Crimson Red Sports

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Preparations for mud can prevent a hunting outing from turning into a muddy disaster. (Special/Forest Starr & Kim Starr)

Alabama hunters will probably be forced to deal with an old nem­esis -- mud -- for the remainder of the hunting season. It is some­thing that they haven't had to deal with much in recent seasons.

The advent of the ATV as a tool for hunters has lessened the fre­quency of sticking trucks up to the axles in mud but it still happens. I spent much of Friday night trying to remember exactly what I used to carry in my truck for such situa­tions.

Ideally, a hunter has a four­wheel- drive truck with a winch but not everyone does. A few items put in the back of the truck for the remainder of the season can be a savior when stuck in the mud.

I've found that old carpet rem­nants can be a lifesaver on a cold winter night when stuck on some deserted road. It doesn't hurt for the carpet to get wet and stay wet in the back of the truck through­out the season. Sometimes all you need is to roll the carpet out in front of the tires to get some tra­ction.

A small shovel is also a must. It comes in handy when a mound of mud has built up in front of tires.

It saves having to get down on your hands and knees and raking mud away by hand.

A 30-foot by two-inch recovery strap is a must, too. If you're stuck, getting someone within a few feet to pull you out will probably get him stuck, too. The recovery strap will provide a little distance. The strap is also designed to absorb shock so a rescuer can jerk you out of the mud.

If you can't find someone to pull you out, using a car jack often works. Jack up the vehicle one cor­ner at a time, making sure the tire clears the mud. Fill the hole with the carpet or rocks to provide tra­ction. Your mud kit should include a two-foot-long piece of treated 6 x 6. This is to sit your jack on so it won't stick in the mud.

There are a few don'ts when stuck in the mud.

One, of course, is spinning the tires burying yourself deeper into the mud.

Another is a driver slamming the vehicle in reverse and then vi­olently forward, trying to rock the vehicle out. If you own a truck with an automatic transmission, it can be a very expensive escape method. Automatic transmissions weren't built for such abuse and overheat quickly when rocking a vehicle out of the mud. A few min­utes of slamming a transmission from forward to reverse and back can be a $3,000 repair bill.