Oldpine, BNill Moreland only made it in the area where he was because of a .22 rifle he stole from a rangers camp along with a bag of 500 rounds. He also snared deer with barbed wire, and lived off firetower chop boxes. He finaly became such a nuisance that the rangers tracked him down and took him out of the woods. He never did say why he walked off into the woods. The ranger who caught him was the same man who's .22 he had stolen years before. Most of the goods he had on him he had liberated from cabins and camps over the years.
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Long term survival thread
- Thread starter g123
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,484
Animals (continued)
The best and most successfull hunters & trappers are the ones that really know the habbits of their quarry. If you don't know the animals you are likely to be harvesting, then study them.
This way you'll know where to set your traps/snares, where and when to concentrate your hunting efforts and where the better places along a stream are to set a fishing line. Better yet, let Blowflies do the burlying for you to attract fish to your area. Hang a bit of offal over a pool and let it become fly blown. As the maggots mature and move out of the meat, they will drop off & into the water, attracting fish to the spot
Make use of the fact reptiles are exothermic. Early in the morning they can be found suning themselves in order to raise their body temps.
During the heat of the day, they'll be layed up in the shade under rocks, trees etc...
They can also be caught with fishing line & very small hooks that are baited.
Regular Bird roosting spots (a good location for bird snares) will generally be indicated by lots of droppings on the ground.
Water.
Drinkable water is something you'll need on an ongoing basis. If you have surface water available in the area (streams/rivers/lakes), then all you need to do is collect it. A billy is indespensible for not only collecting / carting it, but also boiling it (necessary in those areas where water needs to be treated before drinking).
If your in an area that dries out at different times of the year, or is in drought than being able to find water is vital for long term wilderness living.
Herbivores need to drink daily, so follow game trails that move downhill as they will often lead to a watering hole like a mountain spring (not a bad ambush spot for hunting them either).
The base of rock faces can also hold water after light rain.
Digging below the surface of dry streams is also worth a try
More to follow...
Kind regards
Mick
The best and most successfull hunters & trappers are the ones that really know the habbits of their quarry. If you don't know the animals you are likely to be harvesting, then study them.
This way you'll know where to set your traps/snares, where and when to concentrate your hunting efforts and where the better places along a stream are to set a fishing line. Better yet, let Blowflies do the burlying for you to attract fish to your area. Hang a bit of offal over a pool and let it become fly blown. As the maggots mature and move out of the meat, they will drop off & into the water, attracting fish to the spot
Make use of the fact reptiles are exothermic. Early in the morning they can be found suning themselves in order to raise their body temps.
During the heat of the day, they'll be layed up in the shade under rocks, trees etc...
They can also be caught with fishing line & very small hooks that are baited.
Regular Bird roosting spots (a good location for bird snares) will generally be indicated by lots of droppings on the ground.
Water.
Drinkable water is something you'll need on an ongoing basis. If you have surface water available in the area (streams/rivers/lakes), then all you need to do is collect it. A billy is indespensible for not only collecting / carting it, but also boiling it (necessary in those areas where water needs to be treated before drinking).
If your in an area that dries out at different times of the year, or is in drought than being able to find water is vital for long term wilderness living.
Herbivores need to drink daily, so follow game trails that move downhill as they will often lead to a watering hole like a mountain spring (not a bad ambush spot for hunting them either).
The base of rock faces can also hold water after light rain.
Digging below the surface of dry streams is also worth a try
More to follow...
Kind regards
Mick
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,484
Fire
There has already been lots of previous posts at this forum about just about all aspects of fire.
If your venturing into an area that gets reasonable amounts of rain, then knowing how to light a fire with wet wood is important: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=620418
[youtube]gqW0lmj6lzA[/youtube]
Knowing what natural tinder is available in the area is also important, as is being able to find dry tinder & kindling if needed:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607085
Dry kindling can also be accessed by shaving a limb and using the kindling chips produced.
[youtube]je8CgtP1-jU[/youtube]
I'm sure others will be able to provide links to previous posts that discuss this topic, so I'll leave it to them to continue contributing links on fire.
Knife maintenance
This is something that is going to be needed in any long term wilderness adventure. No matter how Uber the edge holding your knife has, long term wilderness living will eventually dull any knife :thumbup:
IMO, a small hand held stone is well & truly worth taking. Personally I take a DC4 stone that I use to maintain the edge on my knives when in the bush :thumbup:
BTW, in a previous post, I promised links to several trips in recent years (since getting a digital camera ) that should go some way to putting my ideas and opinions into context. They can be found here:
Hunting / Camping trip
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/772404/
5 Days / 4 Nights
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/799295/
Hiking in the bush
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/827329/
A wet weeks bushcrafting & the TK2
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/856739/
Kind regards
Mick
There has already been lots of previous posts at this forum about just about all aspects of fire.
If your venturing into an area that gets reasonable amounts of rain, then knowing how to light a fire with wet wood is important: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=620418
[youtube]gqW0lmj6lzA[/youtube]
Knowing what natural tinder is available in the area is also important, as is being able to find dry tinder & kindling if needed:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607085
Dry kindling can also be accessed by shaving a limb and using the kindling chips produced.
[youtube]je8CgtP1-jU[/youtube]
I'm sure others will be able to provide links to previous posts that discuss this topic, so I'll leave it to them to continue contributing links on fire.
Knife maintenance
This is something that is going to be needed in any long term wilderness adventure. No matter how Uber the edge holding your knife has, long term wilderness living will eventually dull any knife :thumbup:
IMO, a small hand held stone is well & truly worth taking. Personally I take a DC4 stone that I use to maintain the edge on my knives when in the bush :thumbup:
BTW, in a previous post, I promised links to several trips in recent years (since getting a digital camera
) that should go some way to putting my ideas and opinions into context. They can be found here:Hunting / Camping trip
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/772404/
5 Days / 4 Nights
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/799295/
Hiking in the bush
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/827329/
A wet weeks bushcrafting & the TK2
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/856739/
Kind regards
Mick
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2009
- Messages
- 73
Yes I'm very familiar with Moreland's exploits and live in one of the counties he wandered.
He was surviving before he stole the 22, which btw did make it easier to secure small game and perhaps larger game. As for wire he used the copper transmission and messenger wire which lined the rail line on the N. fork of the St. Joe.
The guy admittedly was pretty gross and theived a bit, but he endured incredible hardship for 13 or more years and lived in conditions that would easily grind down almost anyone.