Perhaps the greatest part of going hunting is sharing the outdoor world with your friends. The backcountry is a place to be shared and attacked as a unit. The weeks before the season opener where you and your compadres gather around maps and decide where you’re going to go; the early mornings where everyone crawls
It was opening weekend of firearm deer season in Minnesota, and I was out deer hunting for the first time. I was beyond excited and planned to sit out in the stand all day, rain or shine, regardless of whether I saw anything. The problem was, “rain or shine” didn’t account for wet, driving snow.
I remember the first western hunt I went on. I was black bear hunting at about 7,000 ft. in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho. Not exactly a high-altitude hunt. But I’m a flatlander from Minnesota who hadn’t been to the mountains in years. Having spent a lot of time adventuring in the mountains growing up,
I’ll admit, after a beer or two, my perception of my own strength and toughness can get a bit inflated. But I can recall no time in my life when I’ve ever considered myself more than a would-be morsel to a 600-pound fur-covered battering ram with claws and teeth, otherwise known as a grizzly bear.
A broken ankle, arm, or leg can be painful, but when it occurs in the backcountry, far away from medical assistance or a quick ride to the hospital, it can be downright deadly. Such injuries lead to a lack of mobility, and being stranded in inhospitable wilderness can lead to a number of unfavorable outcomes.
This article will be one of a series covering first-aid kits in the field as well as how/when to use the supplies. Fishing, hunting, camping, and other outdoor activities carry an appreciable amount of risk for injury. Given the inherent risk that is always present, a properly packed medical kit may address some potential injuries
