Just saw mudmans thread in the hunting section. I've been lost once on a lease near san saba. It's a terrible feeling. Tell us about the time you've been lost. No cell phones back then. Just a good old compass.

Got lost on a 6,000 acre ranch that I "guided"/worked on in Victoria County in my 20's. Summer time, bagged & hauled 50-60 bags of corn from the hopper onto my trailer from San Patricio County/filled 11 feeders/mowed weed eated around camp. HOT. Decided to grab my bow and sit my stinking [censored] in a tripod by the creek, an area I had no real experience in yet. I was alone at the ranch so thought twice about going down there but..... Pigs came out, lots of them. I waited for a clean shot at 20 yrds and took it on a big sow. I knew immediately that I hit her high and she was gone, marked the weed where she hit the thick stuff, and then a 25lb piglet rolls out of the YANKEE weed under the feeder with equal parts of my arrow sticking out of both sides of it's head. Flopped around for a few seconds and was dead. Never saw that one. Arrow passed through the 150lb sow and drilled piglet ear to ear perfectly.

So, I throw the piglet in the back of my Blazer and take off to find the sow. Long story short, nearly 3 hrs of tracking this pig (no moon) and my batteries die when I hit the creek, she went a LONG way. It took me 3-4 hrs of back tracking & zig zagging/power walking to find the road that led me back to my truck. I was focused on finding that pig and nothing else, but that's how I am. When I got back to camp I sure did chug some water, mad at myself the whole time over a pig lol. Jumping cows/deer/and pigs power walking through waste high grass/brush with no light & no moon will sure get your attention.

Working on a Ranch, 8,000 acres in Gordon Texas. Have not been there long and thought I would go see the property on horseback. Big mistake. Overcast day and went through several gates just enjoying the vastness thinking I could trace my way back. Riding along thinking I gotta get back, but got lost. Kept running into bluff drop offs and could not tell east from west due to no direction because do not know where the sun was. I could faintly hear I20 traffic and went that direction until I ran into a fence. I rode the fence, luckily in the guessed right direction till I got to a gate, then did the same thing over and over again and made it back to the ranch house. It was well after 9p.m. When I got back. A lot of the time I was leading my horse on foot. Needless to say the Ex wife was pissed and very worried. I was actually scared myself, but had my 9mm and a canteen with water and figured worse case I’ll just sleep on my saddle and try in morning.

This was in 1988.

I hunt a lot of public all over north Texas and southern Oklahoma. I had a left a climber in a tree in south east Oklahoma and the next time I was in that area I pulled up to that tree in my boat and shot mallards near by. Tree was in probably 10 foot of water as river was way out. Never went back that year.

The next year opening day was coming on and I decided to run up there after work and grab it. Did not tell anyone just shot up there. I ran down the river a ways. River is real steep Bank have to get out to climb the bank to know what field you’re on. I get out look, nope this ain’t it. Keep going a ways. Get out several more times and couldn’t find the right field. Turn around and head back. Get out 2 more times. (My phone did not have service in this area I had tried to save some cash trying sprint wireless terrible idea) so I get out one more time and I’m like if this isnt the right field I’m just giving up. Every time I got out of the boat up to this point I grabbed my keys and my phone from the boat, this time I did not. Well this is the right field I go directly to the oak I had that stand in and it was gone. I head back to the creek. Look over the edge and don’t see the boat. I go a couple hundred yards one direction then back and forth back and forth.

I finally come to the realization that……… someone stole my boat (no I’m not lost) so I’m like well I saw those guys camping on that bend in the river if I can make it there before dark and get a ride to the truck all is well. I start heading north. Walking sucked you were either busting brush and briars or side hilling on creek edge. Actually had a run in with cotton mouth on creek edge. Busting brush wore me out I started cramping up so I’m drinking out of the creek.

After a while of walking I come on a creek coming into the main creek, this is good news as I’m almost to the truck…… but but where are those boys camping on the creek???. Then it came to me. That point on the creek where they were set up was in a hard bend. I had gotten out to go look for my stand on south side of bend. Went back to creek looking for the boat on the north side of that bend.

I come walking into the camp ground next to the boat ramp and 2 elderly couples were on edge of woods camping. Old man looks at me and says “boy how long you been in those woods” I told them what I’d done and one of those old guys was looking at me like I was the dumbest sob he’d ever encountered. Borrowed the woman’s phone and called my wife (who had no idea where I was) left her a vm along the lines of “I’m alright I got lost need a ride to my boat (interrupted with “yes ma’am I’d love a water been drinking creek water”) I’ll be home late tonight and I’ll call you when I get on the rd.”

It was already bow season on Oklahoma I was sitting on a dark ramp in bfe waiting for someone to pull in from hunting. Explained to them what I’d done and asked for a boat ride. We took off and before we cleared the park he started spot lighting the bank. I said no sir let me see your phone. I showed him on the map where I believe my boat is.

We got down there, boat was right where I left it and he said “dang boy how long were you walking?”
“Bout 2, 3 hours I think sir”
“That would have taken me all day”
“We’ll sir if you’re gonna be dumb you better be tough”

Jumped out and thanked them again and headed on home.

That’s as lost as I’ve ever been.

Phones and maps have made me dumb to my surroundings my grandfather would not be proud.

People who have gotten lost have been known to panic as badly as people who believe they're going to drown.

Great story. and I agree about our Grandfathers......

You're a f'ng genius Dan.

Frank Church wilderness. On the way out after the trip, I found the Forest Service road was different than the map. I was toward the tail end of my onboard tank of diesel and had 10 gallons backup. I couldn't go back the way I came in because it won't be enough fuel. I started to get concerned but eventually figured out my way. Running out of fuel would have been a major inconvenience, but it surely wouldn't have been the end of the world as I had my satellite communicator (but no cell service), food, water, gun (rifle and pistol) and ammo, and my backpack full of all other supplies. Turns out I wasn't very far from my originally planned destination coming out and I didn't have to touch my backup diesel. #planning #ftw. The kicker was I didn't get a bear. Or a wolf. Or a lion. Otherwise I had a fantastic trip.

I got lost a few years ago. Walked around woods for hours. Then decided to just go straight as I could. I came out about 100 yards from my truck.

I thought I was gonna come out in another county on some country road and have to hitchhike.

It’s never ending.

You woke up my dog

Men don’t get lost, we just go exploring.

I got lost when I was 15 back in the mid 80s deer hunting with a buddy on public land in Mississippi in Rankin County. I was just sitting on the ground and started exploring. Got turned around. I walked for a couple of hours it seemed till I found a road. Then I walked roads for an hour and I found him or he found me. Fortunately it was in the morning and I was pretty freaked out and scared. I don't want that to ever happen again. I think that afternoon made an impression on me because I've never come close to being lost again at least on foot!

Got lost once, what’s funny is that I didn’t even know it. Duck hunting public land, took off from access parking lot dark 30 in the morning through the woods headed to the cove I wanted to hunt. This was over 15 years ago or so, thought I could walk a straight line through the woods. After a while I started to realize I might be lost. Next thing you know I see a parking lot, then a closer look, dang that truck looks just like mine. Then I realize I walked in one big circle. I got in my truck drove straight to academy and bought a GPS, never got lost again.

The wildest story I was ever told about someone being lost is one I’ve shared here before. It was told to me by a parent who attended one of my Hunter Education classes and serves as an example how people can believe death is imminent after getting lost.

The parent said he’ll never forget the time he came across another hunter one evening while hunting public land that had been lost for most of the day. The guy was obviously very glad to find someone who could help him find his way out of the woods. He took the guy back to his truck and drove him back to his vehicle which really wasn’t that far away. The guy thanked him for dropping him off and then started to get out. The parent noticed he was leaving his rifle behind and told him not to forget it. The guy turned back and looked at him and said, “You can have it, I won’t be needing it anymore.”

I got lost once as a teenager while hunting with a friend. I can’t say the fear was so bad that I thought the two of us would never be found, but what stood out most was how we lost track of time. Neither of us were wearing a watch and it was a cloudy and overcast day so we had no perspective on where the sun was in the sky. We walked for what seemed like hours and hours before we finally hit a road and made our way back to my car. Turns out, we had only been lost for a couple of hours at most.

I’m sure some of you remember the report several years back of an old Winchester rifle that had been found leaning against a tree out West somewhere. If my memory is correct, the trunk of the tree had grown around the barrel, indicating just how long it had been there. One of the theories that was being floated upon its discovery was that perhaps some hunter had gotten lost and left it there.

The Forgotten Winchester

I was a teenager. We lived in NE Louisiana, and our house backed up to the woods. Back there in the woods was low ground and was often flooded during rainy periods. I grabbed my 22 one cloudy day and wandered back into the woods looking for squirrels. The water was about 6” deep, and I walked in all directions for an hour or more till I realized that I was lost. Tried following the muddy tracks I had left, but that was hopeless. I finally got out of the woods when I walked up on a hog pen. Had to climb the wood fence into the pen and walk to the other side. An old black man watched me. Imguess he owned the pen and the hogs. I knew where I was then, so I walked home (mile or so). I wasn’t home long when my cousin showed up and asked where I had been. When I told him I had gotten lost, he thought that was the funniest thing ever, and how could I do something that dumb? Well, that ticked me off , and I took him back to where I had gotten lost to show him how easy it was, and WE GOT LOST. An hour or so later, we walked through the same hog pen. Same old black man. No words were uttered.

If I had only had a compass…

my story is a lot different. summer of '71 , just graduated from high school . Me and a buddy went to Denver. Got a motel in Aurora on Colfax ave.
We went downtown and found a bar on Larimer Sq , playing good music. They gently asked us to leave at 2 am . Got back on Colfax and
drove forever, could not find motel, So we turned around and drove forever the opposite direction, No Motel , rinse and repeat.
Finally one of us geniuses figured out if we just picked a direction and kept going , we would wind up in Golden or Aurora.
We chose wrong, Saw the big M on the mountain ( for Colorado School of Mines). Now we knew east from west.
Arrived back at the motel as the sun came up.

One of the more stupid stunts We pulled. Amazing that none of my friends in high school wound up dead or in Jail.

Mo

Years ago on the Upton county ranch we lost my teenage son chasing blues. We looked every where for him but could not locate him and calls to his cell phone went unanswered. Getting close to dark he gets a sliver of service and calls me.

I ask him where he is and he says he doesn't know. I ask if he can see any landmarks and he says he sees an oil storage tank...mkay, that is not helpful. What else do you see. He climbs up on the tank battery and can't make out anything out of the ordinary as its getting darker but says he passed a power line pole with a big hawk or eagles nest in it about 15 minutes ago. Ok now we are getting somewhere...that thing was Huge!!! We take off in the jeep headed toward the nest and when we get there he calls and says he sees our headlights in the next section over. When we finally pick him up he is one tired puppy. Sure broke him taking off like that. lol

Lost? Never. Temporarily disoriented? Perhaps.

only a very few times have I been lost as I have an incredible sense of direction from headlighting on foot for many years varmint hunting multiple counties around central Texas.

but venturing out MD/ELK hunting in CO & NM changed my perspective as all the trees look the same. one year hunting NF SE of Bayfield CO, I came out on a point overlooking a large meadow where our camp was located. I could see camp a mile or so away and I decided I would just follow the ridge back around to above our camp. I hunted for several hours when I came across a couple guys on horseback with lever guns across their laps. They informed me I was on private property (they were fence riders) and I needed to turn around and head back the way I came. I politely told them where we were camped and I was just trying to get back there. They again told me to turn around and go about a 1/2 mile, get on the other side of the fence and follow it west to that meadow. I told them I hadn't crossed a fence???, they shifted their guns in my direction and said yep, you did, about 1/2 mile back. Okay, I did an about face and sure enough, about a 1/2 mile there was a 7 strand barbed wire fence, crossed it and headed west and after about half an hour I popped out into the eastern edge of the meadow. That kinda rattled me but after talking to some locals, they said the fences only run part of the way up the mountain as the cattle will likely not go any higher, so I evidently was higher than the fence went when I crossed into private land.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Wife and I spent an hour "lost" on a 90 acre lake at about 4:30 in the morning before a duck hunt in kayaks. Fog like I've never seen before - I couldn't even see to my knees. With the lights off visibility wasn't any better - couldn't even see the dang sky. Luckily wasn't a lake boats were allowed. Finally hit the dam about the time the fog thinned just a bit - figure we were probably just doing laps coming close to shore. That was the wife's first time duck hunting - we both limited that day. Good memories.

I have never been lost when hunting/outdoors by myself once in the past 36 years.

Same here. Grew up in the Texas panhandle so you learned pretty quickly to triangulate off of a windmill or power poles or the rare tree on the horizon. I was nervous about a back country elk hunt in AZ in a unit I'd never set foot in. Bought a GPS unit to take for safeties sake, but never needed it.