If you have “bugged out” into the wilderness, then one of your major motivations for this strategy was undoubtedly to avoid potentially hostile people. But you might not have been the only one with this in mind, and some of those that took the same course of action might themselves be hostile. So, what do you do if you believe that you are being perused by a potentially hostile person or group in the wilderness? Here are some tips and strategies used by the military for escape and evasion that could be put to good use in this scenario.
Avoiding Dogs
If you are being pursued by someone using dogs it will be nearly impossible in most circumstances to throw the dogs off your trail. But it is possible to confuse the person handling the dogs. Climb up, then back down steep hills, cross your own trail, and move in erratic patterns. Hopefully, they will waste time taking the dogs back to where they think they lost your trail before realizing what you have done.
Make a Blank Spot
Even a soldier with specified training or an experienced hunter will not be able to avoid leaving a trail in some settings. But, when it is possible, make a blank spot in your trail which will require anyone tracking you to take time to search out your next step. You can do this if you come to a fence by climbing on the fence, then traversing across the fence for at least 100 feet before continuing on your way. If you come to a road or a stream this can also be done by not just crossing the road, but by carefully traveling up or down the road or stream without leaving tracks before continuing, which could be in a different direction, even back towards where you came from.
Unpredictable Path
If your path is predictable then it won’t matter what steps you take to throw off your pursuers, they will be able to save time by cutting you off. On the other hand, if they cannot determine where you are going they will always have to find your next track if they want to catch you.
With proper gear and knowledge of survival, your biggest threat will be hostile people. This has to be taken into consideration when you are making your preparations.
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