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Signaling

Scott F

Scott F

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
766
Location
Tampa, Florida
Nobody likes to think of falling, especially since we chose to hang from ropes, slings, webbing, and saddles - from remote areas, often alone and certainly with sharp things on us.
How do you signal if something happens that you didnt plan for?
If I fall, will my cell phone work or will I land on that pocket? Worse yet, is it still in my pack which is safely hanging and still looking for deer without me up at hunting height? Do I even have service where I hunt?

I have for years always carried a Fox40 whistle on my saddle, insurance enough for me to feel comfortable out there.

Just wanted to share the advice and ask if other folks have better suggestions.
Anyone have better options? I am always up for learning.

Be safe out there, and be prepared for the worst scenario you expect to survive.

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Use your smartphone and send your location (before you climb) to someone that can send in the troops if you are not back by a certain time. Not sure how much more you can do.
 
Great point!
I knew the smart guys would come along.

Come to think of it, everyone can feel free to send me the coordinates of your best stands...just in case, you never know.
I promise that I will be very careful with your secrets!

I am not a techno genius, but I think if you enable your cell location services the lat/longs are stored in the image's geocache. If that isnt something that I just made up, texting a picture of the base of your tree may be all that is required.

Where you at techno bubbas?!!

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There are apps that let you send you GPS coordinates via SMS text, if I remember I'll send one out to my wife when i get to my stand. Also, many 911 communications now can receive texts which works better in low signal areas, but they cant track your position via text like they can a phone call (thus send your location). I just use an app for meant for NC EMTs that'll send your location to dispatch for getting aircraft to you, but half the time or more I dont have signal so in those cases I don't do anything beyond tell someone where I'm planning to go.
 
My phone is always on me usually on my chest so if my legs are pinched I can still get it out. I hunt several different properties so I have printed Google maps anyways so I can have my stands marked on them and they are all numbered. I text my wife which one I'll be at and a time I'll be heading in. For years I also draw my entrance and exit trails in them so if I had a problem in the way in or out they could find me.

I've had the big fall climbing out of a stand which led to me being over cautious.
 
I'm probably not the only one, but I don't have any cell service any time I'm hunting at my lease. The only thing I know to do to ensure someone will be able to find me is by texting a couple of my family members letting them know where I'm going to be hunting and what time I plan to be back at camp to text them I'm safe. If they don't hear from me around that time then they need to send in the troops.


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You need to keep your main emergency stuff ON YOU.

I send my location to my wife when I am getting ready to climb. I carry a whistle, compass, lighter and knife on me. I also carry a rite n rain pad and pen so I can leave notes
 
I use the Antler Insanity app to plot my stand sites. Before climbing my tree I use the message feature to send my wife the GPS coordinates by text. I also do a screen shot of the aerial map and also text that so my stand site can be seen in relation to the nearest roads. If she doesn’t hear from me one hour after closing she will try calling me in case I forgot to let her know I’m on my way out. No response and she knows to send help.

She is the only person I trust with that info and is instructed to delete it from her texts daily. Never hurts to be prepared. Last thing we need is to be severely injured and nobody has no idea where we are located.


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A lot of places I hunt have no mobile service and oftentimes I don't end up in the tree or area I intend to. I always tell my wife and dad where the truck is. If they don't hear from me, send the dogs.

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I send a screenshot of the google earth overview to my wife with markings on it showing where I will be. 90% of my spots have zero signal, so messages from the stand are no go.


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All good points, thanks for the dialogue on the subject.
I guess my point of this discussion is all about planning. We plan for many different facets of the hunt: wind direction, stand location, shot angle geometry, personal comfort, weather abatement strategies, etc. I just wanted to devote a thread to something that could increase our hunting opportunities in the future - by ensuring we have a future.

Where I currently hunt (MCB Quantico) we are constrained to very specific areas that we have to reserve in advance. There is a drop dead time to return (physically) to the base game warden's office after the hunt is over for accountability. If you are not back by a specific time, they call your cell phone. If you don't answer within a specified time, the search party comes looking. I carry a whistle so that if I've lawn darted, or had some other mechanical injury that impedes my movement and the search party comes looking for me, I can shape their success in my favor by signaling to them. Repeated series of (3x) whistle blasts is the international signal for distress.

Other folks - the majority of folks - don't have the structured resources for a dedicated group of people that know relatively where they will hunt, or what to do if something bad happens to them (you) when you are out in the woods.
 
justsomedude said:
You need to keep your main emergency stuff ON YOU.

I send my location to my wife when I am getting ready to climb. I carry a whistle, compass, lighter and knife on me. I also carry a rite n rain pad and pen so I can leave notes
Click to expand...

This! ^^^
Helps to have both high and low-tech options, especially when you know cell coverage is spotty or non-existent.
 
Funny thing...I mainly hunt my friend's property which is a suburban residential farm neighborhood. There is a giant cell tower overlooking his 110 acres.

But many of the places I go there are difficult to access. Hills, slippery slate, thorns, thick brush....if you some one was looking for you they would have a hard time finding you.

I fell in my basement once. Back muscle injury...and I couldn't get up and didn't have my phone. I was on the floor for two hours before I pulled myself up and made it up the stairs. My wife was 2 stories up watching tv with the baby...
 
I had maps of my hunting area with tree stand location marked out and I tell the wife we're out hunt for that evening or day so she knows where I'll be if I don't come home. I hunt in a program we're hunters are given areas and they are right around you and everybody always checks on each other at dark. They are a good group of guys and the young guys always look after the old guys.
 
I bring a Spot Messenger with me if cell coverage is sketchy. Otherwise have my cell phone hanging on a lanyard around my neck. But now that I think about it, maybe stuff hanging around the neck isn't a good idea in case of a fall, I might have to rethink that... if my wife doesn't know where I will be, I do bring the spot messenger even if I have cell coverage.


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BassBoysLLP said:
A lot of places I hunt have no mobile service and oftentimes I don't end up in the tree or area I intend to. I always tell my wife and dad where the truck is. If they don't hear from me, send the dogs.

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Click to expand...

Only place in the midwest I have found zero cell service is in the UP and far northern MN. So far in WI even in the real remote stuff up north I can find service. Pretty amazing considering how things were even 10 years ago. In Iowa bluffs last year it was spotty deep in the valleys but up on ridge tops I always had strong service.


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Dewey said:
Only place in the midwest I have found zero cell service is in the UP and far northern MN. So far in WI even in the real remote stuff up north I can find service. Pretty amazing considering how things were even 10 years ago. In Iowa bluffs last year it was spotty deep in the valleys but up on ridge tops I always had strong service.


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Click to expand...
Western WI and Eastern MN sucks. Iowa sucks. North Central is spotty. I have no issues in South Central WI.

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