no dead tree available, select a live tree and peel off a spot of bark where he wants to pound.

In the morning, if not sure of the direction to camp, he is not to leave the spot or shoot except to answer his party’s signals. Keep smoke going and pound out a few signals about every ten minutes.

The party at camp should not stay out too late. Notify a Game Warden or Sheriff during the night and continue the search at daybreak.

By following these simple rules the lost hunter or his party have nothing to worry about.

(It is a good idea to mark all trails a short distance each side of camp. Lay down small limbs of black growth with broken end pointing toward camp. Your party can do it in less than an hour.)

BILL GORMAN > Posted in one of his hunting camps, L.L. had a list of rules. Rule number 7 was: “If you get lost, come straight back to camp.”