# Lost in the mountains



## Joe Brandon

Well I got lost yest for the first time. Thank God I remembered what someone had once told me, that if you ever get lost in the mountains just walk down and you will eventually end up back on a road. I did so and ended up just fine in the end. I had not planned on being away from the truck long just doing a spot check on one of my favorite places, decided to expand my search a little and before I knew it was lost. The only thing I had on me was a .357, which I can tell you that was the only time ever that that thing did'nt bring me a bit of comfort lol. Moral of the story is walking down works in a worst case senerio. Also watch your step when walking down. Fell through many holes between tree roots I did'nt see, slid on my butt a good bit and got pretty scraped up. Like a water slide with no water lol.


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## whitetailfreak

Glad things worked out for you Joe. Ive had to retrieve a few buddys over the years. When a dense fog sets in, it's easy to get turned around.


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## Joe Brandon

Thanks Whitetail. One thing I did remember from my hunters safty course really did kick in and I can't believe it stuck with me, it said to try not to panic if you ever get lost, I tried to keep this in mind as I felt my self sweating more and just starting to get worked up. Next time I'm going in much more prepared even if I think I'll only be gone a couple of hours. I guess you just never know. I ordered that seat! Thanks again and I'll let you know how it works out.


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## pnome

Scary situation.  Sounds like you kept a cool head and stuck to the basics.

But, you're telling me you weren't looking forward to putting all that Bear Grylls watching to the test?   

You didn't slide down on your butt, you preformed a "glissade"


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## NCHillbilly

Glad you got out ok, and you did the exact right thing. It amazes me how many people get lost for days at a time every single year in a fairly small wilderness area near here that is on top of a mountain, and is completely encircled by two state highways and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've been all over it, and there is nowhere in the whole place that you can't walk straight down a creek and come out at a road in three or four hours. People will wander around in there for most of a week sometimes and about die.

I've never gotten really lost in the mountains. At least you have up and down, and the silhouettes of the peaks and ridges to guide you. I've gotten turned around a few times and came out a holler or two over from where I intended to, mostly at night coon hunting, but never seriously lost. Flat land, on the other hand, is a different story, especially at night. I've gotten pretty badly turned around more than once coon hunting or blood trailing after dark in the flatlands. 




whitetailfreak said:


> Glad things worked out for you Joe. Ive had to retrieve a few buddys over the years. When a dense fog sets in, it's easy to get turned around.



Fog brings a whole new level to it for sure. My dad and uncle roamed these mountains all their lives, but he told me that they got really seriously lost somewhere back on the head of Snowbird or Slickrock back in the 50s. They had been running a bear all day, and finally treed and killed it right before dark on the very top of a mountain. He said thick fog set in, and they decided to gut the bear, hang it from a tree, and come get it the next morning. In the fog and darkness, they headed off the wrong side of the mountain and walked for two days until they came out somewhere around Calderwood dam.


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## northgeorgiasportsman

It's so easy to say, "it can't happen to me," but it certainly can.  Up here in the mountains, you really don't have to go far to be in the sho nuff wilderness.  That's why it's so important to be prepared.  Ask yourself when you step out of the house in the morning, "Am I prepared to spend the night away from home?"  With a little pre-planning, you can carry what you need in your pockets.


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## whitetailfreak

NCHillbilly said:


> Glad you got out ok, and you did the exact right thing. It amazes me how many people get lost for days at a time every single year in a fairly small wilderness area near here that is on top of a mountain, and is completely encircled by two state highways and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've been all over it, and there is nowhere in the whole place that you can't walk straight down a creek and come out at a road in three or four hours. People will wander around in there for most of a week sometimes and about die.
> 
> I've never gotten really lost in the mountains. At least you have up and down, and the silhouettes of the peaks and ridges to guide you. I've gotten turned around a few times and came out a holler or two over from where I intended to, mostly at night coon hunting, but never seriously lost. Flat land, on the other hand, is a different story, especially at night. I've gotten pretty badly turned around more than once coon hunting or blood trailing after dark in the flatlands.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fog brings a whole new level to it for sure. My dad and uncle roamed these mountains all their lives, but he told me that they got really seriously lost somewhere back on the head of Snowbird or Slickrock back in the 50s. They had been running a bear all day, and finally treed and killed it right before dark on the very top of a mountain. He said thick fog set in, and they decided to gut the bear, hang it from a tree, and come get it the next morning. In the fog and darkness, they headed off the wrong side of the mountain and walked for two days until they came out somewhere around Calderwood dam.



I was on Snowbird earlier this summer. Short drive from my grandpas. Still some of the best speck water around, and some beautiful rugged country.


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## Hoot

I've never gotten lost in the woods, in my life.

But I have gotten seriously misplaced quite a few times.  

One of the most serious times was what turned out to be a night hike in Cohutta a few years ago.  When I got to my destination on top of a mountain, I laid down to take a "short nap".  When I woke up, it was dark.  And I missed a turn on the way back.  About 2 miles later, I realized that.  Thankfully, I had carried my gps with me.  I turned it on then, and used the topo map on it to get back to camp.  I hadn't felt the need to turn it on before then, because I "knew the trails".  Things tend to look different in the dark.


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## NCHillbilly

whitetailfreak said:


> I was on Snowbird earlier this summer. Short drive from my grandpas. Still some of the best speck water around, and some beautiful rugged country.



I camped and fished the lower end one weekend a couple months ago, but I haven't been on back in there to the good stuff in years.


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## The mtn man

There's not much way to be in a real bad lost situation in the southern mountains, I know some do, somehow??? Joe Brandon and hillbilly are right, if you realize your disoriented, if you have the equipment, just stay the night if it's getting late. At first light just turn down hill, avoiding the real rough steep ridges, find a nice easy grade and turn down hill, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be in a road within a couple hours. It might not be a state highway, but a nice easy walking road non the less that should lead to a Maine road. With that said I got lost in a 200 acre tract of planted pines in middle ga for hours once.


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## DYI hunting

The land can fool you up in the mountains.  Glad you're okay!

I always carry a bottle, canteen, or camelbak of water just in case.  Actually I usually carry a small pack with some other gear.  Never know when I might turn a short trip into a half day affair and a little food, water and other gear can at least make it an enjoyable trip.


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## Hoot

DYI hunting said:


> The land can fool you up in the mountains.  Glad you're okay!
> 
> I always carry a bottle, canteen, or camelbak of water just in case.  Actually I usually carry a small pack with some other gear.  Never know when I might turn a short trip into a half day affair and a little food, water and other gear can at least make it an enjoyable trip.



I do too.  I always have a small day pack with some sort of water purification, a first aid kit, compass and other minimalist survival gear.  You just never know when something bad is gonna happen.


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## Killer Kyle

I'm like a lot of you guys. I walk leads and ridges and mountaintops. I like to think of them as trails or roads. I also use terrain association. I.E....if I hike in along the base of the ridge, and the ridge is on the right.....it is on the left on the way out. 
....but flat land. Dang. I can get lost on some flat land. when I first started hunting deer at the age of 16, I was hunting a neighbor's property. I went in, got turned around because I had never been there before, and came out two miles from where I went in. Luckily, a guy I knew drove by me and saw me walking, and gave me a ride home. I've gotten slightly turned around once or twice since. I once knew where I was, but couldn't figure out how to get back because every which way I tried to get off the mountain top was too steep of a grade. I had hiked in at evening, and hunted my way up to the mountain top while following a pig trail. I sat till dark. I could see the light below and could see exactly where to go, but it was just too seep each way I tried. So, I called my girlfriend, and had her look up a certain feature which was near the mountain I was on with google terrain on her laptp, snap a pic of it with her iPhone, and send me the topo pic. I climbed back up to the top, received the pic, saved it, and used it to finally find the shallow lead back. That was a roundabout was of getting it done, but it got done!


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## Hoot

^^ Ingenuity and a good use of whatever resources you may have will get you out of a lot of tricky situations.

A long time ago, before there were GPS's with maps on them, I got seriously misplaced while backpacking the high desert canyons in Utah.  I got my lat./long. from my GPS, marked that spot on my topo map, confirmed it with visual clues from surrounding mountains, and realized I was 8 miles from where I thought I was.  That was because some idiot had moved the rock cairns that marked that trail in Canyonlands NP, and we took a wrong turn because of it.


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## Dr. Strangelove

I was in the Chattahoochee NF a couple of years ago in fall the hunting with some buddies, we ran into a pair of college couples that were wearing t-shirts and shorts, had a water bottle apiece and were trying to hike to Cowrock Mountain and back that afternoon, which was about 10 miles away as the crow flies.  

We tried to talk them out of it, but they knew better and continued anyway.  As it turned out, we had unknowingly camped right beside them, they showed up about 3am after being dropped off by a good Samaritan that had found them lost wandering down a road.  

Turns out they had gotten lost soon after they left us, wandered around all afternoon trying to find a trail or road, gotten freezing cold and scared untl finally one of them had the sense to follow a stream leading down the mountain and ended up on a paved road on the other side of the mountain from where they had started.  

They had no business being in the woods, but would they listen to us? Noooooo....

And yes, I've been "temporarily lost" but not to the point of calling in the cavalry, yet.


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## tree cutter 08

Main thing is dont panic and wander in circles! Dropping off in the wrong hollar or lead after dark will leave you scratching your head for a few minutes.


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## T-N-T

Me and RedNeckHunter31510 got off the side of a lead last year at dark.  Figured it out when it got too steep to get down.  Climbed back up and started texting to my step-pa who was at the truck.  Be was blowing the horn and I coulnt hear it.  
After we stopped freaking out, we were able to find our way out.  
I was about 2 minutes away from sliding down the steep hill though.  As I knew the road "should" be down there.


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## Killer Kyle

Dr. Strangelove said:


> I was in the Chattahoochee NF a couple of years ago in fall the hunting with some buddies, we ran into a pair of college couples that were wearing t-shirts and shorts, had a water bottle apiece and were trying to hike to Cowrock Mountain and back that afternoon, which was about 10 miles away as the crow flies.
> 
> We tried to talk them out of it, but they knew better and continued anyway.  As it turned out, we had unknowingly camped right beside them, they showed up about 3am after being dropped off by a good Samaritan that had found them lost wandering down a road.
> 
> Turns out they had gotten lost soon after they left us, wandered around all afternoon trying to find a trail or road, gotten freezing cold and scared untl finally one of them had the sense to follow a stream leading down the mountain and ended up on a paved road on the other side of the mountain from where they had started.
> 
> They had no business being in the woods, but would they listen to us? Noooooo....
> 
> And yes, I've been "temporarily lost" but not to the point of calling in the cavalry, yet.



Same thing happened to me at Raven Cliffs last year. I was coming out at nearly dark, and came upon a fitness trainer and two of her clients hiking in. I noticed they had nothing but water bottles and said "y'all going all the way to the falls? Its almost dark.", and the trainer said "oh, we'll make it back before dark", and I said "the sun has been below the ridge, its already dark in there", and the two clients looked at one another with a disconcerted look. I said "just so you know, it is bear mating season, and bears are on the move, you have no illumination devices, protection, and phones. You'd better be careful!" And they thanked me for the "heads up" and left. For days I wondered about them and what came of that hike. I should have just sat in the parking area for hours until they returned just so I could say "I told you so!"


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## SamanthaJ

Joe Brandon said:


> Well I got lost yest for the first time. Thank God I remembered what someone had once told me, that if you ever get lost in the mountains just walk down and you will eventually end up back on a road. I did so and ended up just fine in the end. I had not planned on being away from the truck long just doing a spot check on one of my favorite places, decided to expand my search a little and before I knew it was lost. The only thing I had on me was a .357, which I can tell you that was the only time ever that that thing did'nt bring me a bit of comfort lol. Moral of the story is walking down works in a worst case senerio. Also watch your step when walking down. Fell through many holes between tree roots I did'nt see, slid on my butt a good bit and got pretty scraped up. Like a water slide with no water lol.


I've gotten turned around before when I was on land I wasn't too familiar with. But, you can ask anyone, I get turned around easily. Panicking is the first thing I want to do, and the last thing I SHOULD do. Luckily I rarely go out in the woods alone and my dad is almost always nearby. I'm on a new hunting club this year and it's 700 acres...that's a little intimidating.


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## ripplerider

Its been a while but Ive been turned around a couple of times. I parked once at Horseshoe Bend on 129 and set out for a long summertime scouting trip. After climbing Rocky and Cedar mtns. I somehow took the wrong lead down and ended up at the very end of Dicks creek rd carrying a dead rattlesnake. At least a dozen rd. miles from my truck. Luckily two kids came along and gave me a ride back. The worst time though was when I forgot my flashlight hunting a brand new place on Coopers creek and missed the deadend of the road I was parked on in the dark. It was cloudy and you couldnt see your hand in front of your face. Just kept going downhill knowing I would eventually get to the creek. Walked through a clearcut full of briars, bounced off trees finally walked into an electric fence and knew I was getting close to people. Came out on the creek  which is pretty big, had to wade it waist deep cause the rd. is on the other side. My pants froze while I waited on some guys porch who was kind enough to take me to my truck. I always check my flashlight out well before dark ever since then.


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## Hoot

^^  Better to walk into an electric fence than to pee on one.


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## robert carter

You fellers need to come hunt in the swamp with me sometime. Its easy to get turned around but the walking is some easier ....RC


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## MCBUCK

I have "bumped" into more people on Grassy (Cohutta) than I can count that  had zero business hunting up there. That little battery powered GPS is really not worth the it when it gives you a way out that is off a 40' bluff or through a laurel to thick to navigate.  I have had to point the way back to the road for several owners of Gwinett tag owners.   
And dang those freaking trail marking ribbons!! Learn how to use a compass!


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## feathersnantlers

Last year took my son 14 yo Type 1 Diabetic son with me to Dawson Forest's Burnt Mtn.  We walked in that morning and I went right past the saddle. We ended up going down into this draw. I thought we could walk out the draw but realized it that was the long way around. So I got out my compass and topo map and hauled it up and over a mountain to get back to the truck.

Of course we saw no animals.


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## srb

*Swamp*



robert carter said:


> You fellers need to come hunt in the swamp with me sometime. Its easy to get turned around but the walking is some easier ....RC



Snakes/Gators walking at night/morning..


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## Killer Kyle

robert carter said:


> You fellers need to come hunt in the swamp with me sometime. Its easy to get turned around but the walking is some easier ....RC



I've duck hunted and turkey hunted in swamps. They give me the heebie jeebies! I'm a NE GA guy and am more afraid of gators than bears. TopherAndTick can  testify. I crossed a SE GA creek with him and got scared of a bullfrog swimming cause we were crossing the "gator hole" and I thought it was a gator swimming. Alligators creep me out!


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## Darkhorse

I learned many years ago the value of navigating with a compass while coon hunting at night in the swamps. To this day I keep one on a string around my neck.
I sometimes carry my GPS also. I seldom use the feature because it's mostly flat where I hunt, but most of them have a track back feature.
Personally I've found that using a compass along with the GPS is better than either alone.


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## redneckhunter31510

Killer Kyle said:


> I've duck hunted and turkey hunted in swamps. They give me the heebie jeebies! I'm a NE GA guy and am more afraid of gators than bears. TopherAndTick can  testify. I crossed a SE GA creek with him and got scared of a bullfrog swimming cause we were crossing the "gator hole" and I thought it was a gator swimming. Alligators creep me out!



We must have forgot to mention that the "gator hole" you crossed that time was where the little gators are raised at!


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## 95g atl

my i-phone has great GPS.


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## Hammer Spank

I couldnt care less about the bears and the pigs in the mtns but the laurel and rhodo thickets terrify me!  Pick your routes wisely!!


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## northgeorgiasportsman

95g atl said:


> my i-phone has great GPS.



And terrible battery life.


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## SGADawg

The best advice I ever got was from my dad. He said to look back often because that is what you'll see coming out. It has served me well day or night coon hunting or scouting down here in the south Ga flatwoods. He told me that after I spent a good part of a day lost in the Alapaha River swamps at 12 years old.


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## The mtn man

SGADawg said:


> The best advice I ever got was from my dad. He said to look back often because that is what you'll see coming out. It has served me well day or night coon hunting or scouting down here in the south Ga flatwoods. He told me that after I spent a good part of a day lost in the Alapaha River swamps at 12 years old.



That's good advice.


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## robert carter

I carry two compass`s. Its easy to think ones telling a lie.
  I once was about 2 miles in the swamp from the truck. I was easing along the Ocmulgee and figured since it was getting late I would cut a bearing through the swamp to the truck. The compass told me I needed to cross the River to get to the truck... LIAR!!! I said. I followed the River back to the landing and came out. Without knowing I had got in to a large loop the river made and the truck was indeed"across" the river. then again too. Made me start toting a map when hunting new WMA`s.
   A compass has much more use than simply finding your way out. I bow hunt only and when I shoot something that does not fall in sight I always get a bearing of the last place seen or heard. When I get out of the tree its much easier to get in line with the critter to find it. Things look different once on the ground and cover looks more open in the tree than when you are on the ground. RC


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## SwampMoss

Once got lost about 34 years ago with my dad.  We were scouting for deer and was going to be out by dark.  Well it got dark on us and dad decided to best sleep for the night and wait until daylight.  He said it was better to wait it out and not wander around the woods at night and get hurt.  We had no lights or anything.  Later that night my uncles came looking for us.  We had laid down 40 yards from the road and didn't even know it.  I still remember seeing the headlights coming down the road.  I was only 10 at the time.


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## edsebring

have gotten turned around a few times. The first time was a few years ago in the Apalachicola national forest. I had been hunting in a ravine all day long and I knew how I got in there and was pretty sure of how to get out (or so I thought). After it got dark, I got down out of my stand and headed up the hill to where I knew the trail was suppose to be. 30 minutes later I am looking at a drop off that was at least 40 feet down and knew that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. turning around and going down would not have worked as it would have taken me to the river and there was no way to get around it. I had at one point installed a hunting app on my phone that allowed me to set the locations of my stands. I had done this with another stand that I had been hunting some time back that was near a road. So I pulled the app up and it pointed the way towards the other stand location and I used it to guide me back down the hill and up over the other side of the ravine to where the other stand had been. From there it was a short walk out of the woods and a long walk back to where I had parked the truck that morning. After that I installed a compass app on my phone so when it gets dark I can tell what direction I am heading. The second time I got turned around, was in a Georgia pine forest. Again i thought that I knew my way out and again after it got dark it was too easy to not be able to see the trails to well. after walking around for 20 minutes (I am sure it was in circles) I remembered that I had the compass app on my phone. pulled it up and headed south towards where I knew the road was suppose to be. came out about half a mile west of my truck. I always carry an extra water bottle in my pack and a few packs of crackers and a granola bar. I also always keep a waterproof poncho that will help with the cold if need be.


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## 95g atl

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> And terrible battery life.



HORRIBLE battery life.  Correct!

The good news is our hunting land partially borders i-20, so I just listen for the highway noise. 

Out west navigation is easier.  There are HUGE mountains you can use for reference.  The South just has trees, hills, and more trees.


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## jigman29

These mountains are easy to get turned around in if you dont know them. But if you think about it your never more than a day or so from coming out. If you follow water down it will get you out. You may not be where you want to be and the creek bottoms are very thick in places but it will hit a settlement at some point.


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## Joe Brandon

Just an update: I'm no longer lost, I made it out! Lol, I have enjoyed this post though and ended up buying Nat Geo topo maps of the Chattahoochee NF and the Cohuttas.


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## cobra97

I keep thinking of Horace Kephart's books and stories reading this thread. "Our Southern Highlanders" and "Camping and Woodcraft". Both great reads. 
Terry


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## Killer Kyle

cobra97 said:


> I keep thinking of Horace Kephart's books and stories reading this thread. "Our Southern Highlanders" and "Camping and Woodcraft". Both great reads.
> Terry



Funny you should mention! I love and collect a lot of old books. Just Monday I bought a 1935 print of his book Camp Cookery. It was in great shape and had the dust jacket and all. I also bought a 1925 print of Our Southern Highlanders. Love those old copies. I found some of the 1910 print copies of Our Southern Highlanders, but one person was asking $1,000, and another person was asking $450.00, and that's a little too rich for my blood so I settled for later copies. Looking forward to reading them!


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## cobra97

Killer Kyle said:


> Funny you should mention! I love and collect a lot of old books. Just Monday I bought a 1935 print of his book Camp Cookery. It was in great shape and had the dust jacket and all. I also bought a 1925 print of Our Southern Highlanders. Love those old copies. I found some of the 1910 print copies of Our Southern Highlanders, but one person was asking $1,000, and another person was asking $450.00, and that's a little too rich for my blood so I settled for later copies. Looking forward to reading them!



Good finds. Those are a bit rich for me also. George Washington Sears (Nessmuk) was one of Kephart's favorite outdoors men / authors. His works are available on Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/26594 
Doesn't exactly have the feel and smell that book collectors enjoy but you can check them out first. 
Terry


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## NCHillbilly

cobra97 said:


> I keep thinking of Horace Kephart's books and stories reading this thread. "Our Southern Highlanders" and "Camping and Woodcraft". Both great reads.
> Terry



Yep, I have both on my bookshelf.


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## whitetailfreak

I have read most Kepharts works, and they are great reads. Back in July I was at the Adams Westfeldt mine on Sugar Fork near where Kepharts cabin was. Lots of history on Hazel Cr.


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## cobra97

There were two specifics that reminded me of Kephart. 

One was the chapter in "Our Southern Highlanders" titled "A Bear Hunt in the Smokies". (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31709/31709-h/31709-h.htm#CHAPTER_IV) 

The other was talking about getting lost and gave examples of flatlanders getting lost in the mountains and mountain folk getting totally turned around and lost in lowland canebrakes. Just like the commenters here have mentioned. 

Terry


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## Mtn lover

To me, fog is the worst! years ago, I went back into the woods at night to look for my Bloodhounds who hadn't returned.I was in really steep mountainous country. In those days I had the cell phone installed in my truck and set it up so when it rang my horn would honk. This was before the cute little cell phones we have now. I walked down a deep draw thinking maybe there would be a wet spot for some tracks. It was rocky and no help . As I looked back up the steep hills, I couldn't tell which ridge I had come down. The fog rolled in really fast and I couldn't see 10 ft. I picked one out of 4 or 5 ridges and when I got  to the top I had absolutely ne bearings whatsoever. My flashlight went about 10 ft to a wall of white. My wife was to call at midnight so I guessed which way to walk  but found nothing like a trail. At midnight the horn honked. I was one steep down and one steep up away from the truck. I thought I had goofed up again when I couldn't see my bright red truck from 20 or 30 feet away. I had a backpack and sleeping bag but wasn't looking forward to using them. Even driving out was  tricky.I couldn't see far enough to know when I needed some momentum etc. Lesson ; Fog =no fun!


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## Timber1

Anywhere on the west side of Grassy or Doogan mtn. on Cohutta wma or even Fort mtn. you should be able to hear the train whistle if your on a ridge top. The tracks run parallel to hwy 411. It will be to your west. Or you could follow the water shed. South of Windy Gap you will end up at Holly Creek. North of there you will end up at Cohorn branch which flows into Mill  creek. Little further north Sumac creek which runs out by the 7th day adventist property. If your up higher you will eventually hit the head waters of the Conasauga river which will converge with Jacks river near the Tennessee Georgia line. Happy hiking.


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## jbogg

Joe Brandon said:


> Well I got lost yest for the first time. Thank God I remembered what someone had once told me, that if you ever get lost in the mountains just walk down and you will eventually end up back on a road. I did so and ended up just fine in the end. I had not planned on being away from the truck long just doing a spot check on one of my favorite places, decided to expand my search a little and before I knew it was lost. The only thing I had on me was a .357, which I can tell you that was the only time ever that that thing did'nt bring me a bit of comfort lol. Moral of the story is walking down works in a worst case senerio. Also watch your step when walking down. Fell through many holes between tree roots I did'nt see, slid on my butt a good bit and got pretty scraped up. Like a water slide with no water lol.



I know this is an older thread but it's good information.  I did some scouting last weekend on some NF, and while I didn't get lost I definitely have a new respect for being careful out there since I am normally solo. I ended up on the side of a mountain.  Extremely steep, and lots of loose rock.  Got to do a lot of unplanned butt sliding and was very lucky not to have twisted an ankle or knee.  I'm not sure which was worse, trying to go back up, or down.  I don't think the temp ever climbed out of the 20s all day, and I was not prepared to spend the night out there should I have had a mechanical trauma.  Lesson learned.


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## ripplerider

Good boots with grippy soles are real important when your miles from the road. I love my 10 inch Danners with air-bob soles but youll still slip some when youre side-hilling the steep stuff. Watch out in wet/rocky places and try not to step on those slick logs and limbs hidden under the leaves. Im usually solo too.


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## Wayne D Davis

I got lost down at Di-Lane Plantation last Oct . Im pretty good at navigating in the foot hills and mt. regions but the flat lands / swamps are a totally different ball game. Specially when the phone gps has no antenna.


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## bfriendly

Got turned around at Oaky one time...Had a great NW wind I kept walking into and ended up getting two pigs on the ground. When I took a Photo I realized my phone battery was too dead to take a photo and I was Lost......... I Kept heading West thinking it was the way back to the truck, but I was already on the North end.........and circling above the WMA.
 Just before Dark I made it to the rd and got picked up by DNR who was about to have a crew come look for me

I had a GPS within a week, I think

I also make sure my cell phone is fully charged


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## Nicodemus

Killer Kyle said:


> I've duck hunted and turkey hunted in swamps. They give me the heebie jeebies! I'm a NE GA guy and am more afraid of gators than bears. TopherAndTick can  testify. I crossed a SE GA creek with him and got scared of a bullfrog swimming cause we were crossing the "gator hole" and I thought it was a gator swimming. Alligators creep me out!





You really don`t want to hunt with me, or the places I generally hunt then. We have multitudes of assorted reptiles and even bears in some places.


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## T-N-T

Killer Kyle said:


> I've duck hunted and turkey hunted in swamps. They give me the heebie jeebies! I'm a NE GA guy and am more afraid of gators than bears. TopherAndTick can  testify. I crossed a SE GA creek with him and got scared of a bullfrog swimming cause we were crossing the "gator hole" and I thought it was a gator swimming. Alligators creep me out!



I told you that ol sow wouldn't bite you, probably.  

You are gonna come on back down here and try it again aint ya?!


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## Killer Kyle

Only if I get to cross the gator hole while walking between you and Brock again!  Heh! Gator'll get the first or the last. Not the one in the middle!


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## Russdaddy

My internal compass was a little off on Ossabaw a few years back. Got off the trailer in the dark took a "straight" path that was going to lead me to a pond pretty quick.. started seeing a bunch of hog sign and somehow  took a right turn and walked straight through the middle of about 6 other hunting areas. Ran into a hunter (Turns out we went to HS together and work for same company) He tried to convince me of my error,  which took a lot of work as I was convinced he must have been lost. He pointed me back towards the road and I took a walk of shame back towards my area..It all looks the same out there!


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## 7Mag Hunter

Land Nav courses at Ft Bragg, (US Army 1968), compass and topo maps ensure i dont get lost
when i go into the woods...
I never go into unknown woods without a current topo and compass.....I dont even need a flashlight !!
FYI, I do have a GPS in modern day!!


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## Designasaurus

Russdaddy said:


> My internal compass was a little off on Ossabaw a few years back. Got off the trailer in the dark took a "straight" path that was going to lead me to a pond pretty quick.. started seeing a bunch of hog sign and somehow  took a right turn and walked straight through the middle of about 6 other hunting areas. Ran into a hunter (Turns out we went to HS together and work for same company) He tried to convince me of my error,  which took a lot of work as I was convinced he must have been lost. He pointed me back towards the road and I took a walk of shame back towards my area..It all looks the same out there!



I have gotten pretty turned around several times at Ossabaw - definitely sure my compass was wrong.  My daughter and I ended up in the middle of another area and got chewed out by another hunter who ended up in the middle of our area the next day.  It looks the same about every direction and you can't really tell which direction the sun is coming from.


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## Designasaurus

I got temporarily lost once on the Lauren's tract of Beaver Dam.  Turns out my compass was messed up that time - North depended on which way you pointed it as the needle was stuck.  I walked around and got fairly panicked thinking about the possibility that people might have to come find me.  I ended up swimming through a lot of water that I didn't walk through going in and gave serious thought to just leaving my bow.  Ended up walking out on a road not having any idea where I was.  Another hunter picked me up and remembered having seen my truck.  He dropped me at my truck even though I argued that we were going the wrong direction...


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## GLS

My main turkey hunting buddy decades ago was a former USAF navigator on the old Shakey C-124.  He used to give me grief about my carrying a compass until a fog bank covered him up turkey hunting.  I carry two compasses; one on each wrist. The old Suunto Wrist which works best in daylight as the glow in the dark technology is obsolete compared with Tritium illumination.  For dark work, the little Cammenga wrist compass is unequaled in size and utility and has Tritium illumination.  I carry it on my wrist band with my watch.  The watch is a Luminox, but that is another story.  The Suunto has a rotating bezel and sighting port for shooting and holding azimuths.  I recommend both for turkey hunting.  I lock in on a bird's azimuth in the tree and keep moving.  I slightly fall off the azimuth to keep from bumping him which can happen on an exact azimuth.  It has paid off many times on shut mouths or infrequent gobbling. I learned this trick from an old Charlie Elliot book and is worth repeating. Gil


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## Anvil Head

***My main turkey hunting buddy decades ago was a former USAF navigator on the old Shakey C-124. He used to give me grief about my carrying a compass until a fog bank covered him up turkey hunting.***
That's rich! One of my bladesmithing buddies and really good friend, was a Marine fighter jet navigator in 'Nam. He needs a compass to find the coffee pot. He never got to play/hunt in the woods growing up so goes with me every chance he gets. (Can't help messin'widem in the big ol' woods.)

Not a bad idea on the azimith approach for the ghoster's. They can be tough.


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## Killer Kyle

I'd bet my paycheck 95% of the members on this forum don't know what an azimuth is, how to find it, and especially how to shoot a back azimuth. Seems like that's an old-school or military way of thinking. Refreshing to see this pop up on the forum. Glad to know there are still guys out there using a map and/or compass!


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## tree cutter 08

Well u got me. had to look it up. Never heard that word. Never used a compass much either. I like to look at a map and study it before I go to a new spot and walk it out. I don't rely on GPS because they will fail when you need them most.


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## GLS

If you notice on the Suunto, the bearings appear to be reversed, mirror image and north/south.  That's because when you use the sighting port you are reading the bearing of the heading on the opposite side of view port.    Suppose I hear a bird in the tree.  I have the compass on my right wrist outside the ghillie jacket.  I hold my wrist at right angle to the bird.  I rotate the bezel until the bezel's N or point matches the needle's point or N.  With bezel red lines paralleling the black needle, the window will reveal the azimuth's degrees in the window.  As long as I am heading in the direction indicated by centering the arrow with the bezel and right angle to my wrist, I am on course.  To find the back azimuth or return direction, I don't touch the bezel but turn the compass until the point of the compass is exactly reversed in the red arrow's lines of the bezel.  There are no mathematics involved.  The mathematics come in determining annual deviation from true and magnetic north.  That's not a factor I need to mess with here in the low country and for turkey hunting it's not important.
Here's a trick with a watch to navigate.  The watch must be analog (okay, think Mickey Mouse hands) such as the Luminox in the photo.  With the sun visible, point the hour hand at the sun.  With a line half way between 12 on the dial and the hour hand and with the line extending through the center of the dial, the line is due south.  For example, at high noon, the sun is at its zenith (highest point in the sky)  That is directly south.  This also coincides with the hour hand being on 12.  There are slight differences between daylight and standard time, but this is enough for you to find your bearings.  Also, the sun in Georgia is in the Southern Sky.  Using this watch trick can be the difference between lost and not lost. Gil


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## GLS

Anvil Head said:


> Not a bad idea on the azimith approach for the ghoster's. They can be tough.



Especially if you have to go around and get turned around thickets, water, etc.  It will get you back on track in a hurry.  Gil


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## jbogg

GLS said:


> If you notice on the Suunto, the bearings appear to be reversed, mirror image and north/south.  That's because when you use the sighting port you are reading the bearing of the heading on the opposite side of view port.    Suppose I hear a bird in the tree.  I have the compass on my right wrist outside the ghillie jacket.  I hold my wrist at right angle to the bird.  I rotate the bezel until the bezel's N or point matches the needle's point or N.  With bezel red lines paralleling the black needle, the window will reveal the azimuth's degrees in the window.  As long as I am heading in the direction indicated by centering the arrow with the bezel and right angle to my wrist, I am on course.  To find the back azimuth or return direction, I don't touch the bezel but turn the compass until the point of the compass is exactly reversed in the red arrow's lines of the bezel.  There are no mathematics involved.  The mathematics come in determining annual deviation from true and magnetic north.  That's not a factor I need to mess with here in the low country and for turkey hunting it's not important.
> Here's a trick with a watch to navigate.  The watch must be analog (okay, think Mickey Mouse hands) such as the Luminox in the photo.  With the sun visible, point the hour hand at the sun.  With a line half way between 12 on the dial and the hour hand and with the line extending through the center of the dial, the line is due south.  For example, at high noon, the sun is at its zenith (highest point in the sky)  That is directly south.  This also coincides with the hour hand being on 12.  There are slight differences between daylight and standard time, but this is enough for you to find your bearings.  Also, the sun in Georgia is in the Southern Sky.  Using this watch trick can be the difference between lost and not lost. Gil



I just tried the watch thing.  That is cool!  Confirmed it with the compass on my iphone and it was dead on.  I usually have a compass with me, but that's good info if I ever get in a pinch.


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## Miguel Cervantes

Joe Brandon said:


> Well I got lost yest for the first time. Thank God I remembered what someone had once told me, that if you ever get lost in the mountains just walk down and you will eventually end up back on a road. I did so and ended up just fine in the end. I had not planned on being away from the truck long just doing a spot check on one of my favorite places, decided to expand my search a little and before I knew it was lost. The only thing I had on me was a .357, which I can tell you that was the only time ever that that thing did'nt bring me a bit of comfort lol. Moral of the story is walking down works in a worst case senerio. Also watch your step when walking down. Fell through many holes between tree roots I did'nt see, slid on my butt a good bit and got pretty scraped up. Like a water slide with no water lol.



Glad you did the right thing. Take plenty of water and stay hydrated as well. 

A few years ago we had to extract a bow hunter who got turned around, unfortunately for him dehydration had set in and he was too delirious to make the right choices. We finally got him off of the mountain at 3am after several IV's and a change of cloths. Severe Dehydration does ugly things to your system.  Another 30 minutes or an hour and he would have been just a memory in his families dreams.


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## GLS

95g atl said:


> HORRIBLE battery life.  Correct!
> 
> The good news is our hunting land partially borders i-20, so I just listen for the highway noise.


Way back when, a buddy and I went into a woodduck roost that was deep in the woods.  It was easy to find our way back to it and I was confident about finding my way out.  I couldn't find the game trail, but we could hear "highway" noise.  So we headed that way.  It turned out to be the wind through the trees.  After what seemed like forever chasing the "highway", we did a complete circle to where we started.  We built a lean to and a fire and waited for dawn.  It was a cloudy night and we couldn't get a bearing on Polaris.  About a hour before dawn, we heard distant shots.  We followed them out and buddies were next to our car grinning.  Our wives had called the sheriff and he said he would look for us in the morning.   The buddies knew where we where and did us a good turn.  It's been decades ago.  Jimmy and I would always bring it up when we got together over the years.  No ducks were harmed during our stupidity and I learned my lesson about not having a compass. Gil


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## ripplerider

Miguel Cervantes said:


> Glad you did the right thing. Take plenty of water and stay hydrated as well.
> 
> A few years ago we had to extract a bow hunter who got turned around, unfortunately for him dehydration had set in and he was too delirious to make the right choices. We finally got him off of the mountain at 3am after several IV's and a change of cloths. Severe Dehydration does ugly things to your system.  Another 30 minutes or an hour and he would have been just a memory in his families dreams.



How in the world did he get so dehydrated? Theres spring heads and branches all over the mtns. I guess if you just stayed on the ridge tops you could walk forever without finding water but if you drop a few hundred yards down any decent sized holler youll find water. Id rather chance giardia than die of dehydration. I always carry a good bit of water with me anyway. I do know of a few springs and one branch that are on ridgetops. Theres a good-sized waterhole-spring a hundred feet in elevation from the top of Licklog mtn. and Cross Mtn. branch runs right down the middle of a big ridge off Bald mtn.


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## T-N-T

I can use a compass and a map.  Because a teacher in 9th grade went over it for about 5 minutes on a tangent about how we should learn.  Learned topo maps on my own.  They are not hard.  But can be a real help compared to plain ol line maps.
Azimuth,  no.  I know kinda, sorta,  but no.


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