Animal tracks lead to both water sources and food by revealing where animals travel to drink (typically at dawn and dusk) and where they feed. Follow converging tracks toward water—when multiple animal trails merge into a V-pattern, the point usually directs you to streams, ponds, or springs. For food, tracks show feeding areas, game trails…
To identify usnea safely, look for gray-green to yellow-green lichen growing on trees, pull a strand apart to reveal a distinctive white elastic cord in the center (no other lichen has this), and check that it attaches to branches at a single point. To harvest sustainably, collect only from fallen branches and downed trees—never from…
When you’re out in the wilderness, whether on a multi-day hike, a hunting trip, or caught in an unexpected survival scenario, the best way to store food boils down to three core principles: prevent spoilage by removing moisture and oxygen, protect against wildlife and pests, and use natural environmental features like cold streams or elevation…
In a survival situation, you can hunt or trap a variety of foods to sustain yourself, focusing on what’s abundant and easier to catch. Small mammals like rabbits, squirrels, and mice provide quick protein. Birds such as doves, ducks, and quail offer fatty meats. Fish including trout, bass, and catfish are reliable in water sources….
To forage for mushrooms safely, start by educating yourself through books, apps, or guided tours to identify species accurately. Only pick mushrooms you’re 100% sure about, cross-reference with multiple sources, and avoid anything with white gills, red caps, or bulbous bases unless confirmed safe. Forage in clean areas away from roads or chemicals, use proper…
Cooking wild-caught food over fire involves three main methods: ember cooking (directly on hot coals), grilling (on a grate over flames), and spit roasting (skewering over the fire). For fish, cook at 165°F; for wild game birds, 165°F; for venison and other herbivore game, 130-140°F for medium-rare; and for omnivores like wild hog and bear,…
Spotting mushrooms in the wild can spark curiosity, but getting it right matters a lot. To identify them accurately, start by noting where they grow—like on soil, wood, or trees—then check the cap’s shape, color, and texture. Look at the underside for gills, pores, or spines, examine the stem for rings or bases, make a…
Simple traps and snares for emergency food are basic setups like the drag noose, twitch-up snare, squirrel pole, figure-four deadfall, Paiute deadfall, and bottle fish trap. These use everyday or found materials such as wire, cord, sticks, rocks, or plastic bottles to catch small game, birds, or fish, providing vital protein when hunting isn’t practical….
Safe wild plants to eat in the United States include dandelions (leaves, flowers, roots), stinging nettles (cooked leaves), blackberries (ripe berries), garlic mustard (leaves, flowers, seeds), elderberries (cooked ripe berries only), chickweed (stems, leaves, flowers), burdock (roots, young stems), chicory (leaves, roots), cattails (young shoots, roots), wild violets (flowers, leaves), purslane (stems, leaves), plantain (leaves),…