I tried to test my skills in a snowstorm. ONCE. (and granted, it was in the woods close to home, bout a mile away)And i failed..badly.
Theres just NO FREAKIN WAY i was gonna be able to find a spot to make a shelter, and make a fire, in a nor'easter with 50-60mph gusts and thick wet snow coming down sideways.
I honestly dont see how anyone could, even if it was a real survival situation.
It was just punishing, with no escape, i couldnt see sh.. even with goggles, and i couldnt even recognize the woods that i know.
Walking was even difficult, heck..tryin to read the freakin compass was difficult. That one mile hike home was he11. My dog didnt speak to me for 3 days after that.
Nowadays during a snowstorm, i practice my drinkin skills,i'm gettin pretty good.

So I'm bettin the snowstorm did him in. If he didnt have a decent shelter and a stack of wood all ready to go to ride out the storm before it came thru he was good as dead.
But we should wait for the autopsy report before we rank on him.
After all, a friggin tree branch could have landed on his head.
I give him credit for trying