# Night Operations (A fish out of water)



## Sourdough (May 22, 2010)

A blog entry dated: Oct. 05, 2011 (The last year I tried this)

Night Operations: (Once more Failure)
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Every year I aspire to refresh/learn skills for night movement without the aid of artificial light. There is a narrow period in early fall in the arctic to practice this skill-set. Once the snow is on the ground then it is easy to night travel, as the footing is better than mud and slippery tree roots, but mostly it is the reflected light off the snow and the contrast between dark trees and light snow covered ground that make it easy.

I am always shocked at how hard night travel is, OK it is more than hard, it is nearly impossible. Last night in the dark and drizzling rain I learned that I should have worn my caulk boots (Spike/nail boots) knee pads, safety glasses, gloves and a (much) less cumbersome firearm.

Early on last night I encountered a eight foot Brown Bear (Grizzly) and a very small Black Bear. As it got darker and darker, and as I slowly remembered how stupid (Nearly impossible) this drill is, I decided to abort travel in the woods where I had mostly been studying the application (Usefulness) of my new illuminated scope for twilight/no light operations, concluding that it was NOT worth the additional cost. Yes it works, but so does a German #4 Reticle work just as good and without the dependence on batteries.

Being soaked from the rain, I figured to go all out and moved out onto the not so dark Turnagain Arm mud flats estuary and study the Brown Bear as it gorged on silver salmon. The stench of rotting salmon, and decomposing vegetation was both nauseating and distracting, so that I had to remind myself to ignore the stench, and concentrate on the bear (which it was too dark to see). I was less than 40 yards from the bear but I could just see my feet and maybe four or five feet in from of me. I could hear the bear walking on the same muddy soup, but I could not tell which direction it was moving, however it was not moving towards me. Having learned and relearned enough I decided to return to the dark, dark, dark dark forest and the hike to the cabin. My clothes stunk so bad that I had to undress outside.

Note: I have been doing this drill several times every fall for about 6 years now. And every year I get the same feed'back: "Well if you just close your eyes for 1/2 hour, when you open yours eyes then you can see great". Bull'Chit not if there is zero light.......zero.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Same down here in the lower 48. On a moonless night, travel in the woods is impossible without artificial light. I have headlights with red, spot and blue options and even using the red option, once you turn it off you are helpless. With the moon and a covering of snow you can do fine, otherwise hunker down and keep your ears up.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

On a dark cloudy night with no snow cover, a person is likely to have more "ghost" images than any idea of what the surroundings are like. even on a dark cloud covered night with snow cover you can't see anything, and cows don't like it when you trip over them. Pretty sure a bear would like it even less.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Many times over the years I've done my share of no flashlight trips with no moonlight or starlight in the mountains, some with logging roads, some with human trails, some with wildlife trails and many times behind our home with no trails. Often with adrenaline rushes of getting a whiff of some animal urine smell, one time in pitch dark while following a dirt road with my feet I walked up close to a deer and it snorted seemingly in my face. That put my heart up in my throat and raised a lot of goose bumps. Thankfully I've never encountered anything that would eat me, however in retrospect I wonder how many times I may have been followed by a mountain lion in my foolishness to have left a flashlight at home. I have never been without sufficient fire power but I realize those cats don't make a lot of noise unless they are walking through dry leaves, so more than likely I wouldn't have heard them coming. Now days, being older and a tad bit wiser, I strive to always have a good working flashlight while walking around in the dark. If for nothing more than keeping from being sprayed by a skunk.


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## bravocharli (Nov 30, 2013)

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## Fn/Form (Nov 6, 2008)

Viking said:


> &#8230;If for nothing more than keeping from being sprayed by a skunk.


Actual LOL--this past weekend we heard a neighbor's horse shriek and buck in the dark. A very strong scent of skunk's butt bomb followed very soon after. We were laughing around the camp fire until we realized some of us planned to sleep with only a skeeter net around and us. Thankfully no probing varmints those nights.


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