Safety Plan?
Massachusetts
Not sure, I think we have talked about this, but Jimbo's awesome thread got me thinking about it...
Do you all have a safety plan?
I hunt solo, 99.999% of the time. I may text with a buddy while in the tree or something, but he could be 50 miles away or more. So, its solo.
Last year, for CT, I figured my wife would have NO clue where to even have people start looking if I didnt come home. So I started using my "Snagit" software to cut pic's off online topo maps of the areas I hunt. I name them and mark rough stand sights.
When I go, I tell her where I'm going, and text if the plan changes due to another hunter or whatever (wind, sign, etc). I also text once at hunting height and settled, as well as just prior to driving away when I'm out.
I tried doing it locally, but found I have to many options, so the map thing was to much. I just text when I get there and say: "Smokey Bear Road, Rutland, North side of road, about .5 miles NE of the truck" (note, I made that location up) or something similar to let her know roughly where I am.
How do you all handle the safety end of things?
Since my parents and friends would have no idea where I am hunting most of the time, I usually try to bring someone along to help me set my stands then Ill show them parking areas and obviously my stand site. Before hunts I will usually just text my dad or friends telling them what stand im hunting, and if im in the climber I tell them what parking area and general location im in.
Why just text them your actual location when you get to the tree? Google maps is on most smart phones and it's simple to text your location.
I'm heading out this weekend to a place in NH with spotty if any cell phone coverage so I'm going to print some topo maps and circle my parking spot and hunt areas and give copies to my wife and son. Also going to take a two-way radio with me and leave one in my truck for when my son comes to meet me later on in the day he can grab the radio from my truck and hit me up.
I usually don't do anything like that when I'm local. I just grab my stuff and head out. Both my kids hunt with me and know my spots so it wouldn't take too long to locate my truck if I didn't show up on time.
I rarely hunt alone. When I do, I always tell my wife where I'll be. I also have an iPhone that fits in my t-shirt pocket when hunting (set on vibrate). That way, I know I'll have access to it if I were to fall and be hanging by my safety harness. Of course, that only works where you can get a cell signal.
I try to let a buddy or 2 know where I am. I was actually thinking of sending them or my wife a screenshot from OnXhunt of where I am this year too. That way they know.
While at stand setting them up yse GPS status app or similar and take a screenshot of your location. Print it and label it with Location like , "Tom's property - Rehoboth and address" . Make yourself a nice little book with each one on separate page and hang on the side of the fridge. When you leave the house make sure to set it so that days location is top page. You don't come home on time and Mrs can know right where you were headed that day.
Hey ungie send those screen shots over here! Maybe I’ll get a big one this year lol
MA-Bowhunter and B&S... I'm humbled. That's so fricking simple, and more accurate than my strategy. A true, smack the fore head moment. Thanks for the new "go to" option!!!
My son knows where all my stands are. He will find me..............dead or alive.
I am fully prepared to go tits up hunting someday.
No one is coming for me. Even if I gave my wife my exact location, it would days before anything was done. If I fall and break my back, I better come up with a plan on the ground, other than that, my sheet covered corpse will see you on channel 5 news.
Is it bad that this is my safety plan? :)
Someone knows the general area that I am hunting but that is all. I often don't know where I will end up once I enter the woods on any given day. The day just unfolds as I meander and take groundstands when I find good setups. Many places I hunt do not have cell phone coverage and I like that. One thing in my favor is that I rarely hunt from trees anymore. I know the lay of the land, carry a compass, lighter, headlamp with fresh batteries and a GPS if hunting the Northern forest. I consider the batteries in my phone and GPS as backups for each other. I admit that I never worry much about anything. Made it this far, no reason to start now. Tekoa
I primarily hunt alone so I just let my buds know where I'm at.
Now it should be known my wife could not use that GPS info by herself to find me if her life depended on it lol. But she can hand it off to whatever authority needs to come rescue me .
When I hunted the coast for waterfowl I would leave a paper with my location for my wife if I didn't show up on time. Now my deer stands are known to her and the kids these days. I always carry enough with me to spend the night in the woods though.
