Official Alaska bowhunting safety course Link to Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Hello, bowhunter! Alaska's online bowhunter course has moved. Click here to go to the latest version of the Bowhunter Alaska course—the official bowhunting safety course of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The following course material is for reference only. Please go to the new course to complete your Alaska certification.

Chapter 8: Outdoor Preparedness
If You Get Lost (continued)

Signal for Help

When you decide to stay put and wait to be rescued, prepare help signals as soon as possible.

  • The international emergency sign for distress is three repetitions of any signal, including three blasts on a whistle, three flashes with a mirror, or three fires evenly spaced.
  • If you’re near an open space, walk an “X” in the snow, grass, or sand. Make it as large as possible so that it can be seen easily from the air. Placing branches, logs, or rocks along the “X” will make it more visible.

Once you have a shelter, fire, and your signal prepared, you can focus on water and food.

Physical Fitness

Hunting often demands more physical exertion than you're accustomed to doing. Conditions that hamper your physical ability to perform safely and responsibly while hunting include:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • A heart condition
  • Excess weight
  • Poor physical conditioning

If you're planning a hunt that involves fairly strenuous activity, start getting in shape at least two months ahead of time.

Alaska Department
of Fish and Game

< Back to Previous Page Table of Contents Go to Next Page >
 
Official bowhunting safety course for Alaska bowhunters last modified: March 10, 2011
Email with questions or comments about this web site.
Questions? Call Today's Bowhunter at 1-800-830-2268 Copyright © 1998-2011 Today's Bowhunter and Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
Review the Today's Bowhunter privacy policy.