Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984
I know this thread is about weapons and i'd suggest a bow, however i have an even better suggestion.
Trapping. Learning to build traps will be one of the best ways to get food. Think of it as a numbers game. When you're out hunting you hope to come
across an animal by tracking it. You hope to kill it first shot so you don't have to chase it, and you have to expend an awful lot of energy
following it.
Now look at a trap. You can set up multiple traps along trails or baited. You can set lots of traps quickly for small animals like rabbits, or you can
make big traps for deer, boars etc.
Small traps for rabbits take only 2 minutes to set up for each one, if we're talking about snares. They're pretty reliable as well as you should set
them up directly on well used trails. Set up 10 of them and you have plenty of chances.
Simply as the numbers go it's better and easier to use traps. The added advantage is that you can set it up, walk away and theres no more input other
than to check it. Minimal energy expended. You can even set them up so that when they catch something it holds it out of reach of common predators
like foxes.
So yeah personally i like traps and you could always supplement that with hunting if you wished.
Very sensible advice here. Tracking and hunting is a very energy intensive activity, not to mention the calories you will be burning just by
maintaining your body temperature in a possibly very cold environment. If you don't know what you're doing you could be in for a few frustrating,
and hungry days. If you do make the kill, you could be miles from home with a heavy animal carcass to drag with you.
Tracking is, as they say, the way forward. Hunting is not without it's merits though.
From a survival standpoint, you should never be without a quality fixed blade - as both a tool and a weapon.
I once had a 150lb draw crossbow and can verify the penetration that has been remarked upon by others. I used to use, amongst other things, acquired
metal roadsigns for example, with straw bales behind, and very often the only thing stopping it going right through was the fletching.
Not much experience with long bows, however, one big advantage of the crossbow that has not been mentioned before is the ability to fire it from the
prone position.
I also found it to be very reliable, if looked after and maintained like any other weapon or tool.
[edit on 18-11-2008 by CallSign]
