Sample Site Survey
1.____ Thick willow, brush, or briar patches within 5 miles.
2.____ 20 acres or more of dense forest or brush within 1 mile.
3.____ Dense forest of at least 5 square miles within 10 miles.
4.____ Logging activity past or present within 5 miles.
5.____ Valleys, gulches, or canyons within 10 miles.
6.____ Federal or state forest within 20 miles.
7.____ Sparsely populated mountains or hills within 20 miles.
8.____ Rivers or streams within 10 miles.
9.____ Creeks, bayous, or swamps within 2 miles.
10.____ Sparsely located residences.
11.____ Dairy, beef, truck, or grain farms within 5 miles.
12.____ Indian reservation within 50 miles.
13.____ Stable deer, elk, or moose population.
14.____ Carnivorous predators in residence (cougar, wolf, coyote, bobcat, etc.
)
15.____ Moderate-to-abundant fish and small game.
16.____ Sufficient cover to conceal you for five days or more.
17.____ You can hike the area unseen on weeknights.
18.____ Black bear either are in residence or could exist here.
19.____ Sightings on site within the past 5 years.
20.____ Sightings within 5 miles 10 or more years ago.
What do you take on an eight-hour scouting sortie? A comfortable daypack with:
-- Your "best friend," a compass.
-- Topographical maps of the area.
-- GPS unit if available.
-- Your Location Field Map.
-- Cell phone with an extra battery.
-- Digital camera, batteries, and/or a point-and-shoot camera.
-- Small roll of brightly colored plastic surveyor's tape.
-- Waterproof marker pens.
-- Rain slicker or poncho.
-- Waterproof matches and fire starters.
-- Flashlight with fresh batteries, spare batteries, and an extra bulb.
-- Canteen or two of water, Gatorade, etc.
-- First aid kit complete with snakebite supplies (anti-venom) if appropriate.
-- Bug spray for ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes.
-- Loud whistle.
-- Small roll (12-18 feet) of parachute cord.
-- Sharp pocketknife and sharpening stone.
-- Extra set of dry hiking socks.
-- Pad of moleskin to cover blisters.
-- Aspirin and any medications or hygiene products you might require.
-- Toilet paper.
-- A few safety pins that can be easily stashed inside your pack or vest.
-- A light lunch that suits your taste and purpose.
-- Six to ten 40-30-30 meal replacement bars for emergencies.
-- Water filtration straw or water purification tablets.
-- Small weather-band radio with a fresh battery.
-- Bear pepper spray (in bear country).
-- Six zip-lock plastic bags.
-- Sunscreen.
-- Biodegradable soap for poison ivy or poison oak.
-- Roll of plastic to cover tracks.
-- A journal pad, pens, and pencils.
-- If you fear snakes, take a hiking stick. Better yet, make a snake hook. Simply replace the head an old golf club with a steel U-shaped hook curved about 3"-4" in diameter to the shaft. As an added feature, consider welding a 2" steel spur pointing the opposite direction at the junction where the hook joins the club shaft.
What NOT to take
-- Rifle, a shotgun, a pistol, or weapons of any kind.
-- George Armstrong Custer's manual on approaching the American Indian.
What NOT to use
-- Boom box with rock or other loud music.
-- Flashlights, except in an emergency. You can't see at night and you'll scare Bigfoot away.
-- Big fires at night.