“Whistle while you work” is a good habit to follow when out in the woods. In my business, I do a lot of hiking on large land tracts, often by myself. Therefore, I always carry a few things with me, and one of those is a whistle. If I have an accident, a whistle is more powerful than yelling in an attempt to attract attention. But what if you don’t have a whistle on you? While out showing property recently, a client showed me something that most of you hunters and old timers out there probably already know.
If you’re in a hardwood forest with Oak trees around, just find an acorn cap (photo at right); place it between the thumb and forefingers of both hands; cup it to your mouth and blow. I was shocked at how piercing the resulting whistle. Its that simple.
In addition to a whistle, there are many other items one should take along including a compass, bear spray, map of where you are, a small first aid kit, and common sense. Know your limitations and surroundings. I also carry a pistol, more to scare away a bear than to shoot one. (No, I’ve never shot a bear in my life. Seen plenty of them though.)
By the way, the property I was showing with this client is the Round Knob Lodge, an exceptional 6 bedroom lodge with over 1,000′ of river frontage, separate stocked trout and bass ponds with crystal clear water. Call today if you’d like to check it out. Would make for a wonderful family retreat, corporate retreat center or event venue.
