Thread: Hunter Missing

Originally Posted by Sideshow

At 74 I recon he had a few tricks up his sleeve ask @Rushy

On a more serious note. Stuck out for the night are you really going to hit the button?

If you are prepared then I would not. I'd only hit it in an emergency! Not for a miss navigation, if that is what this was.
That island can sure twist you around. Lucky I had plenty of training before going there. That was back in the days of compass and map.
I guess I'll need to retrain on gps

I am not that old yet but yes he would likely have known how to whack up a passable shelter and bed down for the night without fretting too much.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

At 74 I recon he had a few tricks up his sleeve ask @Rushy

On a more serious note. Stuck out for the night are you really going to hit the button?

If you are prepared then I would not. I'd only hit it in an emergency! Not for a miss navigation, if that is what this was.
That island can sure twist you around. Lucky I had plenty of training before going there. That was back in the days of compass and map.
I guess I'll need to retrain on gps

I would not worry about retraining on a GPS......A compass wont get a flat battery. Even with a GPS, I would always take a compass.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

On a more serious note. Stuck out for the night are you really going to hit the button?

I agree, not if I was alone on a long trek and no one expects me until 3 days time.

But if lost from a group and getting dark then I'd expect a search to be on. Seems right then to activate beacon -- irrespective how comfy I know I am.

Speaking of the group, I'd feel shitty being part of a group that lost a 74 year old colleague. The hunt is second to looking out for each other. What's returning without a kill compared to a return with somebody's loved one missing? Ouch.

Originally Posted by Cordite

I agree, not if I was alone on a long trek and no one expects me until 3 days time.

But if lost from a group and getting dark then I'd expect a search to be on. Seems right then to activate beacon -- irrespective how comfy I know I am.

Speaking of the group, I'd feel shitty being part of a group that lost a 74 year old colleague. The hunt is second to looking out for each other. What's returning without a kill compared to a return with somebody's loved one missing? Ouch.

I think you are spot on. If a search is called then the cost will be tens of thousands of dollars, if you hit the button they will fly a helicopter straight to the location and not put out ground searchers. Ultimately it will save everyone a lot of worry and money.

Exactly, and what say he was injured & you didn’t take action to find him for a day or so......

Originally Posted by berg243

that is why I am about to buy my own plb.they can be hired from the tuatapere garage at a reasonable rate for anyone needing one in the southland area for those who don't want to own one .

Seen a few people hire then and wonder why, only takes a few trips and it's paid for itself. Can also use them overseas if travelling (could be wrong here)

Originally Posted by 223nut

Seen a few people hire then and wonder why, only takes a few trips and it's paid for itself. Can also use them overseas if travelling (could be wrong here)

A few trips? How much do you think they hire them out for?

Originally Posted by MSL

A few trips? How much do you think they hire them out for?

When I did the sums I was going to pay for it with my 10day NW circuit, another 6day trip and 3 2nighters.... Going to do alot more than that in 10year battery life.

Originally Posted by Cordite

I agree, not if I was alone on a long trek and no one expects me until 3 days time.

But if lost from a group and getting dark then I'd expect a search to be on. Seems right then to activate beacon -- irrespective how comfy I know I am.

Speaking of the group, I'd feel shitty being part of a group that lost a 74 year old colleague. The hunt is second to looking out for each other. What's returning without a kill compared to a return with somebody's loved one missing? Ouch.

Year I see your point. When I hunted down there with Thames Valley deer stalkers, we all had a 12 o'clock window of the next morning, our call in the search party's. I do the same for the Kaimais as some parts have no cellphone connection. I'm not saying don't press the button our don't carry a plb. All I'm saying is use it when it's needed. They felt it was needed. Cool good out come and happy days everyone's safe. But I'd hate to see this starting to get used for cry wolf situations.
I'll definitely be hiring some for my next trip to the island. At $10 a day that's better than insurance! Especially as some of the party will not have hunted NZ.

yip sideshow the 12 next day thing is what I would expect...... thats when I personally would expect anyone who is able to do so to have got out etc.... you get turned around and spend night out,next morning you are either #1still turned around so stay put and make smoke or #2you have figured it out from sunrise compass etc and can get out or #3you are injured so stay put and make smoke......
if you go out for a "morning hunt" and arent back by hour before dark....guys will be very worried about you.....not back by just after sunup and the button will be pushed forsure. with cellphone coverage a call wouldve gone out on dark.

Originally Posted by 223nut

When I did the sums I was going to pay for it with my 10day NW circuit, another 6day trip and 3 2nighters.... Going to do alot more than that in 10year battery life.

Fair enough. I’ve hired them in the past for $5 a day.... not saying don’t buy one, just that they are pretty cheap to hire.

Originally Posted by berg243

that's why I bought one of those backtracks easy to use runs on a couple aaa batts .gives you a heading and distance to saved location .you just save a camp site or vehicle or even a downed animal and you can navigate back to those spots not as complicated as a gps and less than $100 . and about the same size as a compass.

@berg243

Like the sound of the simplicity of it. Can you show us yours?

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

No way would I pull the pin on a beacon just because one of our crew spent a night out.
Setting off a beacon instantly creates costs which may be for a false alarm. More often than not the guy that spends the night out comes wandering in the next day with a tale to tell about his (or her) big adventure.
We run a system where if some one doesn't return to camp at least a couple of hours after dark, we fire one shot on the hour from camp. The guy who is out will know to be listening on the hour. One reply from him means all is well, see you tomorrow. Three shots from him means he's in the shit and needs our help. Set a beacon off to alert the outside world(we usually carry one each). Then set off to give assistance. We have fired a few single return shots but never had a three shot return, touch wood.
If there is no return shot from guy who is out, repeat the shot from camp on the hour next hour.
Spending a night out is no big deal.

Damn good system...

Would hate to be the mate who has fallen and broken something badly, while his rifle carries on down the bluff, never to be seen again. Would be great sitting there listening to all that gun fire and not being able to reply