Post by Blair on Apr 1, 2013 9:00:49 GMT -5
PRIMITIVE HUNTING TOOLS
THROWING STICK
One of the most ancient, yet effective tools for hunting small game is the throwing stick. A throwing stick is thrown sidearm so that it spins as shown (animation may take several seconds to load). The stick is typically 2 to 3 feet long depending on the size and strength of the user. It is also very thick (about as big around as the wrist of the user) and heavy (typically made of hardwood). The ends can be either blunt or sharpened. I prefer to put a very slight point (a skull crusher or pommel point, as it is known).
The whole point to the throwing stick is that (thrown sideways) you only have to be within 2 or 3 feet of your target to actually hit it. This is a very effective tool for hunting rabbits and other small ground critters.
THROWING STAR
An ancient, yet effective tool for hunting small game is the throwing stick. An improvement on that tool is to effectively double it up for a heavier tool with more points. It probably had a name (something like Grunt, Ugh), but I call it the Caveman Throwing Star. Like the throwing stick, the Caveman Throwing Star is thrown sidearm so that it spins as shown below (animation may take several seconds to load).
HOW TO MAKE IT
This tool is constructed of two halves, each constructed as shown. The notch is carved in the middle to allow the two halves to be mated. Each half is is typically 2 to 3 feet long depending on the size and strength of the user. It is also very thick (about as big around as the wrist of the user) and heavy (typically made of hardwood). The ends can be either blunt or sharpened. I prefer to put a very slight point (a skull crusher or pommel point, as it is known).
The two halves are fit together as shown here, and then bound with Para Cord, fishing line, strips of inner bark or whatever is handy.
The tool is thrown sidearm to induce a spin like that shown above
SETTING ANIMAL TRAPS
WHAT ARE TRAPS?
A trap is a device you make that catches an animal, they make it easier to catch food than trying to hunt for it and the traps we will be looking at are as humane as you can make them. Trapping and killing an animal is not something most people particularly want to do and, for those who would rather die than have to kill an animal, there are other things such as snails and worms that can be eaten and that we will find out how to prepare later.
TRAP RULES
If you want to make sure you don't go hungry, follow these rules... • Try not to leave any sign that you have been there. • Handle traps as little as possible, mask human scents by exposing trap snares to smoke from a campfire. • Hide the ends of wood, where you can see they have been cut, with mud and try to camouflage traps so that they don't look out of place. • Make sure the trap is strong. For those not sure what a snare is, it's the part of the trap that holds the animal and stops it escaping. These tend to be made from rope or twine but can be made from wire. Anyway, let's find out how to make a simple snare that will be able to catch small animals.
MAKING A SIMPLE TRAP
• Find a suitable material such as rope, string,twine or wire. • Make the end of the material into a loop or noose that is the size of a fist. • Find some twigs and place them in the ground so that their tops are at a height of about four fingers from the ground. • Secure the end of the material, NOT the loop, to something nearby that can take the strain of an animal pulling on it without breaking. • Balance the loop on the twigs. • To catch rabbits simply make sure the loop is about a hand's length from an obstruction, such as the object it is anchored to.
MAKING A TRAPEZE TRAP
This trap is able to cover two areas of ground and when caught an animal is hoisted up in the air.
Get a twig or small branch, three or four fists in width should be fine.
Tie one piece of string, wire or twine around each end and tie the two pieces of string together at the top so that what you have is a triangle shape where the twig is the base and the two pieces of string slope upwards to meet each other at the halfway mark.
Get a strong piece of wood and make a notch in it that the twig can fit in without being too wedged in (the notch should be shaped like a number seven).
Remember the simple snare?
Well make a basic loop, as for that trap, and tie it to one end of the twig.
Make a second loop and tie it to the opposite end.
Now all you do is bend over a nearby branch and tie some string to it.
Make sure this string is attached to the top of your triangle and hook the bottom of your triangle into the notch you made earlier on and get the two loops to stand up on the ground.
The branch should be pulling at the triangle so that, if it was not caught in the notch, it would be pulled up in the air so make sure the tree branch is bent over about halfway.
What happens is the animal runs into one of the loops.
As it tries to escape it pulls the twig out of the notch and the branch pulls it into the air so that you are able to catch it.
The twig will be pulled out of the notch regardless of which way the animal approaches the trap but don't leave it hanging in the air - it's a cruel torture to the animal and it gives it more time to try and escape the longer you leave it.
So far we have looked at two simple but effective types of trap and many of the other traps that can be made are basically variations of these.
There is a trap we could have looked at which is where you dig a hole, three feet deep, and put some bird bait inside it and around the outside.
When birds enter the hole to eat the bait you rush them and in the panic they are unable to spread their wings enough to take off.
I say we could look at that but you have to have food to use as bait for the birds and you really want to keep the food you have.
But you know how to make it if you want to, it does not need to be hidden and it is straightforward to make.
SETTING SNARES
And so once you have the material, then all ya gotta do is make a "loop" and attach a "sliding knot" so when a critter sticks his head through it… it'll tighten up and either hold'em in place or choke his ass to death.
When preparing the material, don't try to make each snare the same length because the lengths will vary depending on where you (a) place the noose and (b) anchor it. You do understand you're gonna have to make more than one snare, don't you? Why? Because the more you set out - the more chances you'll have in catching something to eat before you starve to death. Which is known among professional trappers as a "trap line," the laying out of a buncha traps.
To figure out where to set'em, look for "fresh" animal signs such as tracks in soft mud, droppings (poop) on the ground, narrow trails with tromped up dirt, flattened grass, dug up vegetation, holes in trees, logs, the ground, etc, that indicate critters are regularly visiting, passing by or living in the area.
Not to mention, wherever you find water you can bet some are drinking and hunting for food (and other critters) there too. And one of the best places to set snares is at both ends of a log lying across a creek or stream. Why? Because it's a natural bridge crossing for animals who don't wanna get their feet wet, and you'd be surprised how many don't and use it quite often everyday too.
Critters are smart, not only do they have good eyesight and hearing, but rely on their noses to tell'em when something ain't right. Or I should say, "don't smell right." And because we humans have a distinctive and strange odor, (some more than others, phew), before placing out snares you should try to cover up your scent as much as possible. Such as standing next to a fire for a few minutes and allowing the "smoke" to cover your body (and snare material too) from top to bottom. And or a distance away from the spot where you intend to set a snare, rub some dirt onto your hands to help mask some of your scent.
BELOW ARE SOME BASIC SNARES AND TRAPS
made of wood and vines Trail Snare Trap Log Snare Trap Water Snare Trap Hole Snare Trap Spring Snare Trap SETTING FISH TRAPS
Survival fishing is quite different than normal fishing. Survival fishing is often done without you even being there. It's more akin to trapping and snaring than it is to conventional fishing. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished.
ABSENTEE FISHING
If you have fish hooks and line (in a survival kit), then you're way ahead of the game. You can bait a whole bunch of hooks, string them on a line across the waterway, and then walk away. This is "absentee fishing". Be careful that the line you string across the waterway is strong (550 cord works well). Tie it between a couple trees a couple feet above the water, and then you can either rely on the water flow to keep the bait near the surface, or simply put just enough line down to your hooks to not allow them to sink. If the water is moving, your bait will be dancing to entice the fish. If there's little or no movement, you can tie some leaf covered branches to the paracord to catch the wind, which also makes your bait look lively. While waiting for a catch, you can keep yourself busy with important things like fire and shelter, and simply check your lines every few hours
FISH FENCES
If you don't have any hooks and line, then I recommend a "fish fence". A "fish fence" is just what it sounds like. It's a fence that you make out of sticks that will corral the fish for you. Below, you'll see a couple sections of fish fence. As you can see, the smaller twigs are woven back and forth between the posts, which holds it all together nicely. The denser the better, as long as water can flow through, and fish cannot! This is built on land in sections, and then inserted in a likely waterway by pushing the posts into the mud at the bottom.
If you're working with a stream, then it's important to determine the direction of flow. Observe whether fish are moving upstream, downstream, or both. If the fish are moving in one direction then a basic fence placed diagonally across the stream will concentrate the fish in a small area making it easier to spear one.
Crabbing for Hard Shell Crabs
BAIT Eel - Cut into 4" pieces, eel is the ultimate crab bait
Ring Net - The ring net is the simplest trap available. It consists of two rings each of a different diameter connected by netting. When baited and lowered to the bottom, the trap lies flat on the bottom. The crab will then approach and start to feed on the bait. When the trap is pulled up the top ring is lifted first this trapping the crab ease of use, ease of storage (it folds completely flat), and its low cost. The drawbacks are that it only works in relatively calm water with flat sandy or muddy bottoms and that it must be lowered very slowly straight down.
THROWING STICK
One of the most ancient, yet effective tools for hunting small game is the throwing stick. A throwing stick is thrown sidearm so that it spins as shown (animation may take several seconds to load). The stick is typically 2 to 3 feet long depending on the size and strength of the user. It is also very thick (about as big around as the wrist of the user) and heavy (typically made of hardwood). The ends can be either blunt or sharpened. I prefer to put a very slight point (a skull crusher or pommel point, as it is known).
The whole point to the throwing stick is that (thrown sideways) you only have to be within 2 or 3 feet of your target to actually hit it. This is a very effective tool for hunting rabbits and other small ground critters.
THROWING STAR
An ancient, yet effective tool for hunting small game is the throwing stick. An improvement on that tool is to effectively double it up for a heavier tool with more points. It probably had a name (something like Grunt, Ugh), but I call it the Caveman Throwing Star. Like the throwing stick, the Caveman Throwing Star is thrown sidearm so that it spins as shown below (animation may take several seconds to load).
HOW TO MAKE IT
This tool is constructed of two halves, each constructed as shown. The notch is carved in the middle to allow the two halves to be mated. Each half is is typically 2 to 3 feet long depending on the size and strength of the user. It is also very thick (about as big around as the wrist of the user) and heavy (typically made of hardwood). The ends can be either blunt or sharpened. I prefer to put a very slight point (a skull crusher or pommel point, as it is known).
The two halves are fit together as shown here, and then bound with Para Cord, fishing line, strips of inner bark or whatever is handy.
The tool is thrown sidearm to induce a spin like that shown above
SETTING ANIMAL TRAPS
WHAT ARE TRAPS?
A trap is a device you make that catches an animal, they make it easier to catch food than trying to hunt for it and the traps we will be looking at are as humane as you can make them. Trapping and killing an animal is not something most people particularly want to do and, for those who would rather die than have to kill an animal, there are other things such as snails and worms that can be eaten and that we will find out how to prepare later.
TRAP RULES
If you want to make sure you don't go hungry, follow these rules... • Try not to leave any sign that you have been there. • Handle traps as little as possible, mask human scents by exposing trap snares to smoke from a campfire. • Hide the ends of wood, where you can see they have been cut, with mud and try to camouflage traps so that they don't look out of place. • Make sure the trap is strong. For those not sure what a snare is, it's the part of the trap that holds the animal and stops it escaping. These tend to be made from rope or twine but can be made from wire. Anyway, let's find out how to make a simple snare that will be able to catch small animals.
MAKING A SIMPLE TRAP
• Find a suitable material such as rope, string,twine or wire. • Make the end of the material into a loop or noose that is the size of a fist. • Find some twigs and place them in the ground so that their tops are at a height of about four fingers from the ground. • Secure the end of the material, NOT the loop, to something nearby that can take the strain of an animal pulling on it without breaking. • Balance the loop on the twigs. • To catch rabbits simply make sure the loop is about a hand's length from an obstruction, such as the object it is anchored to.
MAKING A TRAPEZE TRAP
This trap is able to cover two areas of ground and when caught an animal is hoisted up in the air.
Get a twig or small branch, three or four fists in width should be fine.
Tie one piece of string, wire or twine around each end and tie the two pieces of string together at the top so that what you have is a triangle shape where the twig is the base and the two pieces of string slope upwards to meet each other at the halfway mark.
Get a strong piece of wood and make a notch in it that the twig can fit in without being too wedged in (the notch should be shaped like a number seven).
Remember the simple snare?
Well make a basic loop, as for that trap, and tie it to one end of the twig.
Make a second loop and tie it to the opposite end.
Now all you do is bend over a nearby branch and tie some string to it.
Make sure this string is attached to the top of your triangle and hook the bottom of your triangle into the notch you made earlier on and get the two loops to stand up on the ground.
The branch should be pulling at the triangle so that, if it was not caught in the notch, it would be pulled up in the air so make sure the tree branch is bent over about halfway.
What happens is the animal runs into one of the loops.
As it tries to escape it pulls the twig out of the notch and the branch pulls it into the air so that you are able to catch it.
The twig will be pulled out of the notch regardless of which way the animal approaches the trap but don't leave it hanging in the air - it's a cruel torture to the animal and it gives it more time to try and escape the longer you leave it.
So far we have looked at two simple but effective types of trap and many of the other traps that can be made are basically variations of these.
There is a trap we could have looked at which is where you dig a hole, three feet deep, and put some bird bait inside it and around the outside.
When birds enter the hole to eat the bait you rush them and in the panic they are unable to spread their wings enough to take off.
I say we could look at that but you have to have food to use as bait for the birds and you really want to keep the food you have.
But you know how to make it if you want to, it does not need to be hidden and it is straightforward to make.
SETTING SNARES
And so once you have the material, then all ya gotta do is make a "loop" and attach a "sliding knot" so when a critter sticks his head through it… it'll tighten up and either hold'em in place or choke his ass to death.
When preparing the material, don't try to make each snare the same length because the lengths will vary depending on where you (a) place the noose and (b) anchor it. You do understand you're gonna have to make more than one snare, don't you? Why? Because the more you set out - the more chances you'll have in catching something to eat before you starve to death. Which is known among professional trappers as a "trap line," the laying out of a buncha traps.
To figure out where to set'em, look for "fresh" animal signs such as tracks in soft mud, droppings (poop) on the ground, narrow trails with tromped up dirt, flattened grass, dug up vegetation, holes in trees, logs, the ground, etc, that indicate critters are regularly visiting, passing by or living in the area.
Not to mention, wherever you find water you can bet some are drinking and hunting for food (and other critters) there too. And one of the best places to set snares is at both ends of a log lying across a creek or stream. Why? Because it's a natural bridge crossing for animals who don't wanna get their feet wet, and you'd be surprised how many don't and use it quite often everyday too.
Critters are smart, not only do they have good eyesight and hearing, but rely on their noses to tell'em when something ain't right. Or I should say, "don't smell right." And because we humans have a distinctive and strange odor, (some more than others, phew), before placing out snares you should try to cover up your scent as much as possible. Such as standing next to a fire for a few minutes and allowing the "smoke" to cover your body (and snare material too) from top to bottom. And or a distance away from the spot where you intend to set a snare, rub some dirt onto your hands to help mask some of your scent.
BELOW ARE SOME BASIC SNARES AND TRAPS
made of wood and vines Trail Snare Trap Log Snare Trap Water Snare Trap Hole Snare Trap Spring Snare Trap SETTING FISH TRAPS
Survival fishing is quite different than normal fishing. Survival fishing is often done without you even being there. It's more akin to trapping and snaring than it is to conventional fishing. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished.
ABSENTEE FISHING
If you have fish hooks and line (in a survival kit), then you're way ahead of the game. You can bait a whole bunch of hooks, string them on a line across the waterway, and then walk away. This is "absentee fishing". Be careful that the line you string across the waterway is strong (550 cord works well). Tie it between a couple trees a couple feet above the water, and then you can either rely on the water flow to keep the bait near the surface, or simply put just enough line down to your hooks to not allow them to sink. If the water is moving, your bait will be dancing to entice the fish. If there's little or no movement, you can tie some leaf covered branches to the paracord to catch the wind, which also makes your bait look lively. While waiting for a catch, you can keep yourself busy with important things like fire and shelter, and simply check your lines every few hours
FISH FENCES
If you don't have any hooks and line, then I recommend a "fish fence". A "fish fence" is just what it sounds like. It's a fence that you make out of sticks that will corral the fish for you. Below, you'll see a couple sections of fish fence. As you can see, the smaller twigs are woven back and forth between the posts, which holds it all together nicely. The denser the better, as long as water can flow through, and fish cannot! This is built on land in sections, and then inserted in a likely waterway by pushing the posts into the mud at the bottom.
If you're working with a stream, then it's important to determine the direction of flow. Observe whether fish are moving upstream, downstream, or both. If the fish are moving in one direction then a basic fence placed diagonally across the stream will concentrate the fish in a small area making it easier to spear one.
Crabbing for Hard Shell Crabs
BAIT Eel - Cut into 4" pieces, eel is the ultimate crab bait
Ring Net - The ring net is the simplest trap available. It consists of two rings each of a different diameter connected by netting. When baited and lowered to the bottom, the trap lies flat on the bottom. The crab will then approach and start to feed on the bait. When the trap is pulled up the top ring is lifted first this trapping the crab ease of use, ease of storage (it folds completely flat), and its low cost. The drawbacks are that it only works in relatively calm water with flat sandy or muddy bottoms and that it must be lowered very slowly straight down.