Rather than keep trudging in the cold and dark, risking hypothermia or injury, he started looking for a place to hole up. Miraculously, he found a small rock outcropping with a gap under it and a blanket of pine needles. There was just enough room to climb into his sleeping bag and start a small fire.

"Parking your ego, having the strength of character to realize you need help, and staying put is just good hunters' practice," Schimelpfenig says.

DEALING WITH INJURIES
In the wilderness there are only two kinds of injuries; immobilizing and not. Dealing with either starts with knowing how to render first aid to yourself or a buddy. Most importantly, know the signs of shock, which can turn a mild injury into a life-threatening injury.

Here again, carefully assess your situation. Is crawling out an option? If it's difficult terrain or getting dark, it might be better to hunker down, find shelter, stay warm, and wait for rescue.

Holmquist says the most common backcountry injuries involve people's legs. It's important to stabilize the injury because, as he says, pain is a deterrent to clear thought. The best thing to do with a leg injury is to apply a splint.

"Find something solid and long enough to immobilize the joints above and below the injury," Holmquist says. "Even knotted together clothing is better than nothing. If possible, elevate the leg and apply snow or cold water for brief intervals to prevent swelling."

There's also a dilemma that comes with a broken ankle. Keeping your boot on provides compression that can prevent swelling, but after a couple hours fluids can collect inside the muscles and require surgery. If you're several hours away from rescue, lose the boot.

Importantly, dealing with an injury is much easier if you're with a buddy. That's one reason rescue experts unanimously advise hunters to not go out alone.

ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GEAR
With the exception of clothing, these items are easily carried in a fanny pack. Prepare your survival kit in advance and keep it with you in the field. 1. Map and compass. Know how to use both together, Trails and landmarks are hard to see in bad weather or darkness. (read about electronics below.) 2. High-energy food, such as Power Bars. 3. Water purification system. A jar of iodine tablets fits in any pocket and makes almost any water safe to drink without boiling. 4. Extra clothing. Don't pack for walking at 2 p.m. Pack for sitting still in bad weather at 3 a.m. 5. Headlamp or flashlight, with new batteries plus extras. 6. First aid kit. 7. A good sharp knife. If it's part of a multi-tool set, all the better. 8. Fire-making materials. Bring a lighter and matches; matches are a backup. Slather two cotton balls with petroleum jelly and carry them in a film canister. They light quickly and burn long enough to get tinder going. Large plastic trash bags or plastic sheeting. Pick a bright color and they double as a signal tool. Whistle and pocket mirror for signal. Parachute cord or duct tape. You will find a need for them.
ABOUT ELECTRONICS
Rescue experts recommend carrying a cell phone and handheld GPS unit. However, don't rely on electronics; batteries go dead and wireless service disappear outside urban areas. If you cell phone works, conserve battery power by composing a message before you call, covering where you are, what you need and what your planning to do. -- Bill Romanelli

"When we get a call about someone being overdue and we find out they're alone, that's when we start to worry." says Sheriff's Sergeant Randy Nixon, Search and Rescue coordinator for Inyo County.

Holmquist puts a finer point on it. "I'd say 95 percent of our backcountry fatalities were people out by themselves."

FINDING WATER & FOOD
When tracking mule deer in mountain settings, chances are finding water won't be a problem. Run out of water in the desert, however, and it's a different story.

"You can go three days without water, but after a few hours you really feel it," Del Grande says. "Bring as much water as you can carry, certainly more than you think you'll need."

If finding water is a need, the terrain can suggest sources. Look for negative topography, shady areas, signs of animal traffic, and vegetation. Trees or shrubs growing in a line may indicate a stream. In some places, such as a dry streambed, a little digging may reveal water just below the surface.

If you're going to be in one place for a while, you can also build a solar still. Holmquist offers the following instructions for building one:

"Find an area as damp as possible, such as a creek bed, dig a pit and put a cup in the bottom," he says. "Cut some vegetation or anything that might have moisture in it and throw it in the pit. Take some flexible plastic sheeting, place it over the top and weigh down the edges. Put a rock in the center of the plastic to make an inverted cone, with the point just over your cup. Water vapor will rise from the pit, condense on the plastic and drip into the cup."

When it comes to finding food in a survival situation, the experts' advice is surprising. Don't worry about it. You can go weeks without eating if you need to, and hopefully you'll be rescued long before the lack of food becomes an issue.

"You can spend lots of time and energy getting very little nourishment," Schimelpfineg says. "Unless you're really savvy at making snares or know what kind of plants are edible, you're better off just staying warm and dry."

SIGNALING
Three of anything is internationally recognized as a distress signal. It can be three whistle blasts or rifle shots if you want someone to hear you (just be sure to listen for a response) or three fires, evenly spaced in a triangle if you want someone to see you.