Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (59 page)

The suburbs and nearby urban areas have a surprising amount of resources and can be a treasure trove of fat and happy wild game. Here are just a few of the creatures that can be utilized for food, should the need arise.

DEER
These omnipresent critters represent the largest game meat payout, unless you have a neighborhood bear, elk, or moose. Take down an urban buck or doe with your rifle and you’ll feed your crew for days.

RABBITS
Your local bunnies and hares are quick and well-camouflaged animals, but they can be successfully hunted and trapped. The tender, chickenlike meat could turn a non-wild-game eater into a true believer.

SQUIRRELS
They can be abundant around developed areas, often gorging themselves at people’s bird feeders. These lightning-quick rodents are hard to trap; but they are as tasty as rabbit and are easy enough to hunt with a rifle, shotgun, or even a high-powered air rifle or BB gun.

RACCOONS AND OPOSSUMS
Coons and possums are often lumped together, as they have similar diets and roam similar haunts. Both are omnivorous scavengers and can be hunted or trapped. Use caution if you eat raccoon—they are a prominent carrier of rabies.

GEESE AND TURKEYS
Gamebirds can be found in many suburbs and agricultural areas. Neither is likely to fall for a trap, but waterfowl and turkeys are attracted to grassy feeding areas, where they can be hunted.

Those annoying deer that devour your garden can be an important source of wild game meat in a crisis. But don’t assume they are tame or easy to hunt. Whitetail deer use their sharp hearing, sight, and sense of smell to remain undetected in the suburbs. To increase your chances of a successful backyard hunt, spend some time observing the deer. Look for their trails, hoofprints, scat, and other signs to give you an idea of their movements. Also watch where they travel at dawn and dusk, for a better chance of getting a deer in your sights. Be careful when hunting around homes and businesses. Use a tree stand or high vantage point to shoot downward, and never shoot toward areas where people could be. Remember that trees, brush, and fences are not a safe backstop for bullets or arrows.

Many ancient hunting techniques are frowned on by today’s sportsmen and wildlife officials—in fact, they’re illegal, and with good reason. But in a true state of emergency, if you need to survive by any means necessary, be aware of these outlawed tactics.

BUILD A FUNNEL
Large fences with funnel-shaped openings once dotted America’s eastern woodlands. These were used in conjunction with an animal drive to concentrate animals into one “kill zone.”

SET A DEER NOOSE
Using your strongest rope, create a large noose at a deer’s head height in a well-worn trail. Tied to a strong tree, it confines a live deer in one area, allowing the hunter multiple shots.

CATCH THEM IN THE WATER
A number of hunters working together can drive game toward a large river, where gunmen in boats can paddle alongside for point-blank shots at big game.

Baiting animals is a highly controversial and often illegal strategy. Use this technique only after checking whether it’s even legal in your area. And if you decide to break the law, do so only in a true life-or-death situation.

BAIT

Don’t turn your nose up at smaller game—they can add up quickly if you find a good method, and a live-catch box trap can be your most effective and practical means. As an added bonus, you can safely release anything that you didn’t intend to catch (like the neighbor’s cat in the ’burbs). You can purchase these traps in a variety of sizes and styles. All are wire-cage bodies, so that the animals can’t chew their way out. Small traps will catch rats and chipmunks, while large ones can catch dog-size animals.

Tanning is the process of turning a raw pelt into leather. Properly tanned hides can be a valuable commodity, as a barter item or craft supply, and can increase your return on investment in raising animals.

STEP 1
Remove the hide and wet it immediately with cold water, then thoroughly wash the fur to remove any blood. You can use a mild detergent, but be sure to rinse it out very well. If you can’t tan the hides immediately, put the sleeved hide (rolled, fur on the inside) in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer.

STEP 2
When the skins have cooled, soak them for 48 hours in a tanning solution of 1 cup (0.2 l) coarse, granulated salt (noniodized), 1 cup (0.2 l) common alum, and 2 gallons (7.5 l) room-temperature water. Use a plastic tub that can be easily sealed.

STEP 3
Rinse the hides in cold water and flesh the skins with a flensing tool or kitchen knife. Rabbits have a clearly visible layer of fat that needs to be removed as close to the derma as possible. Be careful not to expose the root hairs when fleshing the hide. Start with the rump section of the pelt and you can usually peel off the entire layer of fat in one complete sheet.

STEP 4
Make a second tanning solution. Insert the pelts one at a time into the solution and soak thoroughly. Seal the container for seven days at room temperature, stirring twice a day.

STEP 5
Test for doneness by cutting a small piece of hide and dropping it into boiling water. If it curls or hardens, return the pelt to the solution. A well-tanned pelt won’t change in boiling water.

STEP 6
Wash the pelts with a mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. Hang the skins on a line in the shade to dry (6–48 hours). When the pelts are slightly damp, give them a rough comb to help fluff up the hair.

STEP 7
Break the skins by pulling the still-damp leather in all directions. Don’t pull too hard as you stretch, or you risk tearing the skin. If the leather is too dry, dampen it with a wet sponge. Broken hides can be tacked to a board or frame to dry flat.

STEP 8
Rub mink oil into the skin of the pelts for a soft, velvety feel, and brush the fur with a fine hairbrush. Store the tanned pelts in a cardboard box so they can breathe. To keep insects and pests away, put a bar of sweet-smelling soap in the box.

Long before toxic chemicals and tanning solutions, humans tanned hides using the naturally occurring elements in the animal’s brain. The brain of every animal contains the perfect balance of conditioning oils to tan its own hide. All you need is your animal hide, the brain of the animal, a blender, a bath towel, and firewood. If you want a lot of tanning solution, you can buy brain from your local grocer.

After fleshing and drying the pelt, blend the brain with warm tap water on the liquefy setting. Look for the resulting liquid to be the consistency of hand lotion.Next, microwave the solution 2–3 minutes to warm it up. Lay the pelt on a flat surface and use your fingers to work the brain solution over the skin until thoroughly covered. Dampen the towel and wring it out. Roll the skin up in the damp towel and set aside for a couple of hours. Then hang it on a clothesline to dry. When slightly damp, stretch it in all directions to break up the skin.

Smoking a tanned hide won’t waterproof it, but it will help it return to normal if it does get wet. To do this, you’ll need to make a simple frame over a small firepit from which to hang your hides. A teepee shape works well.

Start by turning your skin fur side out and sewing up the sides to make a sort of bag. In a shallow pit, build a fire and let it burn down to coals, then add some rotted, punky wood. Watch out for flareups, as you want a lot of smoke but no heat. When you have a good amount of smoke going, stretch the pelt over the constructed frame and let it smoke for 30 minutes. Carefully remove it, turn it inside out, and smoke the other side for another half hour. Voila! You now have a sturdy, durable hide.

Food dehydrators are easily available as a kitchen appliance—but they’re not much use when the power’s out. And anyway, there’s just something cool about growing your own tomatoes and making sun-dried snacks right there in the same backyard. Dried fruits and veggies are long-lasting and a great way to perk up dreary winter meals when the growing season’s over. Here’s how to make your own solar-powered snack machine.

STEP 1
Gather your cardboard boxes—they can be any size, provided they fit together nicely, as shown (you can make as many shelves as you like).

STEP 2
Cut one box down to be your reflection tray, or use the lid from a banker’s box or similar. Cut ventilation holes in the two long sides, and paint its interior black, or coat in black plastic sheeting, then cover in clear plastic.

STEP 3
Cut holes through your large box, and thread through dowels as shown. Stretch screen over them and tape down firmly.

STEP 4
Cut a vent in the bottom of your larger box, and use duct tape to attach the reflection tray, so the sun’s heat flows into the interior.

STEP 5
Set the main box on a second to elevate it (you can also place it on a small table or chair). Angle the reflector so as to collect maximum sunlight.

STEP 6
Add fruit or veggies and cover the box with more screening. Your fruit is done when it has a leathery texture; vegetables when they become brittle.