You’re with a large vehicle, which not only offers shelter but is a lot easier to
spot (especially from the sky) than you would be walking alone through the
bush.
You can build a better camp, create a signal fire, and maybe even start hunting
and scavenging for food.
Some individuals (friends, family, or official personnel) were informed of your
route and destination. Chances are they’ll begin searching for you shortly after
you don’t show up at your destination or return home. If you head off down a
different path, you may miss them—and rescue—completely.Your chances of being rescued are better if you left behind a trip or flight
plan. Within the first 24 to 72 hours, there’s a high probability of rescuers find
ing you alive. After five or six days, they are more likely to find bodies.
Yet as good an idea as staying put may seem, there are times when
moving is the best option. On one occasion I was searching for a place to
teach a survival course in a swampy part of Algonquin Provincial Park, a
wellknown Ontario park. I was at the peak of my teaching days and start
ing to get overconfident. I headed out into the bush, off the established
trails, without telling anyone where I was going. Even my wife was not
expecting to hear back from me for at least three days.
After finding the perfect spot to teach—in a swamp a few miles into
the bush—I started my hike back to my hidden and waiting canoe. Not
more than 30 feet (9 m) away, a beautiful cow moose was grazing in the
setting sun. I decided to try out my moose call and see how she would
respond. I cupped my hands in front of my mouth and made the sound
of a female moose.
It was the rutting season, and during this “season of love,” the
bull moose may be the most dangerous animal on the continent.
These creatures have been known to attack and destroy tractortrailer trucks.
So I didn’t make a bull sound for fear of bringing an angry male around.
This gentle cow moose just looked up once and then went back to
eating. So I made the call again. This time, no response at all. I shrugged
and turned to continue on my merry way. That’s when more than half a
ton of angry male moose, his truckdestroying antlers pointed at me, came
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