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Frequent readers of the God’s Great Outdoors E-zine have probably noted the absence of the Biologist’s Corner in 2 of the previous 5 issues. Others have probably been wondering where the sixth issue of the E-zine for 2005 is. Needless to say, between the editor being overwhelmed with things and myself being much busier than normal, some things just slip a little. It seems that as time goes by, more and more things “slip”.
I was recently reminded by my wife, that I was suppose to take our daughter out over the Christmas break and expand her knowledge of winter survival skills. This reminder occurred as I was getting ready right after Thanksgiving to assist several others here in McGrath with a snowmachine safety day for all the school kids. My job was to teach about trip preparation in relation to survival – hence the reminder from my wife. This item, put into my to do list last fall, had “slipped” from my mind as I was thinking about trips to call wolves and lynx, trap otter and beaver, and maybe even chase down some ruffed grouse and snowshoe hares during the 2 weeks I would be off from work.
Survival. It is an interesting concept with different meanings to different people. Every place (and season) in God’s great outdoors has its own unique features, features that those venturing out need to be aware of and be prepared for. One thing that I was taught very early on was to think about when you are placing yourself into a potential survival situation, and then plan accordingly. In northern latitudes, especially in winter, this can happen much more quickly than in more southerly latitudes. Years ago, when I hunted elk in Colorado in October and November, mule deer in California’s eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in September and November, chukar in Nevada, or quail in Arizona, I needed to prepare differently for each hunt. Now, when I hunt in Alaska, I prepare differently yet.
When you head out – be it on foot or via some means of transportation, when are you placing yourself into a potential survival situation? I asked my snowmachine safety students this question. I mostly got questioning and puzzled looks; finally, a tentative answer came – when going to the next village? (The next village is a 22 mile snowmachine ride from McGrath following a river, crossing lakes and swamps, and then crossing another river.) OK, that is a start, but WHEN on that trip do you place yourself into a potential survival situation? Again, more puzzled looks. My answer? As soon as your snowmachine hits the edge of the river. (You need to understand that McGrath is situated on the banks of the Kuskokwim River, the second longest river in Alaska; at more than 450 miles upriver from its mouth, it is still more than 200 yards wide in the narrow spots). The river is notorious for having areas with thin ice – get a light dusting of snow, and you cannot tell the good ice from the bad ice. For most of us, evaluating when you are potentially placing yourself into a survival situation is not an easy task. Between denying that anything could happen (I’m only going there), over confidence in our own abilities (I can handle it – no matter what “it” is), and the curve balls that the outdoors can throw at us (sudden temperature changes), its no wonder that it can be difficult to determine when you are placing yourself into a potential survival situation. As much as I’ve been trained in survival, I still find myself not paying attention at times. Trying to get a view of that big game animal that you can hear walking in the trees, rushing to reach that downed animal, or concentrating on something else – how many times have we all been doing something that afterwards we realized – opps! That wasn’t very smart!
To be honest, before I moved to Alaska, I didn’t pay near as much attention to carrying survival items as I do now. Despite growing up in the outdoors, having a job that had me outside more than I was inside, having my fair share of close calls, and having some training in survival skills, I just didn’t give surviving the unexpected near as much thought as I do now. Despite the very remote places both my recreation and my work took me to, as well as assisting with some searches and rescues, I was sometimes woefully ill prepared if something serious had happened to me. Chalk it up to getting older and wiser, waking up and smelling the roses, or divine inspiration, I put much more thought into every trip (no matter how long or short) I make.
Think about it. You travel a ¼ mile from your vehicle, pack horse, whatever; you slip and break an ankle or twist a knee (usually on the dumbest thing). Could you get back to your vehicle or horse? Could you operate that vehicle or ride the horse? If not, how long would it be before someone came along or started looking for you? Could you survive that long being on the ground without shelter? Every part of the country has different average times for a lost or injured person being rescued – in Alaska, the average is 72 hours AFTER the party is overdue.
It seems that every year, all of the various outdoor magazines has an article on survival or survival tips. While all are different, some basic themes are always present.
You owe it to yourself, family, and friends to be smart and prepared each time you head out. Taking someone with you? Your responsibility for survival just increased.
How did my daughter and I make out? We headed out to an area about 5 miles away on the snowmachine on an overcast day, with temperatures just above 0. We set a few rabbit snares, looked at moose sign, looked at how the spruce trees created sheltered areas at their base. After word we pulled out my survival stove, melted snow and brought the water to a boil and enjoyed a nice cup of hot chocolate! After checking the snares over the next couple of days we even managed a few snowshoe hares for the stew pot (and an extra for lynx bait for me).
Do you have a question from a previous article? Or a question about something else? How about a topic you would like me to address in a future article? If so, just e-mail me here at God's Great Outdoors E-zine. Have a good story or photo of your own? Why not contact the Editor, Tracy Breen - you never know, it may appear in the next issue of the E-zine.
| Steve Kovach is our own resident wildlife biologist. He has been working as a professional biologist for over 25 years throughout the west, working mostly with mammals. He has held some positions that were largely management-oriented and others that were research oriented. Steve is also an avid outdoor photographer and an NRA firearms instructor and Training Counselor. Currently he lives with his wife and daughter in McGrath, Alaska, working on the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge conducting research on black bears. Steve and his family enjoy God's great outdoors by hunting, fishing, trapping, and camping together. Steve assists Tracy Breen with each magazine issue by serving as the Managing Editor - a fancy title for the guy that does the layout work, edits and creates the graphics, and gets the articles into web ready format. By the way, the bear in the picture is one of Steve's research partners and she is very much alive. |
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