Walking out at night

[EdP]

As I've aged some changes have become apparent. Instead of getting warmer as soon as I start moving, I get colder. My circulation isn't what it once was and blood pools in my legs and gets cold. When I get up and move (or get down from a tree stand), that cold blood gets circulated to my core and I get really cold. Another factor is that I can't see in the dark like I once could. Age related macular degeneration has really impacted my night vision. Such factors need to be considered and accounted for, even if it means passing up on the last 30 minutes of shooting light. Just enjoy what you can still safely do.

 

[8mille]

I don’t push it too much anymore. Last time I stayed to dark me and my truck almost ended up in deep swamp waterholes. It wasn’t pretty, but I managed to get through ok. Before that was freezing my you know what off in the night forest in PA and snow. Slipped on a rock/snow and banged knee- tough getting out. When you get older it’s not a bad idea to leave yourself visibility.

 

[BCDJR]

Your concerns are normal. Dont think otherwise. I didn’t see if you were in unfamiliar territory? No mention of your age, overall health, eyesight and how your energy level was when you started back. Some folks mentioned having to rescue people and I would listen to their advice. I think high levels of attention and caution are important when in the backcountry…..regardless of conditions!

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Walking in the dark is not that big a deal…if done correctly and IMO planned. Bushwhacking and hiking in country not seen in daylight is dangerous. Add adverse weather and bad things can happen for sure.

I like to make a plan in my head of the route I’m going to take for the day. If my route changes in the day (like I’m chasing something somewhere), then I start reworking an exfil plan. Things that roll around in my head like can I make it to that trail before darkness set in? If not, will I be able to find it in the dark?

What happens if you forgot your headlamp? Probably should plan not to hike in the dark, and you should probably figure that out before dark. What happens if your head lamp shit’s the bed in the dark? Can you still navigate to camp in starlight or pure darkness? What happens if your navigation device(s) die? Do you have a compass…nowadays, do you have a compass AND know how to use it?

Last year, I decided to do a through-hike down to my camp. My buddy and I started on the top of the mountain where he parked his rig. I told him I was going to hike all the way down to camp down a ridge right above my camp. My buddy and I separated in the late afternoon. I figured I could get down the ridge before it got dark. Turns out I figured correctly, but man it was a ball buster. I’m very glad it was light out while I attempted that decent on that ridge. I got brushed out more than once having to back track up hill, and hit some extremely steep spots that I wouldn’t want to attempt in the dark. I’m very glad I had a plan to attempt that ridge in light. Now that I’ve seen and hiked it in the light, I will not use that ridge again unless it’s an emergency and I need to head straight to camp...and, I’ll only hike that in daylight.

Also, last year…I was pretty far out and spotted a heard of cows in the late afternoon and decided to make a chase and a shot. Before I took the shot, I weighed the consequences of what that night would look like. I made a plan in my head and thought I can do this, but it will be a long night. I saw all of the terrain I would hike back in the daylight and was comfortable with the plan. I made the stock, took the shot, end up with a dead cow, and a real long night. I made it back to camp at 3 AM and finished packing out the rest of the cow the next day with some buddies.

I was hunting alone and already sorta cold/hypothermic due to glassing until the end of shooting light.

Hypothermic? Did you think to start a fire and warm up?

 

[noisy]

The group I hunt with has aged and we no longer hike extended distances in or out in the dark, but still kill elk most years. I just don't like hiking in the dark anymore and I don't think it's necessary.

 

[waspocrew]

Having a friend definitely helps when hiking out or packing meat out at night. Several years ago, I shot a cow across a canyon in the evening. It took my brothers and I some time to get across the canyon to her. We broke her down and packed her out. When I'm by myself, I put a bit more thought into the work ahead of me if I shoot an animal in a certain area.

I was hunting the same canyon the other night and ended up sneaking out of there before last light. There's a pretty big stretch with a lot of rocks I didn't feel like traversing in the dark.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Do folks adjust their plans based on terrain or weather?

Yes, it would be irresponsible to not assess the situation and all the variables and sometimes bugging out early is the right call. I usually sit til it's pure black, not just end of shooting light because I can still glass and scout for morning. I have left early before and I have gotten to the truck at 3am before after hanging quarters and slowly making my way out with a load in bad weather. It just depends. If I have snow on the ground and can follow my tracks out that's a huge bonus for me.

 

[TX_Diver]

I was that way a few years ago. I don’t mind hiking out in the dark now but I’m still not a huge fan of hiking into a new spot in the dark or camping alone even . This year I realized that’s really limiting me though so I did find a few new spots to check out in the mornings that weren’t to crazy to get too. Now I need to start camping alone

It’s good you found elk at least! Tough call on what to do. My opinion is usually the first time I need to make a decision like that, I’ll go with my gut. If a week later I’m kicking myself for the decision then next time I’ll do it differently. Just have to be honest with yourself.

Fitness, hunting experience, cell service, Inreach access, distance to nearest town, forecast weather, etc all make a difference too. If you’re from a mountain state and have mountains in your backyard, it’s “easy” to go practice. If you live in TX or out east it’s a little harder when you get the experience 1x/year.

If you’re finding elk that’s a good start to keep building on though.

 

[Jason Snyder]

This isn’t a cut and dried answer. Depends on the season. Depends on the weather. Depends on the terrain. Depends on how well I know the area.

If I’m familiar with the area and feel staying till last light gives me a distinct advantage, fire up the headlamps.

Some areas I’ve hunted, particularly late on the year, the elk are up and moving by late afternoon and there is little benefit to staying to last light unless I’m trying to finish a sneak and drop the hammer.

These are my absolutes:

Have fire starters and stuff for an overnight bivy
Have extra food
Have compass and extra headlamp
Have a good primary headlamp

Sometimes a long hike in the dark is kind of fun, particularly if there is snow and a full moon.

It’s kinda one of those “you decisions”. If you hate it, don’t do it.

 

[Ross]

With today’s equipment options the only limitation is in your mind. You want to be prepared, but also not overly fearful. Simply spend more time out in the dark to gain confidence. The way I learned in the 80s with a compass and map and hefty flashlights, was to check my new country in the daylight and in the summer. 99% of the time it has worked 100% of the time did I learn some things those times it has not worked, Yes. Was I prepared yes. I would recommend Always packing an emergency lite. You won’t need it, till you do and it will be priceless.

 

[Maverick1]

Walking out in the dark doesn’t bother me in the least. Hiking in poor footing conditions (snow or rain/mud) is far more concerning from a safety standpoint.

 

[jjordan355]

You’ll get more comfortable with it as you get more experience doing it. Even for me now my first couple hikes of the year in or out in the dark make my spidey senses tingle the whole time till I get the rust knocked off. More so in grizzly country and new areas. I try to scout or day hunt my new areas closer to daylight to get a good feel of the terrain just for missteps or accidentally getting turned around. That being said I always have at least 1 charging bank with me, my phone fully charged and on airplane mode, and my inreach. Typically have two lighters and some dry moss to start a fire with if I need to. Stuff lights like steel wool.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

One more last year story from me. I was hiking into my spot one morning before daylight and all of a sudden…the entire sky lit up like day light for an instant as a meteor passed by. Honestly, it scared the shit out of me because I thought I was going to hear, see, and feel an end of the world event. After about 10 seconds and I didn’t witness the end of the world event, I calmed down and realized that was pretty damn cool. I would have never experienced that if I wasn’t hiking in the dark.

 

[Skerhunter]

I don’t stay on the mountain until dark 30 every single time. Just do what makes the most sense hunting and safety wise.

Distance from camp, terrain and season definitely influence the decision!

 

[R boar]

I don't mind hiking in the dark, but I like to get 8 hours of sleep. There's 14 hours of daylight in September, so that doesn't leave much time for dark hiking. I typically just camp when it gets dark. Have to carry a heavier pack, but get more sleep.

 

[mad_angler]

....
Hypothermic? Did you think to start a fire and warm up?

Hypothermic: I had been sitting in the cold for a few hours. I was getting quite cold and cold blood had pooled in my legs. When I started walking, I started shaking and my teeth started chattering. I'm sorta used to that so it wasn't a panic situation. But it was a bit concerning.

That night, I was about 1/2 mile from camp. It had been raining/snowing most of the afternoon. During the hike out, it was dropping heavy, cold, wet snow. I had the supplies/skills to build a quick shelter and start a fire. But it was far more efficient to just push on and get to camp. At camp, I had an Argali tipi and a wood stove.

It was the right call and I made it to camp fairly easily.

But I can see how people panic and make poor decisions in those circumstances. Fortunately, I had several lights, several ways to navigate, gear to start a fire and build a shelter, and a satellite communicator. Luckily, I didn't need any of that.

Mostly, I realized how one fall or twisted ankle could have quickly changed the situation...

 

[Fowl Play]

Not to be antagonistic, but ending a hunt 30 min before dark to avoid hiking at night seems illogical to me. If you happened to be successful anytime after a morning hunt, you’d likely be hiking in the dark for multiple hours anyway. On the same trail, just now with 50+lbs of meat on your back, and a carcass attracting predators to return to over and over.

What about the situation makes you concerned to do it when unsuccessful vs successful? Are you bushwhacking with no light trying not to spook game and slipping on rocks and stuff?
I’d boil it down to what concerns you about it and fix that. Walking sticks plus a bright red headlamp takes away most concerns of terrain for me.

If the situation calls for concern hiking at night, you better end your day wayyyy before the fading light.

 

[noisy]

Half-hour doesn't sound like much but it can be. I'm usually Mr. Prepared in the backcountry but this summer one day I went mountain biking in the hills behind my house. Clear skies, didn't even check the forecast. About 30 minutes from home I got caught in a hard cold downpour that lasted the whole way back. It was eye opening how damn hard it was to keep going. I was freezing, couldn't see shit through sheets of cold rain, wearing only shorts and a t-shirt. It was easy to see how quickly hypothermia could disable a person. Not just physically but mentally. That was about the last lesson I expected to learn that day, which in itself was somewhat shocking.

 

[Obsessed1]

I guess I don't do anything normal. I hunt heavy timber. I don't glass anything. I'm usually hitting the woods about the time everyone is leaving (8:30-9:00). And I am usually home for dinner at 4:30-5:00.

95% of my elk have been killed between 10:00 and 2:00. I have killed 76 so far. Guess I'm just not normal.

I hunt the exact same way. Only 18 elk myself though yet

 

[RockAndSage]

Mostly, I realized how one fall or twisted ankle could have quickly changed the situation...

So true.

What's truly frightening, is how warped people's mindsets can get about "reality", when they don't put themselves in situations that require good judgement to avoid permanent, life-altering consequences. And yet, those same people get to vote.