About a month ago, Scott Rall wrote in his column the reasons you should carry a cell phone with you while hunting. Carrying a cell phone while in the field is something I have been doing from the time I traded my bag phone in for a flip phone.
I hunt alone a lot, so carrying the cell phone is as important as my gun, shells, dogs and, of course, wearing blaze orange.
I hunt for a variety of reasons, and bagging a bird probably isn’t even in my Top 3. Bagging a bird falls somewhere behind watching my dogs work, fresh air, exercise and peace and quiet.
I was hunting the Rooster Ridge WMA last week, and, as always, I had my cell phone with. While hunting solo, from time to time I’ll stop and scan the landscape and make a few mental notes as to my whereabouts just in case I need to call for help. Whether I am hunting locally or out in South Dakota, I program the local emergency numbers in my phone just in case.
Back at Rooster Ridge I was nearing the end of a rather uneventful day in the field. About a quarter mile from my vehicle, I had just made one of those mental notes as to my location when – bam – I was down.
I stepped in a hole that was big enough for my size 14 hunting boot to enter unobstructed and deep enough that my right leg never hit bottom.
I could hear and feel my right knee twisting in a different direction and my lower back straining as I hit the ground, first with my right shoulder, then ending up on my back. I didn’t pass out, but it took me a minute to regain my composure.
On my way to the ground, I apparently vocalized my pain because by the time I had my wits about me, my three dogs had come to check out the commotion. My first thought was which one of the three would be like Lassie and run for help. It didn’t take long to realize these guys are hunting dogs, not rescue dogs.
So before I reached for my cell, I was determined to get myself out of this situation. First order of business was to free my leg from the hole. Once my leg was free, it was time to assess the damage. I was able to bend my knee – kind of.
Next I rolled over to my hands and knees. This is when my dogs decided it was rumble tumble playtime.
Trying to stand upright was the next chore. Truth be told, getting up off my knee is no easy task on a good day. With the help of my now unloaded shotgun doubling as a cane, I made it to my feet. Surprisingly I was able to limp my way back to the vehicle.
After a night of icing and elevating my knee with the aid of some over-the-counter meds, I was good for another day, albeit with a bit of a limp.
While I didn’t need to use my cell phone this time, it was very comforting to know I had it with me.
I am going to go a step further and add a tracking app to the phone that I can activate while hunting so if necessary, God forbid, I can be located in a time of need.