The Sierra Club and the U.S. Forest Service were presenting an alternative to Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true methods of shooting and/or trapping the predators, the tree-huggers had a ‘more humane’ solution.

What they proposed was for the animals to be captured alive, the males would then be castrated and let loose again.? Therefore the population would be controlled.? This was ACTUALLY proposed to the Wyoming Wool and Sheep Grower’s Association by the Sierra Club and the USFS.

All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes.? Finally, an old boy in the back of the conference room stood up, tipped his hat back and said, “Son, I don’t think you understand our problem.? Those coyotes ain’t screwin’ our sheep – they’re eatin’ ‘em!”

You should have been there to hear the roar of laughter.

This is a perfect example of the fairy tale land these NGO come up with.

On small animal like rabbits, muskrats, and squirrels without a doubt the 110 conibear is the best trap to own. When you get into larger animals snares can be just as effective and sometimes better then traps.

Over the winter I was making a new snaring video wind chill at times was 50 below and the snares keep working taking beautiful thick prime Jan coyotes. With snow and wind it would have been very hard to keep traps working. This example shows snares are more effective.

« Snares are the way to go in the winter.

After years talking with several people about homemade wire snares I decide to try 22 ga galvanized wire and 24 ga copper wire. Again people have told me that the 22 ga galvanized wire was the wire to have for snares. So maybe I am wrong and really gave them an honest try. I place 4 snares out 2 steel and 2 copper. Using my 4 snares per 1 animal average.

Finding good trails for the little cottontail rabbits I was confident these homemade snares would work. The next morning I was checking and 2 of the 4 snares had made catches but no rabbits. Did coyotes steal them? Nope no tracks in the snow! What did I find when I check them? Both snares failed! I found a tore up area broken wire and no rabbit. Every time I try the single strand wire I find it broken or limited success (on squirrels).

So why would anyone bet their life on these snares? I have asked this question many times if homemade wire snares work so good why do trappers use real self locking snares? Really why paid for snares if you can make up tons using single strand wire snares? Because they are not reliable. When you are trapping for food you want ever single advantage you can get. Trapping and snaring is a percentage game. You place snares or traps out in numbers planning on making catches. When you first start until you learn to read the trails and animal sign you will have limited success. The better you get the more you catch. But what is the most important thing to remember? Your scent? Nope, your location? Good choice but nope. How you place your snare? Another good choice but nope? Ok here it is? Good equipment equals success? Granted good equipment is the first step then you still have a learning curve but as you become successful you will bring more food home because you have good equipment that will hold the intended animal.

I then used real 1/16 small game snares made out of galvanized aircraft cable, that is self locking.

I know big surprise but guess what? No more broken wire and every single rabbit that was caught in the snares, was waiting for me when I came back.

The first night with real snares I had another first. I caught a skunk going into a rabbit den. I knew skunks were eggs eater there has been many a duck study done proving skunks kill or run off the hen duck and eat the eggs. So was the skunk going in to try and kill the rabbits or looking for a den already build? Next day skunk number 2 was waiting. It appears the skunk killed all the rabbits or scared them out of the area. Glad to be rid of them nothing worst on homestead then skunks spraying the dog and eating all the eggs from the chickens.

Lesson learned why play at it use real snares for real results. The other problem was after using the single strand 22 ga snare there was 2 rabbits that would not enter a good snare. Even rabbit can learn to shy away from snares. Why were they shying away. Well the big obvious answer is they were caught in the single strand 22 ga galvanized wire broke free and now knew to stay away from them. I have said this before there are not smart animals there are educated because of mistakes. Those 2 rabbits had escape the snares and now would stop dead in the trail on any snare they saw and detour around it.

You know I have heard and talked to thousands of people and everyone has there own thoughts of the end of the world. You run across those that think we are heading back to a New Dark Ages and fall back hundreds of years. Others think we will fall back in to a modern day Great Depression meaning high unemployment where money is king. Others think that China is going to use high tech satellite that cause a high altitude EMP Electronic Magnetic Pulse this will fried all electric circuits like in the movie “War of the Worlds” not even cars would work. I think maybe it is a fantasy guys like to think about, they think I can make it.

Psychologist believe your formative years are between 3-6 years old you are made up for your whole life. Maybe there is something to that. I was 4 years old when the country suffer through the 14 days of Oct in 1962. The Cuban Missile crisis. Growing up in the turbulent times of the 60’s must have mark me for life. The Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK being assassinated, Black Panthers, Martin Luther King being assassinated, Jack Kennedy being assassinated, The Watts riots, the Detroit riots, Viet Nam War, War protestors, National Guard shooting collage students at Kent State, Ohio, Charles Manson cult, on and on and on. The 70’s was the fake oil crisis (yes it reminds me of today) the country heading to a great Depression, Nixon impeachment, Carter Iran Crisis, the Jim Jones cult, on and on and on. Not to mention living through a few natural disaster no electric for 7 days, snow storm closing the area down, no heat, no stove to cook on, few candles, flashlight batteries dying, no woodstove, etc.

I guess that explains why I wanted to learn to be independent. I have always tried to live in a house with a woodstove, my own well, a generator, a 4×4 truck, a way to cook in an emergency and more. Along the way I started learning to survive in the wilds and live off the land. I read every survival manual I could get my hands on. Study every manual on wild edible plants. But just having the knowledge was not enough I really wanted to do it. Then I started my learning curve on living off the land. I tried making the deadfalls and was big time disappointed, I tried the single strand wire snares and had very limited success. Somewhere along the line I started trapping with real traps and wow what a difference. I started catching animals and I started selling the pelts for cash money.

Why play at trying to catch animals when you can get real equipment and have real success. Yes it was learning curve for me. I had to get that nonsense out of my head that most of the survival manuals were wrote by people that have never caught an animal. Some methods I am truly convince are just myths handed down from one manual to the next. Ever wonder why so many survival manuals have drawing of homemade deadfalls and snares but no pictures? That is why on my web site you see pictures of real catches. Why because this is not theory. This is real world experiences.

« 1976 Second year trapping 37 M’rats in 2 weeks with 12 traps. Ah, real traps equals real catches. Ya that is me look at all that hair. :-)

I started using real traps in 1975. I don’t think it was until 1977 before I finally was able to give up on the nonsense that deadfalls and homemade wire snares worked. Yes I know some folks have real good luck with deadfalls. Ok can you duplicate it yourself? I can not tell you the thousands of people that came to me and said thank you now I am really catching animals.

Anyways a number of people say “get a Pellet gun, rat traps, and a bow or crossbow”. The theory being you want to be silent to collect food. Ok I too went through this phase. I got my pellet gun and tried to get game with it. Yes I was successful with it BUT I also lost a lot of game that was hit hard but not hard enough and escape. I learned to skip the toys. Pellet guns are for kids not for surviving. A .22 rifle is far superior small game choice. The rats traps check out Rat traps. Now the bow and hunting was a real learning curve. I started with a Fred Bear re-curve then to a Fred Bear Compound and then to a Browning compound. Arrows I started with cedar, then aluminum, and finally carbon arrows. Broadheads Steel stolid 4 blade, then replaceable razor 3 blade that I still use.

While I love bow hunting nothing better in the world then sitting in a tree stand in Oct in the North. The woods changing colors the weather is not brutal cold and the deer are dumb. What a learning curve deer are incredible hard to kill even when hit hard. Buying new arrows and broadheads is very expensive. I figure it out one year not counting the price of the gun or bow just what I was spending on each. The bow was the most expensive ways to hunt. But then people think I can always make my own arrows out of sticks in the woods. My advice if this is your plan have your wife become a nurse store plenty of first aid equipment. Why? because a modern high speed compound bow is too fast to handle a poorly made wooden arrow. Even if you are able to shoot one without it exploding into splinters in your face it has to be true to hundreds of an inch the full length and you are going to make this with a pocket knife?

The way I live my life is if I have tested a survival method then it is a proven fact otherwise it is a theory untested and unproven. The same with the slingshot idea. It is a fair idea as something to keep kids busy but I don’t care how good you are it is a toy. I read one article about a guy that had a survival slingshot made his own round ball ammo out of lead. His article with his slingshot talk about shooting 100 rounds to get one squirrel. Wow he must have lived in some great squirrel hunting area because where I hunt if you see 5 squirrels a day it was a good day in the woods.

A long the way I talked to many a trapper that survive the Great Depression by trapping. Not only was it food but the pelts sold for cash money that saved the family farm. Sometimes it was the only meat and cash the family had for months. We are very spoiled generation compare to our grandparents that survive the Great Depression and 2 World Wars. Back then there was not all the safety nets we have today. No food stamps and Welfare to pay the rent and electric bills. I met this spoiled generation first hand when I rented a mobile home out to a food stamp collecting mother of 2. I said take the kids out back and collect black berries they are free for the picking there is also red raspberries out there free for the picking. She reply in a real arrogant voice if I want berries I will buy them on my food stamps.

The next renter was some more deadbeats a supposedly 100% disable Social Security man with a new wife and brand new son. They were collecting in SS disabilities, Food stamps and welfare over $1500 a month not to mention going to the local food banks getting their free hand out once a month. Again I said go out back and collect black berries they are free for the picking there is also red raspberries out there free for the picking. Again the reply was if I want berries I will buy them with my food stamps. So there is the new generation arrogant, lazy, and demanding there free handouts. It still blows my mind that they were too lazy to walk 100 feet and pick ripe free berries.

Because if we have a economic collapse there will be not welfare and no food stamps. What do you think all these deadbeats are going to do then? Do you think they will become humble and walk 100 feet for free food for the picking or are they going to steal everything they can. I believe they would rather steal what you have then work on getting anything honest. Why? Because that is all they know. We have been too liberal and nice. Instead of being real adults and say will you got that girl pregnant get off your big fat behind and get a job to support your family. We (society) say it OK here is free hand out, here is your free food, here is your check to pay for all your bills and oh yes here is your free 100% paid medical coverage.

So what ever your version of the end of the world is I can honestly and truly state for a fact if you plan on obtaining wild game for food skip the Pellet gun, rat traps, slingshots, blowguns and a bow or crossbow and invest your money in real traps and real professional grade self locking snares. Learn how to use them because a properly trained, a trapper, snaresman will out produce any hunter alive.

Bruce Buckshot

Reply from e-mail

Read with great interest your article on “The End of the World.”

Yup, I have to agree with you on those survival manuals and the drawings of the traps.
I tried those myself early in life. Even before my teens I think. Tried the deadfalls with “Never” any luck at all. Tried “snap up snares” with those double tooth triggers and also the figure-4 trigger. Don’t know how many I set but a lot and only remember ever catching ONE rabbit with a figure-4 type trigger on the snap up snare. No problem though, I’d have starved to death LONG before I ever caught that rabbit! I still remember slowly creeping up through the rushes and SEEING that rabbit and was so shocked I almost hollere YaHoooo. ONE little rabbit.

Yup, me thinks a lot of those books are written by arm chair dreamers just like the famous arm chair warriors on the web! They make a lotta $$$ sellin them books though

You know folks have told me rat traps are great survival traps to have on hand. Maybe I am just unlucky or maybe I use traps for more then one try. But every time I use wooden rat traps they fall apart or break after being out for a few days. I even tried the all plastic ones. The problem with those is they are too sensitive and caught mostly mice. Over and over again I test equipment. And over and over again I come up with the same results. The very best survival trap to own for small game is the 110 conibear.

What have I caught with the little trap? Wow that is great list. Lets see rabbits, squirrels, muskrats, mink, skunks, fish, turtles, weasels, and even a frog once. Even after 32 years of trapping I am still amazed at how effective this little trap is. Folds up and fits in a coat pocket weights 12 ozs. If I had only 1 trap to carry for survival it would without a doubt be 110 conibear.

« Rabbit in 110 conibear.

They say a picture is worth a thousands words I believe these pictures speak loud clear the 110 conibear is a very effective trap. But for some reason most new comers can’t figure out how to set it. That is why I put a step by picture outlay in my book “Buckshot’s Basic Survival Book” and cover it in Survival trapping DVD.

« Muskrat in a 110 conibear

« Never set a trap before 2 day training course and success.

You know 1 trap that is just so effective keeps working year after year. I have some that are 30 years old still catching critters every year. There is nothing more effective for taking rabbits out of their den then the 110 conibear. I test and re test and re try ideas. Every time I try these sure methods that people brag about I am disappointed. It is like survival is some type of game with rules. Sorry when my life is on the line I am NOT playing games and I want the best possible tools I can carry. That is why I recommend real snares and real traps. WHY because they work, it is proven system and with a training most people can become very proficient in there use.

Over my 32 years of running traps it is funny the memories that coming flooding back. This year I was spring beaver trapping. Hauling a big old brute out that weight 57 pounds I had a flashback to the spring of 1978. Maybe it was the smell, maybe the roar of the stream, or as I walked the beaver grew in weight. I was 19 years old and pack up my car and drove from Michigan to Colorado to spring beaver trap. Kind of like Jeremiah Johnson I came to the Mountains to trap beaver and other furs worth cash money. I remember it well camp out in my little pup tent next to cold mountain stream the snow was melting during the day but the nights were freezing cold. I had a summer sleeping bag but bought special for this trip a Herter’s added flannel liner that was suppose to double the cold factor of your sleeping bag. All I can say about that flannel liner was it didn’t work nearly as good as I hope for. I woke up the first morning shaking cold and through the tent I could see it was overcast out. Unzipping the tent I stepped out into 4 inches of fresh snow.

No heater for the tent because I was modern Mountain man. Quickly getting a fire going. My father trick of storing the camp wood under a tarp saved me from a cold morning. The stream was roaring pass and snow gentle settle to the ground. I set out a 6 muskrat traps before dark. Drinking hot coffee out of the blue steel enamel cup warmed my fingers. After the first cup I headed out to check my traps. 2 drown muskrats was my big catch. I walked back to the fire so I could clean my breakfast. Skinning the muskrat under a pine tree when I heard a truck driving up. I turn around and notice it was the game warden. Good thing I bought my out state license I thought.

Not the most friendly game warden but after seeing my license he said I could not camp here. Why not because it was NOT a designated camping area. If you want you can rent a cabin for $35 a week. Just a wood stove no running water but it will get you out of the weather. He gave me directions then took off. I skinned both the m’rats put the hides on stretchers took the rest down and cleaned him in the stream ran them through with a stick and cook them over the fire. Now I learned a good lesson about cooking in the wild? Roasting meat over pine makes the meat black and taste like turpentine. :-) But being half starved I choke both down finish the last of the coffee and broke camp.

I pulled into the cabin place and they were glad to rent it to me not much for rentals this time of year. I told them about the game warden and they said do you know how to trap beaver? Sure I got a 330 I can trap them well good I give you permission to trap this 100 acres along the river clean those beaver out. I grabbed my one and only 330 and head out finding a run going up into the cottonwoods that look like a highway. I place the trap out in 8 inches of water with 2 inches sticking out then I fence the rest of the area off with sticks I look back now and laugh because it was about 10 feet of water I was fencing off. Wire the trap off I must of spend 2 hours making that set just perfect. I then set a dozen muskrat traps called it day.

The camp was a God send after the freezing tent. The wood stove popped, crackled and warmed the little cabin up. I cooked canned chili for dinner and wrote in my journal. Climbing into the bed with the warmth of the wood stove made for easy sleeping.
The next morning up and out the door. I was too excited going to check my first beaver set ever. I can remember clear as day like it happen yesterday. The snow melted off during the day but there was fresh frost that crunch under my hip boots. The sun was just breaking above the Mountain is was wonderful day to be alive. I hurried to the bank and looked down where my beaver set was and stop dead in my tracks. My careful made set was gone all the fencing sticks were gone. I thought someone stole the trap. My heart sunk as I thought just great my one and only beaver trap is stolen now I am out of luck for the rest of the trip. I walked down to look for tracks. Then I saw the wire tie off to the tree I grabbed it and pulled. If I remember right it was around 10 feet of wire. A great weight on the other end. A big smile cross my face and I pulled in more wire. Soon a huge big old dead beaver broke the surface. I pulled him in to shore. I didn’t weight him because of no scale but I would guess he was in the 55-60 pound range.

I am real modern day Mountain Man now I trapped my first beaver with only 1 trap set. Taking the beaver out of the trap I again spend a good hour re making the set. Tossing that big brute in my pack basket I lifted it up on my shoulders and the straps groaned in protest from all the weight. The beaver was sticking out tail flapping above my head. I struggle up the bank and walk back to the cabin. As I walk back I hear a truck on the main road and I couldn’t believe it but it was a different game warden. He saw the beaver tail flapping in the wind. I just keep walking to the camp I saw him hit the brakes and turn around. By the time I got to the cabin he was waiting for me. I see you are from out of state I need to see your trapping license. Didn’t the other guy tell you he check me yesterday? Nope. Ok, I took the pack off and pull my license out and show him. Ok, thanks he said and left. What the heck is it with this state been trapping 2 days and have been check out by 2 game wardens. This was not the end I was check out by a 3 rd game warden and had another chat with the first one that stop me. I have never before or since been so watched and check by game wardens.

I set the beaver on the hood of my car and walk back to check the muskrat traps taking 6 it was a great day.

It took 2 hours to skin that first beaver and 4 hours to flesh him out. I boiled the beaver down and made a stew that I ate on for 4 days. I was really impressed tasted like beef to me.

I spend 2 weeks trapping and it was some of the best times I have had in my life. I remember reading about Kit Carson he said in his later years ” The happiest time of life was spend trapping.” Now I know what he means 29 years ago I too found out the happiest time of my life was spend trapping.

I headed off to the Mountains to trap beaver. Not disappointed in my journey but bless with the excitement of catching my first beaver. Not only my first but several more beaver. This was another step in my life of a place and time I will never forget. Where I become a real Mountain Man in the wild beautiful country of Colorado. When I sold my furs I told the fur buyer I came to the Mountains to trap beaver and other furs worth cash money. He smile and said is a check OK?

Bruce Buckshot

What other people over look in survival is several animals. Americans are spoiled when it comes to food. You want fresh vegetables you go to the super market. Fresh meat go to the super market there sits fresh chicken fully cleaned. Want a steak what kind? all the choices in the world. What is removed from today’s modern society is the processing of the food. Who kills, cleans and cuts up the meat? Where is all the blood and guts. Millions of folks have never cleaned an animal. There is learning curve and things you have to know to do it correctly.

What is small deer? Small deer is the medium size animals most folks overlook as food source. Such as ground hogs, raccoons, beaver, marmots, even coyote if you have too. Having taught thousands and thousands and thousands of folks over the years in all 50 states and 8 different countries. Wrote hundreds of articles published all over the web and several magazines I find the exact same trend as when I started. Most folks only see and think one way. I want traps and snares for rabbits and squirrels. I think most of it is they don’t have the woods knowledge of their area. They DON’T know about the small deer in their area. America is heading into a Great Depression 2 nothing can be done to stop this. It is simple demographic. The Baby boomers have the greatest wealth and start to retire in greater numbers each year. As they retire they pull money out of the stock market, they start collecting Social Security, they try to sell their houses to move into something smaller. Add that pool of houses into the housing crisis and you have downward spiral that is going to take 12 to 15 years to straighten out.

« Snared coon, shot in the head. Note the twisted snare by the back leg.

The latest is the food and energy crisis. Rice is being rations already in fact in some parts of the country you will find empty shelves. As diesel fuel heads higher in price so will everything else. I just ordered a spare hand water pump weight 19 pounds. Cost to ship from 1 state away $19.80 that was just shipping price. Had to order it because no one local carry them. That is just showing you that cost everything is going up and now is the time to prepare.

I have talked to deer hunters and they amaze me. They hunt hard walking, still hunting and they come into the woods for a week out 52 week year and think they understand the whole woods. They have told me there is 5 does 6 fawns and two bucks in the area. One coyote came through and a couple of grouse. Amazed I ask are you sure? Oh yea have hunted hard and sat for hours that is it for this whole area. No use correcting guys like this because they can’t see the forest for the trees. What do I mean? We were standing on a beaver dam when he told me this. In the beaver pond was beaver, muskrat, mink, weasel and snow shoe hares on the edge . Not to mention the fresh raccoons tracks or the bobcat tracks or the black bear tracks. Also not to mention just before freeze up a family of otters would come through and hunt the small brook trout one last time before freeze up. Not to mention the monster buck that only travels at night and comes through the area once ever 8 days.

On Open day of deer season I was sitting in blind. 1 mile away up on a hill I could see the trucks drive by. This dirt road normally had about 2 trucks per day. Note that opening starts 12:00 PM in North Dakota. From 12:00 until dark about 6 hours I counted 52 trucks drive by. Mostly road hunters. I saw 4 guys walking and actually hunting. Because most hunters now days don’t actually hunt. As times get tougher simple economic well result in less road hunters. Hard to justify spending $200 in gas to get 60 pounds of venison.

Before I learned to trap I use to think the same way. But I learn to see everything all the animals and sign. A lot of folks are going to over look the small deer when the going gets tough. Learning to trap and snare is wonderful hobby. But that is good to have lots of folks think that way because those of you who know better will have the woods more to yourself after the deer are hunted out.

You will be pleasantly surprise how great the wild foods are when you haven’t had meat in weeks. I can’t remember what radio show I did saying this subject but boy did I get phone calls and e-mails later. A typical phone was like this “Wow I had no idea I had the game biologist from my state go through my area and he gave me a list of animals living there I never knew of.” How many animals are in your area that you never knew of?

For small animals like rabbits and squirrels the 110 coniber is the best trap to own. For small deer snares are the best way to go. Time to learn how to collect added meat. BBQ raccoon that is raiding your corn patch well not only protect your corn but give you added supply of meat, the hide can be tanned for warm clothing, the fat rendered down for soap. This skilled need to be learn now before you have to survive.

Bruce Buckshot

When I was fourteen my best friend Frank and I had a real eye opener with a four day survival trip. Frank and I was bragging about how good we were in the woods to another friend when his older brother said, “Prove it!” I bet you two can’t make it on your own in the woods for two days. I replied, “How about four days.” In my young confident mind two days was not even a challenge. So, we convinced our parents to allows us to take off school that Friday. I remember it was in October I believe it was veterans day and we had Monday off . The only restriction we had was we could only take what we could carry. The first dinner was Dinty Moore stew. All other meals had to be caught or picked by us. We had coffee too. The deal was we could carry in anything but not stash any food. So, we carried in our tent, sleeping bags, mess kits, canteens, like an emergency fishing kit, and one .22 single shot rifle.

We walked into the wilds for three miles to a spot between two lakes. I can still smell the earthy ground, the beautiful colors of leaves starting to change, the warm days and cool nights. We laughed and joked that we could make it easy. I had been studying wild plants and Frank was real good fisherman. We set up camp and caught grasshoppers for bait. The fishing was tough going. We were using long thin saplings casting out. We had hooks lines and sinkers. We made our bobbers out of wood. After four hours and covering most the lake all we had was three small bluegills. Cleaning them we cut the head off and had bait for a three trot line for snapping turtles. This had always worked for us and surely we would have a nice twenty to twenty-five pound snapper waiting in the morning. That night we spilt the fish and ate the stew. Drifting off to sleep in the woods the glow of the fire lit up the tent and soon sleep over took us.

I awoke to branches breaking and Frank said, “Hurry up and get the coffee going.” His fire took right off. We didn’t have fancy water filters so we just boiled the water. Tasted great in the cool morning. We quickly headed off to check the trot lines. Two young men eat a lot of food. The first line was empty and we tossed it back out. No worries we have two sets left. The next trot line had the bait stripped off. Most likely by smaller turtles. This we wrapped up and set on shore to be re-baited after we caught more fish. To the last set Frank raced ahead. I was hoping the last trot line held the prize. My stomach grumbled in protest. No doubt from being late having breakfast.

Frank yelled back we got one. A big triumph smile across his face. Good deal. I ran down. The line was wrapped around a snag in deep water. Frank stripped off his clothes and swam out freeing it. He came back quickly dressing saying something about cold water. I tried to pull the big brute in. The trick here is to get the turtle off the bottom. That way their powerful claws have nothing to hold them down. Slowly I applied pressure and the big brute was not coming out to play. I had to wrap a stick around the twenty pound line. The stick prevented the line from cutting into my hands. Frank walked over and together we broke the big brute free. He is coming in now. About ten feet out he to broke the surface of the water. A big old black shell with moss growing on the sides of his shell. A head that looked like a baseball. Strong powerful legs swimming against us. We just walked backwards up the small hill hauling him in. Of course the easy part was over now. We had to run down and grab the tail without getting bit. About three feet from shore the turtle struggled to the cover of a low hanging branch that wrapped the line around it. Frank raced down splashing out into the water grabbed the line and pulled it up. The turtle seeing him went into full fight mode swimming and failing with his four powerful claws. I raced down to help. About that time Frank yanked on the line to clear the turtle of the brush. The turtle’s front right claw caught the line and snap. Frank almost fell backwards into water. I raced in the water trying to grab the tail, but the turtle was gone in a flash.

I looked back at Frank and you could see the disappointment in his eyes. There swimming away was three days worth of food. Oh well, back to fishing. We fished our hearts and soul out that day and all we caught was one small bluegill about five inches long. I caught a small bull frog. That was our dinner. Needless to say we were starving for some food. With the one blue gill after cleaning him we re-baited the other two trot lines. Drinking coffee over the fire that night it got cold. I was thinking this is not good. The turtles slow down and don’t feed much.

Day three. The blackberry patch we found was completely empty. It was too early for acorns. We quickly checked the trot lines. Nothing had hit any of them. We need some food today. A real meal with some meat. We decided to go hunting. The old single shot .22 would bring us food. We drew straws to see who would play dog and who would shoot first. Frank won. So I played dog. He would sneak ahead about fifty yards and then I would zig zagged through the brush trying to chase a pheasant or rabbit his way. After hours and hours of this it finally worked. A rabbit was sneaking out in front stopped, turned around to see where I was. The .22 rifle cracked. I came running up thinking food at last. Did you get it? What is it? Frank was silent. I could tell by the look on his face that he missed. It was a rabbit. My turn.

We walked back to camp to make up a new plan. On the way back we spotted a large fox squirrel. The squirrel was in smaller oak trees that were only twenty feet high. I shot and missed and handed the gun to Frank he shot and missed. The whole time the squirrel is running from tree to tree. We raced along keeping him in sight. He raced down the other side of a tree and we ran up just in time to see him dive into a hollow hole in the tree. Frank handed me the little Winchester .22 bolt action single shot. We decided I would sit off about twenty yards and watch the hole. Frank said he had something to do and we would met me back at camp. His parting words I will never forget for as long as I live. Don’t miss I am starving.

I sat with my back to the tree. Watching the hole. After ten minutes or so the squirrel poked his head out took a quick sweep of the area and ducked back in. Good deal. I can’t shoot until he is most of the way out of the hole. Even then it would have to be a head shot. A wounded squirrel could make it back in and we would go hungry again. A few minutes passed. It was starting to get dark. Come on squirrel it is time to come out and play. He poked his head out and looked all around. Slowly I raised the gun. I calmed my breathing down. I aimed at the squirrel taking my time. Ok, at least half his body has to be out before I can shoot. He ducked back in. Is he ever coming out or is darkness going to win the battle, I wondered. A few minutes passed. He is there again I can barely see the sights in the pre sunset hours. He turns and starts to climb up the tree and pauses. Now is my chance. I calmed down remembering my Dad’s words from the shooting range. Relax, calm down, slowing squeeze the trigger. The .22 cracked. The squirrel tenses up on the tree. I work the bolt reaching in my pocket for a shell never taking my eye off the squirrel. One paw falls off the tree. I stood up a big smile on my face, shoving the shell in as I started to walk up to the tree. Anther front paw let go and he fell backwards. But, he never fell to the ground. His back legs still stuck in the hole in the tree. There is my prize laid upside down fifteen feet in the air.

Just my luck, I leaned the gun against a tree. I searched all over for a long enough branch to knock the squirrel down. It was really getting dark fast when I found a branch I thought would be long enough. Running back to the tree. Standing on my tiptoes I could just reach the squirrel. I swung the branch from the right and hit the squirrel. He swung with the branch, but didn’t fall. I kept hitting him and there he is swinging away. Give me a break, I thought. Darkness is full on now. I can just barely see the squirrel’s dark form. I cut off one of the branches on the stick I was using and sharpened the end. I swung the branch up standing on tiptoes swinging back and forth in the dark. After what seemed like hours I hooked the squirrel. Jumping up with stick popping the squirrel out of the hole. Free at last. When my feet touch the ground I flipped the squirrel off the stick. There he finally comes to the ground. Oh man, you got to be kidding me about ten feet up was a branch and just my luck the squirrel landed and stuck in it. But ten feet up in the air was not so bad. I quickly knocked him to the ground. Grabbing the hard earned prize. Now, get the gun and head back to camp.

Oh my God, where is the gun? Which tree did I lean it against? The flashlight was back at camp. I searched and searched for about ten minutes than figured we need to wait until daylight. If I can’t find it I am sure it will be there when we return in the morning. I walked back to camp and Frank looked up from the fire. He had coffee going and was cooking something in the fry pan. I walked in and a big smile crossed his face seeing the squirrel in hand. I grabbed the flashlight and walked down to the small creek and cleaned the squirrel.

Returning with the squirrel on a stick for roasting I asked Frank what are you cooking ? He said, “It is surprise.” I had some coffee as the squirrel cooked over the fire. Dinner is served. The surprise Frank was doing as I battled the squirrel, the tree, and darkness was fresh cattail roots. He dug them up, cleaned them, peeled off the rough spots, diced them like potatoes and steam cooked them in the frying pan that is part of the mess kit. I must say that was one of the best meals I have ever ate.

The bet was until 4:00 PM Monday. The next morning first thing we quickly found the .22. Then we pulled the set lines. Nothing on them. Frank said, Lets try to fish again.” We tried until about noon then dug cattails roots and cooked them for lunch. We cleaned up the camp and packed up and headed out. Four days and we survived. It wasn’t the easy adventure we thought it would be, but it was the beginning of the path to learning how to survive in the woods.

What should you be buying right now? Think what do I need to survive the winter. A fairly cheap emergency 5 gal bucket of supplies can be put up right now. Here is a list of things you can put away for just in case.

1- 2 lbs 10 ozs of Oatmeal
4 pounds of sugar
1 can baking powder
10 lbs of pre sift bread flour
4 cans of tuna fish
1 pound of dried peas
1 lb navy beans
2 pounds of pinto beans
5 lbs of rice
1 pound of salt

This cost right around 20 dollars and it fits in 5 gallon bucket you can store it in your basement this is food for 1 person for a week. You have oatmeal for breakfast. You can make pan bread out of the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. The Tuna Fish for lunch, pan bread again for dinner with either navy bean soup, or spilt pea soup or pinto beans in many different ways. Not the best eating but better then going hungry. Add some snares and traps to get your meat and you can be eating fairly well.

The next month switch

1 Cream of wheat
1 jar of peanut butter
1 jar of jelly
10 pounds of flour
5 pounds of rice
6 packs of yeast (long term store in freezer good for 2 years)
6 store brand Mac and Cheese

Next Month

10 Ramon noodles
5 pounds of rice
1 lb of tea
5 lbs of flour
1 can of baking powder
1 pound navy beans
1 pound spilt peas
2 pounds pinto beans
4 cans of tuna fish
1 lb of oatmeal

As you can see it doesn’t cost a lot to put some extra food away. Now think about cooking. Everyone thinks you need emergency cooking stove but a much better choice for folks that live in small towns or the country is propane stoves. 100 pound cylinder well last roughly 6 months 2-100 pound cylinder put away will last a year. I’m talking regular cooking stove with oven even more efficient is apartment size propane cook stove. There you have food and a cook stove that is covered. Now what emergency lights.

Most folks talk about candles open flames are dangerous a much better choice is Dietz Kerosene lantern. A Standard Dietz is roughly 12 candle power not the best light but pretty idiot proof. 12 gallons of pure kerosene the expensive clear stuff sold in Home Depot or Menards. Don’t buy the cheap stuff used for kerosene heater that stinks when burn and gives me a headache. extra wicks and 1 extra globe is needed that should get your through a year.

Another supplement lights are the solar charged yard white lights I have tested the small ground ones gives you lights for hours at night or you can just charge them all day take the batteries out and used them for radio, walkie-talkie, flashlights, etc. wait to the end of summer when they go on sale.

A wood stove is great to have for emergency heat source too. Make sure you have extra pipe and elbows stored. Chain saw you need extra chain extra bar, 12 sharpen files, a hand sharpen tool, air filter, 2 cycle oil, chain and bar oil, spare pull rope, and spark plug. 5 gallons of gas should be able to cut you a winter supply of wood depending on where you live and how long winter last. A splitting maul, axe spend the extra money of the fiber glass handles. After years of splitting woods I can guarantee when you really need it is when you will break the handle on the splitting maul.

Now the big one water. You really can’t store enough water for very long. I have said this many times before if I had property before I even build a shed on it the first thing you need is a well. Wells are very expensive to put in but worth every penny. You need water every single day. You can even hand pump water from 100 foot well with a different system some use check valves. A friend of mind had a set up like that he built a small shed around it super insulted it and heated it with just a pilot light off an old propane heater. Keeps working even at 30 below zero.

I have read a lot about different crisis areas around the world. What sticks out in my head a hand pump well is a God sent, food store and be able to grow more do you have your heirloom seeds put in? Soap I read one story about someone’s Grandfather who stored a water barrel full of hand soap during the depression he traded the soap for food and other things, Some form of lights, extra tooth brushes, some form of washing clothes. One way it is a lot of work is 3-5 gal buckets with lids the first is wash you drill a small just big enough for plunger handle stick clothes in cover with water a little laundry soap plunger it for a couple of minutes, remove wring out into the bucket for next load, next bucket is rinse same thing plunger it a couple of minutes ring out last rinse same thing, wring out good and hang to dry. You will be surprised how well this works. But it is hard work like everything else folks will learn that nothing is easy when you don’t have the comfort of electricity.

What about Showers? Well you can buy solar shower heater they sell in camping supply stores. Works great. Or you can make your own out of a 5 gallon bucket. Drill a 3/8 hole near the bottom on 1 side. Thread in 3/8 pipe nipple 3 inches long put a nut on each side. Silicone the heck out of it both sides. Add a kitchen sink hand sprayer with hose to the pipe check with the hardware store to buy the correct pipe nipple. Paint bucket black you now have a solar water heater. Warning this water will get very hot in the summer might even hit 200 degrees F. only put about 1/3 full and added cold water before using. Make sure you warn the children and everyone using it.

Like everything you are doing it is much easier to do all this ahead of time test it make sure everything is ready for use for when the real emergency hits. What are the 3 most common medical items used. Aspirin or pain reliever, Neosporin, chap stick make sure you have plenty stored away. Doesn’t hurt to get a first aid kit Wal-mart $10 to have some extra supplies on hand. In fact just used mine the other day the tweezes inside work great for removing splinters.

What else to add? Snares 3 dozen small game, 3 dozens medium and 2 dozen camlocks, 4 -110 conibears, do you understand how to set snares? Do you know how to clean animals for food, do you know how to tan leather? The list can go on and on. But take care of the basic first.

Physiological Needs

Our biological needs: The need for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body temperature. They are the strongest needs due to mans need to survive

Safety Needs

Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness

Needs for Esteem

Needs for Self-Actualization

Safety needs, nothing like a good ole Remington 870 12 ga pump shotgun for feeling safe. Have on hand mixture of slugs, buckshot, and birdshot. Criminal that have this pointed at them reported the barrel of that 12 ga looks to be about 4 wide. Intimating, you rack a shell in that is warning shot, every person in the world knows what that means it speaks in every language loud and clear.

As times become harder a new discovery will happen family well once again learn to work as a family unit. Everyone well feel the love and affection a well timed hug for the children and or wife speaks louder then words. Explain to everyone you all are family and are important and belong together.

Praise not too much but enough so everyone self esteem is build up.

Self- actualization can best be explain on this link.

Self-actualization refers to an individual’s need to develop his or her potentialities and do what one is capable of doing. The self-actualizes are people who make full use of their capabilities in any field of activity they choose.
Interesting the need to develop to the person full potentialities what ever that might be. Plenty of room for that in this cash strap environment that is for sure.

Bruce Buckshot

Historians will look back at this time frame and say.

”What was wrong with the American people? Could they not see what was happening?”

The green bandwagon. It was termed “feel good”, “I donated to save the world. See I care?” Ignoring the danger signs of what the leaders of the environmental movement were really doing.

Look at what Ted Turner, a leader in the environmental cause, has to say about people. ”A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” Back in 1996, Turner stated this in an interview with Audubon Magazine. That is worldwide folk. Good ole Eco friendly Ted wants to be the new Hitler and exterminate 6.2 billion people. Plenty of other examples of what the leaders of the environmental movement want.

Here is how they changed Americans from critical thinking free citizen to emotional consumers.

http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/

”Iserbyt has directed her flashlight into the darkest, secret, elitist corners of Academe, flushing out and exposing to the light of day the termites, who have been eating away at the foundations of traditional academic education.”

-Gene Malone, B.A., M.E., 30 yr. teacher, founder of Freedom 2000/USA

”This country, if it is to remain a sovereign, free and independent America, depends upon the greatest number of Americans reading and acting upon the information in this timely book.”

-Ann Herzer, M.A., Reading Specialist, 20 yr. teacher, former candidate AZ Supt. of Pub. Inst., Member Dau. Am. Rev

The gang green has stopped drilling for oil all over America. Plenty of oil in Alaska, oh can’t touch that. Yep, that’s right folks, caribou are more important, than you. Make sure you thank Greenpeace, when you fill up. Plenty of oil off California, nope can’t drill there. Eco groups, want the American people to pay $4.00 a gallon for their heating oil. Thanks Greenpeace. We need new refineries, can’t do that, Gang green has helped to pass so many regulations that it would take 10 years to build one. And that is if everything goes perfect for all 400 inspection. Global warming is make believe. But fall for the big lie, and soon you will be paying a new Global tax on energy. Thank Al Gore for that one. You are not paying enough for electricity, gas and heating costs, wait until this new tax is passed.

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/aginatur/moregw.htm

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/impact/indexe.htm

http://www.junkscience.com/news/robinson.htm

Illegal aliens can collect Social security and welfare?

http://www.esrresearch.com/Rubensteinreport.pdf

Since the U.S. has 37 million immigrants, legal and illegal, the national cost was more than $346 billion last year, which was twice our fiscal deficit. The cost of immigrants is so high because, as Rubenstein writes, ”Immigrants are poorer, pay less tax and are more likely to receive public benefits than natives.” Make sure you keep working, don’t want those poor illegal aliens to suffer. Maybe a fence patrolled by American military would stop this nonsense. Take care of America first?

What is the solution. Demand action form Congress and the Senate. We need oil drilling NOW. If we are change to a new energy what is it? Wind and solar are part of answer what is the rest? In the mean time we still need gas for our cars and heat for our home. We need real solution and not more feel good talk. Why do I sound anger about the Green groups? Because I feel betrayed. If they truly care about the planet they would have invested in real solution 30 years ago. If you want to understand the Green groups and how your donation is spend read the book “State of Fear” it is all about using Fear to collect money from people for the environment but how the money is spend is a real eye opener.

It is up to you America you can keep trying to struggle and survive or you can tell the tiny percent of green group members to shut up and give us real solutions. Drilling for oil is darn good start.

Bruce Buckshot

The good times and the high spending days are behind us now. America is heading to the Great Depression 2. Some folks are still in denial they say people like me that believe this is fear mongering. Yea I guess their wives must do the grocery shopping, or they never do any home projects, or see what gas cost. For years many of us saw this coming. It is the crooks in Washington DC both parties are to blame and of course the huge Corporations that sent all the factories overseas.

My latest film Undue Burden the real cost of living with wolves is in depth study of the wolf reintroductions. Exposing the lies behind this whole program. You will see the reality of living with wolves.

Yes it will look like nothing you have ever seen the carnage the wolf causes the Physiological damage to the children, the rancher going of business because of the flawed reimbursement program. The wolf in wolf clothing is very good for showing you what is happening in America today. The Environmental groups collecting Millions upon millions of dollars to save the wolf the small family ranch going out of business, wolf proof bus stop shelters, the documented people killed by wolves in American history. The same thing is happening in America the TV news is telling everyone the party can go on forever, but the carnage of the housing collapse and people living in tent cities is becoming a stark reality.

As we go into the slow downturn remember on the first Depression the stock market crash was in 1929 Roosevelt didn’t take office until 1932.

The experts were all saying the same thing back then nothing to worry about everything is fine. Can things turn around in this country sure but I sure as heck don’t see the leadership to do it. We need real leaders that understand what is going on we could have a revolution of converting to different power system we don’t have to re invent the wheel. The solution are already out there what is lacking is the leadership to do it. Close off our border, give tax incentive to alternator energy start drilling for oil in America, set up coal to gas plants and tell the Sierra club to shut up. I can’t believe people are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline and think it the evil oil companies fault. This crisis is created by the Greenies who stop oil drilling in Alaska, off the coast of Ca and Florida, the coal to gas plants, the new refineries, the new pipelines, etc. You believe what these people tell you as they collect millions and millions every year and you get hit with higher gas and food prices. Oh well keep supporting them and your children will have wolves in the wild not that they will ever to go for a drive and see them because they will be force to live in apartment building with no car.

What happened? See this article if you want to read on what is going on here is good place to start if you are on dial up it takes about 10 minutes to load the page.

Now the big questions how to survive and how bad well it get? For the latter no answer it could go into a slow quiet death where everything just keeps getting worst then we find some new way for people to work together as small communities and survive or it could go as far as Mad Max. I read a lot about the Argentina collapse and how folks survived. It was somewhere in the middle of working society and Mad Max. If you did go into the wrong area it could be a shoot out over your vehicle or a kidnapping cause they think your family has money. If you were dumb enough to report the shoot out the cops would toss you in jail. The bureaucrat still had their jobs so you still had a Government so to speak. Food shortage, gas shortages, rolling brown out, and constants on the watch for thieves. It is very arrogant to think America is immunity from this. Here is a quick example I make my own bread. 25 pound sack of flour last me 3 months. In December 25 pounds of bread flour cost $10.35 In March it cost $14.35 and June of 2008 it cost $16.35. Now I might get my math wrong here and there but am pretty darn sure that is 60% increase in 6 months.

But right now there are things you need to be doing to protect yourself. As things get harder and harder for folks crime rate is going to keep getting worst. We are at the early stages of this. More gas thief, more vehicles stolen, breaking and entering, worst home invasion, armed robbers, rape etc. Criminals are experts at reading people body langue have you ever noticed when you are having a really bad day and you are tick off at the world the pan handlers leave you alone? But when you are good mood the same ones well approach you? There is signs people give off in their walk, their look and the general feel from the person. You need to change everything about your walk when you see questionable person you should try to avoid them but if you can’t looked them straight in the eye and be thinking you try to rob me it is not going to be easy for you. The robbers want meek people who will just hand over their money or car not fight them. Criminal through out history have been in favor of guns laws for oblivious reason. If the average citizen is armed they might get shot trying to rob them. But if everyone is unarmed robbing folks is safe job for them. Common sense.

Now your home if you are alone or both you and your partner work you need to beef up security at your home. Talk to your neighbors. Especially the little old retired lady ask her to keep an eye on your place. Get in the habit of locking everything up. I lived in Michigan in the early 80’s high unemployment high crime. What they were stealing back then was batteries out of your vehicle, radios, cassette tapes, gas, breaking and entering during the day. Never assume anything is normal the little voice in the back of your head saying that person doesn’t look right is 10,000 years of human instinct coming to your conscience warning you. There was study done on fish the Northern Pike was watched when he was in feeding mode and on the prowl the small pan fish would run and hide. After the same fish fed the survivor would go back to normal and swim really close to the pike. The scientist was trying to figure out why the different reactions. It is instinct that could not be explained but the fish could sense the difference when the pike was in feeding mode and when it was in resting mode. The point being humans have the same instinct that little voice in your head saying something is not right here warning warning. Learn to listen to that voice of reason and be safe.

A conceal carry permit and get properly trained is one thing everyone should do. Learn the laws in your state get the training. Better to have a handgun and never need it then really need one and not have one. Everyone in your house should be trained to use a gun. Training means more then know how to shoot it. How about finding it and loading it in the dark, do you have a working flashlight beside the bed, obliviously I believe you should train your children from an early age to respect the guns and understand they are not a toy. One good visual effect you can do to train children about guns is take an empty coffee can and fill it up about half way with water. Shoot it with a deer rifle aiming at the bottom 1/3. Explain first to your children and wife human are 80% liquid when a bullet hit it cause massive damage not like the nonsense you see on TV. When you hit the can with the cover on it the cover sometimes flies up into the air and the can will almost exploded and flatten out. Then you explain if you accidentally shoot someone that is what is going to happen to their inside this deadly serious.

With the rising cost of food if you are just starting you might want to stock up on food first. What guns should you have a Minimum of 4. A shotgun, a 22 rifle, a deer rifle with a good scope and a good handgun. A Good semi-auto rifle is a good thing to have. Ammo at the bare minimum 250 rounds of shotgun shells number 6’s number 4’s some BB shot and 100 rounds of slugs and buckshot. I have really good luck with the 3 inch magnum triple ought buckshot but all of it is very good for close in shooting. .22 ammo 2500 rounds get Remington hollow points you pay more for it but your will bring more game home with it. The Federal hollow points are cheaper but don’t expand correctly and will lose game, The way I look at it if you are starving and you lost that rabbit because of cheap ammo it your own fault because you were being cheap. 500 rounds of CCI solid points, your deer rifle 1000 rounds if you are reloader I love Noslers there new combine technology with Winchester silver tip is an awesome bullet. But I have really good luck with all of Noslers. Your handgun again a 1000 rounds 3 extra magazines. Again get good ammo assortment of hollowpoints and solid points. Take care of your guns cleaned them but don’t over clean them. The number one cause of failure in some guns is over oiling. Americans have this bad habit of a little is good a lot is better.

People should start seriously thinking surviving in place. You are much better off staying at home then trying backpack survival. If you do will end being refugee. I have considerable knowledge of the woods and living off the land but yet I have stored food and seeds. As Duncan Long in his book Survival Guns stated ” You are far better off to have a garden and traps to feed your family then a wealth of hunting guns. ” Those of us that have survive for extended periods of time in the wilds knows it takes a lot of energy to go hunting. Far better to have the traps and snares working for you then you waiting for hours or days for a shot.

How to survive I am going to do a in depth report on how to save money.

Bruce Buckshot

Back in 1970 or 71, I took a young “disabled” friend named Billy on a week end “Survival Camp Out” after he had ask (begged) me several times. It was an interesting week end under the stars. Rules were that we could take a pack with bedroll, cook pot, fishing line & hooks and other line of choice, gun, and a knife.

I took a bedroll consisting of a light wool blanket and small pillow. No need for padding, I was young and tough then. Also took a .22 rifle and my pick of knives back in those days, a Buck Pathfinder & Barlow pocket knife.. I also took a 1 qt. Canteen, canteen cup, a 3 qt. iron cook pot, a small pkg. of instant coffee, and a Carbide light. I knew the cook pot wasn’t true “survival on nothing by a long shot” but also that it would be real nice. It was!

My friend had a rather large pack but the contents were secret. After opening it part of the contents proved to be a sleeping bag suitable for freezing weather!

The weather was suppose to be nice so I didn’t expect to need much in the way of weather protection except to construct a “lean to” because we do have Very Heavy Spring night dews here and waking up wet and clammy isn’t my idea of a “good morning.”

We drove out to a section of pretty woolly woods and parked my car in a secluded spot where it was somewhat camouflaged. Then off we went on foot.

We didn’t go real in the sticks but enough to satisfy my partner! Just a mile maybe.

First off I wanted to get a shelter set up as that would take the most energy of course and wanted to get it done before nightfall and get some hunting in. Oh, if only we had LED’s back in those days! Flashlights were not something to be relied on so the light of the day (or night) was a miner’s carbide lamp. You put calcium carbide in the bottom and water in the top. Then you turned a lever on top to adjust how fast the water dripped into the bottom to mix with the carbide and generate acetylene gas which was force out a little pinhole orifice in the middle of a shiny reflector. They made amazingly bright and reliable lights as compared to flashlights back then.

The one rule though on the carbide light was that it could not be used to start a fire. If it were For REAL survival, that would have been the easiest way going to start a fire. By the way. After you put the carbide and water in the lamp and set the water to drip, there is a spark wheel on the side of the reflector and you cup your hand over the reflector and then quickly drag it across the spark wheel and usually the lamp will POP on right away. Spark Wheel, think like a Zippo lighter wheel. Battery flashlights in those days weren’t a whole lot better than they were in the 50’s and a couple hours of good light was about all you could expect, so the carbide lamp was always my camping flashlight.

Getting the lean-to set up was also first priority as we would clear a “safe area” for the campfire.

It was fairly dry and I certainly didn’t want to be in the middle of a woods fire that I started myself!

There was a small water hole only about 100 ft. or so from the site I chose and I was able to cut some nice green Willow saplings for the Lean-To frame poles there. Got the frame made and although I could have used some of the nylon line I’d brought in my bag, I used some thin green fibrous vines I found growing down by the water hole to make it more “realistic.” They were very strong and also easy to work with and were easy to tie off closing the windings to lash the poles together with simple clove hitches. We cut and laid thin Willow saplings along the back side of the Lean-To from ground to top cross pole and then laid green pine boughs over them and had a nice comfortable “temporary” shelter.

I didn’t think the water hole was large enough to contain any “real fish” but there could have been a turtle around although I didn’t see any “slide marks” the snappers here always leave. Just for S&G’s threw in a fishing line with hook baited with worms that were easy to dig in the soft soil around the place. There was however a Real PRIZE all around one side of the water hole as for a food source! One whole side was growing thick in nice Cattails! They were both at the waters edge and into the water and were pretty easy to just pull up without having to dig them.

I pulled up a good supply of them, rinsed the roots off and carried em back to the campsite to be part of our future supper and then prepared to go hunting. What’s them cattails for Bill ask? Supper, later on. I gotta get going if I’m going to get any hunting in this evening and I might set a trap or two also. While gathering the materials for the Lean-To, I’d already gotten some tinder and a bit of firewood for our campfire. Billy ask, what am I suppose to do? YOU need to do something very important Bill! Gather us some firewood! We need firewood because I want enough to burn most of the night and don’t want to have to go look for firewood first thing in the morning before breakfast ya know! OK Jim! I’ll get the firewood!

I left him and set off with the .22 rifle and some line that I thought I might use to make a trap or two. Found a couple rabbit runs but they didn’t look like they’d been used in a long time. Thought, “what have I got to loose but a few minutes” and set a couple quick snares with my very limited knowledge of snaring back then. Didn’t know if a rabbit would be able to kick its way out of the nylon line snare I’d made or not but put it up. All my rabbit trapping had been with box traps. Found what looked like a good place for squirrels with some not to old cuttings on the ground under a Hickory nut tree but didn’t see any squirrels and it was a little early for them to be coming in anyway. Kept walking and found both some pepper grass and wild onions and stuffed my pockets.

Then I saw something! It was moving in the weeds and I didn’t know if it had seen me yet and I didn’t know what it was either, just weeds moving! I crouched and stayed as motionless as possible with rifle ready. A couple minutes or so passed and then it poked its head out of the weeds looking towards me. It was a coal black Skunk! I kept the rifle front sight on its nose and it just stared at me from maybe 50 feet away. Then it turned its head and when its lung lined up with my front sight I squeezed the trigger. That is the trick to shooting skunks head or heart shot and the skunks sprays every time but a lung shot skunk most of the time will die without spraying. The thing did what skunk almost always do and rolled on his side. Now, had this been a REAL Survival situation, I would not hesitate in the slightest to eat that skunk!! No sirreee! There just like rabbits to taste and once skinned ya can’t tell em apart if their tails are cut off. I shot it for two reasons though. 1. To see what Billy would do and 2. Those things are hell on duck nest. One skunk can pretty well wipe out all the ducks nest around a small pond! They love to eat eggs, especially Duck eggs! I figured I just helped out the area duck population immensely there. I left the skunk lay and stuck a stick I cut off with some leaves on top into the ground in those weeds as I “Wanted!” that skunk on the way back, hehehe.

Kept walking and then I saw something promising for a kill. Nothing there at the moment but a nice fresh clean out on a ground hog hole! I eased back in the weeds and waited till the light was getting dim but no sign of Mr. Groundhog so I checked the area for a good place to sit for a morning hunt and started back towards the Hickory tree to check for squirrel activity. It was a bit later than I had thought and by the time I got there I didn’t have but a few minutes to stay and didn’t see anything of a squirrel so headed on back to camp carrying the Black skunk prize!

I kinda sneaked into the camp area and had to hold myself in to keep from laughing out loud. We needed “some” firewood and Billy had done his job for sure! He was still a crackin and poppin dry wood and dragging it in and there was a pile already there probably three times the size of the Lean-To! One thing for sure, we won’t be running out of firewood! At that time I “fast walked” towards camp with rifle in hand and Black skunk in the other holding it by its tail.

Soon as Bill spied that cat he started hollerin, I AIN’T EATIN THAT!! I AIN’T EATIN THAT DAMN THING!! YOU SAID YOU WERE GOIN HUNTIN BUT I AIN’T EATIN NO BLACK skunk!!! THEN I couldn’t hold it in any longer and did bust out belly laughing!

Well Bill, YOU said you wanted to go on a “Survival Camp!” I don’t care, I ain’t eatin no damn black skunk. I brought this just in case! He reached in his pack and pulled out a big can of pork & beans! No, No, Bill, we aren’t eatin the skunk. I just shot it cause they wipe out all the duck eggs and I was a funnin with ya. I am gonna go rebait the hooks with part of it though and then put it out on the other side for the coyotes to eat. Figured a nice chunk of skunk thigh on each hook would be better turtle bait than the worms and then I put the skunk out for the coyotes, which by the way we heard “singing” later on in the night.

Now Bill, I gotta get the fire started and then I’ll show ya what we’re gonna eat “tonight” and you put them pork & beans back in your pack! I had also found a couple pieces of flint rock along the walk where I’d been near the groundhog hole. They tell me flint isn’t native to this part of the country but the Indian’s carried it all in here to make arrow heads, spear heads & tools. They sure must have carried in a LOT of it as much as lays around! Now a Buck Pathfinder is made out of some kinda stainless steel that won’t spark but my old Barlow had high carbon blades and the back of those blades would produce a spark when struck with a sharp flint edge. I shaved a small handful of tinder from a very dead dry branch by scraping the knife edge along it, not cutting into it. Then cut into it to fuzz up a few little twigs and showed Bill how to stack em and then put the fuzz tinder into a small hole in the fuzzy curled sticks & now hoped for the best! Striking the back of the knife blade again and again proved enough to work up a sweat bent over there and it was almost getting dark enough to see a spark when there must have been one because there was a hint of smoke in the fuzz. Blowing ever so gently into it, the smoke became more and there was a little spot soon about the size of the end of a cigarette and then “poof” FLAME! We had a fire! No danger of running out of firewood either thanks to Bill, hahaha.

Suddenly Bill reaches into his pack again and pulled out a book of paper matches wrapped up in either waxed paper or something. He says, “I brought these just in case!” I didn’t know if ya could REALLY make a fire like that or not and I wasn’t takin no chances so I brought these just in case! THAT time I could not hold back the laughter = BILL!

Well we got a lean-to and very large amount of cattail roots, wild onions and pepper grass and a nice fire going. Time to cook the first “survival supper.” Peeled the cattail roots all the while Billy is carefully watchin. Hmmm, never heard a eatin cattails before. Ya sure they ain’t poison? Ya, Bill, there fine. They will be anyway, soon as we get em cooked up with these wild onions. We need some fat & protein to go with this but this is what its gonna have to be here tonight. Saved the canteen of water we each brought with us for drinking and got some water from the hole where the cattails were growing to fill the cookpot and set up a pot holder with a couple nonporous rocks and got them going along with some chopped wild onions. I still remember they smelled pretty good and Bill thought so also.

After they cooked till tender I ask him if he wanted to eat em in chunks like they were or like “mashed taters” & he thought maybe they would be better mashed so I started at them with my fork and the end of a clean stick I had cut to make a stirring stick to cook with & got them pretty well mashed up. Soon we had our meal for the night and with a bit of the pepper grass sprinkled around on it and mixed in it was pretty good. Not that we were starving or anything being the first night but he thought it was a really Great Survival Meal for us, hahaaa.

Sat around talking for a while and looking at the beautiful sky then decided it was time to turn in as I wanted to be up very early and off on the morning hunt for ole Mr. Groundhog. When it was starting to get light I got up and stirred the embers from the fire and there were still plenty to get a fire going real easy. Just added a few twigs and gently blew on them and they popped into a blaze right away. It was really nice for this “Survival Camp” that we were having such beautiful weather, hahaha. A nice miserable downpour would have changed the situation for sure!

On with the hot water as I wanted a cup of hot coffee and brush my teeth before heading out.

I did bring my toothbrush as there were no rules against that but in lieu of it any good hardwood stick would work fine, just takes a little longer.

I took off with the rifle and told Bill that he should go pull & dig some more cattail roots as I was pretty sure they were gonna be needed. If you see some of those wild onions, grab a pocket full also and I’ll look for more where I found those yesterday.

I got to the hickory nut tree early enough and waited for a squirrel to show but had no luck there. I did however find some nuts that had over wintered and still seemed to be in good shape and stuffed my pockets with all I could find. Good fat source there!

When I got close to the groundhog den I started crawling till I got to a position where I could see the hole and wasn’t more than 50 feet from it and to my advantage the sun was rising to my back putting it in ole groundhogs eyes “IF” he showed. I had a pretty good feeling about it though from the looks of the fresh clawed dirt around the hole yesterday where he’d been cleaning house. I’m laying there intently eyeing the hole and notice that these “weeds” I’m looking through are wild carrots! People call em Queen Ann’s Lace I think but there wild carrots and later on I’m gonna check if they wintered well which they should have in this protected area. Not taking any chances of moving NOW for sure though!

I bet it wasn’t 15 minutes when ole groundhog poked his head up out of the hole real sleepy eyed and surveying the area. His head wasn’t very big which was a good thing also. They get pretty tough with age. About another 3—4 min. And he’s out of his hole and ambles down a path diagonal to my line of sight. About 20 ft. Out of the hole he decided its a good place to lay down and absorb some of that warm sun before going out for breakfast. I let him lay there for a few minutes and carefully raised the old Remington pump into sight and then let out a low whistle.

Immediately he sat straight up and I didn’t give him any chance to take off for the hole before squeezing the trigger. Pop, he rolled over sideways and started to get up & then just quivered a little bit and stopped moving. I had already pumped another round into the chamber but it wasn’t needed. The hollow point had entered his ear and didn’t exit the other side of his head. Their tough critters but the little .22 hollow point had done its job and scrambled his brains for him.

I went ahead and gutted him right there and left that smelly mess for the “yotes.” Groundhogs do smell right bad when guttin, or to my smeller anyway. Now I checked those wild carrots and sure nuff, they were mostly ok so I got a nice pocket full of em from the soft sandy soil and headed back to camp. Hey Bill! We’re gonna EAT now!

Tell ya what! You take these nuts and get a couple rocks not big nuff that ya smash em and be careful and crack em open. I’m hopin they ain’t to dried out yet but won’t know till ya do that ok. Well that made him happy as a possum in a duck egg nest and he was real careful not to damage them and they were still plenty good. Had a small handful so we split them as there wasn’t any breakfast = TILL I saw that empty can of Pork & Beans! BILL!! You fudged. What ELSE you got in there? Nuthin, really, nuthin! Them was it but I was hungry and didn’t know if ya was gonna get anything.

I skinned out the hog and cut up the hams for the stew pot. By now Bill knew how to peel out the cattail roots so he was doing that while I scraped the carrots and we got it all in the pot with the onions and went to the water hole to get some more which was easier now that we had an EMPTY pork & beans can to carry with! I took the forelegs and back & strung them on sharpened sticks and slowly roasted them by coals scraped aside from the fire while Bill kept adding wood which he was really good at. Ya know Bill, your gonna have to get some more wood for tonight the way your feeding that fire. Dat’s ok, I know where there is plenty over there where a big ole tree fell over. GOOD! Slowly finishing off the nuts and having another cup of coffee while the young hog roasted we sat there and talked about “how exciting” this is :-)

The groundhog was young enough to roast well and we had a real nice mid day lunch of the legs and doing lots of hand picking all the meat off the backstrap and little pieces in the shoulder & ribs. The stew pot slowly cooking was for a real survival man’s supper:-)

Bill did gather more wood and after he had a pile large enough for me to say Enough, we went on a close to camp hike and I showed him some edible plants and even found a couple morel mushrooms but they were to dried up to eat by now. Found coon, possum, coyote & groundhog tracks. All but the groundhog tracks were very close to a tiny stream running through the woods where we also saw the “wrong” kinda snake but left it be. A Copperhead. The day seemed to fly by as he was having so much fun. Then came supper time and we dished into the stew with our canteen cups and Bill thought that was one of the best meals he’d ever had! Still remember him sayin “MAN This is GOOD!” Night came soon and sleep came fast that night as we laid there and watched the sky for shooting stars and listening to the yotes sing. Come morning we had what was left of the stew for breakfast and then sadly had to head out. We stirred the ashes of the fire out thin and then carried several pork & bean can & canteen cups of water from the hole to make sure it was dead out before leaving. Rolled up our 2 fishin lines while getting water and stowed them in the pack.

Getting back to the car and heading out, I don’t think Bill quit talking for a single breath all the way home! Man Jim, THAT was the BEST Survival Camp I’ve ever been on! :-)

Never regret that weekend. For “HIM” that weekend HE was like Jerimiah Johnson, haha :-)

I was SO SHOCKED when I seen him in the hospital 35 years later and first thing he ask “You remember that Survival Camping Trip you took me on? Time WELL SPENT!

Blue Skies aka Mingo, IN

You know it is funny talking with people on the phone and internet. I can not tell the number of times I have talk with people who told me how great this method is. Or how they bragged up about all they catch. Then when you really find out the truth some have never trapped or snared an animal but yet they are on the internet telling others how to do it???? Or others bragging about taking 45 fox when they took 11. The point is what happens on the internet is not normally the full truth. Anybody can sit behind a keyboard and tell tall tales.

The best thing you can do is go out in practice. If you think your chosen method works go out and prove it to yourself. Don’t prove it to me prove it to guy or gal looking back from the mirror in the morning. Make sure you can take animals with whatever method you decide. I actually go out and test things and over and over again I find the 110 conibear as the best small game trap on the market. I find real snares put more food in the pot. This is through years and years of testing. I admit they are other methods out there. But the key is can you learn to do it. With well over 15,000 folks who tried my methods I can guarantee you too can learn to put food on the table. If you are willing to work hard at it.

In real estate they say “location, location, location”. In trapping and snaring I say practice, practice, practice. You should go out at least 3-4 days ever single year and catch a few animals. Now you owe the animal the respect of tanning the hide and eating his meat. This is all very good survival training. You learn to catch the animal clean him, tan the hide, and cook it up so it taste good. Here is a recipe for beaver and ground hog. Par-boiled the meat and change the water twice. Leave it a simmer for 3-4 hours. Allow the meat to cool and it should fall off the bones. Take all the meat and mix it in with a brown gravy mix. Let that simmer for 10 minuets and serve over potatoes.

Now raccoons a little different. They are fatty animal but you can cook them up so they are real tasty. Par-boiled the meat and change the water twice. Leave it a simmer for 3-4 hours. Allow the meat to cool and it should fall off the bones. Taking off all the fat you can. In another pot have navy beans or small white beans almost done. Take all the meat and mix it in with navy beans. You will be surprise at how good this is. A very filling long lasting meal. I love this on cold snow days in December.

Or if you don’t want to mess around with medium size animals just go with rabbits if it is legal in your state to trap or snare them.

Now if you want a great recipe for rabbit. Par-boiled the meat and change the water twice. Leave it a simmer for 3-4 hours. Allow the meat to cool and it should fall off the bones. Now add this to your favorite spaghetti sauce and allow to simmer for an hour. Serve over white rice. Excellent table fare. I have serve this to folks who said they would never eat wild game and they never knew until I told them. All said the same thing your right they are very tasty.

Go out and practice have fun learn. When something works ask why? Why was this trail used? When something doesn’t work ask why stop, slow down and look. A lot of times it is simple as no animal travel by. Rabbits are real good at fooling people into thinking there is a lot around because of all the tracks in the snow but rabbits live normally in about 1/2 mile circle and 2-3 rabbits over a couple of days can leave one heck of a lot trails in the snow.

Buckshot

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Here is couple of more recipe provided by our good friend Mingo.

DEER MEAT LOAF

2 Eggs
1 – 8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce or 8 oz. Catsup = “I” like catsup.
1 Medium Onion Finely Chopped
1 Cup Dry bread Crumbs
1-1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
1 to 1-1/2 pounds ground meat
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
2 Tablespoons Vinegar

In large bowl, lightly beat eggs, add tomato sauce, onion, bread crumbs, salt & pepper.

Add meat & mix well. Press into un-greased 9×5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Bake uncovered 350 degrees for 70 min.
I mix in maybe about 1/4 Cup of olive oil when I mix it up.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Rod’s BBQ Sauce

The amount of Celery Seed/Salt depends on what your cooking I guess. I like the full teaspoon in something like Coon but if using it to baste chicken on the grill like to cut that to 1/2 teaspoon.

1 Cup Catsup
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 or 3 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
1 Cup water
1/4 Cup Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon ground Celery Seed OR leave out the Salt and use 2 teaspoons Celery Salt.

Combine all in non aluminum pot.
Heat to boiling, reduce heat to barely simmering and simmer for 30 min.

Use to baste Chicken, Ribs, Muskrat on the grill or dilute with water and use to cook BBQ Coon, Groundhog in slow cooker.

Thank you, Mingo!!!!