Missing hunters in Colorado

[Johnny Tyndall]

I appreciate the importance of fire and emergency communication, but I hope people don't lose sight of the basics - stay oriented, stay warm, stay mobile. If you're trying to start a fire with wet wood in the rain while you're moderately hypothermic you're already way down the disaster chain. Rain gear, a headlamp, and a compass will solve a LOT of problems.

 

[Olsolitaire1]

Looks like another hunter here in Colorado, he was found...

Search crews rescue lost, hypothermic hunter in Saguache County

Search and rescue crews from both Saguache and Gunnison counties rescued a hypothermic hunter who was lost in the Gunnison National Forest Friday evening.

www.denver7.com

 

[intunegp]

No it was Thursday the 11th. Everything I have seen was that last communication was Thursday afternoon around 3pm and they went missing that night. If I have the timeline wrong and it was actually Friday the 12th that they went missing then I apologize and I need to edit my previous comments on the situation.

If it was that Thursday then we were on the western rim of the drainage all day. Had a group of four guys hunting along there. We all met at a glassing knob that morning where I had shot a bull at last light the evening before. Couple of the guys stayed up high to glass for more elk that evening since they only had a day or two left to hunt. Could see a bad storm brewing off to the south that looked like it was going to hit us around 4:30-5. Just barely hit us for 5-10 minutes so we thought we got lucky then got hammered half an hour later from a different storm that came in over the top. Lots of lightning and thunder for hours. Rained and hailed hard for the first bit then settled into a lighter rain for the rest of the night. Was raining hard enough that you’d get soaked being out in it but not so bad that you couldn’t still hunt in it with the right gear on. It was around 11 pm when we all got back to the trucks that night and it was still raining.

Their last GPS ping was the afternoon of Thursday the 11th. There was a report from other hunters in the area that they had seen/spoken with the guys at around 10am at the Spruce Hole Trailhead the morning of Friday the 12th and there were wet clothes in the car when SAR/law enforcement arrived. At this point it seems that they did get wet Thursday night but made it back to the car at least. The other hunters who met them at the trailhead the next morning said that they told them they had seen a big bull and were headed back out after it.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Has anybody tried these?

https://www.amazon.com/Rednecks-Best-Backcountry-Campfires-Waterproof/dp/B0CTYN6X4R/ref=mp_s_a_1_32?crid=32ELVJQQOTTOX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OG39JgfnuTQo80N0l3T3-8h8i2JRR9J1-yuzDHy0J6ONEBZYbpUkkLtTRVBvz0zOzuiu0w0__0fvV1EJT1UEkbOlWOz7819xKWX9eVhYAsg8JIZm68fFLvffte39A-Py8c54Km2cp_k3F2-WiHkjVN89KlYLPq4JuBINnOxNSi50fwZs7eLDkSgZgtvDcAWF-46MtgnSu96SyUttQgGUMQ._1n0RVsp_Psw5VdBbQHsiGRs3Hf4ibyQEeVJySLMc4o&dib_tag=se&keywords=orion%2Bflare&qid=1758555970&sprefix=orion%2Bflare%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-32&xpid=kf1QgT9LTWxp6&th=1&psc=1

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

Looks like another hunter here in Colorado, he was found...

Search crews rescue lost, hypothermic hunter in Saguache County

Search and rescue crews from both Saguache and Gunnison counties rescued a hypothermic hunter who was lost in the Gunnison National Forest Friday evening.

www.denver7.com

Not picking on the guy, just making a point

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Next time I’m hunting in the middle of the day, whether at camp or in the woods, I need to practice my fire building in the rain. I’ve done it a couple of times with mediocre success. I bet a lot of us could use the practice…

Particularly when a storm rolls in and you get caught above tree line. Usually is feasible to move down to tree line but not always.

 

[5MilesBack]

I doubt anyone will rely on flares in most cases

I don't do campfires very often during archery season, but when I do I use the flares to start them even when it's dry in my base camp. They're just too easy and convenient to use........to not use them IMO.

 

[stumblinhorse]

I can't remember the last time I archery hunted where there wasn't fire restrictions of stage 1. This year it was stage 2 up until September 11. I don't carry any fire starting anything anymore. I realize most here will say if your life depends on it you should start a fire. I look at it different. If your life depends on starting a fire when you are prohibited to start one, you need to figure out how you don't get in that situation. I would say my life depends on getting game meat in my freezer to be able to eat that winter. But that doesn't allow me to shoot something illegally. I don't use cellular camera's or e-bikes or anything else that is restricted. So to me fire is no different.

 

[intunegp]

I can't remember the last time I archery hunted where there wasn't fire restrictions of stage 1. This year it was stage 2 up until September 11. I don't carry any fire starting anything anymore. I realize most here will say if your life depends on it you should start a fire. I look at it different. If your life depends on starting a fire when you are prohibited to start one, you need to figure out how you don't get in that situation. I would say my life depends on getting game meat in my freezer to be able to eat that winter. But that doesn't allow me to shoot something illegally. I don't use cellular camera's or e-bikes or anything else that is restricted. So to me fire is no different.

It's easy to armchair quarterback that survival scenarios are just the result of poor planning. I don't think anyone plans on their hunting trip turning into a near death experience. If a fire was the difference between going home or possibly dying in the back country, a fire ban would not even cross my mind. If you don't kill an elk you can go buy beef at the grocery store...if not, you need to figure out how you don't get in that situation.

 

[Dan Carey]

Even when in areas that have fire restrictions in place I will do what I have to do to survive. Having the right equipment is never an after thought.

 

[mikeafeagin22]

Their last GPS ping was the afternoon of Thursday the 11th. There was a report from other hunters in the area that they had seen/spoken with the guys at around 10am at the Spruce Hole Trailhead the morning of Friday the 12th and there were wet clothes in the car when SAR/law enforcement arrived. At this point it seems that they did get wet Thursday night but made it back to the car at least. The other hunters who met them at the trailhead the next morning said that they told them they had seen a big bull and were headed back out after it.

I had seen something about the sighting in spruce hole but there is no trailhead.. it’s just a road. And then that their vehicle was still down in Trujillo so I assumed it was misidentified people since the main info from loved ones hadn’t been updated that I had seen. That’s about a 12-15 mile difference in area so they very well could have gone down there that morning then came back for the afternoon hunt. If so, I was not in the unit on Friday evening. I left first thing morning. One of my hunting partners was in there all weekend though so I will ask him how Friday night was.

 

[intunegp]

I had seen something about the sighting in spruce hole but there is no trailhead.. it’s just a road. And then that their vehicle was still down in Trujillo so I assumed it was misidentified people since the main info from loved ones hadn’t been updated that I had seen. That’s about a 12-15 mile difference in area so they very well could have gone down there that morning then came back for the afternoon hunt. If so, I was not in the unit on Friday evening. I left first thing morning. One of my hunting partners was in there all weekend though so I will ask him how Friday night was.

The family did eventually update to include that they had been seen Friday morning but that info is only as good as the people who provided it. They very well could have seen two other young guys out hunting.

 

[.30WCF]

View attachment 939122

Not picking on the guy, just making a point

Understood, but 300 yards from a road in a remote section does not guarantee it’s a traveled road, gated, or that he was 300 yards from his truck. 300 yards from a closed road might mean miles from anyone or your truck. I don’t know the area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MuleDeerMike]

I can't remember the last time I archery hunted where there wasn't fire restrictions of stage 1. This year it was stage 2 up until September 11. I don't carry any fire starting anything anymore. I realize most here will say if your life depends on it you should start a fire. I look at it different. If your life depends on starting a fire when you are prohibited to start one, you need to figure out how you don't get in that situation. I would say my life depends on getting game meat in my freezer to be able to eat that winter. But that doesn't allow me to shoot something illegally. I don't use cellular camera's or e-bikes or anything else that is restricted. So to me fire is no different.

Hmm interesting. I would burn the entire rocky mountains down if that's what I needed to do to survive.

 

[Dave_]

I can't remember the last time I archery hunted where there wasn't fire restrictions of stage 1. This year it was stage 2 up until September 11. I don't carry any fire starting anything anymore. I realize most here will say if your life depends on it you should start a fire. I look at it different. If your life depends on starting a fire when you are prohibited to start one, you need to figure out how you don't get in that situation. I would say my life depends on getting game meat in my freezer to be able to eat that winter. But that doesn't allow me to shoot something illegally. I don't use cellular camera's or e-bikes or anything else that is restricted. So to me fire is no different.

It's not illegal to carry a lighter or waterproof matches if you're in fire restrictions. Seems a little reckless to carry some basic emergency items if going into the back country.

I always have a small "oh shit kit" in the bottom. Weather proof matches, ibuprofen, benadryl, band aids, small compass, whistle, water purification tabs, leukotape, paracord, etc. It weighs almost nothing and has come in handy on more than one occasion for one reason or another.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[180ls1]

I don't do campfires very often during archery season, but when I do I use the flares to start them even when it's dry in my base camp. They're just too easy and convenient to use........to not use them IMO.

Do we want to crowdfund starters or is there something on YouTube already sufficient?

I use this military stuff and have no idea how it stacks up.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[CorbLand]

Man, Trioxans have gotten expensive. Use to buy them from the military surplus store for 25 cents each.

The only thing that sucks about them is they will break down into powder over time in your pack. Once in powder form, they burn very quickly.

 

[Pharmseller]

Understood, but 300 yards from a road in a remote section does not guarantee it’s a traveled road, gated, or that he was 300 yards from his truck. 300 yards from a closed road might mean miles from anyone or your truck. I don’t know the area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Most of the places I hunt you can’t see 100 yards, much less 300. His gps (who doesn’t have one, and a spare?) should have told him about the road.

Gotta have one to use it, though.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Hmm interesting. I would burn the entire rocky mountains down if that's what I needed to do to survive.

I understand most would, because they are more important than nature. I feel differently about it. I am not more important. If someone says no fire, it means no fire. It is just the society in America that feels it is centered around themselves. I live in those Rocky mountains and saw what careless hunters can do in 2020, right out my window. They probably didn't care either to burn down 600 homes that will never be able to be rebuilt. Been 5 years and less than 20 homes have been able to be rebuilt... Don't want to turn this thread into something is shouldn't, but restrictions and laws are meant to be followed.

 

[stumblinhorse]

It's not illegal to carry a lighter or waterproof matches if you're in fire restrictions. Seems a little reckless to carry some basic emergency items if going into the back country.

I always have a small "oh shit kit" in the bottom. Weather proof matches, ibuprofen, benadryl, band aids, small compass, whistle, water purification tabs, leukotape, paracord, etc. It weighs almost nothing and has come in handy on more than one occasion for one reason or another.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I didn't say I don't carry emergency items. I carry way more than most. Just not fire starter and no in reach. I remember hunting without a GPS. Hunted many years without one.