What was supposed to be a five-minute walk in the woods nearly threatened Don Moore’s life. The 88-year-old Bobcaygeon moose hunter was riding his ATV on a trail north of Timmins in October when he spotted a cow moose. He stopped his vehicle and dismounted, before picking up his rifle and using his GPS to mark the location.
Next, Moore followed the animal on foot, intending to see if it was accompanied by a calf, since he and his hunting partner — 92-year-old Bud Chambers of Haliburton — had a tag for one. Moore entered the tangled birch and evergreen forest, but the moose eluded him and the pursuit was short-lived. So, after a few minutes, Moore consulted his GPS and headed back towards his waypoint. When he arrived, however, he could not see his four-wheeler.
“I am pretty sure I was awfully close,” he said.
He said that’s when he made a crucial mistake by losing faith in his GPS and second-guessing where he should go. By 4 p.m., with light dimming in the deep woods, Moore made his first good decision since becoming lost — he accepted that he was.
His next action is what likely saved his life. He gathered birchbark and kindling, picked a lighter from his pocket, and started a fire. Blame it on nerves or anxiety, but somewhere along way, while collecting wood, he set down his rifle and GPS on a stump and lost them, too.
After sunset, he waited in the long-shadows, and soon in the pitch darkness beneath the north woods, hoping that dawn would bring a better day. The night was cool, and it snowed a little, but that fire kept him warm and occupied. A calm and positive attitude gave him hope. He knew folks would be looking for him. He figured Bud would have called for help by now.
The next morning, he wrestled with doubt, indecision, and the urge to panic, and won. He knew that the best way to be found was to stay put. He told himself that searchers were probably looking for him. So, in the time between dawn and mid-afternoon, he kept the fire going, listened for the sounds of motors, and burned evergreen boughs to create smoke. It was a long, lonely day. But, at 2:30, he detected the distant sound of an ATV.
Soon after, he heard the more distinct sound of a helicopter.
It was a distant drone at first, an unnatural, deep, hum, somewhere in the distance above the trees. Soon, however, that welcome noise grew louder and reverberated through the canopy. It caused him to cheer. So, Moore piled more evergreens on the fire and made a smoke plume that became his lifeline. As it rose through the treetops, he was elated.
But then, the helicopter left, and doubt began to creep in again. Once more, he fought it off. At a time like this, a person could easily lose composure and make mistakes. But Moore did not do either. Instead, he looked once again to the fire that anchored him in place, and he built it up. After doing this, he occupied his mind with hopeful thoughts.
Twenty minutes later, three members of the OPP’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) approached him from behind.
“Don, are you OK?” one of them called out.
He was. They led him back to the dry, marshy meadow that the helicopter hovered over. The flight back to safety must have felt surreal and wonderful.
Moore called OOD a not long afterwards to relay his story so that it might help others. But mostly he wanted to give thanks, recognition, and credit to the North East Region OPP ERT team that saved him.
“They were great people,” he said.
No doubt about it.
The ERT is responsible for search and rescue operations across the province. It consists of five full-time, regionally deployed teams. They are supported by highly trained members stationed at detachments across Ontario. This deployed capacity allows rapid response and local familiarity. While exact numbers vary, the program includes hundreds of members province-wide. If required, ERT members help neighbouring detachments when calls come in. (ERT officers from South Porcupine and James Bay responded to this call).
The OPP conducts approximately 350 to 450 ground search and rescue operations annually. These include searches for hikers, hunters, children, individuals with dementia, and other vulnerable people.
Originally published in Ontario Out of Doors' Hunting Annual 2026-2027
