Funny thing about big-game hunters.
They not infrequently keel over from heart attacks, occasionally shoot themselves and more rarely plug each other. But they very seldom get lost.
This massive army, approximately 300,000 strong, scatters across Colorado forests Saturday to begin a five-week quest for deer and elk. Hunters will wander far and wide through some of the most rugged terrain in the state, generally far removed from trails, leaving before daylight and often returning after dark. Almost invariably, they manage to get back to camp.
Of course there’s the recent example of the guy who dialed the Colorado Division of Wildlife call center on a cellphone from an overlook in the Bears Ears country northeast of Craig.
“He said he was lost and wanted to be rescued, but he could see Craig down below,” said Tyler Baskfield, information officer with the wildlife agency. “My definition of a guy in need of being found doesn’t include being able to see town.”
It’s unlikely the instinct to hunt comes attached to some magic homing device.
But compared with the population at large, outdoorsmen appear to possess some uncommon navigational gene. They’re not immune to occasional disorientation, but they generally sort things out eventually.
Mark Cousins, DOW hunter safety coordinator, said that while a number of hunters get lost each year, most are short term and don’t require rescue efforts.
“There are a lot of other hunters out there for them to run into,” he said. “Most just get misplaced for a while.”
Part of the reason hunters don’t require a lot of official intervention is the safety course mandated by law for everyone born after Jan. 1, 1949. In addition to firearms safety, the course places high emphasis on orientation and survival skills.
“We teach being prepared, carrying a survival kit that includes map and compass and having the necessary equipment to survive a night out if you do become lost,” Cousins said.
Signaling devices such as a mirror or whistle should be included, as well as some form of emergency shelter and the ability to start a fire, all of which can be contained in a small pack.
Cousins teaches the STOP regimen for people who become lost: Sit tight. Think. Observe. Plan.
“The main thing is not to panic, to work out a plan for being found,” he said.
Cousins recommends hunters file a sort of flight plan with at least one, preferably two, responsible people. It should include a map or at least a description of the hunt area and when they expect to return, vital information for a search party.
Accidents do happen
Any mention of hunting safety conjures up thoughts of accidents involving firearms, a relative rarity considering so many hunting licenses are sold each year.
Most involve people who shoot themselves through careless handling of firearms, particularly in or around vehicles. The most graphic incident occurred recently during muzzleloading season when a hunter who had bagged his elk days earlier accidentally discharged a handgun inside a pickup truck, seriously wounding himself.
“It’s another example where a moment of carelessness causes a lifetime of consequences,” Cousins said.
Colorado’s law mandating the wearing of blaze orange while hunting with rifles is credited with virtually eliminating the dreaded mistaken-for-game element from big-game hunting accidents.
Hunters are paying the freight
This relatively strong safety record among what is erroneously perceived to be a dangerous component of the Colorado outdoor scene serves to point up one of the nettlesome aspects of the way Colorado’s system of search and rescue is financed.
Hunters and fishermen are assessed 25 cents on every fishing license they purchase, even though some might buy a half- dozen different tags a year. The reason: Lobbied by rescue groups strapped for funds and presented with specious testimony about the habits of outdoorsmen, the General Assembly turned to the only source that could be easily located and tapped. Truth is, hunters and fishers represent a tiny percentage of those who require help.
Theoretically, those who don’t have a hunting or fishing license are liable for whatever charges occur during a rescue. Hikers, climbers and devotees of various adventure sports can purchase a permit that exempts them from charges. Few do.
Ah, well. At least hunters seldom have to suffer the indignity of those flashing lights.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
