Risk Mitigation

[j_volt]

Perhaps I am getting old, but I find myself becoming more and more aware in areas I am "exposed" to risk especially related to hunting.

A couple examples include:

• Helicopter evacuations from the backcountry - from what I read, this can be extremely pricey ($50k+) and normal health insurance doesn't cover much of anything here. While investigating Thorofare elk hunts, I came across a handful of stories of people having to be flown out for accidents.
• Car problems - both wrecks (without injury) and breakdowns. It seems that deer really want me to fill my tag early when I am driving to a hunt. If you have ever driven in Eastern Montana at night and had to dodge 250+ deer that were eating the grass growing our of the asphalt, you will know what I am talking about.

What do you all do to mitigate the risk in these situations? I am aware of AAA and have seen a handful of insurance plans to (allegedly) cover the helicopter rides such as the LifeFlight membership, but am happy to hear from people with personal experience.

As a quick tip for anyone reading, I would recommend contacting your insurance agent to see how much of your glass/firearms are covered in the event of a loss. My broker recently found me an annual plan that covers everything from fire to dropping my custom rifle off a cliff for a 0.76% premium to value annual payment. Also, always bring a tire patch kit, a jump pack, an air compressor, and recovery boards when driving far from home. One more tip - put a tourniquet in your pack!

If you have any other hot tips even semi related to this, I would be happy to hear!

 

[GSPHUNTER]

As we get older it is never a good idea to hunt alone. Always advise family or friends where you are going and when you will be back. At my age I have had enough experience to know what to have for any trips I take . If you have a problem, try to make it to a clearing and or a hight point where you can be more easily spotted if air extraction is required or just to try to get Cell reception.

 

[WRM]

A concern, no doubt. Know plenty of people (besides Elvis) who went out on the crapper at home. Using good sense helps a lot, but sure doesn't cover it all. And good sense easily can turn into poor judgment for anyone. I hunt solo and the inreach is about my only lifeline. It'll either work or it won't.

 

[mhabiger]

I use Spot for SOS & satellite messaging (in case things really take a turn for the worse). For $25 per year, they'll cover helicopter rescue to the nearest hospital. There is some fine print but I recall doing some research and concluding it should do the trick. I'm sure Garmin InReach and the other satellite messaging platforms have similar insurance plans.

 

[Wags]

First, I always tell my wife and a buddy where I am going so they'll at least have a starting point.

I always have an Inreach and batteries/charger for critical gear, especially coms.

The truck has most anything I may need for first aid, clothes, water, food, tools, fire starting, signaling, etc...

I always have a first aid kit / meds, space blanket & fire starting equipment in my pack.

Good point on the insurance... I went over all my gear, guns, glass & equipment with my agent and it's all covered. The cost raising of my policy was miniscule. The same could be said for your vehicles and boats too. If you've added to them you need to factor that in to your coverage.

AFLAC, I've been injured significantly hunting a few times and it's been a help. It helped cover my Life Flight ride...

Staying in good physical health helps as well. You can avoid injuries or work around them better if you have a good baseline of health. I tore by bicep off the bone in my dominant arm in January on a solo duck hunt 3 miles from the truck. I was able to load all my gear and get myself out with my left arm partly in part because I keep a decent baseline of health and strength.

Make good decisions... If it seems sketchy, it is. Make a different choice and figure a safe way to approach what your trying to accomplish. Take your ego out of it.

Choose your hunting partners wisely. We've all done some dumb stuff when we were younger but I only hunt with capable, competent, safe hunters, period.

 

[hikenhunt]

From what I understand, AAA covers named roads, but if you went down an unnamed gravel road to a parking lot and your car doesn't start, they won't come.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

From what I understand, AAA covers named roads, but if you went down an unnamed gravel road to a parking lot and your car doesn't start, they won't come.

That a fact and if you are towing a RV and it has a flat they won't help. Been there done that, so the saying goes.

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

I have life flight and a satellite phone. The wife bought both. Never had to use the life flight but it’s nice to know I have it.

 

[william schmaltz]

My wife did a mountain goat hunt a few years ago 34 months pregnant so I did a lot of digging to see what happens once the SOS button is hit. I would highly suggest everyone do the same for the area they frequent or plan to hunt.

In Alaska, once you hit the SOS on an inreach, the call from Garmin goes to the State Troopers. From there, it's situational. Typically, they're sending Coast Guard or National Guard up here. In rare events, they will contact someone like Life Med or they may need to have Life Med meet up with the military folks that did the evac in a safe zone. I think my life med membership is $50 a year and it covers everyone in my family. That's a no-brainer. If you log into your Garmin account, there is a spot for trip notes and general notes. Type in each of those spots if you have some sort of extraction insurance. The dispatch lady said they do look at them notes and will make the call accordingly. The dispatch lady I spoke with was extremely helpful and appreciated that I was taking the time to have everything in order. It makes their life a lot easier I'm sure.

 

[Cervus]

90% of my hunting is alone in the backcountry, and like you I have thought a lot about mitigating risk and balancing gear. That being said, there is always something new to learn, so I look forward to the replies to this thread.

I've played out scenarios in my mind and have come to the conclusion that my biggest risks are being immobilized from a broken leg or ankle, or a deep laceration. To mitigate those, I carry a couple of things in addition to the basic first aid kit: an "oh shit button" that will call for help, quick clotting gauze for venous bleeding and a SWAT-T tourniquet for arterial bleeding. Assuming, of course, that I'm conscious enough to apply it correctly.

My oh shit button is a ResQ Link personal locator beacon -- it's global and there are no subscription fees. I don't have a lot of need for satellite comms, but if I did then I would go with an InReach. I also have the helicopter insurance from AirMedCare, found a promo code online and bought a 10 year policy at a deep discount (can't recall exact cost, but cheap!)

 

[CorbLand]

My wife did a mountain goat hunt a few years ago 34 months pregnant so I did a lot of digging to see what happens once the SOS button is hit. I would highly suggest everyone do the same for the area they frequent or plan to hunt.

Dude, if my wife has a gestation period of 34 months, lifeflight insurance would be the least of my concern.

*sarcasm*

 

[JakeSCH]

Dude, if my wife has a gestation period of 34 months, lifeflight insurance would be the least of my concern.

*sarcasm*

LOL my wife is currently 35 weeks, couldn't imagine another 26 months or so.

On a side note, this thread is a good topic. I should really get some contingency plans.

 

[Laramie]

No risk mitigation, no inreach, no phone, no technology at all if I can avoid it. Yes bad things can happen but I sure feel a lot more alive by walking away from it all. If I could choose my death, it sure as hell wouldn't be in a hospital plugged into a bunch of machines. If my time to come happens on the mountain, my loved ones know I died happy.

 

[UWneptune308]

I have AFLAC accident insurance. Cost me $30 a month. Covers quite a bit on top of my regular health insurance


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[j_volt]

I appreciate everyone's conversation. It is great to hear both about staying alive and avoiding future financial problems.

The most detailed accident story I heard from the Thorofare was a guy dismounted from his horse. He was using an elastic bino harness and the binocular stuck to some part of the saddle. As he was dismounting, the tension increased until the binoculars/harness broke free from the saddle and the binos smacked him in the face which broke a lot in his face. I don't know that this was necessarily a life or death situation at that point, but in lieu of the worst 30 mile horse ride one could ever experience, he was taken out via helicopter. It sounds like working with Garmin may be the way to insure through a situation like this, and to not get stuck with a $60k bill.

I have personally been in another situation where a guy I was hunting with had to be removed from a hunting situation via helicopter (much less remote), and his 10 minute helicopter ride was north of $35k after a 3 year mediation battle.

 

[william schmaltz]

No risk mitigation, no inreach, no phone, no technology at all if I can avoid it. Yes bad things can happen but I sure feel a lot more alive by walking away from it all. If I could choose my death, it sure as hell wouldn't be in a hospital plugged into a bunch of machines. If my time to come happens on the mountain, my loved ones know I died happy.

I used to be the same way and I was listening to a legendary sheep and Kodiak brown Bear guide (I see him poking around the sheep forum occasionally so shout out to Joe Want if ya see this) give a presentation once. He never had emergency communication available during his whole time guiding. I was expecting him to be against it honestly. But as he pointed out, the SOS button isn't always for you. If you go missing, whether you like it or not, a search party is coming. That will include several people probably from the ground and from the air. Time donated away from work and family; money lost in donated airplane fuel, vacation time, and tax dollars. And every one of them is putting themselves in danger for you whether you like it or not. I realized it's selfish to not carry some sort of SOS/tracker even if that's so they can just find my body.

You don't need to communicate with it, just clip it on and go.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Just stay in your recliner and watch outdoors TV. Problem solved.

 

[Marble]

I think about the risks but it ends about there. I have the best health insurance money can buy. I have great life insurance. I have money in the bank for an oh shit moment. I do what I can to ensure a safe trip for myself and everyone going.

I have had cancer twice and I'm currently going through treatment for the second one...

I've been injured mostly each year from fairly minor stuff requiring stitches, to emergency rooms visits for antibiotics. Shit happens.

I use an inreach and have great gear and over 30 years of backpacking/ hunting experience. Im not worried about it.

Life throws unfortunate bullshit at you when you least expect it. My advice is to plan to avoid it and have a plan to handle it when it happens.

There is not always a next time, so get your shit together and follow your dreams so you lie about them to your buddies later.

Unfortunately it usually takes a life changing event to make someone have a shift in life perspective.

There is not always a next time!!!!!


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[CaliWoodsman]

Great thread. I definitely need to do some looking into what happens when the SOS button on the Inreach gets pressed.

I try to stick to the basics:
1. Wife always knows where I'm going - written down because she's not going to remember the name of a trailhead or Forest Service road number.
2. If I'm going solo (and sometimes even if going with others) I make sure my dad, brother, or another hunting buddy knows where I'm going. They would likely be familiar with the area and know my likely trails, camp sites, etc.
3. Survival kit and first aid kit are always in my pack with multiple ways to start a fire, stop bleeding, etc. One is none and two is one.
4. Take it slow. Especially if solo, I'll walk a little further to take a safer route. I take my time working with knives or maneuvering my rifle or bow around. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Don't get in a hurry.
5. Inreach is always close by, fully charged at the trailhead, and tested at home before each trip.

 

[WCB]

I appreciate everyone's conversation. It is great to hear both about staying alive and avoiding future financial problems.

The most detailed accident story I heard from the Thorofare was a guy dismounted from his horse. He was using an elastic bino harness and the binocular stuck to some part of the saddle. As he was dismounting, the tension increased until the binoculars/harness broke free from the saddle and the binos smacked him in the face which broke a lot in his face. I don't know that this was necessarily a life or death situation at that point, but in lieu of the worst 30 mile horse ride one could ever experience, he was taken out via helicopter. It sounds like working with Garmin may be the way to insure through a situation like this, and to not get stuck with a $60k bill.

I have personally been in another situation where a guy I was hunting with had to be removed from a hunting situation via helicopter (much less remote), and his 10 minute helicopter ride was north of $35k after a 3 year mediation battle.

Guy should have probably invested in drinking Milk.