Survivor Friday: Knowledge Key To Surviving

February 6, 2009

Not long after moving to Maine many years ago I decided I better take the hunter safety class even though I wasn’t required to. Most of my hunting experience up until that point had been in small pockets of woods where I could walk a few hours and hit some type of civilization. Northern Maine is a whole different animal with woods you could walk for weeks and not see another soul.
I was in my twenties then and basically the oldest male in the class most of the class was made up of youngsters and women looking to get into the sport. It seems to me that Maine was ahead of the curve getting women involved in hunting. That was a great class and most state wildlife agencies can tell you where you can find a class in your area. Everyone no matter their age or gender should take the class.
As part of that class I was given a handy little book “You Alone in the Maine Woods” that covered what you needed to know of how to survive. This book was part of my survival pack for many years even long after I moved out of Maine until it finally fell apart. Much of the information is useful for many other parts of the country and I often read this book while sitting on stand when the hunting was slow. I’ve discovered this book is now downloadable from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and available for free.
I hope you check it out and practice some of the skills you never know when you may need them. The premise of the book is to really prepare you for the unexpected night in the woods. While many of us think that is highly unlikely to happen to us we just never know for sure.
This past weekend a hiker got lost in Pisgah National Forest and ended up spending the night in the woods.

Lindsey Pfundstein used a trail map to find shelter, stuffed a hammock with leaves to keep from freezing and otherwise avoided a panic that could have left her wandering the woods at night. The 22-year-old experienced hiker and daughter of a Boy Scout troop leader emerged from a section of Pisgah National Forest on Monday morning, ending a search that involved about 55 people. A roommate reported Pfundstein missing about 7 p.m. Sunday when she failed to return from a day hike as planned.

Skills I’m sure she learned over the years kept her safe.

She realized about dusk she was on the wrong trail, but continued walking until she found the shelter.
As temperatures dipped below freezing, she made the bed and cover of leaves and set her mind on making it back to the trailhead after sunrise.

Citizens TimesHopefully you’ll never have to spend a unplanned night in the woods but be prepared in case you do. A little planning and some knowledge will go a long way to keeping you safe and comfortable.