Preppers: Do You Take Your Dogs Scouting?
Kevin Felts 03.21.17
Something I like to do is scout around the bug out location. I usually bring a daypack, such as a Maxpedition Condor II, camera, tripod, and my dogs. The goal of a scouting run is to learn the lay of the land. I want to know where the creeks, small ponds, old logging roads, and ATV trails are.
The past couple of trips I have caught myself calling the dogs, which could give away my location. My dogs have been going on trips like this since they were puppies. Being away from home and in the woods is no big deal to them.
As my two oldest dogs have gotten older they have become more independent. Rather than staying in sight, the oldest dogs ghost me. They will stay just out of sight through the bushes, but always nearby. The newest addition stays close.
On the last hiking trip, when we walked into a clearing the two oldest dogs were about 75 feet to my right and slightly ahead of me, and I had not seen them in maybe 30 minutes. We had been in dense brush, but somehow they had remained unseen and unheard.
Calling the Dogs
Regardless if the dogs had been going on my trips since they were puppies, I always worry about them getting lost. They are like my children and I worry about them.
Awhile back my dogs and I were on a piece of land that borders a cattle ranchers property. I had permission to be on the property from the property owner. Maybe the dogs crossed the property line because someone started yelling “Get out of here.” I could not see the guy through the underbrush between myself and his property and we were probably a good 100 yards apart.
I figured the the best thing to do was to move away from his property and the dogs would catch up, which they did.
In a full blown collapse of society:
- Calling the dogs would give away my location.
- Dogs crossing onto private property would probably be shot.
Because of this, if I know I will be close to someones private property I will probably leave the dogs at home.
I would like to hear from other preppers. Do you go on scouting missions around the bug out location? If you live in a rural area do you go on scouting missions to learn the lay of the land?
