Using of compass is very good for any kind of adventure in the forest. Those who are familiar with the territory of the hunting ground are less apt to lose their way while hunting than those strange to the place. And one thing you have to remember is that of the locations of the streams, brooks, and major rivers in the area. They could help you a lot.

In my youth I, with one companion, spent a summer in the wilds of western Canada. Neither of us carried a compass nor felt the need of one. We were lucky. To be sure, we were in a drainage basin which ran south for hundreds of miles and for at least fifty miles to the north. This series of lakes and streams could not be crossed without swimming and even the exuberance of youth could not make that snow-fed water inviting. If we had become confused as to direction, all that was necessary was to go to the top of the nearest mountain and we would have a panoramic view of the entire area, and any considerable body of water was sure to be in the right direction for us to travel. Even so, it was a foolhardy thing to do and only the self- confidence and ignorance of youth would induce two people to put themselves, entirely on their own, in a strange, wilderness country without a compass.

The man who is familiar with his hunting territory is less apt to lose his way while hunting and, if he becomes lost, has a better chance of finding his way out of the woods than the one that goes forth without any idea of the local terrain. The only way to become thoroughly familiar with an area is to travel over it, but the use of a good map can give a good map reader a comprehensive knowledge of the salient features of the country so that when he enters the woods he can identify many of the hills and streams which he encounters. The layout of streams is, perhaps, the most important thing on the map. Most hunting areas are drained by one main stream, fed by small brooks which empty into some major river system. Knowledge of this drainage area is good insurance in that, if a man becomes lost, he will be able to reorient himself in a short time and find his way out of the woods.

There are some places (we have them here in Maine) where the streams run “every which way” so that they are of little use as direction pointers. This can be extra confusing when two drainage basins originate in the same comparatively level area. Study of a map before entering such places will help, but they are very dangerous to the inexperienced, and, if in the deep woods, should not be hunted without a guide.

Any hunter who has any doubts about his ability in the woods should hire a guide, and then, if he should happen to become lost, he can let the guide do the worrying. That is one of the things for which he is paid.

By this we can sum up that the more you know about the territory the better safe you are when hunting in unknown places. And if any doubts, it’s better to hire a guide or an expert who is more knowledgeable about the woods. This means that you should be prepared with any possible information about the place you are going for hunting deer.