So, this past Wednesday night, about 7 p.m. my wife and I are watching TV in our fuzzy slippers when dog #2 (all dogs are outside free-range dogs) starts barking in the "backyard". (Not much yard, essentially a 50 foot drop off to a cattail/cottonmouth/alligator infested 80 acre bottomless goo-goo swamp). I don't really pay much attention because dog#2 barks at most anything, owls, moon, falling acorns etc. However, dog#1 starts up, so this must be serious, as dog#1 does not flinch unless there are real interlopers, vs. imaginary. If there is any "activity" in the backyard, normal drill is get the spotlight, black rifle and commence to killing. (Disclaimer: legally of course, within the parameters set forth by MDWFP, and whatever else my attorney tells me to say) So it's normally the usual vermin, coyote, armadillo etc. If it's a stray dog (abandoned out here all the time
) stray cow, or invisible sasquatch I stand down and go back to my recliner.So, once I open the door, I will have interjected myself into the fray, all dogs will come to attention (also including dog#3) and the trajectory of events will be altered. Thus, before I open the back door I survey the landscape, and notice what appears to be an odd blue-ish reflection on the window pane. Nothing could be creating that inside the house, so it must be a bright star reflecting off of the water, or moon? I proceed outside and notice that it wasn't a reflection but an led headlamp is 100 yards out into the swamp. (remember I'm up on the high ground sweeping with a spolight). Some guy starts yelling "Hey, I'm lost", (No chit) "Where am I". We holler and back and forth as I'm trying to get intel on this guy. I tell him there is no better way, or shorter way out than to come straight to me.
He's in nut deep water with knee boots on, wading in bottomless matted vegetation, and he has been doing this for quite some time, with a climbing stand strapped to his back, his handi-rifle, and a Mountain Dew. When he makes it to me he is wiped out, jabbering "Where am I ?". I tell him where he is but he can't process that. I get him a Gatorade and start my truck up to take him back to his truck, because he doesn't know where his buddy went, but does know where the truck is.
Long story short, we found his truck, and about an hour later found his buddy. They had relied upon some cell phone app, with topography, GPS and buddy location. Both of their cell phones batteries crapped out. This guy had a compass, and knew he needed to go north, but he was about one mile east (east of where he wanted to be) as he headed north. He had been plowing North since 5:30 and hadn't seen anything until he saw my house lights, and by gum, nothing was going to stop him getting to those lights.
I estimate he had walked minimum 5 miles, easily more.Observations here?
--> Never rely on cell phone jimcrackery.
--> Always bring a compass
--> He didn't stay put on the trail once he was lost, but if you're stubborn enough and keep heading North, I 'spose you'll eventually get there? or Tupelo.
--> At some point, if we couldn't locate his partner in an as yet, undetermined reasonable amount of time, we would have had to call in a mayday to 911. His partner was a big ole fellar with a bad knee, so I was starting to lean thataway. But, there is a tipping point and I'm still not sure where that is. It was his buddy, so I gave him 51% of the vote.
My home observations?
--> Maybe I should lock the doors.
--> If dogs were inside, then this guy would have walked up "un-announced" jibberjabbering pounding on my back door, with his headlight shining through. I may have dumped a magazine at center mass then ground checked him. (Just kidding cwink) But it would have seriously scared the everloving crap out of me, asleep or awake. Asleep, yikes, not good. There is no telling what my wife may have done???
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