Several years ago, my son and I were hunting in an area that was really remote. It had taken from 4 to 7 a.m. to hike into an area that pre-season scouting indicated we would find several mule deer bucks. We spent the rest of the morning waiting in the rocks above a small meadow watching does and a spike buck grazing just outside the tree line.

At about 11 a.m., we saw a more mature buck cross the meadow, chase the spike buck off and then disappear into the tree line. We thought we had a pretty good idea where he was going, so we decided to stay high and skirt around to the other side of the meadow and see if we could get a shot at him.

As we got up to move around the other side of the meadow, all the does bolted into the tree line. At first we thought they had seen us but decided that we were far enough away, and inside of the tree line, that we shouldn’t have spooked them. As we were looking to see if we could see what had startled them, a lone hunter came into the meadow, seemly unable to walk a straight line, but kind of staggering from one side to the other. My son Mike, was the first one to say what we both were thinking, “I think that guy is in trouble.”

We forgot about the buck and started down the hill calling to him. He finally turned and acknowledged us and stood there until we reached him. He immediately asked if we had seen his father.

He was sweating profusely, which made us think he had been walking nonstop for some time. He also was dizzy and was having trouble keeping his balance. so we had him sit down before he fell down.

I thought he also looked dehydrated so I looked for his water bottle or canteen in his backpack. There was none, so Mike pulled a water bottle out of his day pack and proceeded to have him sip water for a few minutes. After about 30 minutes and an energy bar plus both Mike’s water bottles and one of mine, he was a little more coherent and told us that his father and he had left their car about where we had left our truck the night before and had gone around different sides of the mountain expecting to meet at a place near our camp. He said neither his father nor he was carrying any water or food because his father said they wouldn’t need any.

It was obvious to us that the man was lost, had wandered aimlessly and had become disoriented and dehydrated, while heading farther away from where his father expected him to be.

Mike’s cellphone didn’t have any reception in the meadow so Mike carried his backpack and we both helped him back to our camp making him rest at intervals along the way. By the time we got back to camp, he had finished my second bottle of water and half of another energy bar. We still had no cellphone service.

I thought he still looked like we ought to get him checked out at a medical facility in Soda Springs, but his father was waiting for him at our camp where he had helped himself to a couple of bottles of water in the bed of our truck.

His father said he would take his son home to Pocatello and have him checked out at the hospital if he was still dizzy when they got home.

That experience has always haunted me because if we hadn’t seen that guy, he would have continued staggering and would have collapsed somewhere his father wouldn’t have thought to look for him.

However, Some very important lessons were reinforced on my mind that day.

1. Always hunt with someone.

2. Learn to use a topographical map, GPS and compass and carry them with you always.

3. Carry a small flashlight and extra batteries and bulbs in case it gets dark on the way back. Flashlights that emit 70 lumens or more are easier for others to see up to a mile away.

4. Pick out landmarks that are easy to see to guide you back to camp or your vehicle.

5. Your body can’t function properly if you don’t feed it. Carry a bag of raisons, nuts, M&M candy and dried fruit along with water.

6. Wear a pack with matches, firestarter materials, clothing, food, water and a light tarp that can be used for shelter.

In addition, leave word with someone where you are going and when to expect you back.

Always be prepared for changes in weather or unanticipated delays when hunting or camping and hiking in the backcountry, and as the shift sergeant on the old NYPD Blues used to say, “Let’s all be careful out there.”

Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He can be contacted at mokeydo41245@hotmail.com.

With center fire rifle hunting season just days away, many hunters are trying to get their essential gear together so they will be ready on opening day. Hopefully you haven’t waited until now to look at your gear to see if any thing needs to be replaced or you are missing some items after being stored after last year’s hunt.

I’m pretty sure that what is most important to me in terms of essential gear will not necessarily be the same in every respect as others. I will simply cover what I like to have ready to go so I can just have it where I can throw it in the pickup and go.

The first item I think of is my rifle and I have been shooting it regularly and have made sure it is sighted in to hit point of aim at 250 yards. That makes it easy enough to just aim at the center of the games vital zone out to about 325 yards or slightly less and still deliver a lethal hit. Beyond that range, if I decide I can make the shot, I can raise the cross hairs in my scope as much as the top of the game’s withers if necessary, and still hit the vital zone while still being able to see the game in my scope. If I think I need to raise the cross hairs higher than the game’s withers, I probably won’t take the shot.

My rifle has now been cleaned, lightly oiled, and I will remove any excess oil just prior to leaving for the hunt.

The next item I check and secure is my telescopic sight. I use a 4-12 x 40 variable scope. After sighting at 12 power, I turn the power down to 4 so that my sight picture will be clear, and I can see the whole animal at closer distances out to 200 yards. If I have to shoot at 300 or more yards, I can dial the power back up as far as 12 power if necessary.

A good pair of binoculars are the next thing on my list of items to check. Clear, crisp, quality binoculars will allow one to glass for hours and find more deer, elk, and pronghorn without eye fatigue or getting a headache.

It is absolutely imperative to have a good pair of boots and to break them in before the season starts. There are a lot of good high-quality boots at most sporting goods stores, but most of them need a break-in period. Walk around your neighbor hood or take them on short hikes at first, so you won’t develop blisters during your hunting trip. I like my boots to give really good support to my ankles and I like them to be water proof with rugged lug soles for travel on uneven terrain.

Quality clothing is the next thing I check. Quality clothing doesn’t have to be the most expensive Gore Tex, or camouflage clothing on your sporting goods store’s racks, but you want to be able to use the layering system to adjust to different Weather and temperatures through out the day. Several of the people I have hunted with wear long underwear under pretty ordinary Levi jeans and long sleeve shirts and a winter jacket, with a stocking hat for early morning and a ball cap for late morning or afternoon. They then would take off the winter jacket and stocking hat, switching to a light pull over jacket and a ball cap for late morning and afternoon. They also bring along light rain gear in case the weather turns wet.

Last year at my son’s urging, I finally invested in high quality water proof camouflage Pants, T-shirt, Pullover jacket with hood, and heavy winter jacket. I still kept both my stocking cap and ball cap in the day pack I carry each day. However some of my friends have been kidding me that I spent so much on new gear. I don’t care though, I was a lot warmer than they were from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. every morning we were out in the field last year.

If you plan on staying overnight in the field, you will appreciate a quality shelter, sleeping pad and sleeping bag. There are no cabins in the three areas I hunt in each year, so I bought a very nice four-season tent, sleeping pad,and down-filled sleeping bag when I returned to Idaho in the fall of 2000.

I had one heavy zipper replaced about four years ago and that tent is still a great place to spend the night on hunting or camping trips. The only problem has been coaxing me to climb out of my sleeping bag early enough on a cold morning to get to where we wait on a game trail for day light from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

I also like to carry extra layers of clothing, water, energy bars, and a couple of knives in a light day pack so I can have lunch, adapt to changes in the weather and do some preliminary processing of any game before moving it back to camp.

So, that’s my list of hunting gear I want to have ready to go. Look at your own list and make sure you are ready, so you don’t forget anything that is important to you.

Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He can be contacted at mokeydo41245@hotmail.com.

EMIGRANT, Mont. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke approved a 20-year ban on new mining claims in the towering mountains north of Yellowstone National Park on Monday, after two proposed gold mines raised concerns that an area drawing tourists from the around the globe could be spoiled.

As Zinke signed the mineral ban at an outdoor ceremony in Montana’s Paradise Valley, a bank of clouds behind him broke apart to reveal the snow-covered sides of Emigrant Peak. The picturesque, 10,915-foot mountain has been at the center of the debate over whether mining should be allowed.

The former Montana congressman was joined by local officials, business owners and others who pushed for the ban after companies several years ago began drafting plans for new mines in an area frequented by wolves, elk, bears and other wildlife.

“I’m a pro-mining guy. I love hardrock” mining, Zinke said. “But there are places to mine and places not to mine.”

Zinke’s order extends a temporary ban imposed in 2016 under former President Barack Obama on new claims for gold, silver and other minerals on 47 square miles of public lands in the Paradise Valley and Gardiner Basin.

Most of the land is within the Custer Gallatin National Forest, but the underground minerals are overseen by the Interior Department.

The rocky peaks and forested stream valleys covered by the ban are popular with hikers and other recreational users. Wildlife roam back and forth across the Yellowstone border, and the scars of historical mining still are visible on some hillsides.

Mining companies and industry representatives said the area includes historical mining districts that shouldn’t be barred from future development. Mining claims give their holders legal rights to explore for minerals.

Monday’s action does not stop mining on private land or take away pre-existing mining claims on public lands. But supporters said it would make a large-scale mine in the area much less likely because public lands would be needed to make such a project economically feasible.

One company so far has not backed down. John Mears, president of Lucky Minerals, said the company plans to press ahead with exploration work next year on private lands around Emigrant Peak that are inside the area where mining has been banned.

Mears was parked down the road from the site of Monday’s event with a large sign propped against his truck that read, “Sec. Zinke … Why won’t you meet with me?”

“It’s up to the government to decide if we have valid existing rights but in the meantime we’ll carry on,” Mears said. “We won’t be able to acquire any more ground, but we have enough.”

Mining opponents expressed optimism that the ban would make it impossible for Lucky Minerals or any company to develop mines.

“When you take the public lands out of the equation, it really dampens it,” said Bryan Wells, who lives in the small community of Old Chico at the base of Emigrant Peak.

Asked about Lucky Mineral’s plans, Zinke he did not see a path forward for the company. He cited in part the extensive environmental reviews that would be needed for such a project.

The administration’s support for the ban is notable given President Donald Trump’s outspoken advocacy for the mining industry and his criticism of government regulations said to stifle economic development.

The proposal has received bipartisan backing in Montana, where Democrats and Republicans alike have been eager to cast themselves as protectors of the natural beauty of the Yellowstone region.

Colin Davis with the Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition said the group will now focus on making the ban permanent through pending measures in Congress.

“Our eye is still on permanent legislation,” said Davis, owner of Chico Hot Springs Resort. “The prize is permanent legislation so we’re not doing this again in 20 years.”

The House Natural Resources Committee on Sept. 26 approved permanent withdrawal legislation sponsored by Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week approved identical legislation from Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester that’s also backed by Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.

Making your own sausage — instead of dropping your deer off at the processor — extends your hunting experience. Plus, you save some money and enjoy good eating for the rest of the year.

To be an official “sausage maker” means your family has been making sausage for generations. To reach this level of expertise is a lifelong quest. We’re going to short-circuit the system and use Hi Mountain Seasoning. Your old sausage-making granddad will turn over in his grave, but don’t worry — you can hit that level later.

The real sausage makers will do a cold smoke, somewhere around 87-92 degrees. The smoke will flavor the meat and the low heat will dry it out. That is the perfect temperature for incubating bacteria, which is why you must add the nitrates or nitrites that cure the product and add flavor.

Everyone always asks me, “Don’t you think that they used to make better sausage 100 years ago?” No way. In the old days, they smoked with whatever wood was in their locale and used local spices. Where do you think the name bologna came from? Frankfurters? Polish sausage? German sausage? (Answers-Bologna, Italy; Frankfurter, Germany; Poland; Germany).

Now? You can find almost any spice or wood at your local store or order it off the internet. So don’t feel like you’re a second-class sausage maker.

So lest you get intimidated to even try to make your own sausage, let’s go the simple route at first. Use a store-bought mix. Check out Hi Mountain Seasoning. I made two batches last weekend using their Polish and Original Salami mixes. Both were great.

You can make sausage out of any of your big game and even out of birds. Years ago when we were making sausage on the ranch in Sonora we’d run down to Del Rio and pick up pork fat to mix with our sausage. Now I buy a pork top butt. That way I get the fat plus some good hog meat in the blend.

We could argue forever on the lean percentage but I’d say make your sausage somewhere around 75 to 80 percent lean. You may argue that 90 percent is healthier, but let’s be honest. We aren’t eating sausage to be healthy.

Everyone cautions you to trim off all of the wildgame fat; they say that will give it an off odor. But don’t get too picky or you only end up with a handful of meat. Chill out. Do you not think that it is all left in every hamburger and steak that you eat?

Deer itself is probably around 90 percent lean. Mix so you will have a 75 to 80 percent lean finished product.

I coarse grind my pork and coarse grind my deer then sprinkle the spices into the ground pork. Then I mix it all together and grind again. Meat grinds better if it is semi crystallized (semi frozen).

For packaging you can make bulk packages or stuff into casings. There are natural casing made of pork or sheep intestines. These come salted so soak them in warm water to soften and then put the end on your faucet and flush out the salt or it will ruin your sausage.

Or they make collagen casings. I like them because they have a larger diameter and you can blow and go but I don’t think smoke permeates them as good as it does on natural casings. Before you start stuffing, though, make a small patty and fry it up. Does it need more seasoning? Once it is stuffed, it’s too late.

You can use a hand grinder to grind and stuff but it’s a major pain. I recently got a Weston Grinder and stuffer and love them. It’s 10 times easier and faster.

For smoking, you have two choices: cold smoke or hot smoke. When cold smoking, you’re depending on the nitrites to cure the meat. For beginners, I suggest a hot smoke.

Have fun and happy smoking!

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.