Take the Extra Minute: Hunting and Outdoor Safety

Autumn doesn’t just bring cooler air and turning leaves. It also marks the height of hunting season across much of the country. For many, it’s a cherished time of tradition, skill and connection to the outdoors.

As the leaves drop and the air turns crisp, millions head into the woods for hunting season. This is a time when the wilderness is shared by hunters pursuing game, while hikers, campers, bird watchers and trail runners enjoy the quiet beauty of the autumn woods. That overlap means one thing: safety matters more than ever.

This shared space means safety isn’t just about what you do for yourself. It’s about what you do for everyone around you. Each year search and rescue teams respond to calls for lost hunters, missing hikers and accidental injuries that could have been prevented with just a bit of preparation.

For hunters, a single minute of preparation can be the difference between a successful, safe trip and a life-threatening search and rescue mission or worse, a preventable accident.

1. #TakeTheExtraMinute to Mark Your Route

The excitement of the chase, combined with dense woods or pre-dawn light, can quickly turn familiar terrain into a confusing maze. When you are focused on tracking game, spatial awareness fades and the landscape often begins to look “all the same”.

The Problem: Lost hunters make up a notable portion of search and rescue missions during the fall. They often become disoriented when they venture off-trail in pursuit of game or tracking a downed animal, especially in low light or when weather rolls in. Many hunters venture off-trail or into dense cover and even the most experienced can lose their bearings.

The Solution: Mark Your Exit Strategy.

• GPS/Digital Track: Don’t just rely on a paper map. Take a minute to check your GPS device or phone app (with downloaded maps) and set a waypoint at your vehicle. Turn on your track log feature before you start walking. However, always bring a physical map and compass as a backup. Batteries love to obey Murphy’s Law and technology is only as reliable as its charge.
• Physical Markers: Use brightly colored, non-damaging flagging tape to mark your path or key points of reference as you move deeper. If all else fails, this may be your only way home. But be sure to pack it out on your way back!
• Navigational Sketch: Mentally or physically sketch out your route, noting prominent features like ridges, drainages and clearings that will lead you back to known terrain. Photographing key waypoints may help you backtrack if visibility drops or you need to locate your camp or stand after you’ve gone off trail.

It only takes an extra minute to make sure you can find your way back and that can make all the difference between a long day and a long night, because the fastest way back is the path you planned.

2. #TakeTheExtraMinute to Wear Orange

Visibility isn’t just a hunting regulation. It’s a lifesaver. It is the single greatest piece of safety equipment you carry and it protects both hunters and non-hunters alike. In the fall, natural camouflage is everywhere: browns, reds and grays. Wearing high-visibility blaze orange, yellow or pink is non-negotiable for mutual safety to dramatically reduce the risk of hunting accidents.

For Hunters: Wearing blaze orange significantly reduces your risk of being mistaken for game by another hunter. It allows you to safely move through the brush and increases your chances of being spotted quickly by a search team if you are injured or lost.

For All Outdoor Enthusiasts: If you are sharing the woods during hunting season, you are responsible for your own visibility. Do not rely on hunters to be the only ones wearing orange. Without proper clothing, you just look like a large flesh colored squirrel.

Four Legged Domestic Companions: Keep your pets visible too. A high-visibility collar or vest can prevent confusion and unnecessary accidents.

The Solution: Break the Camouflage.

• Rule of Thumb: A highly visible item (hat, vest, pack cover) should be worn above the waist, visible from 360 degrees.
• Pack Cover: If you are a hiker, throwing a brightly colored, reflective rain cover on your backpack is a minute of effort that provides maximum visibility.
• Never Assume: Even if you are on a designated hiking-only trail, assume that the area around you is being hunted and dress accordingly.

The wilderness is big enough for everyone. Because a flash of high-viz helps everyone stay safe and saves lives, whether you’re carrying a rifle or just a hydration pack.

3. #TakeTheExtraMinute to Check In and Check Out

It’s easy to think, “I’ll just be out for a few hours.” But plans change. A longer track, a missed trail or a fog that rolls in faster than expected can change your plan.

In search and rescue, the most valuable piece of information is the “where and when”. If search and rescue teams know where you intended to be and when you were due back, their search area is drastically reduced, cutting critical hours off the mission time.

Hunters often travel alone and into remote areas with no cell service. They may be delayed by weather, a difficult track or an injury and without a check-in plan, the delay before a search is initiated can be catastrophic.

The Solution: Establish a Firm Itinerary and Communication Plan.

• The Check-In: Tell a reliable, non-participating contact your specific hunting location, the boundaries of your area and the model/color of your vehicle.
• The Check-Out: Provide a non-negotiable return time. Instruct your contact: “If you don’t hear from me by 8:00 PM, assume I encountered a problem and call the authorities with my full itinerary.” This crucial step moves the responsibility for initiating a search onto a reliable contact.
• Technology: Carry a satellite communication device, like a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger, if you are in a cell dead zone. Make sure that all of your electronics are charged and as ready as you are.

When someone knows your plan, search and rescue can start faster if something goes wrong. That “extra minute” of communication can save hours or even lives later. Because the clock starts ticking the minute you don’t call home.

Shared Wilderness, Shared Responsibility

As hunters, hikers, anglers and explorers, we all depend on the same landscapes. With more people venturing outdoors, awareness and courtesy go hand-in-hand with safety. Respect posted boundaries, follow local regulations and keep your situational awareness sharp, especially during active hunting seasons.

If you ever feel uncertain about your surroundings, navigation or visibility, stop, breathe and #TakeTheExtraMinute to reassess before continuing.

Final Thought on Responsibility

Hunting is a privileged, skilled activity that demands the highest level of respect for wildlife, the environment and fellow outdoor users. Your preparedness, your extra minute, doesn’t just ensure your own survival. It honors the ethical tradition of hunting and protects the safety of the shared wilderness.

Safety in the outdoors isn’t complicated. It’s intentional. Whether it’s marking your route, wearing bright colors or telling someone your plan, a few small actions can prevent a big emergency.

So this hunting season, as you lace up your boots and shoulder your pack, remember: “#TakeTheExtraMinute to plan, to be seen and to come home safe.” The woods don’t care how experienced you are, but your family does.