We, Americans, like our protein, and
in a prolonged hunker-in-place situation one of the many inconveniences we will
be faced with will be the difficulty in enjoying our nightly beef, pork,
chicken, or fish, let alone finding enough protein to maintain the health of
ourselves and families. Sure, vegetarian-based diets can keep you alive, but
even in a TEOTWAWKI situation why go without meat when it might not be all that
hard to source and may be local to your home, camp, or hide-out, too.
First, let’s go over some
assumptions. Let’s recognize here that we’re at least six months into a
TEOTWAWKI event and that all of the larger game animals in your area, including
deer, bear, elk, antelope, and similar wildlife have already been harvested for
food. Secondly, your stocks of canned or frozen meats are nearly exhausted.
Furthermore, let’s also assume that you…
- either have lost your firearm and/or ammunition or for some strange reason chose not to include a firearm in your survival kit,
- have very little ammo left from defending your homestead in the first few days after the event, or
- do not want to discharge your firearm out of concern for alerting others of your location.
So you are left to harvest your
meats with other methods. Finally, you will see that this “how to” article is
written from the perspective of living in the eastern United States.
The techniques for catching or
killing the animals presented here are simple and require only basic
preparation, in most instances. Most importantly, you do not need to be a
survival specialist to have these few methods work for you. This is why
techniques, such as snares, dead falls, and trap lines, are not discussed here;
it is my opinion that they are not going to prove effective for the novice.
Also, it is not the purpose of this article to provide you with skinning or
meat preparation instruction or recipes for your harvest. Those instructions
can readily be found elsewhere.
For most of the animal species
covered here, live box traps of various sizes are your best bet for gathering a
meal. Be sure you have more than one, and have different sizes– at least two. I
like the traps from Havahart and Tomahawk. Forget the wooden traps, as you’ll want
a metal frame so that you can lock the trap to a tree. As for a cable lock, there is no need
to go overboard here. You are not going to stop the guy with a pair of bolt
cutters as he could always just cut the trap apart. Cheap cables and locks from Home Depot or
Lowe’s are what I use.
Animals
Squirrels
Squirrels are at the top of my list,
because they taste good, are abundant, and are also relatively easy to prepare,
once you’ve tried it a few times. Live cage traps work very
well. Just this summer my father trapped and relocated 12 gray and/or fox
squirrels from his backyard using a live box trap. Peanut butter or sunflower
seeds are my bait of choice; squirrels are not picky.
I’ve found rabbits to be difficult
to live trap. However, if you know where they frequent, trails to their dens
can often be located and a small leg hold trap can be used, such as a #1 muskrat trap. Just don’t
forget to stake the trap down, as I did with my first trapping experience. If
you don’t stake it, you’ll be out a meal and a trap. Another proven method is
to use a sling shot. This requires
practice, a lot of it. However, this is a fine opportunity to involve your
children in the food gathering process. Leave the slingshot work to them.
Slingshots are cheap, as you can see here and here. Rabbits will be the easiest target to start
with, based on their size and the ability to stalk them without scaring them
off.
Here is another animal that will
easily fall to a box trap. Also, if you
locate the chucks hole, a leg hold trap may be effective. Every woodchuck I’ve
ever dealt with has had a lot of insects in its rough hide, so be sure to keep
them outside when skinning/butchering. The meat is somewhat tough. Apple cores
and sunflower seeds are my preferred and proven baits for groundhogs.
This is the only animal I’ve never
eaten myself, but I’ve caught them in box traps before. They will eat just
about anything, and since they will eat just about anything, I imagine the meat
is a lot like bear meat in that it depends on what the animal has been eating
that will heavily influence the taste. Raccoons are nocturnal animals, and any
raccoon wandering around during the day should most likely be avoided, due to
the risk of it carrying rabies.
Once your young ones get good at
hitting a rabbit with the slingshot, they can test their skills on the
ubiquitous chipmunk. If they are good with a BB gun or air gun and that is an
option, chipmunks will make good targets for them. Also, a small box trap
baited with peanut butter or any seeds will make it a lot easier. Butterfly the
little guys and grill them whole on a stick or with a basket. Spend your time
wisely; the return on investment is very low here.
I’ve long thought than a commonly
overlooked item missing from many of the disaster-preparation supply lists I’ve
seen is fishing tackle. The species targeted here don’t require expensive or
even sophisticated tackle or much skill. Instead of by species, I’ve broken
this section down by type of habitat, as the local habitat you have available
to you will dictate the type of fish and fishing you’ll be doing.
Wild Trout Streams
Depending on where you live, an
abundant food source could be very nearby. In large sections of the rural and
even not-too-rural east, thousands of miles of streams are inhabited by
naturally reproducing trout, typically native brook trout or wild brown trout.
If you are lucky enough to know of or find one of these waterways, it could
provide a steady source of nourishment.
Naturally reproducing trout streams
are the key, because state wildlife department stocking trucks that dump trout
into streams and rivers will be long gone. Many out there would likely be
surprised at the little unnamed trickles that wild brook and brown trout will
inhabit, especially brook trout, as they are the only trout native to the
eastern United States and can be found in most mountainous and forested
locations from Maine to Georgia. These trout often live in relatively
infertile, freestone streams, which means they can’t be too picky about what
they eat, so passing up a meal is usually not an option. Plus, recreational
fishing pressure won’t be a problem, which could be good or bad. Blue-ribbon trout
streams will likely draw the attention of many looking for a meal. However, the
out of the way, nameless runs may be overlooked and contain enough small
brookies to provide steady meals. Keep in mind that a ten-inch fish in these
streams would be considered a trophy, but a half dozen six-inch fish could
realistically be harvested in less than an hour.
As for tackle and techniques, simple
is best in this situation. A spinning rod and/or fly rod, appropriate reels
to match, line, leader, hooks, and a few simple fly and spinner patterns will
be all you need. As a kid, we would catch countless brookies four to seven
inches long on a small hook tipped with a piece of night crawler. Now, I use
dry flies and can usually do the same. Any live bait will do. Artificial lures–
tied flies or spinners– will eliminate the need to gather bait, but they may
not be as effective for gathering a quick meal, at least without a moderate
level of knowledge on fly fishing.
Farm Ponds
For bluegills, large mouth bass,
catfish, and similar fish, small ponds dot the landscape of much of North
America. Fortunately most of these impoundments contain at least some type of
fish life. Chances are the inhabitants will be accustomed to seeing people,
farm animals, and farm equipment moving along the banks, and they will not be
easily spooked. The easiest and fastest way that I’ve found to harvest pan fish
from a pond is using a fly rod. No reel is even required if you can see the
fish from shore. Just tie a leader of at least eight or nine feet to the last
eyelet of the rod, and tie on a rubber spider or foam fly on the line. These
fly patterns are nearly indestructible and there is no need to gather or store
live bait. In the summer, pan fish and bass are on their nests, or redds, and
become aggressive. These are usually the biggest (adult) fish and can be coaxed
into an “aggression strike” by dragging any lure, bait, or fly in or near the
redd. Pulling too many fish off the redds will inevitably lead to less young
fish next year though. For catfish, any bait on the bottom is good. Animal
hearts and livers from your previous harvests can be used here.
Other waters
Finally, find any river, lake,
creek, run, brook, or swamp that you can get to; it should be able to provide
the opportunity to harvest some type of fish. Pan fish, small mouth bass, creek
chubs, suckers, carp, and other species that most consider today to be “junk
fish” for eating and that, if caught, are thrown back could one day– after
TEOTWAWKI– be viewed as a delicacy. (A quick note on carp: They are big and
easy to spot, but they are notoriously shy and will spook if they see you or if
you present your bait too overtly. Remember, if you can see the fish, the fish
can see you. Some don’t care (think bluegills) but most do. Be stealthy if you
are after them.)
Since we’re working under the
assumption that we don’t have a firearm or don’t want to use it, birds are
going to be difficult to provide us with a food source. Three notable
exceptions exist.
Eggs
Harvesting any bird eggs could be
done from either cavity-nesting or platform nesting birds. However, you’ll need
to harvest the egg within four days of it being laid, to insure minimal embryo
development.
Trapping
Trapping cavity nesting birds in
their nests is a second method to avian protein sources. Again, your efforts
may be limited by the size of your quarry. To me, a dove isn’t worth the hassle
to hunt, since it is so small. However, I’d likely feel very different if I was
hungry. That said, trapping a sparrow in a bird house isn’t going to satisfy
your cravings for protein. The bigger the better, so try to locate duck, owl,
kestrel, or large woodpecker nests within reach. This source is most likely
going to be a “target of opportunity”.
The Goose
The “highlight” of the bird section
is the Canada goose, which is plentiful year-round in the central and northern
United States. In fact, it is hard to find a pond or stream without one or
multiple pairs of geese in the breeding season. In the nesting season, Canada
geese will not abandon their nest with eggs, which are found on the ground,
near a body of water. In fact, they will fight you or any other threat that
comes too close to the nest. This is a two-fold win for you if you come across
an active nest. First, kill the geese and then gather the eggs. I’ve never
raided a goose nest, but I can attest that goose bites do hurt a bit, but it
should be a quick fight. Approach the nest when both birds are nearby and
you’ll double your goose meat supply. Finally, as mentioned above, it is best
to get to the eggs soon after they are laid, before much embryo development has
occurred.
There is a reason I’ve listed this
section at the end, as these would all be an equal last resort for me and my
family’s protein supply.
Frogs
If you have any body of water near
your location, such as the farm ponds mentioned above, frogs might be an option
during the warmer months. The bullfrog, leopard frog, and pickerel frog would
generally serve as the largest and most common sources. The easiest way to
harvest frogs in my experience is during the breeding season and at night. For
the bullfrog in the east, that is June and July. A spotlight or flashlight will
stun them and a frog gig, net, your hands, or
two-by-four will do to catch them. As you probably guessed, the legs are the
edible part. Many rave over the taste, but I’m personally not as impressed.
Crayfish
Almost every moving waterway and
even some ponds in the east contain crayfish. When I was a child, on camping
trips we would catch them in an acid-mine-drainage stained, farm runoff filled,
and muddy little tributary and boil them over the campfire. They are not
exactly gourmet, but considering the environment they were sourced from they
were not all that bad. Look for crayfish by turning over rocks. Crayfish swim
backwards, which you’ll quickly figure out. A net or seine might help you catch
them, The tail/abdomen is the edible part, just like a shrimp. Be sure to remove
the carapace (shell) before eating.
Freshwater Mussels
One particular stream near where I
grew up contains 27 different species of freshwater mussels. Once you’ve found
a supply, it is as simple as picking them up. Freshwater mussels themselves are
not poisonous, but chemicals and algae in/on them might be. So consider a few
preventative measures before eating. These include letting the mussel live in
clean water for a few days before consuming them, cleaning off the outside of
the mussel with a stiff bristled brush before cooking them, and only cooking
mussels that are closed tight. Open shells mean that the mussel is dead or
dying, and these should not be harvested.
A note on eating fish, crayfish,
mussels, et cetera: Your local environmental conditions will determine how safe
aquatic life is for you to eat over the long term. Looking back, those crayfish
from that little sulfur-stained run are probably not a good idea to consume
every day, but one time didn’t seem to hurt me.
Hopefully, the ideas and techniques
discussed above will be a benefit to you and your family, if the need should
arise. Preparing and trying these non-traditional food items could be a good
source of family fun. I know that this coming summer I’ll be making an effort to
try frog legs again. My hunch is that frog tastes like the water body it lives
in, and since the little creek I tried frogs from before included the effluent
from more than one broken septic field, I might like it better this time.
If you have to start from scratch
and purchase (new) two box traps and locks, a fly rod, or spinning rod and
reel, basic tackle, a leg hold trap, and a slingshot, the total on the “budget
plan” should come to no more than $300. Chances are you already have some of
these items or can acquire them used for less. With a little preparation and
reasonable cost, you can be well prepared for making sure that your loved ones
have access to protein sources in case of a TEOTWAWKI event.
From
the Survival Blog
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