Paul Downes
Member
- Messages
- 959
- Location
- Westphalia, Michigan
I got out hunting today in Northern Michigan. I had hunted in this area once before after seeing a 150+ class buck there a few years ago. It's a rather large cedar swamp. I decided to swing around along a river to get the wind in my favor and then started skirting the swamp. I started following some large tracks and found this buck was making fresh rubs so I followed the tracks into the swamp. I did mark my truck with the GPS before leaving. Well, I got turned around and soon found myself in the middle of the durn swamp knee deep in snow, getting wet, and generally lost. Pulled out the GPS and realized the truck was 1.2 miles right through the nastiest part of the thick cedar swamp. spent 3 hours stumbling around, many false attempts to get out and having to backtrack a lot. Getting dark and starting to pray. I do always carry a survival pack, but was dreading a night out in the middle of nowhere nursing a fire to keep warm and trying to stay awake. Finally headed north away from the truck and eventually found the northern boundry road. Had a long 2 mile walk back to the truck and was pretty beat out. The only good thing was that I wore off some of that belly fat. I can understand why there is big bucks hanging out in the area. They probably figure no hunter is stupid enough to go in after them.
Years ago I was out hunting a different swamp on Thanksgiving day and found a kid chest deep in water nearly dead from hypothermia. A friend and I dragged him for 3/4 of a mile and then I ran and got my truck and buried it axle deep trying to get closer to him. We got him to the truck and stripped off his clothes and put him in with the heaters on high. I had to then jog to the nearest house 1-1/2 miles away and call an ambulance. He spent a week in the hospital. This was on my mind as I stumbled around calling myself names and praying alternately. I wasn't panicked, just mad at myself for being stupid.
Years ago I was out hunting a different swamp on Thanksgiving day and found a kid chest deep in water nearly dead from hypothermia. A friend and I dragged him for 3/4 of a mile and then I ran and got my truck and buried it axle deep trying to get closer to him. We got him to the truck and stripped off his clothes and put him in with the heaters on high. I had to then jog to the nearest house 1-1/2 miles away and call an ambulance. He spent a week in the hospital. This was on my mind as I stumbled around calling myself names and praying alternately. I wasn't panicked, just mad at myself for being stupid.