Food for Survival X/Foraging

Animals are another forage item. When most people think of animals for food, they think of deer and other big game animals. There will be a much greater emphasis on small animals and birds in a survival situation. First, they are more abundant. Second, they are easier to obtain. Third, they are obtainable by various methods that would not work with big game. Small game and birds may be taken by gun, bow, slingshot, airgun, thrown objects, such as rocks or sticks and various means of trapping. While you can snare or trap big game, it is both difficult and time consuming. During a time of survival, you might not want anyone to know when and where you are taking game for food. With small game you can use silent methods such as a slingshot or traps. First, under survival conditions, you need to remember that all animals are edible. When things are normal and we are well fed, we would not think of eating things like skunk, mice, mink or fox. In a survival situation, any one of these may save your life.The same can be said for birds. I would not think of eating crow or buzzard at the present time, but if I could obtain one during a survival situation, I surely would do so. You may want to ask yourself: "Am I mentally and physically equiped to obtain and eat all animals and birds?" The would-be survivalist should be doing all he can "now" to get ready for that possibility. You need to spend a lot of time in the woods, learning all you can about various animals and their habits. One of the ways I do this is to hunt with a camera. I feel that if I can get close enough to "shoot" something with the camera, I can get close enough to capture it. I also hunt as many things as the law allows and I hunt them by as many different methods as possible. I have taken game with gun, bow, slingshot, air guns and muzzle loaders. We are not in a survival situaion now so we should do our best to take all animals with the least amount of suffering. Remember, the antis are constantly watching to take away our rights. Do not give them any more ammunition for that purpose.