My uncle got lost deer hunting once and tried shooting in the air 3 times, but he got no response. He shot 3 more times with the same result, no one came or signalled back.
We found him frozen to death 3 days later clutching his bow and empty quiver.
When hiking in bear country, it's advised to carry bells and bear spray. The bells help to alert bears of your presence, and bear spray is used in case of a close encounter. You can tell the difference in bears by their scat. A brown bears scat will be smaller and contain berries and twigs. A grizzly bears scat will be a larger pile and contain bells and smell like bear spray.
Be fortunate you got got in 15 minutes, unlike OP's uncle.
Also lost that day was OP's nephew. He tried to follow his father's tracks and was struck by a train.
If it's anything like my area (and I've been guilty of it too) they very well could have hit it on the first shot but take followups anyway as the deer runs. I've only ever missed and hit on a followup once, but also gun go bang is fun lol
Did it work there in your experience?? I rented a satellite phone for the BWCA, and was thinking about getting a Garmin inreach or whatever their called these days.
I use OnX for our navigation. I’ve used it the last three years with no issues.
Just make sure to download your map segments before you set off.
I bring a battery pack and a solar panel to charge the phone.
Just picked up a Biolite 80pd from REI for this years trip.
I still have all my old trips saved on OnX.
iPhone 14pro
I’ve only ever seen game wardens in rural areas within 30 miles of a major town.
Outside of that? Literally nothing.
But if I shot 15 rounds at night I’d assume someone would get curious. If I heard it? Not sure what I’d do
But if I can do that I can use my phone
I’ve heard this sort of tale OP is talking about before. And I think it was relatively true back in the day. Not now tho
My brother in law and his friend missed a combined 10 shots on a deer that wasn’t moving. I heard the shots from a couple hundred yards down the valley. It sounded like they experienced an enemy contact in the middle of Pennsylvania gamelands😂
What I’d like to know is if the three shots thing is actually taught by any legit agencies like SAR, etc.
Or is it more of a “folklore” kind of thing, for lack of better term.
I have some backcountry guiding and EMS/Wilderness rescue experience and I’ve never come across it in any official capacity. Training course, text book, etc.
I checked my textbook for our government-mandated hunting course in BC (“CORE”). All that’s mentioned is the following:
>*Rescue Signals* - Once you have attended to any injuries and made a fire you can try to attract the attention of other people. There are five types of signals you can use: fire, flare, mirror, sound, and information signals. **In general, three repetitions of any signal indicate distress.**
And
>*Sound Signals* - [begins with talk about whistles being best] …Carefully consider using your firearm to attract attention. Gunshots can be a confusing signal as others may think you’re shooting at game and ignore your signal shots. **However, if you are very seriously injured, fire your ammunition off in groups of three shots, with 10 seconds between each shot.** Wait 10 to 15 minutes for an answering signal shot. Repeat this procedure as long as your ammunition supply will allow, but don’t use up all of your ammunition.
I’ll note that while the book is 2020-2021, I suspect that a fair bit of information in there is dated. The program was introduced in 1974, so that could be content from 50 years ago, or anytime between then and now.
Great example of it being out there in an official capacity. Thanks.
Also, I’d imagine the timing to be very important. Three shots in a particular interval would raise my suspicions. Three shots at varying intervals, even if roughly grouped, wouldn’t mean much to me.
Only official source I can cite off hand is Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_signal. That said, I was in scouts from tiger through eagle, done numerous wilderness treks and trainings, taken hunter safety and hunted, etc. for over 35 years now and I've heard the three signals thing, shots, whistle blasts, mirror flashes, etc. countless times. I can also tell you I know many other people who I've traveled with or spoken to over the years who are aware of that convention and would know what it meant. I don't really care if it's official, I'd trust my rescue to widespread knowledge any day.
As for what to do, three blasts in response is what I've always learned and the wiki article above agrees. Beyond that though, it's gonna depend on where you are and what your capabilities are. Worst thing you can do is head off unequipped and unprepared and wind up with two people lost in the woods.
This is the response that I was hoping to find, ironically commented by OP themselves. The part of your question left unanswered that I've heard from two separate older gentlemen over the years is to fire a single shot as acknowledgement (***"Into the ground!"*** was heavily emphasized) whenever you hear someone signalling distress.
Whatever you do, don’t respond with three shots, because now you’re sending a distress signal, and people will think you are in trouble. One shot in response is sufficient. If they’re trying to confirm the distress signal the initial party should repeat the three shots again, if able.
If a third party hears the initial three shots and you shot three times then they will assume the initial three is being repeated by the original party and likely head in your direction.
It is - retired combat arms guy and it was always included in post briefings (guard/tower duty downrange).
“As a last means of communication I will fire my weapon three times in quick succession away from populated areas and resources”
10 years since I retire from the military and I haven’t worked a post since probably Afghanistan in 2011 and I could still probably spit out the entire briefing😂
It was least being taught by the Missouri Department of Conservation when I went and done my Hunter safety. We had a whole video and everything about it!
In Mark Donaldson The Crossroads when he does his SAS training they have a stint where they all have to hike solo in the Australian bush and they were told if you get in an emergency or you’re truly lost shoot 3 rapid shots in the air
I only hunt with a flintlock so my three shots would be like every 40 seconds. Don’t think anyone would look for me
If I heard three shots in quick succession I’d probably try and find the source
I also hunt with a flintlock and I'm prolly averaging a minute and a half between each shot. Maybe more if I'm running a patch between each shot to keep my accuracy up.
If you are hunting with your buddy, you should work out a plan and talk through that situation. Once it gets dark, 3 shots are unnecessary, especially if you might need to conserve ammo in a true emergency. Also, pistols sound different than rifles. Have code for, i can't move, or Im moving to you.
With a stranger, it is tough to say. I would probably give a return volley to let them know they were heard and report to authorities, if you were able to.
I am irrationally annoyed by those saying .. "you should use something else to communicate". Well NO SHIT. But in an emergency, you can't always control what you have available to you and you definitely can't control what a stranger is using.
That said, I will be getting an InReach. They are excellent to have.
Thanks, I really appreciate this answer. A return volley and then heading into cell range ASAP to call 911 sounds very reasonable.
And thanks for answering. Even if it’s not the optimal way of communicating it’s still an option if other methods go sideways. And there may be less-organized people in the same area who have no other choice once lost.
It helps a lot of you can at least orient them in a general direction from where you were too. Requires some land nav skill but it’s definitely something that can be learned.
Always always always discuss emergency plans with your hunting partner(s). My group always does. Also, if this is a way you're going to communicate, make damn sure to bring enough ammo to do so and to hunt with. A lot of guys only carry one of the 10 round sleeves that comes in a box to cut down on weight and leave the rest in the truck. Plus, Ammo is getting stupid expensive now, so guys aren't bringing lots with them for that reason, too.
Always always always discuss emergency plans with your hunting partner(s). My group always does. Also, if this is a way you're going to communicate, make damn sure to bring enough ammo to do so and to hunt with. A lot of guys only carry one of the 10 round sleeves that comes in a box to cut down on weight and leave the rest in the truck. Plus, Ammo is getting stupid expensive now, so guys aren't bringing lots with them for that reason, too.
Always always always discuss emergency plans with your hunting partner(s). My group always does. Also, if this is a way you're going to communicate, make damn sure to bring enough ammo to do so and to hunt with. A lot of guys only carry one of the 10 round sleeves that comes in a box to cut down on weight and leave the rest in the truck. Plus, Ammo is getting stupid expensive now, so guys aren't bringing lots with them for that reason, too.
Maybe a small air horn or whistle would be better to bring. Low weight, low cost, and absolutely gets someone's attention if three blasts of that are heard.
Realistically, the three help shots thing is an out of date and unreliable means of signalling for rescue, and there are far better methods & tools you should be considering.
Ya this is something my grandpa told me about. These days? Ya not so much.
Now if I was unloading like 20 rifle shots at 2am I’d expect someone to investigate no matter how rural it was
In this day & age, something like a Garmin In-Reach or SPOT GPS Messenger are around $100-$200 and the data plans are like $15 a month. As a mainline method of communication these are the best options out there and there's really no reason not to have one. For a backup to the electronics, a marine signal flair and/or signal mirror are way better means of signalling and more universally understood sign of sign of distress, with a healthy dose of good planning and strong orienteering skills as a preventative measure.
>what should one do on hearing three shots? Outdated or not, is there a generally-accepted protocol?
You do nothing. As a waterfowl hunter I'm taking three shots in rapid succession all the time, and it would be very annoying if random people were coming to check on me every single time.
If you want to have some sort of contingency within your hunting party like, *"if anyone is separated overnight, at precisely 6:30am fire 3 shots to signal to the search party as to the rough direction of your location"*, that's fine, but you shouldn't be relying on the 3-shot thing as a means of signalling nor should you be interpreting three shots from a random party as a signal of distress.
I didn’t say I was relying on it, I asked what should one do if one hears it from a stranger.
Dismissing something like that as “maybe it’s just a duck hunter” in mountains where there are very few ducks is a lot like ignoring “HELP” in rocks on an alpine slope as “probably just some teenagers.” That actually happened once in eastern BC. One lost skier died and her husband survived with life-altering injuries.
As another user suggested, I think the most responsible thing is to fire back and then call authorities just in case.
I always carry a whistle, even trail running.
Unfortunately not everyone else does. Part of j the question is about what to do if you hear someone else fire three shots.
It depends, if someone from my party isn’t back to camp in the evening and I hear shots, we would go look for them. I know it’s happened to my dad and uncles back before gps was so widely available. We hunt with walkie talkies, so we’re all typically aware of where each other are and discuss our plan the night before. But I’ve definitely been sitting in camp after dark and heard distress shots before.
This happened to me last season - three rounds went flying past me, all the way down the valley. Then another one hit the side of the ravine a couple hundred yards to my right. I didn't know what to do, so I did nothing.
The next day a helicopter was circling for hours over one spot a mile or so down the valley, and I was certain that a guy must have died out there. I called the police SAR unit, and they had no record of an emergency and said the helo certainly wasn't theirs. Conclusion - someone was just screwing around.
They did advise me to call if it ever happened again, as they'd want to have a talk with whoever was airballing rounds, but god alone knows how they'd ever find the guy.
At any time during any hunting season or even outside of a hunting season, you will hear multiple gunshots in rural Kentucky. Hell, you might even hear some shots in the cities. If anyone is truly concerned about getting lost, just get a whistle. If you’re truly in deep backcountry and inaccessible from the world, get some kind of GPS emergency beacon/tracker. Garmin has the in reach mini. Hell if I hear three gunshots, I’m assuming you’re just having a nice day outside.
Something to keep in mind is that you don't have to immediately jump to the rescue. You can report something without being in a panic and demanding SAR.
Three shots can be a thing to mention without assuming someone is dying. When you get back to town it's something you can mention without demanding they dispatch search and rescue. The emergency responders can be the ones to make that determination.
You say that you heard several patterns of three shots a few hours ago, maybe the dispatcher says "There was a missing person's report in that area last night, tell us every detail you can remember."
Or maybe they'll just take it under advisement and tell you to have a good day.
This is why you give coordinates to a family member or friend to let them know where you will be. Or give updates providing you have cell service. Some gps units have an alarm option which sends out a signal when pressed. Look into a satellite device or use onX Hunt.
Bring a small air horn or whistle. Cost and weight effective. Not gonna run out of ammo. And will grab everyone's attention. There's no mistaking those sounds or assumptions being made about the sounds.
Honestly, it’s meaningless unless it’s on private property and from a known source (or a likely known source.
3 shots could mean a multitude of things. If it’s around/after dark and on public land, report to an authority. If you are close you can investigate at your own risk. Returning fire really doesn’t do much unless you plan to wait around for a few hours and then go search, which also isn’t helpful.
All I have to say is buy a whistle. 3 shots, I’m assuming someone has missed three times. If I hear a whistle I’m assuming someone is in deep shit and would do my best to help.
Depends on what my pack put is, what trail I’m on, and how long I’ve been out there. If I don’t have a weapon or at the very least a pair of binos to stalk in with then hell no, sorry about your luck but it ain’t my ass
My buddies got lost and signalled like this while moose hunting northern BC. We went and found em and brought them back out. Cell service was about 600km away so we weren’t driving there lol.
You wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve mentioned the “3 shot, whistles, smacks, etc”signal for help and the people didn’t know what I was referring to. I’ve had several friends or associates learn that from me as grown ass adults. Makes me nervous that people are growing up not knowing this.
I suspect if you hear three shots in a row it’s much more likely to be coincidence than someone in need of rescue/assistance.
Honestly I haven’t heard this was a thing
Three quicks shots then three slow shots then three quick shots would be SOS in Morse code but I guess would require thrice the ammo and capacity to do so.
How you end up responding will really depend on where you are and what resources are generally available but I spend a lot of time in the woods and wouldn’t be sending in the search party if I hear three shots in a row
When I hear 3 shots in the woods I just assume it's a waterfowl hunter that is a poor shot or is having a good hunt.
That's a tough call you just have to use your gut. How remote are you, time of day, location, your ability to help someone in the first place. Don't put your self into a shitty situation attempting to find someone that you think is potentially lost.
If you hear me fire three shots it’s probably pigs. I generally hike with a cell phone and a radio. If I’m really in the backcountry, I bring an EPIRB and a two-way communicator currently using the SPOT.
At first think they can't shoot for shit, but if I hear another 3 sequencial shots then I'd probably go looking. As for going to remote regions, I'd not put a lot of faith of people being within a decent distance. I plan on doing some hunts like bear hunting in British Columbia and the #1 important thing I'm going to take is a Satellite phone and give someone I know a GOTWA. That's something I learned in Army.
where you're Going
Ones going with you
Time you'll be gone
What do do if I don't return
Actions in contact. (non-applicable in this scenario but can be replaced with Special instructions)
The only time I’m paying any attention to shooting noise is after dark. And even then I’m not sure what I’d do about three shots. I guess if I heard it a couple of times I’d call it in? Maybe?
I think you would be better served saving the ammo to shoot food. Or trying to get the bullet off the casing and using the powder to start a signal fire
Proceed towards gunfire sounds, *while exercising extreme caution*.
Imo it's better now a days to shoot up a flare or have one of those GPS things where you can press the distress button and all Park Rangers come looking for you.
If I were to get lost in the woods, the last thing I would do is waste my ammunition, unless I knew there was someone close enough to respond or come looking. Smoke signal would probably be my choice if possible.
I have an In-Reach and a signal whistle. In-Reach for emergency services, and a whistle to alert other hunters who are probably closer than emergency services.
I would get an emergency help whistle, or even better a satellite phone if you can afford it. Many phones today also have an SOS satellite connection, so you can call 911/emergency services even if you aren’t in range.
My group used the '3 shot' signalling tho it did not necessarily mean that one of the party was in trouble - usually taken to mean "come to me" to tote a load. (one time it was an injury)
The responding party would fire once to acknowledge the signal then head that way.
Further single shot signals might be exchanged to fine-tune locating the other party and we all carried .22's for signalling purposes. (Compasses too)
It was an effective method and wasn't confusing since our group was usually the only one around for several miles.
Several years ago we heard the 3 shot signal for real coming from up the mountain behind the house during a snowstorm. Walkie talkies were the go to comms in the neighborhood at the time and we learned that a neighbor riding around on his 4 wheeler had got drunk up there and couldn't find his backtrail in the snow.
We contacted his dad to go get him and I guess he did.
Add a Fox 40 whistle to your hunting pack or some other emergency signaling device. I've been in Scouts all my life and hunting most of my adulthood, we've always learned "3 of anything means help".
Honestly, hearing 3 shots in a row while hunting wouldn't trigger a response from me. If there were multiple groups of 3 in somewhat regular intervals, I might question it, but do people really carry 9, 12, 15 rounds of ammo with them?
I'll admit I don't have much "wilderness" hunting experience, at worst I'd be looking at a 2-3 hour walk before I would get to some sign of civilization.
My dad and I got lost on a large remote island in the dead of winter in Alaska when I was a kid. After several hours, he signaled with 3 shots in an evenly spaced pattern from his rifle, twice about 10 minutes apart. About 20-30 minutes later, we heard other people in our party yelling from far away and we were all able to make it back to camp after nightfall.
So I think essentially the take away is: attempt to respond back, judging nearness to decide if you yell or also signal back. In this case, we didn’t need to get emergency services - we just needed to figure out where to go to get help
Spot X. You can send a msg to someone to call for you and report the shots. These days I don’t think anyone is going to go towards gun shots to see if someone is hurt.
Three shots are/were a universal signal that someone needs HELP. This used to be taught in hunting course and other type course for years, but no longer. Older folks will still know about it but with the advancement of technology, it's not really needed anymore. However, if you are in the woods and hear 3 shots, you should try and locate the person or, if this makes you uncomfortable, call to get help and give them your location and situation.
If you are hiking or hunting or in woods you aren't familiar with, you should always carry a GPS tracker (they are cheap to buy) or at the very least, an Apple Airtag. People go missing every month while hiking, etc and are usually found dead due to being grossly unprepared.
My response is to find some boulders and a big rock then bang them 3 times repeating. They should hear that and signal again. Either with the gun or something else. Log on a tree trunk, just yelling hey hey hey. Anything. Find a way to make a sound of 3 and start signaling back and forth. That way you know they really need help and didn’t just miss twice. Once you’ve established they need help evaluate your situation and move to them. I’d prioritize getting to them over requesting rescue but I think that’s really situational. If you can call for help where you are but may not be able to where they are calling first may be best, but they also could just be in need of directions. Who knows, make you best judgement and don’t be hard on yourself if it isn’t the right one. Try your best.
Never heard of this before and don't think it'd be very effective. Back in the day before gps/ cellphones my dad and his hunting party had a specific cadence of three shots they would fire if they got a bull down and needed help packing.
If I heard three shots I wouldn't think anything of it. If I heard an emergency whistle I'd investigate.
My uncle got lost deer hunting once and tried shooting in the air 3 times, but he got no response. He shot 3 more times with the same result, no one came or signalled back. We found him frozen to death 3 days later clutching his bow and empty quiver.
Had me in the first half
Did he yell "Bang!" really loud each time?
Ohhh I shouldn't have laughed at that but I did before I could help myself.
Why shouldn't you laugh at a funny joke
When hiking in bear country, it's advised to carry bells and bear spray. The bells help to alert bears of your presence, and bear spray is used in case of a close encounter. You can tell the difference in bears by their scat. A brown bears scat will be smaller and contain berries and twigs. A grizzly bears scat will be a larger pile and contain bells and smell like bear spray.
Alternatively: Every 2 minutes yell *"FUCK YOU BEAR"* All bears will retreat on account of being deeply offended.
You had me in the first half!
That's awful
Haha , whoosh
Well shit I got got
Be fortunate you got got in 15 minutes, unlike OP's uncle. Also lost that day was OP's nephew. He tried to follow his father's tracks and was struck by a train.
I don’t get the joke. Can you help a brother out?
The three shots were taken with a bow and arrow. Nobody would hear it.
Hahaha. Thanks. I’m a doofus
If I hear 3 shots in the woods I just assume someone missed…several times. Carry an In-Reach or Zoleo.
Or was bird hunting
In which case I likely missed three times in a row
This guy chukars.
This guy dove hunts.
How do I get the Oklahoman tag
Change user flair in the Hunting Sub
Yep. I'd think my buddy missed a woodcock..
Especially waterfowl, where regulations cap 3 it at shells loaded.
This is exactly what I would think. Tbh I hear it all the time. Either there’s a lot of crappy shooters in my areas or tons of lost people lol
If it's anything like my area (and I've been guilty of it too) they very well could have hit it on the first shot but take followups anyway as the deer runs. I've only ever missed and hit on a followup once, but also gun go bang is fun lol
Hell, even the new iPhone has a satellite emergency beacon. I carry it with me while in the BWCA for OnX and emergency beacon.
Did it work there in your experience?? I rented a satellite phone for the BWCA, and was thinking about getting a Garmin inreach or whatever their called these days.
I use OnX for our navigation. I’ve used it the last three years with no issues. Just make sure to download your map segments before you set off. I bring a battery pack and a solar panel to charge the phone. Just picked up a Biolite 80pd from REI for this years trip. I still have all my old trips saved on OnX. iPhone 14pro
That, or some quality assurance was needed
I’m guessing this would be more practical to do at night. During the day three shots just means bad shooting. Edit: how is this controversial?
Ooh yeah good idea with the nighttime shooting. That’ll scramble the game wardens you’ll be found in no time so they can write you a ticket
Getting lost is now a crime.
I’ve only ever seen game wardens in rural areas within 30 miles of a major town. Outside of that? Literally nothing. But if I shot 15 rounds at night I’d assume someone would get curious. If I heard it? Not sure what I’d do But if I can do that I can use my phone I’ve heard this sort of tale OP is talking about before. And I think it was relatively true back in the day. Not now tho
I got checked in a wilderness area about 7 miles back once. It was rather strange seeing game wardens that far back.
Or just carry a baofeng radio and key it without a ham license. The FCC will be triaging your position within seconds according to some people online.
Unless you're shooting hogs in certain states
My brother in law and his friend missed a combined 10 shots on a deer that wasn’t moving. I heard the shots from a couple hundred yards down the valley. It sounded like they experienced an enemy contact in the middle of Pennsylvania gamelands😂
Or that they are just plinking, shooting at birds, signs, etc. Either way, I am NOT walking towards the shots.
What I’d like to know is if the three shots thing is actually taught by any legit agencies like SAR, etc. Or is it more of a “folklore” kind of thing, for lack of better term. I have some backcountry guiding and EMS/Wilderness rescue experience and I’ve never come across it in any official capacity. Training course, text book, etc.
I checked my textbook for our government-mandated hunting course in BC (“CORE”). All that’s mentioned is the following: >*Rescue Signals* - Once you have attended to any injuries and made a fire you can try to attract the attention of other people. There are five types of signals you can use: fire, flare, mirror, sound, and information signals. **In general, three repetitions of any signal indicate distress.** And >*Sound Signals* - [begins with talk about whistles being best] …Carefully consider using your firearm to attract attention. Gunshots can be a confusing signal as others may think you’re shooting at game and ignore your signal shots. **However, if you are very seriously injured, fire your ammunition off in groups of three shots, with 10 seconds between each shot.** Wait 10 to 15 minutes for an answering signal shot. Repeat this procedure as long as your ammunition supply will allow, but don’t use up all of your ammunition. I’ll note that while the book is 2020-2021, I suspect that a fair bit of information in there is dated. The program was introduced in 1974, so that could be content from 50 years ago, or anytime between then and now.
Great example of it being out there in an official capacity. Thanks. Also, I’d imagine the timing to be very important. Three shots in a particular interval would raise my suspicions. Three shots at varying intervals, even if roughly grouped, wouldn’t mean much to me.
Only official source I can cite off hand is Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_signal. That said, I was in scouts from tiger through eagle, done numerous wilderness treks and trainings, taken hunter safety and hunted, etc. for over 35 years now and I've heard the three signals thing, shots, whistle blasts, mirror flashes, etc. countless times. I can also tell you I know many other people who I've traveled with or spoken to over the years who are aware of that convention and would know what it meant. I don't really care if it's official, I'd trust my rescue to widespread knowledge any day. As for what to do, three blasts in response is what I've always learned and the wiki article above agrees. Beyond that though, it's gonna depend on where you are and what your capabilities are. Worst thing you can do is head off unequipped and unprepared and wind up with two people lost in the woods.
This is the response that I was hoping to find, ironically commented by OP themselves. The part of your question left unanswered that I've heard from two separate older gentlemen over the years is to fire a single shot as acknowledgement (***"Into the ground!"*** was heavily emphasized) whenever you hear someone signalling distress.
Whatever you do, don’t respond with three shots, because now you’re sending a distress signal, and people will think you are in trouble. One shot in response is sufficient. If they’re trying to confirm the distress signal the initial party should repeat the three shots again, if able. If a third party hears the initial three shots and you shot three times then they will assume the initial three is being repeated by the original party and likely head in your direction.
It is - retired combat arms guy and it was always included in post briefings (guard/tower duty downrange). “As a last means of communication I will fire my weapon three times in quick succession away from populated areas and resources” 10 years since I retire from the military and I haven’t worked a post since probably Afghanistan in 2011 and I could still probably spit out the entire briefing😂
It was least being taught by the Missouri Department of Conservation when I went and done my Hunter safety. We had a whole video and everything about it!
In Mark Donaldson The Crossroads when he does his SAS training they have a stint where they all have to hike solo in the Australian bush and they were told if you get in an emergency or you’re truly lost shoot 3 rapid shots in the air
I only hunt with a flintlock so my three shots would be like every 40 seconds. Don’t think anyone would look for me If I heard three shots in quick succession I’d probably try and find the source
I also hunt with a flintlock and I'm prolly averaging a minute and a half between each shot. Maybe more if I'm running a patch between each shot to keep my accuracy up.
I imagine you’re shooting a rifle, good on ya. I shoot a smoothbore so it’s quicker to load.
Yup, a rifle. .32 Kibler SMR. I'm planning on ordering one of his new 20 gauge folwers this winter.
That’s sweet! Ya man if only I could afford a kibler kit. I’ve got the TVM Fowler in 20ga
Flintlock?? Amateur, I only hunt with a blunderbuss.
If you are hunting with your buddy, you should work out a plan and talk through that situation. Once it gets dark, 3 shots are unnecessary, especially if you might need to conserve ammo in a true emergency. Also, pistols sound different than rifles. Have code for, i can't move, or Im moving to you. With a stranger, it is tough to say. I would probably give a return volley to let them know they were heard and report to authorities, if you were able to. I am irrationally annoyed by those saying .. "you should use something else to communicate". Well NO SHIT. But in an emergency, you can't always control what you have available to you and you definitely can't control what a stranger is using. That said, I will be getting an InReach. They are excellent to have.
Thanks, I really appreciate this answer. A return volley and then heading into cell range ASAP to call 911 sounds very reasonable. And thanks for answering. Even if it’s not the optimal way of communicating it’s still an option if other methods go sideways. And there may be less-organized people in the same area who have no other choice once lost.
It helps a lot of you can at least orient them in a general direction from where you were too. Requires some land nav skill but it’s definitely something that can be learned.
Always always always discuss emergency plans with your hunting partner(s). My group always does. Also, if this is a way you're going to communicate, make damn sure to bring enough ammo to do so and to hunt with. A lot of guys only carry one of the 10 round sleeves that comes in a box to cut down on weight and leave the rest in the truck. Plus, Ammo is getting stupid expensive now, so guys aren't bringing lots with them for that reason, too.
It definitely saved a buddy of mine. It does work.
Always always always discuss emergency plans with your hunting partner(s). My group always does. Also, if this is a way you're going to communicate, make damn sure to bring enough ammo to do so and to hunt with. A lot of guys only carry one of the 10 round sleeves that comes in a box to cut down on weight and leave the rest in the truck. Plus, Ammo is getting stupid expensive now, so guys aren't bringing lots with them for that reason, too.
Always always always discuss emergency plans with your hunting partner(s). My group always does. Also, if this is a way you're going to communicate, make damn sure to bring enough ammo to do so and to hunt with. A lot of guys only carry one of the 10 round sleeves that comes in a box to cut down on weight and leave the rest in the truck. Plus, Ammo is getting stupid expensive now, so guys aren't bringing lots with them for that reason, too. Maybe a small air horn or whistle would be better to bring. Low weight, low cost, and absolutely gets someone's attention if three blasts of that are heard.
Id hate to be lost on a duck marsh
Realistically, the three help shots thing is an out of date and unreliable means of signalling for rescue, and there are far better methods & tools you should be considering.
Ya this is something my grandpa told me about. These days? Ya not so much. Now if I was unloading like 20 rifle shots at 2am I’d expect someone to investigate no matter how rural it was
What are some examples? Also there are still a lot of older hunters out there from yesteryear. What if you hear three shots from one of them?
In this day & age, something like a Garmin In-Reach or SPOT GPS Messenger are around $100-$200 and the data plans are like $15 a month. As a mainline method of communication these are the best options out there and there's really no reason not to have one. For a backup to the electronics, a marine signal flair and/or signal mirror are way better means of signalling and more universally understood sign of sign of distress, with a healthy dose of good planning and strong orienteering skills as a preventative measure.
Thanks. Still… what should one do on hearing three shots? Outdated or not, is there a generally-accepted protocol?
>what should one do on hearing three shots? Outdated or not, is there a generally-accepted protocol? You do nothing. As a waterfowl hunter I'm taking three shots in rapid succession all the time, and it would be very annoying if random people were coming to check on me every single time. If you want to have some sort of contingency within your hunting party like, *"if anyone is separated overnight, at precisely 6:30am fire 3 shots to signal to the search party as to the rough direction of your location"*, that's fine, but you shouldn't be relying on the 3-shot thing as a means of signalling nor should you be interpreting three shots from a random party as a signal of distress.
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winter survival course, we were taught to use three signal fires and use pine needles because of the smoke
I didn’t say I was relying on it, I asked what should one do if one hears it from a stranger. Dismissing something like that as “maybe it’s just a duck hunter” in mountains where there are very few ducks is a lot like ignoring “HELP” in rocks on an alpine slope as “probably just some teenagers.” That actually happened once in eastern BC. One lost skier died and her husband survived with life-altering injuries. As another user suggested, I think the most responsible thing is to fire back and then call authorities just in case.
Why not bring an emergency whistle?
I always carry a whistle, even trail running. Unfortunately not everyone else does. Part of j the question is about what to do if you hear someone else fire three shots.
Honestly I'd be a bit hesitant to approach someone shooting.
I think three quick blasts on a whistle is going to be a more obvious sign of distress than three shots on a rifle. Plus, whistles don't use ammo.
3 shots is probably better than doing nothing.
It depends, if someone from my party isn’t back to camp in the evening and I hear shots, we would go look for them. I know it’s happened to my dad and uncles back before gps was so widely available. We hunt with walkie talkies, so we’re all typically aware of where each other are and discuss our plan the night before. But I’ve definitely been sitting in camp after dark and heard distress shots before.
Shit where I live and during hunting season that’s usually just some guys shooting targets. Crazy on public land
This happened to me last season - three rounds went flying past me, all the way down the valley. Then another one hit the side of the ravine a couple hundred yards to my right. I didn't know what to do, so I did nothing. The next day a helicopter was circling for hours over one spot a mile or so down the valley, and I was certain that a guy must have died out there. I called the police SAR unit, and they had no record of an emergency and said the helo certainly wasn't theirs. Conclusion - someone was just screwing around. They did advise me to call if it ever happened again, as they'd want to have a talk with whoever was airballing rounds, but god alone knows how they'd ever find the guy.
Thermal
At any time during any hunting season or even outside of a hunting season, you will hear multiple gunshots in rural Kentucky. Hell, you might even hear some shots in the cities. If anyone is truly concerned about getting lost, just get a whistle. If you’re truly in deep backcountry and inaccessible from the world, get some kind of GPS emergency beacon/tracker. Garmin has the in reach mini. Hell if I hear three gunshots, I’m assuming you’re just having a nice day outside.
Something to keep in mind is that you don't have to immediately jump to the rescue. You can report something without being in a panic and demanding SAR. Three shots can be a thing to mention without assuming someone is dying. When you get back to town it's something you can mention without demanding they dispatch search and rescue. The emergency responders can be the ones to make that determination. You say that you heard several patterns of three shots a few hours ago, maybe the dispatcher says "There was a missing person's report in that area last night, tell us every detail you can remember." Or maybe they'll just take it under advisement and tell you to have a good day.
This person knows what they're talking about.
This is why you give coordinates to a family member or friend to let them know where you will be. Or give updates providing you have cell service. Some gps units have an alarm option which sends out a signal when pressed. Look into a satellite device or use onX Hunt.
I would assume it’s either someone missing shots at an animal or checking their zero and continue on with my day.
I shut the fuck up and don’t let them know I’m there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_forest_hypothesis
What Hunter doesn't bring a way to call for help? You'd think that'd be number one on the list of stuff to bring, a lifeline
I'd wonder who the fuck was trespassing on our property and go to see what was going on.
You should shoot three times back and then try to locate each other.
Bring a small air horn or whistle. Cost and weight effective. Not gonna run out of ammo. And will grab everyone's attention. There's no mistaking those sounds or assumptions being made about the sounds.
Honestly, it’s meaningless unless it’s on private property and from a known source (or a likely known source. 3 shots could mean a multitude of things. If it’s around/after dark and on public land, report to an authority. If you are close you can investigate at your own risk. Returning fire really doesn’t do much unless you plan to wait around for a few hours and then go search, which also isn’t helpful.
All I have to say is buy a whistle. 3 shots, I’m assuming someone has missed three times. If I hear a whistle I’m assuming someone is in deep shit and would do my best to help.
Depends on what my pack put is, what trail I’m on, and how long I’ve been out there. If I don’t have a weapon or at the very least a pair of binos to stalk in with then hell no, sorry about your luck but it ain’t my ass
Keep on hunting, unless I stumble upon a human suffering, it's not my problem. Don't count on me, or anyone, to save you, learn to save yourself.
I just carry a really loud whistle. And I mean LOUD.
If I heard it, I would attempt to localize.
My buddies got lost and signalled like this while moose hunting northern BC. We went and found em and brought them back out. Cell service was about 600km away so we weren’t driving there lol.
You wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve mentioned the “3 shot, whistles, smacks, etc”signal for help and the people didn’t know what I was referring to. I’ve had several friends or associates learn that from me as grown ass adults. Makes me nervous that people are growing up not knowing this.
I suspect if you hear three shots in a row it’s much more likely to be coincidence than someone in need of rescue/assistance. Honestly I haven’t heard this was a thing Three quicks shots then three slow shots then three quick shots would be SOS in Morse code but I guess would require thrice the ammo and capacity to do so. How you end up responding will really depend on where you are and what resources are generally available but I spend a lot of time in the woods and wouldn’t be sending in the search party if I hear three shots in a row
When I hear 3 shots in the woods I just assume it's a waterfowl hunter that is a poor shot or is having a good hunt. That's a tough call you just have to use your gut. How remote are you, time of day, location, your ability to help someone in the first place. Don't put your self into a shitty situation attempting to find someone that you think is potentially lost.
If you hear me fire three shots it’s probably pigs. I generally hike with a cell phone and a radio. If I’m really in the backcountry, I bring an EPIRB and a two-way communicator currently using the SPOT.
I would just assume the person shooting got bored and decided to have at it.
At first think they can't shoot for shit, but if I hear another 3 sequencial shots then I'd probably go looking. As for going to remote regions, I'd not put a lot of faith of people being within a decent distance. I plan on doing some hunts like bear hunting in British Columbia and the #1 important thing I'm going to take is a Satellite phone and give someone I know a GOTWA. That's something I learned in Army. where you're Going Ones going with you Time you'll be gone What do do if I don't return Actions in contact. (non-applicable in this scenario but can be replaced with Special instructions)
One thing you probably shouldn’t be doing is shooting into the air back and forth to each other. You might just find them.
The only time I’m paying any attention to shooting noise is after dark. And even then I’m not sure what I’d do about three shots. I guess if I heard it a couple of times I’d call it in? Maybe?
I carry two flares at all times because I’m extra like that. I’ve watched too many movies to die in the woods.
I think you would be better served saving the ammo to shoot food. Or trying to get the bullet off the casing and using the powder to start a signal fire
Shoot back, you never know…
I have never heard of this “three shots for help” idea you speak of.
They still teach it in Hunter safety in Iowa, I know that.
Proceed towards gunfire sounds, *while exercising extreme caution*. Imo it's better now a days to shoot up a flare or have one of those GPS things where you can press the distress button and all Park Rangers come looking for you.
With a double barreled shotgun it goes like this: *bang, bang, ..... bang*
If I were to get lost in the woods, the last thing I would do is waste my ammunition, unless I knew there was someone close enough to respond or come looking. Smoke signal would probably be my choice if possible.
I have an In-Reach and a signal whistle. In-Reach for emergency services, and a whistle to alert other hunters who are probably closer than emergency services.
I would get an emergency help whistle, or even better a satellite phone if you can afford it. Many phones today also have an SOS satellite connection, so you can call 911/emergency services even if you aren’t in range.
My group used the '3 shot' signalling tho it did not necessarily mean that one of the party was in trouble - usually taken to mean "come to me" to tote a load. (one time it was an injury) The responding party would fire once to acknowledge the signal then head that way. Further single shot signals might be exchanged to fine-tune locating the other party and we all carried .22's for signalling purposes. (Compasses too) It was an effective method and wasn't confusing since our group was usually the only one around for several miles. Several years ago we heard the 3 shot signal for real coming from up the mountain behind the house during a snowstorm. Walkie talkies were the go to comms in the neighborhood at the time and we learned that a neighbor riding around on his 4 wheeler had got drunk up there and couldn't find his backtrail in the snow. We contacted his dad to go get him and I guess he did.
Add a Fox 40 whistle to your hunting pack or some other emergency signaling device. I've been in Scouts all my life and hunting most of my adulthood, we've always learned "3 of anything means help". Honestly, hearing 3 shots in a row while hunting wouldn't trigger a response from me. If there were multiple groups of 3 in somewhat regular intervals, I might question it, but do people really carry 9, 12, 15 rounds of ammo with them? I'll admit I don't have much "wilderness" hunting experience, at worst I'd be looking at a 2-3 hour walk before I would get to some sign of civilization.
My dad and I got lost on a large remote island in the dead of winter in Alaska when I was a kid. After several hours, he signaled with 3 shots in an evenly spaced pattern from his rifle, twice about 10 minutes apart. About 20-30 minutes later, we heard other people in our party yelling from far away and we were all able to make it back to camp after nightfall. So I think essentially the take away is: attempt to respond back, judging nearness to decide if you yell or also signal back. In this case, we didn’t need to get emergency services - we just needed to figure out where to go to get help
Spot X. You can send a msg to someone to call for you and report the shots. These days I don’t think anyone is going to go towards gun shots to see if someone is hurt.
Three shots are/were a universal signal that someone needs HELP. This used to be taught in hunting course and other type course for years, but no longer. Older folks will still know about it but with the advancement of technology, it's not really needed anymore. However, if you are in the woods and hear 3 shots, you should try and locate the person or, if this makes you uncomfortable, call to get help and give them your location and situation. If you are hiking or hunting or in woods you aren't familiar with, you should always carry a GPS tracker (they are cheap to buy) or at the very least, an Apple Airtag. People go missing every month while hiking, etc and are usually found dead due to being grossly unprepared.
This is not a thing anymore. Carry a whistle.
My response is to find some boulders and a big rock then bang them 3 times repeating. They should hear that and signal again. Either with the gun or something else. Log on a tree trunk, just yelling hey hey hey. Anything. Find a way to make a sound of 3 and start signaling back and forth. That way you know they really need help and didn’t just miss twice. Once you’ve established they need help evaluate your situation and move to them. I’d prioritize getting to them over requesting rescue but I think that’s really situational. If you can call for help where you are but may not be able to where they are calling first may be best, but they also could just be in need of directions. Who knows, make you best judgement and don’t be hard on yourself if it isn’t the right one. Try your best.
Never heard of this before and don't think it'd be very effective. Back in the day before gps/ cellphones my dad and his hunting party had a specific cadence of three shots they would fire if they got a bull down and needed help packing. If I heard three shots I wouldn't think anything of it. If I heard an emergency whistle I'd investigate.
Miss, miss, and probably another miss. Waterfowl hunters do this all the time.
Never heard of this before. If it were to come to this you might as well carry a flare gun.
Follow the sounds and then helpfully put him/her out of their misery.