For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds of weather
Communication in the wilderness is a matter of survival, as well as convenience. Before even leaving home, communications must begin. In fact, our first two communications tips do not even require equipment or gadgets.
"Make sure that somebody knows when you leave, when you expect to return (or get to your destination)," advises Chad Brown, owner of Farm & Field fishing and hunting equipment, a website geared to hunting, fishing and farming. "Provide as much information about your route as possible.
Things can happen. Rocks can fall on your head while hiking. Boats can tip over while fishing. Firearms can malfunction while hunting. Somebody needs to know that you are late in arriving...and where to send search parties to go fishing for you. In fact, this is the same advice I used to give drivers in winter weather when I was spokesperson for CAA Ontario.
The second tip is to never head into the wilderness alone. Just as one should never go swimming without a swimming buddy, nor should one go long-distance cycling or hiking, nor hunting, camping or fishing in a remote area without a buddy.
My wife's uncle took the business end of large falling branch on his skull while out in the forest, knocking him unconscious and cracking his skull down the middle. Eventually his skull will heal, but only because he had companions to get him into town. Otherwise, he might still not be found.
Here is another report, this one from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation about a fall from a tree stand: "The subject had no communications equipment with him. No phone or radio. If the subject had left word of where he would be and approximate hour of return, a response may have been quicker. Cause of Death: The subject suffered a broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs on one side, a punctured lung, and a punctured spleen."
This is fishing gear?
Assuming you are still conscious, it helps to have some communications equipment while out hunting, fishing or camping. Of course, there is the ever popular cell phone, which brings instant communications to almost everywhere in the world. Except maybe your wilderness trek.
But there are many places where cell phone range covers your fishing lake or hunting woods. The best part about a cell phone is that, even by your favorite wilderness stream, you can have utterly normal conversations with pretty well anybody.
"Yes, nice weather we are having lately. OK, darling, on my way back into town I'll pick up some milk and peanut butter and...wait! Was that an orca?!? Gotta go." Click.
Not only that, with a cell phone you can even catch up on your email while crouching in your tent or scaling a cliff, with an email to phone service.
A two-way radio is a much surer piece of equipment, because it does not depend on the cellular phone network to connect. The downside is that you get to speak to a much narrower range of people: other two-way radio owners.
"Hi there, Big Bear, do you read me? Can you get a-hold of my wife to see if I have to pick up milk and peanut butter on my way back into town? Do you copy? Oh yeah, you got the weather forecast there, by any chance?"
Before you leave on any outdoors trip, it is wise to check your weather forecast. But the weather forecast can change quickly, so a cell phone or radio serves another purpose.
"Whaddaya mean thunderstorms and hail?!? I just got here, darling, I don't want to come home just yet. Oh...alright..."
Of course, you could just have someone email the weather forecast to you on your cell phone.
Chad Brown also suggests another piece of hunting equipment - keeping a very loud whistle hanging from your neck. If you are trapped under a tree, pinned down by a boulder, or wrestling a grizzly bear, you might not have the reach or the attention span to dial a number. If anybody is within earshot, they will come running...if not to help you, at least to capture the scene for America's Funniest Home Videos.
Our final tip might seem obvious, but make sure you know where to call. Have the emergency number taped to the back of the cell phone (ignore your wife's idea of tattooing it to your forehead; where would you find a mirror in the middle of a ravine?) and make sure you know what frequency to call for help on the two-way radio.
There you have it. You are prepared to go out into the wild and communicate. Make sure to prepare, to have the right hunting equipment or fishing gear for communicating, and know how to use them in an emergency.
And if the animals don't understand what you are trying to communicate to them, you might not be any worse off than in the city.
David Leonhardt is a freelance writer and a website marketing consultant who loves the outdoors.
Now that you have caught your dream fish, do you know how to clean? Good job. You must be so proud of yourself. You have just landed the biggest fish of all. How do you... Read More
Did you know that there are five species of Pacific salmon and one species of Atlantic salmon? Further, did you know that all 5 species of Pacific salmon run wild in Alaska?We're proud of our... Read More
Many people enjoy a nice, long fishing trip. Others enjoy fishing trips that take them to new places and new types of fishing. Stream trout fishing can be one of these types of fishing trips.... Read More
Hi Lee Palm/Red Rooster crew(San Diego - California).. Keep my rail spot cool for me - won't you? Fishing Report from Nassau Bahamas (8-10-2000)(Thursday)(Air Temperature 92 degrees. Water temp. ? mid 80's degrees). Clear skies,... Read More
We all have used buzz baits and we know why the bass like them right? It's because of that little stream of water. Wrong! It's the sound! Yep, sound attracts the bass then sight.Bass has... Read More
Last summer we had an unfortunate incident with a swordfish we brought to the boat.It was about 8:30pm and we had been set up for about 45minutes when we had our first bite, the second... Read More
A tacklebox or a tackle bag is a necessity to store your fishing lures, bobbers, and hooks. A tacklebox is a necessity to store your expensive lures. The more you fish the... Read More
For many fishermen Alaska is the ultimate "mecca" of fishing. Early childhood dreams of Salmon choked rivers and Bears of every shape and size basking in the sun, their bellys full of fish- and the... Read More
Cheap SinkersSpark plugs make excellent disposable sinkers. Need some cheap (free) fishing weights? Go to any gas station and ask for them. Then, loop a rubber band through the electrode and then tapping the wire... Read More
Like most fishermen my age I originally learned about spinnerbait fishing for largemouth bass with my Dad. My class room was the back of an aluminum rental boat drifting the brush flats and rocky points... Read More
Teaching a kid to fish does not have to be difficult, if you follow the right steps. There is an old Chinese proverb that states:"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a... Read More
Gyrinocheilus aymonieri Common name: Chinese algae-eater Family: Gyrinocheilidae (Algae eaters) Order: Cypriniformes (carps) Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) Max size: 30 cm/ 12 inches Water conditions: pH range: 6.0 -... Read More
I was in Southwest Florida and was asked to go fishing by one of the pro bass fisherman there. Thinking I would learn a lot that day, I graciously accepted his kind offer.So, we begin... Read More
Get Rid Of SharksSharks buggin' you? To get rid of them pour some fish blood on a paper towel or newspaper and roll it into a ball. Toss it overboard and the sharks will follow... Read More
Dry fly angling is at the top of any fly fisherman's list of fun fishing. The visual dry fly catch continues to excite many anglers as the best way to angle the fly. Many anglers... Read More
Make Small Fortune In Fishing Industry.......now there is a headline you don't see very often. In fact, I have never seen it.Unless you start out with a large fortune and slowly pitter it away while... Read More
Often lake fish will gather in schools and cruise around looking for food, but often it is the small fish that rise to take surface insects while the bigger ones feed in deeper water.Where the... Read More
Many anglers who are new to fly fishing consider dry fly fishing the "traditional" way of catching trout. Well, that's not entirely true. Wet fly fishing dates back hundreds of years, well before dry fly... Read More
Choosing a good rod is a major decision for the fly fishing angler. Shopping for that new rod can also be allot of fun. But how do we know what the right rod is? Here... Read More
More and more women are learning to enjoy fishing each and every day. And, why not? Fishing is a sport that doesn't require exceptional strength, stamina or height ? quite the contrary, fishing is a... Read More
Do you have a lucky hat?It was a beautiful warm day in the mid 70's. Typical of what we get in Colorado during September. I started out by checking the stream flows on the stream... Read More
It was one of those fishing trips. You know, everyone catches fish but you, you loose six or eight of your most expensive streamers, it rains buckets, and you sink the boat. That's right; I... Read More
IntroductionMany of the people about to take one of my guided trips don't believe that Catfish feed as aggressively as other game fish. People are used to throwing out their bait and letting it set... Read More
The use of light, either chemical or battery powered plays an important role in catching swordfish. There is no question that the use of artificial light increases the probability of catching a swordfish.Swordfish have giant... Read More
Ketchikan, located in southeast Alaska, is a good place to fish for halibut. Sally and John Balch live in Ketchikan and have a favorite spot nearby to halibut fish. It's a secret spot, so don't... Read More
A big buzz within the fishing community that is spreading like wildfire is deep jigging with the new "butterfly" jig. Deep jigging has always been a very productive way of catching fish at all levels... Read More
Many people know just what type of lure they want to use in order to catch the elusive fish. In fact, one of the most common types of lures is called a spinner. Spinner fishing... Read More
If You Have Never Used A Blacklight While Night Fishing, You're Missing OutWe all know the benefits of night fishing - bigger catches and calmer waters are just two, however, night fishermen have several challenges... Read More
Great fishing supplies are an essential when it comes to netting the big game out at the lake or the stream. You can't expect the fish to bite, though, if you don't bring your A... Read More
For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds of weatherCommunication in the wilderness is a matter of survival, as well as convenience. Before even leaving home, communications must begin. In fact, our first... Read More
What lures are 4-13" long, been used regularly on the West Coast and have caught some of the biggest bass ever? Yep, Swimbaits.Now a change is happening, these lunker catching baits are being used on... Read More
Written on the rod blank or handle is a code number which indicates the line that the rod manufacturer suggests is best for most customers; i.e., 6 line. To most fly anglers, this means that... Read More
Some of the baits I have used for used for CATFISHing here on the Ohio River are, chicken liver, minnows, shrimp, Spam, French Fries and more.Fresh chicken liver works better than frozen liver that has... Read More
When nymph fly fishing, the angler is imitating the juvenile stage of aquatic insects. As such, all fly fishing is done underwater, not on top of it. Thus, unlike when dry fly fishing, an angler... Read More
We can learn alot from kids.Last Friday, which incidently was St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec, was also the day we decided to have Grandpa's Pond day in Shady Cove, Oregon.Everything went off just as... Read More
Fishing Fishing |