This month, before the deer hunting season concludes, a deer hunter will not find his way out of the woods before dark. It happens without fail and, if past is prologue, there is usually more than one lost hunter. Some live to tell their story; others have not been so lucky.

Historically, those hunters who perished did so because, in their panic, they could not keep their wits about them.

They were not prepared.

During last December’s blackpowder season, a hunter in western Maine became hopelessly lost in snowy conditions. He wandered aimlessly. He fell through the ice. He became hypothermic. He did not know how to use his GPS properly. In short, he was a textbook example of how NOT to survive. Yet by sheer random good luck, a snowmobiler happened upon the lost hunter in the nick of time.

In truth, none of us really possesses a sense of direction. Under the right circumstances, the most seasoned woodsman can get lost. The difference between spending an uncomfortably long night in the woods and dying from dehydration and exposure usually boils down to attitude and fire-making capabilities.

Maine survivalist Charlie Reitze, who writes Outdoor Survival Tips for the Northwoods Sporting Journal, says that he always finds himself worrying this time of year about who the next lost hunter will be and how that hunter will deal with his plight.

Like most of us, Reitze has been “turned around” a few times in the woods as darkness came on, and he is familiar with the dreaded feeling of panic that tries to get its vice-like grip on the lost hunter.

Charlie’s advice:

If you get lost, admit it to yourself. Sit down and force yourself to think.

1. The first five minutes will be spent thinking about how to keep yourself from bolting, from being your own worst enemy.

2. Once you have conquered those first five forest-goblin, lunatic minutes, you’ve made it.

3. The time can then be and will be spent on constructive thinking.

a. Draw diagrams

b. Think of major road directions

c. Are you going up a mountain or down a mountain?

d. Have you crossed a mountain already?

e. Were there any logging roads?

f. Mark well your present location and use it as a base

g. Break off branches

h. Notice landmarks

If it’s an hour before dark, accept your plight. Get a fire started and prepare a shelter. Don’t sweat! Keep yourself up off the ground. Leaves, even wet leaves, are a great insulator. Stuff leaves between your body and your outer clothing.

And, or course, there are the time-tested cardinal basics, that all hunters are taught by hunting safety instructors:

1. If all is lost, and you have not a clue of your location, STAY WHERE YOU ARE! The Maine Warden Service is the best at finding lost persons. By air, dogs, or on foot, Maine Game Wardens will find you.

2. Keep a fire going, get out in the open.

3. Be prepared to fire three signal shots.

Above all else, make sure that your hunting survival kit contains a spare compass and multiple fire-starting methods. Waterproof lighters, protected matches, etc. And a small ziplock bag of tinder could be a life saver on a dark, rainy night in the Maine woods.

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on WVOM-FM 103.9,and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].