Hunter, 72, survives 19 days in snowy California wilderness

Reuters via Yahoo News ^ | 10/14/13 | Karen Brooks

[Kartographer]

A 72-year-old California deer hunter was recovering Monday after surviving on squirrels and packing leaves around him for warmth for nearly three weeks while he was lost and alone in the snowy wilderness, authorities said.

Gene Penaflor was discovered by hunters on Saturday after 19 days in the Mendocino National Forest in the Coastal Mountain Range of northwestern California, according to a report by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

[Kartographer]

This is a seriously tough old man!

[Kartographer]

What say you Laz??

[redfreedom]

It’s easy to get lost in a forest, been there, done that. I used to think traveling in circles while lost was a made for TV thing. Wrong!

I will not go into unfamiliar woods without a handheld GPS.

[Uncle Chip]

surviving on squirrels

Did he eat the squirrels or just cuddle up next to them.

[Billthedrill]

According to the story he fell, hit his head, and came to turned around and in the fog. That’s a real bad situation. Don’t ever want to be there but I hope I could do as well as he did if I am.

[skeeter]

A minor nit, but I don’t think there’s any snow in the Mendicino Nat’l Forest.

[Kartographer]

A minor nit, but the article said it snowed doesn’t mean it stuck.

[fwdude]

19 days is an entire winter in my part of Texas.

[lonevoice]

Wow, good man!

[skeeter]

There is no 'snowy California wilderness' in Mendicino county. Even in January. In fact its been a very warm fall.

Just surviving 19 days without supplies or adequate clothing is enough of a feat without the hype.

[Uncle Chip]

The Mendocino National Forest is run by the U.S. Forest Service and has been closed due to the government shutdown, according to the forest website.... After four days of searching by at least 18 agencies from more than a dozen counties, the official search was suspended because searchers could find no clues to his locations and because storms were coming.

Why do I suspect that he is here illegally and that there is government shutdown politics going on here???

[driftdiver]

A compass works too.

For me the most exciting part of being lost in a Florida swamp in the early morning hours was knowing there were lots of snakes around as I was traipsing through the thorn covered vines.

In fact a compass will work even when you can’t get a GPS signal through the trees.

[Kartographer]

So much for it being a ‘minor nit’.

[Mr. Lucky]

I was going to chime in and point out that you don't need either a GPS or a compass; you merely need to always travel downhill and eventually you will end up in civilization.

I guess that wouldn't work all that well in the Everglades.

[GeronL]

How big is that national forest?

[lwd]

This is where the mexican drug cartels grow huge mj crops....very remote areas. I wonder if the shutdown has prevented the NSP from doing its yearly irradication effort. October is harvest season.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Compass works fine.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

“It’s easy to get lost in a forest, been there, done that. I used to think traveling in circles while lost was a made for TV thing. Wrong! I will not go into unfamiliar woods without a handheld GPS.”

I’ve was on a mountain that I had been on dozens of times and suddenly found myself in a snowstorm with very little visibility. I was certain that the way down was in one direction (the other leads to a cliff), so just to be sure I checked the compass. It said to go in the opposite direction. I was sure I was right and thought my compass was busted, so I checked my spare compass. Of course I had gotten turned around. It pays not to be too stubborn about some things.

[Kartographer]

The Mendocino National Forest is located in the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California and comprises 913,306 acres

[GeronL]

thanks

That sounds pretty cool, something I almost never say about Kalipornia