Lost hunter out of Seven Devils Area,Riggins Idaho.

[NRA4LIFE]

Glad this turned out OK. I carry an old CD as the back of it makes a great mirror. Plus an Inreach and other devices. I'm extra cautious, especially when on my own now that I'm elderly.

 

[Mike 338]

Just a reminder... everyone dies and you're mostly not in control of when and how.

 

[Customweld]

Just a reminder... everyone dies and you're mostly not in control of when and how.

True. But it might be nice to minimize the amount of time your loved ones spend looking for you. 10 years or so ago, a fella disappeared in roughly the same area. They found his remains a few years ago. Lots of time was spent looking for him.

 

[Swamppirate]

I’ve hunted around Beartrap, definitely rugged country. Glad all is well.

 

[bergie]

Now that everyone’s okay…can I make a comment about those elk pins???lol.

That poor guy. Didnt talk to his wife in a little over a day and she posts exact coordinates to where he was, where he camps AND 3 pins he sent her where he saw elk. To top it all off she called search and rescue. Showed the post to my wife as example 1 of exactly what not to do.

 

[IDVortex]

Glad he was found, the weather coming in tonight and the weather change coming into the weekend isn't the weather you want looking for a lost person.

 

[Loper]

That poor guy. Didnt talk to his wife in a little over a day and she posts exact coordinates to where he was, where he camps AND 3 pins he sent her where he saw elk. To top it all off she called search and rescue. Showed the post to my wife as example 1 of exactly what not to do.

I’m glad he was found safe and uninjured.

My wife would probably do the same thing, even if it was just an hour after a missed rendezvous. If I returned and realized that there was a large overreaction and people were out looking for me, I’d probably be really embarrassed and make my wife delete the post.

 

[Taudisio]

When I was a single fella, I would tell my mom I was going camping/hunting, give her the general area, and the day I might have service to call, and when to call for help. Sometimes it would be more than 10 days solo (I miss the peace, quiet, and solitude of that time in my life sometimes).

With my wife, I would tell her the general area and tell her when I expect to have service, and tell her not to call anyone until at least a day later depending on the game I was hunting. I got an inreach this summer. Definitely gives her peace of mind. I got a cow elk down at dusk and instead of me being home by 8/9pm, I messaged her that I would be home in the morning sometime (got there at 3:30am). She really likes it. I like the fact I can reach out to emergency services immediately if something happens.

 

[Turkeytider]

I guess people do, but I can’t imagine going into back country, particularly alone, without some way to communicate. Just too many unplanned and unexpected things can happen.

 

[ORJoe]

This.

Pre InReach I always gave myself a pretty healthy buffer in case I killed something late and had a nightmare pack out before I could get to cell service.

"When should I start worrying?"
-"Sunset. Tomorrow."

 

[P dog]

Just curious. For those of you who venture into back country, usually alone ( more guts than I’ve ever had! ), do you carry some sort of pyrotechnic signaling device?

Yes. I carry a ZOLEO

 

[RufusB.Marion]

Just a reminder... everyone dies and you're mostly not in control of when and how.

Fugg it, DBAP

 

[ODB]

"When should I start worrying?"
-"Sunset. Tomorrow."

So funny... was going to post the exact same thing. We always have a 'when should I start worrying' timeframe. Now that I think about it, my mom used to do the same thing with us when i was younger.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

True. But it might be nice to minimize the amount of time your loved ones spend looking for you. 10 years or so ago, a fella disappeared in roughly the same area. They found his remains a few years ago. Lots of time was spent looking for him.

I drew the elk tag that year. They were sweeping the entire area by foot and a ton of aerial recon. Do you remember that they found his dog walking down the road hungry but unharmed several weeks later? That entire situation was an interesting story.

 

[Customweld]

I drew the elk tag that year. They were sweeping the entire area by foot and a ton of aerial recon. Do you remember that they found his dog walking down the road hungry but unharmed several weeks later? That entire situation was an interesting story.

I remember that very well.
Crazy story about that:
My oldest daughter and I decided to drop down into Cannonball deer hunting that year. I needed to hit the outhouse at Windy Saddle before we took off. It was a little before daybreak. I get done with my business and get back in the truck and my daughter says "I think there is something under that tarp." Sure enough, there's a blue tarp right next to the trailhead. Out from underneath it crawls out an African American fellow, wearing a Jamaican beanie. He comes over and tells us in a very thick Jamaican accent that he was there searching for that hunter. My daughter and I head down the trail and both look at each other like did that really just happen?!
A few years later I was down in Hells Canyon sturgeon fishing with a guide from Riggins. I tell him that story and he goes " Oh yeah, that was Thumbs!" Apparently this guy was living in Riggins and had abnormally long thumbs, so that's what the towns folk called him.
I grew up in Council and knew some of the missing guys family. All of the details never really added up. He started out with a friend, the friend came back and the missing dog as well.

 

[KurtR]

That’s some rough country. My brother and I went back in one year camped on snow got our sleeping bags wet. Hiked out post holing the whole way back. Got to riggins just in time to get a sandwich from the grocery store best thing I think I have ever ate. Got a good education on what not to do haha

 

[SWOHTR]

Got to riggins just in time to get a sandwich from the grocery store best thing I think I have ever ate.

“Hunger is the best tasting spice of them all”

 

[Maverick1]

Just curious. For those of you who venture into back country, usually alone ( more guts than I’ve ever had! ), do you carry some sort of pyrotechnic signaling device?

No, no fireworks in the back country. A SPOT device is sufficient.

 

[Turkeytider]

No, no fireworks in the back country. A SPOT device is sufficient.

That makes sense. Should have thought that one through better. Flare guns probably aren’t the best idea!