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Trapping and killing wild game.

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posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 02:44 PM
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Let me first start off with the fact I in no way condone or agree with poaching or taking any animal in an unlawful manner. Those laws are in place to manage populations so they will be healthy and have ongoing survival.

Here we are discussing the 'What If?' and I don't need or require any of this information. It is for the benefit of others. Use it to break the law and I hope you get caught and made an example of.


For this first installation we are discussing taking game and fish with fish hooks and lines. Mice and squirrels chew free so don't bother with those.


Here is your first shopping list:

1. 200-1000 various sized fish hooks from egg to 2-0 size nickle or stainless.
2. As many packages of snelled hooks as you can remember to buy.
3. Small rolls to large spools of parachute cord, green.
4. large rolls of 10,20 and 60 pound test monofiliment fishing line.
5. hook sharpening stone.

Snelled hooks: can be attached to submerged branches or roots by slipping the hook through the loop and tightening. Baited with either peices of worm or corn you can catch not only fish but ducks and other water fowl. check after breakfast and before sun goes down.

Parachute cord: is a mainline for trotlines. from these leaders are tied and hooks to those. Spaced far enough apart they will not tangle. They should be made long enough to cross slow moving rivers and creeks, or in a lake or pond, half the distance across. every 6 to 10 feet you will alternate a weight or float attached to the line so it floats up and down from the bottom i n a zig zag shape under the water. If fish are feeding the surface use all floats. Use snelled hooks tied to capped half gallon and gallon plastic jugs if you have a boat or canoe.

Use between 20 and 50 hooks at one time for two people. Extra fish can be sliced thin, salted and dried by a a fire for keeping up to two weeks depending on the salt, or smoked to last for 5-7 days. They may also be gifted and traded.

Fish are smart and can smell you. wash hands thouroughly before handling fishing equipment and do so as little as possible. At the waters edge rub mud in hands like it was soap. then rub down trot lines leaders and hooks before baiting. Earthworms are found by spading the grass above the water line about 20 feet. they stay away from the water vibrations for the most part. dried corn can be soaked back to wet in a day or two. Catfish sometimes will take fresh peices of squirrel and mice, depends on the strain. Kids will help catch grasshoppers and other bait insects. You may take land birds by stretching the lines across the ground in the open and staking them down securely.

These lines are easily lost through careless ness and the occasional big one so tie them securely. Losing 50 hooks at one time is a big loss.


Next installment: Trapping fish and water creatures.



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 03:24 PM
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Fish trapping is broken down in two parts. Ready made traps and improvised traps.

Ready Made:
1.Most sporting good retailers or on line will carry fish traps. in practice they are usually too small and don't catch many fish. they also tend to be a lot of trouble if you are not very familiar with the process. Wild animals such as racoons will raid these so watch them close.

2.Casting nets are also sold online and are very effective if you can keep them from getting hung up on the bottom. Practice casting on your lawn. buy the net thrower it is a great help and value. Use these where you can see the fish and a clear bottom.

3. Crawdad traps are tops and usually pay off well when watched closely and baited often. your entrails and unused skin and bones go here. get a few. the modern versions stack very well. Racoons are well versed with these and can pull the trap's ropes very easily, due to their thumbs.

Improvised:
1. Dug channel. Before a rain and flooding of a creek or river, on a gravel bar dig with a shovel about 4' wide and 15' long a pit about 2' deep. At the upriver end place several large boulders to slow the flow aver the gravel pit. During the rain flooding fish will go behind the boulders and rest from the fast moving water. If the pit is deep enough as the water goes down they will stay and rest, until they are trapped. If it is too shallow they will see they are being trapped and leave. Warning! never leave a pit you are no longer fishing. Thousand of fry can become trapped and die. If you intend to come back fill it partway in going downhill from the rocks and trench deeply out to the water so it will not trap unattended.

2. Weir fishing. The best weir I have seen was made with lots of rolls of picket garden fence. The rolls were made into a cage by driving the pickets into the mud with a small opening closed by placing a freezer rack in front once the fish were in. From this, diagonaly across the creek 2/3 the width going upstream the rest of the rolls were pounded in to make a fence guiding the fish into the weir box. The tribal fishermen started at the down stream and chased the fish up past the weir by walking side by side and dangling branches between each person. once the fish were upstream from the weir the fence was moved to cross the whole creek and the hiked about 600 yards above the weir and chased all of the fish into the trap.

3. Buckets, boxes and cans can all be adapted with screen mesh and some wire to make small fish and crawdad traps. use an old can opener to make holes for the wire. Use pill bottles with holes or other secure bait containers to get the most from each set.


Next installment: the trouble with nets.

[edit on 18-12-2007 by Illuminis]



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 03:51 PM
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Nets.

Nets are a lot of trouble and they take too many fish at one time. If you place your faith in a net, you may cry the day a big log floats down stream and takes your net with it.

They tend to come in fine mesh and gill nets. If you don't stay with a net the whole time animals will take your fish. Otters and seals along the coasts and other predators will actually go for a swim to raid your net. if the fish are not removed promptly they will be unfit to eat.

If you feel a net is a good thing take a look at weirs. You can size and sex the fish you want in the trap and let the rest go free, unharmed to continue to reproduce. It is by far the best long term path since its based on keeping the fish unharmed until sorted.

A good dip net on the other hand is a prize. Get black brown or green mesh to avoid spooking the fish. A strong handle is a good thing. learn how to properly use one for large fish to avoid breaking the handle. open the handle cap and put a broomstick down the full length and trim to fit. It will help keep from bending the pole.

Turtles. I don't eat em but gie it some thought. Fresh water clams can be deadly if not cleaned and cooked properly. They will give you a stomach ache sometimes when you do. I avoid them except as bait.

As stated a casting net is a very good trade off to using a full sized net.



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 04:12 PM
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From the Water to the Land.

Squirrels:
1.A high powered pellet gun is just the ticket. Get one that can shoot BBs too for practice, and about 700 fps or above. Use it in close at around 10-15yards by finding natural feeds where they group together. Maple seeds are good feed as well as many others. watch for those places and hunt every other day so they keep coming back. A couple thousand pellets may make it through your kids lives too. Plenty of oil to keep the barrel and pump in good shape.

2. Pop can traps are made by cutting an x across the bottom of the can. bend the points in only enough so a head can go in with effort. The can is tied down and food placed in the middle just out of reach. they squeeze their heads in but the sharp points hold them.

3. the old squirrel pole is a pole with a dozen or so snare loops on the top part. Its a lot of work to make and yeilds poorer results. Pics are on the web.

4. small live catch traps with doors do very well, but are bulky and expensive.

Squirrels carry fleas and ticks. Skin them with rubber gloves. use bleach water to clean up. All rodents can carry disease. 185F is the core cooking temp. No rare meat.



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 04:40 PM
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Racoons and possums.

These can be found most anyplace in the woods where you have been doing your cooking and anyplace you have dumped fresh garbage. I don't eat them but many do. Here are a couple tips.

1. Just after you put out a campfire and retire they will start wandering about looking for scraps. A .22 is perfect. You will need a helper with a spot type flashlight to stand behind you. When you hear them close signal the spotter and have them light up from behind you so your sights are visible on the prey.

2. Set up on bait. either garbage piles, or a small pile of dry dog food for raccoons, or a small pile of dry cat food for possums. they will come into dim light for both of these treats. Make your garbage pit in the open where it will be lit up with moonlight if needed.

3. Bait in the middle of a deep covered spike pit will do well. Place signs to warn humans of any spike pit. Taper the sides with the bottom wider than the top to avoid climb outs.

4. Baited dead falls if they are large enough. The dead fall can also be a heavy lid over an unspiked pit.



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 04:52 PM
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Awesome Illuminis, Some super info...The fish-hooks can also be hung over deer trails, 20-30 trebels on 30-40lbs test tied to sapplings and whippy branches, and they will hook and hold a deer... Full agreement with Illuminis's Warning about Poaching, also this method of "catching" a deer is NOT legal ANYWHERE...



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 04:58 PM
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An old man taught me about the ducks. He told me he could get two ducks for 29 cents and I would have a tough time getting two with two shells for about the same price. He went about 5 am and was back with the ducks at about 8 am with the fishing line still sticking out. I sat and called for six hours, shot one shell and got nothing.

Da** old timers.



posted on Dec, 18 2007 @ 05:10 PM
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Snares are next. There will be a disclaimer However first. These lessons are designed to help folks that would starve otherwise when that situation ever came up. I know all of this so its for the folks that need it.

There are several things to know about snares and some are very important, and some info that is not in any books, so I will cover them fully when I have more time and can do it properly.

These are designed for people that may not have firearms for the most part, or the day the firearms break. We are talking about only a few extra pounds for a lot of mileage and I'm trying to stay in that zone.



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 06:31 AM
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Super Illuminis cant wait for more, Snares are a great tool, small, lightweight, and capable of catching any critter. Thanks for the disclaimer also, I've been alittle afraid to post what would be called "poaching methods", but you have done so in an informative manner with proper warnings so Keep it up and Thanks again...



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 12:14 PM
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In case anyone missed the first disclaimer: These methods are illegal almost everywhere on the planet. You may be arrested and spend considerable time in prison for taking game out of season, unlicensed, or with these methods. This information is for informational purposes only. If you get caught, I will laugh at your stupidity. If you get caught taking game illegally, I hope they throw the book at you and the newspaper shows everyone your face.

I am a friend of animals myself. Wild animals are very fond of my spirit and nature for the most part and I never want to see one killed or injured except for the purpose of food and in a moral, legal and humane manner. I hunt some years and take deer and elk in season and properly licensed.


The next part will cover snares, and I will tell you why I would never use them except as a last resort. There are reasons why you should hunt with a rifle and NOT use snares unless there is no other option.



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 12:57 PM
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Snares: use and why not to use them.

Snares are almost always made from cable wire with the size of wire above the weight of the game by double. You can buy snares premade or visit the hardware store and do it yourself. Most animals can be snared even the large game animals, BUT you will need a considerable amount of wilderness experience with regular hunting and identifying animal tracks and habits or they will be useless. If you make your own do yourself a favor and crimp a loop at the end of a 8+ foot cable so you may tie loop them around larger trees. Do Not stake a snare it should be attached to something solid. The longer the snare wire the better. They make huge swivels. Ones that will be used often will need these or the wire will get kinked and destroyed. Googling suppliers will get you pictures of the peices, or you can order them cheaply.

Deer:
1. Snares are best used in the bottoms and ravines below hills and in locations downwind of feeding game. They are best set on the paths that the prey will use to flee from the edges and open spaces into the forest.

2.When the known paths have been set in a wide U shape to cover escape exits, you will circle around in a wide berth to above where the prey is feeding and then encircle them in another U shape of hunters and drive them down into the waiting snares.

Other animals:

1. Snares are always best set in the highest traffic runs. set as many as you have.

2. They should be set in a long straight line as far as they will go. This catches prey wandering back and forth and if you decide to drive smaller prey you always have an upwind approach to get them moving.


Now the tale of why Not to use them. I can't say if this is true or not. I'm not a doctor but I don't wan't to risk it either. When I was a young pup, I had some native american brothers that were close friends. They invited me to dinner one night for some venison steaks, and I brought a sack of potatos and a case of beer. When I got there the four brothers were in a heated arguement in both their own language and broken english. I could not figure out what it was about, and tony took me aside and explained that the deer the youngest brother had caught was not fit to eat, and they were refusing to serve it for dinner or take any part of it and wanted it removed from the home. Tony explained that the brother had caught the deer in a snare, and it was not fit for human or animal consumption, and we would make some hamburgers instead. Tony still wouldn't come across with a full explanation and I could see no reason if it was legal for them to take deer on the reservation why they would bury the animal without touching it. A few beers later jon the oldest brother explained that the animal had not died in a fast manner and instead was terrified and struggled quite a bit. He said a word that I didn't understand and then explained that the adrenaline, hormones and chemicals from the animals fear had poisoned the meat. we went in and he cut some and said to smell it and it did have a funny off odor I had not smelled in other deer. He said that eating the poisoned meat would cause depression and mental issues of different sorts depending on how badly it was poisoned and how much was consumed. I had never smelled that smell before but it was very obvious to my friends and didn't require a cut for them to recognize it like it did for me. Years later I hunted with a guy that missed a deer and hit it in the front leg. He tracked the animal for the rest of the day before putting it down. When we loaded it up I could smell that smell, and did not eat any of that animal. Fact or fiction I will never know if it is toxic. I suppose and I will never give it a try. If the brothers have saved me from depression and mental issues all these years later I feel very fortunate.


Next install: deadly rabbits



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 01:16 PM
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The kill stick.

AS you are now aware it is critical to dispatch any animal used for consumption immediately and before the meat gets full of nasties.

I assure you if you have any wild animal trapped or snared you will have a fight on your hands. You should have been hunting with a rifle but if you must avoid detection you will need a dispatch stick.

For this you will need a hollow handled survival knife with the seal to the cap on the handle instead of the lid. To this you will be trimming and inserting a long pole to keep safe distance. On the hand gaurd drill two holes one at each end. Drill one
hole through the threads on the handle of the knife and clean up the threads so the cap works. This hole is the size for a large stainless wood screw of the type your pocket knife can drive. wire the hand guard with wire onto the pole and then drive the screw to hold it in.

The kill stick is thrust through the neck and both arteries are cut as well as the wind pipe whith a sawing out motion. The killstick is used when it is not wise to discharge a firearm.



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 01:29 PM
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Deadly rabbits and hares

Wild rabbits and hares can carry a disease called tularemia. It is the same disease used as a biological warfare agent. I know this because I know two guys that were hospitalized over it.

1. Rabbits harbor the same fleas and ticks as any animal, but should only be cleaned with gloves and a mask or bandana over the nose and mouth. Bleach at 20% to clean up hands and tools and flushed with fresh water to dilute the bleach.

2.Rabbits and hares should not be hunted or eaten unless you have about a half dozen to compare. The livers of infected animals will be about twice as big as non infected which means you need to line them up and clean them after removing the livers and laying them next to the feet of each one. Discard infected animals by burying at least two feet underground and stacking rocks over.

I do not hunt or eat wild rabbits or hares. In places with lots of raptors they are easiest to find on moonlit nights in flat grassy open places about 20-40 feet wide where they can find cover in just a couple of leaps. Field edges are good too.

Do not eat them without comparing livers. Cook to 185 and no raw or pink meat.



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 01:39 PM
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At this point the thread is open for others to add what they might. I will be starting a new thread soon covering Guerrilla farming.

One last thing when it comes to aquatic life. There is a plant called Mullien, or jacobs staff. It grows tops every two years. Cut the tops and grind seeds and all except stem to a fine dry powder. It will take about a half gallon of this powder in a cloth bag. It should be like a giant teabag of sorts or several small ones. Dump handfuls into water and swirl to wet. In deep holes and very slow moving current only a saturation of the tea will caused fish to swim to the surface and act drunk. They can then be scooped with a dipnet.

The leaves if the plant are natures perfect TP. Its other name is old mans flannel.



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 06:51 PM
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Most excellent thread on ATS, No bs drama or being left scratching your head hehehe...Heed the disclaimer/warning....Thank you very much for putting all this excellent info in one place Illuminis....With knowledge of target animal you can go for a leg or neck catch, and with the addition of a spring above the clip it is turned into a killing trap by stragalation...I have seen the meat from Deer that has not been killed quickly/stressed it does have a slightly different smell and color then a Deer that has died fast, some friends have eaten it, some have said the meat was tough and in other cases they said it was just fine(the Bow Deer my friend got this year). I've never tried it so I couldnt say... You are exactly correct in that an animal in a snare can be a handfull, they will kick, claw, bite, and otherwise try to make you bleed. Clubs also work well, but that puts you closer to said teeth and claws, a fox/coyote can be knocked out cold if you hit straight down on the tip of their nose, it doesnt take that hard of a wack either...Rabbits will make you sick quick if they are infected, A friend got tularemia last year, he wore gloves while cleaning them, but then he washed his knife off in a stream and put it back in his front pocket and hunted for a few more hours, he got a rash where the damp knife rubbed on his leg and then the flu-like symptoms that evening, to the hospital the next am...Use caution with the critters no matter if they are big or small... Thanks again Illuminis...



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 07:13 PM
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This amount of gear is pretty small and should ensure enough to eat for quite a while. If one decides to use snares the cables and parts should be painted flat black or dark flat brown and left out to cure in the summer sun for several weeks. As in the fishing gear hands should be clean and then muddied to cover your smell. old timers will sometimes buy snares in molding leaves for a while and then pull them up and hose them off. Old timers tend to wax dip all the parts that can tend to rust once the paint has cured.

I think we need another thread to teach people what and how to cache along with the farming one.



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 07:56 PM
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Great info... but hopefully nobody uses it the right way.

I think I got tularemia when I was younger. Not from eating or cleaning rabbit meat, but we had a pet rabbit and I must have scratched myself on it's cage because I got an infection that lasted months and needed multiple types of antibiotics before I finally got rid of it. I won't go into gross details but it was not nice.

Looking forward to the guerilla farming thread!

[edit on 12/19/2007 by Yarcofin]



posted on Dec, 19 2007 @ 08:22 PM
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Originally posted by Illuminis
Let me first start off with the fact I in no way condone or agree with poaching or taking any animal in an unlawful manner. Those laws are in place to manage populations so they will be healthy and have ongoing survival.


No doubt. I have a story I would like to tell about "my friend".
"He" no longer does this as he was very young.

He did and still goes to the mojave desert ALOT. Usually to shoot and just 4 wheel.

In some of the tight canyon desert washes, you can dig a large hole, maybe 5 foot deep with vertical walls, not very wide. Place sage brush on top to cover hole lightly, with say some dog food down below in the hole. One can catch many a jack rabbit that way. They are quite gamey to eat but once in a while if properly cooked they are not that bad. Easily edible if you are trying to survive in the desert.



Fish are smart and can smell you. wash hands thouroughly before handling fishing equipment and do so as little as possible.


Yep. I use Hot Sauce. But YMMV. Obviously this wouldn't do much for long term survival, but the point is just hide the smell of us nasty humans.

Take care,



posted on Dec, 20 2007 @ 04:58 PM
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I always cringe when I hear someone say they are going rabbit hunting.....



posted on Dec, 24 2007 @ 12:11 AM
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Very thorough topic so far... I'm gonna give this a flag and a
for the content matter.

Great work OP!


One interesting tidbit of information I have picked up over the years from "those wrascally wabbits" is this:
Do Not use them as your primary source of plentiful food-energy in the wild, or you shalt be smidgeoned with the wrath of "lack of fat" or "protein poisoning"

Even though they may fill your stomach and give you some nourishment in your stomach, rabbits, unless eaten in entirety (yuck)
your body will essentially starve from the inside out... and that is not too cool.


salud,
T.




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