Participants will gain confidence and independence in the wilderness from the hands-on style instruction offered by the course. The weekend clinic begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Letts Lake campground in the Mendocino National Forest, 15 miles west of Stonyford. Instruction continues through late afternoon on July 17.
Cost is $50, and space is limited.
One of the course’s highlights is a 6-mile trek in which participants will hike over a gentle rise from 3,900-foot elevation to 5,200-foot elevation. The trail begins on a U.S. Forest Service road and contours the west flank of St. Johns Mountain. It is a gentle grade passing through chaparral, mixed pine, oak and fir. The trail offers excellent views of Snow Mountain, the Middle Ford of Stoney Creek Gorge, and Bear Wallow Creek Canyon.
Jeff Banke, author of “Land Navigation for the Hunter,” will be the instructor. Banke has trained in all types of terrain and has experience in both land navigation and survival techniques.
The clinic offers curriculum designed to help every student learn and practice basic navigation skills. Lab exercises will sharpen the skills learned in the classrooms. The seminar will cover magnetic declination, the workings of a base plate compass, map reading, how to stay oriented naturally, taking bearings, using magnetic bearings, the map coordinate systems, and using the global positioning system.
The survival portion of the clinic will cover first aid, water-collecting techniques, fire starting and signaling. Further instruction will cover water crossing techniques and shelter building — essentials for a safe journey in the wilderness.
To register, go to www.dfg.ca.gov/coned/huntclinics and fill out the registration form. For more information about this clinic and the other DFG Advanced Hunter Education clinics, e-mail Susan Herrgesell at sherrges@dfg.ca.gov.
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