Big woods Navigation

[@Friends.19166]

Love the series Dan!! Legend!!

[@greatlakesgrows]

Great advice.

[@kendallinman606]

Love all of you videos. Thank you for sharing and God bless

[@timahern7214]

I am in the Adirondacks big woods up here like he said a compass is a must. I like to look at tree tops with any kind of light in the sky tree tops can be seen, and always turn around and see what it looks like for when you are ready to leave

[@sammorrow1004]

After watching the video I went and checked all my gear bags. I know I had a couple good compass but none were found. So I will be getting another soon. Reminds me of a long list of gear I have let people borrow that never gets returned, that's another story.

[@michaelsheroda7654]

Great advice enjoy what your putting out there . Not only helps those starting on a hunting journey,like younger guys & gals.But good also for the seasoned hunter.

[@bowhunter9288]

Great video. I love the woods and hunting, but I have always had a horrible sense of direction. I've been lost so many times in the woods, I just expected to get lost every year there for awhile in my 20's. I carry a compass, Firestarter, fully charged phone, and two lights. Haven't been lost in a long time now.

[@erniebucher7494]

Dan has the best shirts

[@huntfishexplore7636]

I walk out in the dark most times I hunt, I use my phone's gps but I have the compass with me. I have been turned around a few times. Most people just drive their trucks around the clearcuts so you have to get further back

[@johnbarth684]

I've been scouting public land but I haven't seriously hunted it. This month I discovered large rubs at 1900ft. These are on the 15 yr old clear-cut areas. The roads crisscrossing kind of worries me because of other hunters. My goal is to kill a mature buck near these roads. Hike up drag down. Feel free to give me advice.

[@cvongall66]

I consider myself a pretty good woodsman and I got lost on a cloudy day because I had forgotten my compass which I rarely ever have to use. They were new hunting grounds to me and I should have known better than to trust my internal gps. Glad it was the middle of the day and not going into evening or I would have spent the night in the woods. I kept circling back to the same spot because I couldn't see the horizon or the sun. Only reason I got out was because the sun had made a faint appearance through the thick cloud cover. Keep a compass on you. Great advice.

[@wesclaymore]

Can’t tell you how much we appreciate all your videos where your showing support for LEOs. Makes me want to spend money on Beast Gear, lol. Super amazing info sir!

[@gregmulfort9577]

Always good things to remember. I probably rely on my phone more than I should. Even this weekend I was going to an area I've never been in, coming back out, I did challenge myself to not look at my phone. Part of that is just wanting to be a good woodsman. My first or second year hunting I got completely lost, I was 12 or 13 years old. It's that moment you think you know where you're heading and you come up on an opening or landmark that you weren't expecting and don't even know, and realizing then that everything you were thinking was wrong and you're completely lost, that a helpless feeling and unsettling. Almost 30 years later I still remember that feeling. I've had a few questionable feelings like that since, it's not good. Especially when you're in the middle of nowhere and walking on a straight line is no guarantee to get you anywhere. And, I have walked in a big circle before, thinking I was going in a straight line, it's pretty easy to do on a cloudy day in thick woods or swamp when you're constantly changing course to get around things. Now I use that tip you mentioned of picking a landmark ahead and go to that, it's usually a funny shape tree or a unique tree for where I am, like a birch when you're not in a birchy area. I have also found you can usually look at the moss on the bottom of a tree, the moss will be highest on the north side because it gets the least sun, it's usually good to look at a few toake sure they're all in agreement and you're not seeing one outlier that points you wrong. Of course if you do have a compass, you're much better off!

[@dustinhoffman9843]

Very good and informative video brotha. I think alot of people needed to hear this

[@PBAdventures146]

Absolutely going to go buy a 5 dollar compass.. 2 yrs ago I got turned around in the woods in a swamp first time hunting it.. I don't think I would have died and eventually would have gotten my way out.. but I lost my quiver with all my arrows in the process trying to walk through the nastiest stuff in the dark... And it took me 2 extra hours to get out.. a silly $5 compass would have made life a lot easier!! Great advise!!

[@archeryonly5629]

Good video as always !!

[@dylantackes5337]

i rarely ever use em but ill bring a bundle of reflective clip on style markers if im hunting with other people especially i can mark them a trail on the way in and on the way out take them down and re use them that way im not littering and noone else finds them also if the people im hunting with want to or need to get back without me for some reason or another they can without me having to get down early or having to worry about them getting lost. ill also use em to mark where last blood was or where i entered a swamp for example so i can take the same trail i came from everything looks different when its dark. ive had other people lead me in circles many times when i was younger now i prefer to lead the way🤣

[@doncook3584]

Born raised eastern Nebraska river bottom farm county. 1989 3rd year I bow hunted arrowed small buck at closing. Mile and half from truck. I walked in circles for 2 hours before I realized it. I was down near river huge cotton wood trees cloudy so no moon stars to navigate by. Used the old clothing on bushes at trail intersection. Bought my compass in 1989.

[@underdogoutdoors]

Been lost trying to get out of the woods overnight before, not fun, well in retrospect was kinda fun.

[@thehuntingbeast]

It always seems funner when telling the story years later. LOL

[@NFAGETSOME]

GPS is worth it's weight in gold. I have been navigating deep woods for years and although the compass has always been my go to tool for navigation the GPS takes it to another level. Now I can mark locations I want to get back to, deer locations, deer crossings and trails, doe and buck bedding area's along with night navigation. I still use the compass for navigation but that GPS is so much better in knowing where your exact location is. I carry 3 flashlights minimum as I get stuck in the dark often. Looking forward to this years deep woods hunt as last year was canceled due to covid.

[@MrMblakec]

My dad and I have had people tear down ribbon trails while we were hunting. Fortunately we both were very familiar with the place we were hunting. Now if we do put a ribbon trail we don't usually it start until we're close to ½mile in.

[@thehunt3652]

Make sure to check compass accuracy every once and a while. I was lost on public land once pulled out my compass and just didn’t seem right had 1% battery on my phone quick pulled up the compass said the opposite of my compass and died had to go with my gut and went the way my phone compass said and luckily that was the right way somehow the polarity reversed on my compass

[@anotheryoutuber_]

where you keep your compass can have an impact on needle drift, i use a brunton truarc 3 cause its the cheapest compass with declination adjustment, making it a little easier to verify what my drift might be. and keep it away from metallic or electronic sources. definitely a good idea to verify it every once in a while though.

[@yogibear6271]

Hay Dan CTH-F and willow Glen Rd look at a airel of that area lots of deer trails around there.

[@yogibear6271]

Thanks for the like I would really like to get on those isolated islands at Rome pond too

[@MichaelWilliams-to3cj]

I have been lost bear hunting in California. Super scary knowing if you get lost you are facing several mountain ranges. My hunting partner always made fun of me being bad with directions but it can be no joke. I eventually learned how to use a compass but also got a spot gen 3 and GPS. The spot will track you every 5 minutes its a huge life saver if you hunt big mountains.

[@bobbygolden2791]

Great Video!

[@MrTurkeyhunter1982]

I got turned around on a WMA one time, walked in and set up in the dark. When I left at mid day I thought I knew my way out, about 8 miles later I was back at my truck. Talk about done for the day and a little thirsty, just glad I was a much younger man back then lol

[@bowhunter9288]

Lol

[@jonmacrae9469]

Might also consider a whistle. The weight is negligible and when you're life is on the line nobody is sweating the ounces.

[@Pwrcritter]

Got turned around when I was learning as a teen, dark, no flashlight. Luckily there was a light in the distance that I walked out to.

[@richarddean3154]

Great and informative video as always. That said, Mario may be holding the compass backward when shooting his azimuth using the center-hold method. The gold thumb loop and rear sight (lens and sighting slot) are the back of the compass and the cover, with the sighting wire and luminous sighting dots, points toward your direction of travel. No big deal, as long as you get where you are heading. Good luck this fall

[@andrewbates8420]

*sees Dans shirt while video is still loading* video liked 😂

[@perryrusso3764]

Happy Memorial Day Dan...I always carry a map, compose, and GPS. But I always like to measure at home on my leasure destination or way points from huntstand and mark those distances on my map. Doing this ar home before heading out into a wilderness area really helps...especially on those areas you haven't hunted in years and you go back to..in many cases those areas look very different and might vary your travel in those deep areas....

[@garrettstraffon608]

I used to be scared to go far off the beating path. Having onx has boosted my confidence. And I still get tossed and turned around while using onx. But I’m going to put a compass in my pack now. And a extra light.. and yes my dad used to be a guy that had good sense of direction in the woods snd he would rip down flags. He would say if they need that have to put flags to hunt this far back they shouldn’t be back here lol

[@anotheryoutuber_]

i use the caltopo website to generate maps for the areas i hunt as they are free and super customizable.

[@m4nap4rt20]

@@anotheryoutuber_ Download the Backcountry Navigator app. It's like a more sophisticated version of OnX but without landowner info. But uou can use CalTopo maps as a source for free, even download the maps so you don't need cell service when using it. A great way to use CalTopo. Been doing it that way for many years now and it works really well.

[@thomashood3748]

Very good

[@craufurdgoodwin3835]

Note where the sun is and it’s travel path before entering the woods. Pay less attention to the trees and more attention to the contour of the land when you’re in hill country. Watch for the tips of mature trees on the horizon when navigating swamps which will lead you back to dry ground. If you’re really lost, follow waterways downward. They’ll inevitably end up in a large lake and there aren’t too many large lakes left without cottages.

[@EROCK1966]

I myself know how but alot of people dont no how to use a compass should have done a quick how to for them that dont.but love your posts Beast...

[@johnnycardenas3508]

Awesome video guys. There’s really only a few navigation skills a guy needs to know how to apply and will be good to go. Was Mario in the Marine Corps? I noticed his marpat trousers

[@thedangler1371]

Those round bubble compasses are not accurate. My cell phone says different and so does the sun setting. U shake them and they say different.

[@thehuntingbeast]

I have found a lot of the cheap compasses dont work well... Some work others don't and you can't tell from the package... PAY THE EXTRA MONEY FOR A GOOD ONE. Good comment.

[@shanerRC]

I've been wanting to go further back into the big bush so I got a GPS with In Reach. Now I can let my wife know I'm still ok and I can get help if I need it. Maybe that makes me a pussy but I know one thing. This year I'm going deep.

[@anotheryoutuber_]

you can print maps free from cal topo website and circle where you are gonna be for her.

[@clayton203]

Big woods will trip you out on a cloudy day,,I usually took a regular compass and a backup compass to verify the first one wasn’t ting to me,,cause your going to call that compass a lieing son of a gun

[@thedangler1371]

U should make a video of being scared 😱 in the dark or bumping into predators while hunting. I seen a cougar while hunting and it was enough for me to pack up and get out of there before dark. I Bears and cougars ruin deer make deer hunting scary 😧

[@BelowAverageRazzleDazzle]

Nothing beats a handheld GPS (Garmin) with a Compass for backup. OnX is okay, but cell phones do not have a REAL compass (magnetic) and they can and should not be relied upon as the sole form of navigation.