I can't believe i'm posting in this forum...

ok, well this will more than likely be my only contribution to this forum, but here goes...

if humanity were to suffer a major catastrophe that would place humans in a situation that they needed to flee from civilization to survive, i know where i'm going.

enter the badlands of North Dakota. nearby (for me), food, water, shelter, some forest on the side. perfect for eluding others. it has some very rough terrain, diverse foliage (which i will elaborate on later), and plenty of game to hunt for food.

in the badlands there is the Little Missouri river, an excellent source of water, though it is a little muddy. that, however can be cured by letting it settle for a while. in the 50's this river was dammed by the US Corps of Engineers. it now hosts Lake Sakakawea, which is full of fish that can be caught for food.

Bison, deer, grouse, pheasant, geese, ducks, antelope, cattle, horses, etc are in the area, which can be hunted. just make sure that the horse is not someone elses'... And because the ammo will not last you long, you can always make a bow and arrow. chop down a tree, find an antler, some flint, and some sinew, and you have a bow in the making.

plants are everywhere. many of these are edible, and some are medicinal.

Western Yarrow- spuds.agron.ksu.edu...

this forb has white flowers on top that, when crushed and mixed with water, creates a medicinal poultice. this poultice is especially useful on snake bites. it acts as a drawer for the venom, and may save your life. its fringed leaves also have a strong citrus odor that helps to clear the sinuses.

Ground plum- www.cas.vanderbilt.edu...

this plant has edible fruit that grows near the ground. the fruit tastes like a fresh pea, and is also nutritious i do believe.

Lambert's crazyweed- spuds.agron.ksu.edu...

avoid this plant. it is distinguishible by its purple flowers, that i think resemble mini angels trumpets. this plant is poisonous, and if consumed will cause the tongue and brain lining to swell, and produce extreme thirst. you will eventually die from thirst.

Purple coneflower or echinacea- aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu...

this plant is useful if you need to do oral surgery or are suffering from a toothache. the root of this plant, when eaten, causes a numbing sensation in the mouth.

a similar, more potent plant would american licorice, which has a red stem, and elongated leaves. is similar in looks to curlycup gumweed, but the leaves are not sticky.
american licorice-www.wildflower.org...◀ Back

Mariposa Lily- www.vintagephoto.tv...

this white flower with a yellow and black throat has a root that looks like a potato that is edible.



i hope this information was helpful in case you ever find yourself stranded in the badlands or a catastrophe does fall upon humanity. :^D

[edit on 19-6-2010 by LocoHombre]

These are edible, although very tart. You should eat them with water.

en.wikipedia.org...

Don't forget wild blackberries, raspberries, and dewberries.

I'm not sure if these are common in North Dakota though.

reply to post by Phlynx


o ya thanks for helpin me remember these.

Juneberries, chokecherries, buffaloberries, wild grapes. all are found on shrubs, edible, and taste good. buffaloberries however, are rather tart.

The meat of the animals grazing up there could almost sustain you. Their diet translates into highly nutritious meat. Perhaps there are some wild buffalo up there as well? They'd be the ideal hunting target, though it would be hard to trap one or spear one once the ammo ran out.
I've never eaten pronghorn, mountain goat, or bighorn but they are just about everywhere up there and into South Dakota.
You could vanish into the badlands quite easily; more fear of a wild cat or harsh winter than harriers.
Yellowstone wouldn't be a bad place to go either; hot springs, rivers, lakes, elk, caribou, buffalo, deer, trout and other yummy fish, and tons of wild bird, plus more places to hide and build shelters, but then there's more bear, wolf, coyote, cats to deal with.

[edit on 19-6-2010 by primus2012]

It's probably not a good idea to advertise where your safe place is. When that type of situation arises, you'll have people near that area flooding in...most likely with guns. Good idea though

reply to post by primus2012


well, there aren't actually too many bighorns... in my time up here i'v only seen one ram and that was a few yars ago... and yes the meat of these animals is quite good, but the buffalo are mostly in pasture... still good eatin though

The skins are important too. Buffalo make mighty good blankets

reply to post by primus2012


yes good blankets, clothing, bladder can be used to carry water, brain for tanning the skins, hmm, every part of the bison can be used for a different thing

I was wondering if any one knew of other things that can be eaten in the wilderness, I have alot of allergies, berries, apples, carrots, especially raw, cooked is different, and probably most things that can be eaten in the woods, but I have been trying to find alternatives for those things and its almost impossible. So if anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

Bad news: if people actually survive, guess where they're going. EXACTLY where YOU are. The best place to be if the SHTF is Alaska. Thousands of square miles of nothing and nobody. Its the only place left.