Most every winter I have tried to do Ice Saftey post. There is now lots of good information available now on ice Saftey ice rescue. Lots of guys here that have trapped or fished on the ice, all have stories. Most have at some time found them selves threw the ice. I know as a youngster I took more than one dip in cold water.
After spending over half my adult life doing water and ice rescue. 30 some years as ice rescue ice saftey instructor. What I want to stress this year about ice saftey now that I'm an old man. The one thing no one talks about.
A person has to know their limitations.
What do I mean by this? As much as we might hate to admit it. We have to know our own physical limitations makes no difference you age. If you fall threw the ice while trapping. Your wearing waders and your just waist deep in a marsh water. Can you physically get back up on ice? Your only waist deep your wearing waders and dry. Im guessing most here would say yes. Like myself have actually done just that more than once.
Here is the the thing. How old were you, what was your physical condition? Can you self rescue?

Story Time.
Change that same fall threw waders on but you are now up to top of you waders. Feet are on the bottom and your still dry just close to flooding your waders. Can you still climb back up on good ice? You done it before so sure. But today your 65 years old and last time you were in this same position you were 63. Today you cant pull yourself back up on the ice. Your feet are on the bottom you do a little bounce but can't pull yourself up. Okay done this before just bounce and pull yourself up.. Right? Now after bouncing and struggling you have your waders flooded. Standing their chest deep feet on bottom and you can't physically get out. Now what? Your Truck is at local park and your across one slough and threw ice on second slough. Your not lost in the boondocks but still in trouble. Standing there feeling like fool can't get out. So nothing else to try you start yelling for help to the pont your lossing your voice. After what seems forever, someone walking their dog near where your truck is parked hears you.
Help is on the way and you hear the sirens.
This incident took place some years ago and I was not personally involved. My son was however part of the crew that rescued this individual. The guys that were hands on out on the ice. Got the man back up on the ice and actually assisting him as he walked out to the ambulance. Not injuried not quit totally hypothermia set in, yet definitely need checked at ER.

So back to my point for this ice safety post.
Be realistic about you age, your fittness and abilities to self rescue. As someone who was involved in various types of incidents as fire fighter / rescuer for 30+ years. One of the things I often heard from public and even fellow firefighters. Was that we had to stay physically fit so we could rescue others and help people. Yes there is some truth to that.
My personal little dirty secret that I never shared for years. I didn't keep myself fit so I could save others. I kept myself fit to save myself. If in doing so I could use that to help others great. But selfish me hunting, trapping, fishing on river, diving, working alone under water. I always had to be able to save myself first.. So needed good sense of my physical limitations. Save myself first if things go bad coming to help you.

If I fell threw the ice up to my knees today which i have done dozen of times in my life. I believe I could flop up on ice? Not going to be pretty. If I fell threw up to my waist?? Could maybe still flop out going to be ugly. Up to my arm pits?? Probably screwed someone going to have to come get me.
So when it comes to being out there on ice now. I will let the young guy go ahead show me where I can stay on top. Im still very sure of my ability to check ice thickness and safety. For sure don't want to be guy falls in doing it.
Guys be safe.
Most importantly. BE Realistic about your own abilities to self rescue.

Mac

Got me thinking Mac. Thanks

Never went through the ice very far, but the same principal goes for going overboard....you think you can swim to the boat drifting away, and, if you do manage to reach it, you think you can pull yourself back in....truth is, it's very difficult to do either, unless it's a very short swim, or in very shallow water, even in warm weather....

a trick to get in is if you have trim and tilt on the motor, you can access the lift button on the side of the motor, kinda drape yourself around it and hit the lift.... you can then flop back inside, ...if all goes well...

I do not do ice since it is so rare here but just being out in the boonies ALONE is reason enough to pump the brakes a bit as we advance in age. Especially if we are using ATVs or UTVs.

And you do not even have to be old to get in life threatening trouble. I had an acquaintance who had set some beaver traps on his recently acquired property a couple weeks ago. He was riding his ATV. Got stuck up on the way out. Got unstuck. The next thing he remembers was waking up on the ground with his head bleeding and the evidence indicated that his head had hit an oak tree pretty close to the ground and the oak did not move. Fortunately, he was lucid enough to call his wife to get help on the way. Finding him was not easy as he had not established trails on the property yet. Long story short, they found him in time and he is recovering slowly from a nasty concussion. But he has no clue how it happened. No memory of the accident. Not that old a fella either, still working for a living.

It could happen to any of us in the blink of an eye.

I just turned 80 and am in decent shape for my age and enjoy being in the woods and swamps with my ATV or SxS but I have just about quit doing so ALONE.

Be safe out there guys and gals!

Very good point gcs
Most people never give it a thought until their out of the boat in water. Then life jacket or not it can be difficult to get back to the boat if there is wind or current. Once your back to the boat you still got to get in.
I know a guy who whether intentionally or not. Froze himself to his boat when he was out trapping. This was an ice scratcher boat he was trying to climb in like he had done dozen of time in his life. This day age or whatever he could not get in boat. Fortunately with his coat wet his sleeves froze to the metal boat. He was lucky that a home owener that lived on the lake shore noticed him. This person had watched him traveling out every day for couple days. When he noticed the boat had stopped and not moved for some time. He got his binoculars and see the man was not in the boat. He called 911 got everything moving. It turned it to quit and operation getting him back to shore. He was unconscious when put in ambulance and spent couple days in hospital. His age was definitely in play and he is lucky that person was watching him.
Us old guys always thinking just did something week ago and survived. Back doing it today with just bit different set of conditions will be okay.

Mac

You're a good man, Mac!

It is very tough for some of use to realize, and then accept the fact that we are not what we used to be. I know it has been for me. A while back I related an incident that I went through out on the Lake in which I got myself into a jam that I was very lucky to get myself out of. It made me finally realize it was time for a change. Still very hard for me to accept but if I want to see another dawn on the marsh, I have to.

Thank you for the annual reminder!

Moosetrot

Ray
You like myself are fortunate enough to have son's looking out for us. I haven't gone duck hunt the last two seasons because I'm not ready to be in the marsh alone. Do not want to trouble my son with thinking he has to take me. In fairness to him we chose to go squirrel hunting few times instead. Which is something we have slway done at least on day. Every year since he was 12 do at least one day walking up some squirrels.
I actually feel bad about how much he looks out for me in the woods last 3 years. I'm blessed to have him. Maybe its pay back for the times I I literally carried him piggy back because mud was to deep for his boots.
I know you did the same with your boy.

Mac