Getting lost in the woods

This happened around 15 years ago. I have been hunting this spot all my life. I knew it like the back of my hand. So I thought. It was early afternoon when I got to my stand. It was such a nice day. Partly cloudy, no wind and around 36 degrees. It is now almost late afternoon. Not seeing any deer, I decided to work my way through the laurel and rhododendron. Before I left I looked to where I wanted to go. OK, I got it. Well let my tell you, the woods look different at different times of the day (hint). I figured out how long it should take me and at what pace to get to where I was going. Calculated. Now to implement the plan. I started to still hunt back to the truck. Moving very slowly, focusing on any movement, the woods where getting darker. It was hard to pick up the silhoutte of the sky line. it started to blend in with the mountainside. I also had another problem, I should seeing familiar landmarks. Instead I started to go down the mountain. Now what? I stayed as calm as I could and knew that me vehicle was on the top of the ridge. I heard the roar of the creek. What a beautiful sound. I also knew that all the hollows with creeks all lead back to the my destination. I went down to the creek and just followed it back to familiar sites. Where I hunt if you get lost you never walk down stream. So when you hunt a different spot, see how the creeks run, Do I need to go down stream or upstream (hint).

Another time my brother-in-law was hunting in an area that he doesn't hunt often. He was told where to go and with him be somewhat familiar, he had an idea of the layout of the hollow. It was getting dark so he desided to hunt back to the trail and back to the truck. He got disorented. Next thing you know, he is not back to the meeting place (the truck). A few shots in the air (pretty dumb to shoot in the air)and no signs of him. An hour or so, here comes this vehicle up the road. It stopped and quess who came out. You got it, my brother-in-law. He followed the creek down which was his first no-no. If he stayed were he was, he would have been found, instead of walking through woods, you don't know, in the dark just stay put. If you told someone where you are going to be they can get to you sooner.