Essential Safety Tips for Solo Big Game Hunts

Solo Big-Game Hunting: Rewarding, but Risky

Hunting big game alone offers unmatched freedom—quiet hikes at your pace, flexible decision-making, and a deep, personal connection to the landscape. But it also comes with elevated risks. With no partner to help in an emergency, solo hunters must be more prepared, more cautious, and more deliberate than anyone else in the field.

If you’re planning a solo adventure and want to compare safety-focused guides or outfitters before going it alone, you can explore vetted options through Find A Hunt.

Plan Thoroughly Before Leaving Home

Doing your homework ahead of time can prevent most emergencies.

Share Your Plan

Always leave a detailed plan with at least one trusted person, including:

• Exact hunt area and unit

• Trailheads and access points

• Daily route expectations

• Planned campsite locations

• Check-in schedule

• Return date and time

• Emergency contact info

Know Your Area

Study:

• Topo maps

• Satellite imagery

• Road and trail access

• Water sources

• Elevation gain and hazardous terrain

• Local weather patterns

• Recent wildfire or flood impacts

The more you understand the landscape, the fewer surprises you’ll face.

Navigation: Stay Found, Not Just “Un-Lost”

Solo hunters must maintain constant situational awareness.

Essential Navigation Tools

• GPS app with downloaded offline maps

• Compass + paper topo map (never rely on one device)

• Satellite communicator (Garmin inReach, ZOLEO)

• Extra power bank and charging cable

Smart Navigation Habits

• Mark trailheads, camp, glassing points, and blood trails

• Check your location often

• Avoid shortcuts across steep or unknown terrain

• Track your route when visibility is low—snow, fog, or thick timber

Prioritize Personal Safety & Terrain Awareness

When you’re alone, something as simple as a twisted ankle can become a crisis.

Move Slowly and Deliberately

• Scan for deadfall, loose rock, ice, and slick mud

• Test footing before committing on steep slopes

• Use trekking poles for stability

• Stay off cliffs, shale, and dangerous ridgelines in bad weather

Avoid Risky Decisions

• Don’t push into unstable cliffs just to glass one more basin

• Don’t chase wounded game into dangerous terrain without a plan

• Don’t cross fast-moving water without a safe alternative

• Don’t descend into deep drainages you may not climb out of

Patience and caution keep solo hunters alive.

First Aid: Be Ready for Real Emergencies

When you’re on your own, you are your own first responder.

Solo Hunter First Aid Essentials

• Tourniquet

• Hemostatic gauze

• Pressure bandage

• Blister treatment

• Antiseptic wipes

• Trauma shears

• Pain relievers

• Elastic wrap

• Gloves

• Emergency bivy

• Personal medications

Skills You Should Know

• Bleeding control (direct pressure, packing, tourniquet application)

• Splinting limbs using trekking poles or branches

• Recognizing and treating hypothermia or heat exhaustion

• Basic wound cleaning and infection prevention

• Shock recognition and management

If you can’t stabilize yourself, you’re not prepared to hunt solo.

Weather Awareness: The Silent Threat

Bad weather is one of the biggest dangers for solo hunters.

Prepare for All Conditions

• Always pack insulation layers—even in early-season hunts

• Keep rain gear accessible in your top lid or side pocket

• Monitor forecasts before and during your hunt

• Be ready to bail out early when storms roll in

Know the Warning Signs

• Building thunderheads

• Sudden wind direction changes

• Temperature drops

• Rapid cloud cover forming on peaks

Weather can escalate from mild to life-threatening quickly in mountain country.

Firearm & Archery Safety—Alone Means No Backup

Solo hunters must be even more disciplined with their weapon systems.

Firearm Essentials

• Always confirm your rifle is unloaded before crossing obstacles

• Maintain strict muzzle control

• Practice field shooting positions before your hunt

• Know your ethical shooting distances—solo tracking is harder and riskier

Bowhunting Considerations

• Keep broadheads covered and secure

• Practice drawing and shooting from awkward angles

• Be extra cautious when climbing over logs or deadfall with arrows nocked

A minor mistake while alone can become major fast.

Meat Care & Pack-Out Safety

Harvesting an animal solo is rewarding—but physically demanding and potentially dangerous.

Safe Pack-Out Tips

• Quarter the animal efficiently to reduce time on the ground

• Hang meat in breathable bags if temperatures allow

• Know your limits—multiple trips are safer than one overloaded haul

• Avoid packing out in the dark unless absolutely necessary

• Mark your route and plan safe rest points

A rushed or overloaded pack-out causes more injuries than almost any other activity.

Solo Predator Awareness

Being alone increases vulnerability to predators.

Stay Alert For:

• Bears near carcasses

• Mountain lions shadowing travel routes

• Aggressive hogs or rutting elk

• Moose—one of the most dangerous animals in North America

Best Practices

• Make noise in thick timber

• Keep bear spray accessible

• Store food properly at camp

• Approach downed animals carefully

• Glass your surroundings regularly

Predators usually want nothing to do with you—unless you surprise them.

Emergency Communication & Decision-Making

When hunting solo, communication tools may save your life.

Carry at Least One of the Following

• Satellite messenger (two-way preferred)

• Satellite phone

• Emergency beacon (PLB)

Know When to Call for Help

Evacuate or call for assistance if you:

• Can’t stop severe bleeding

• Suspect broken bones

• Show signs of worsening shock

• Become lost without the ability to navigate out

• Face rapidly deteriorating weather without shelter

• Sustain any injury preventing movement with a loaded pack

You can’t “tough out” emergencies when alone.

Mental Preparedness: The Solo Hunter Mindset

Success and safety depend on composure and awareness.

Key Traits

• Patience

• Humility

• Caution

• Situational awareness

• Clear decision-making

• Comfort with solitude

Solo hunting is as mental as it is physical.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is solo big-game hunting dangerous?

It carries significantly higher risk—but with proper preparation, it can be done safely.

Should beginners hunt solo?

Not recommended. Gain experience with partners or guides first.

What’s the most important piece of solo safety gear?

A satellite communicator—no contest.

How much should I carry for first aid?

Enough to handle trauma, immobilize limbs, and survive overnight if needed.

Is solo hunting worth it?

For many hunters, yes—but only when approached with responsibility, preparation, and respect for the risks.

If you’d like, I can tailor this article for solo elk hunters, whitetail hunters, mountain hunts, or create a safety-focused piece for a specific outfitter or region—just share the details.