Nine... Days of solitude

[Fletcher]

Day 1.
Day one was spent scouting. Looking for the right spot. The weather is great light wind comeing in fom the north to N/W. By noon I've hiked or bushwhacked my way in. I'm on the river........its a perfect spot. This is where I'll stay.
The first thing i did was build a shelter from downed small trees and palm fronds. next was a fire pit......... well after i dug a hole it filled with water
so plan "B" i took the dirt from the fire pit (now turned water source) and piled
it in front of my home for the next few days. next was fire it self! A few scapes from my magnesium bar and presto FIRE!!!!!!!! Life is so good in the boonies...............
Day 2.
Up at daylight. Looks like another great day.
First on list for today is fishing. They are hungry this morning and so am i.
Had five on the stringer quickly. After cleaning them To the fire pit we go!
Breakfast was sooooooo good! The rest of the day was spend makeing a bowl
a temporary bow and three arrows also started on a fishing spear.
It was a good day the only human sound was a airplane around 2:00 PM.
Day 3.
The fish were starving today so i made a trap/pen and filled it with 20 nice sized bream. Just in case they stop feeding and i think they will soon. The weather is turning cooler a front is moveing in. finished the spear and worked on the arrows. I want to shoot a fish with my bow! Geathered more fire wood
did some more work on the shelter.
Day 4.
Up before sun up and on my way to sq. meal deal in Salt Springs.
Got there at 8:15 and was greeted by Runs With Beer. and Erunkiswldrnssurivial. Had breakfast with them. Good times. Both of them nice guys. RWB showed me what to use and how to make cordage thats was cool! By 1:00 I'm back in camp makeing cordage. On the way in i found a
bunch of yaca and made a lot of string!!!!!!I reinforced the shelter and fished
with some also made a bow string.
Day 5.
later............................................. .

[pgvoutdoors]

Nice report, have a great time and let us know how it ends.

[Sourdough]

Good going Fletcher, Wish I was there, 3* above clear, 10 to 15 MPH wind here. 70 degrees and sunny or 70 degrees and anything sounds good.

[Fletcher]

Hopak, I wish i was there!!!!! This place is FULL of humans.......

[Sourdough]

That is the problem with AMERICA........

[Fletcher]

Day 5.
This day started out with a coon that was helping himself to my fish.
Shot him with my bow the arrow did not pass all the way through.
It was maybe 10 yards at most he was busy and never knew i was there.
He ran for his tree breaking the arrow along the way. He started climbing
but not far....................He stopped 6 foot high BIG mistake on his part. I was then afforded another shot even closer this one went through! Down he falls this time for good.
I skinned him and washed it off. I cut three green branches 8' long and made a tripod over the fire. Tied some side ways sticks hung the meat covered with palm fronds and smoked it for 9 or 10 hours. Over oak.
The rest of the day was spent in camp makeing more cordage and a fork and spoon.
Fishing is still good. Useing primitive hooks is really fun and makeing them is entertaining
Mine don't look like Erunkiswldsuervival's but they work. That man is talented!
Coon is alright its a break from fish anyway.
Day 6.
This is another beautiful morning! This is so much fun!
Today I go for a walk just to see whats out there.
I find some stinging nettels and CATTAILS!!!!!!!!!! This is a good find i love cattail.
I collected whole plants leaves for bedding and roots to eat.
The rest of the day was exploring the area out to about 1/2 mile in a simi circle around my camp. This is nice country a little sandy though. I saw one deer that was nice.
Day. 7
I'm up early..........another coon after my captive fish. I let this one live and just run him off. He freaked when he saw me comeing! Well i was yelling and carrying a big stick.
This day is spent building a heavy duty fish pen with a lid. I'll show these coons who the boss is!
The rest of the day is exploring a larger loop this time more nettels and a bigazz blacky
that by the way did not run away!!!! He was 500 lbs. Eight foot tall and not scared in
the least. I was!!!!!!! He findly after 10 mins of looking me over walked away. I started beathing again this is a good thing! We were within 30 yards of each other this is NOT
something you want to do everyday. I'm glad he was'nt HUNGRY. Needless to say i stayed OUT of his area the rest of the time.
I made a be line for the camp boiled the nettels and roasted some cattail and fish.
Eating is good out here everything taste better in the woods.
Last night i heard some coyotes they must have made a kill or were geathering everyone for a hunt that was cool to hear.
Day 8.
To come shortly

[Rick]

Good post. I guess you know how the second coon felt when he saw you!

[Fletcher]

Day 8.
Its cold the sun is riseing can't wait for the warmth.
Fish pen is keeping the coons out. No visitors today or last night.
The coyotes are still around not more than 1/2 mile away.
I'll need more fire wood for today and tonight. Got that done this morning
now for a fish breakfast.
Going to try some bow fishing today. Thats a little harder than it seems.
First one must see a fish to shot at. I'm down to two arrows and can't find
any fish! They are gone to deeper water is what i'm thinking.
So i give up on that and start hunting creeping through the woods with bow in hand
is pretty cool in my book. After about a hour of sliping through the woods i see a big buck who also sees me but he is safe I'm not hunting deer with maybe 20lb home made
bow. It was mid morning when i see a rabbit i take careful aim and release the arrow
NOT EVEN CLOSE the rabbit does not even know i shot at him! So one more arrow nocked and away it goes and another miss rabbit hopes away.
I lose another arrow can't find it anywhere.
So back to camp i go. Once there i find two more sticks and make two more arrows.
Put some more nettels on to boil and eat some of the smoked coon. I went back to where i found the cattails and harvested a few more for my last supper in the woods.
The temp. rose some this afernoon and i went fishing nothing is biteing. Good thing for my fish pen! I still have four fish so i cleaned them and roasted them with the cattail.
That is good eating. tonight is getting colder so put more wood on the fire. It was a chilly night!
Day 9.
Not much to it mostly breaking camp packing up for the return home.
The coyotes were silent last night and this morning. There was a coon with five babies
with her they followed her in single file. They march better than any legionair!
I was thinking but can they fight?
At about 10:00 i start back for the truck on the way i see another deer and its another buck! Now why can't this happen when i'm hunting. By 1:00 i'm back at the truck and I"m sad. Its back to the house but i don't want to go! I want to stay. However the thought of a cold coke sounds good.


This is a list of everything i brought
1. pocket knife
2. magensium fire block
3. 20' fishing line
4. canteen and cup
5. poncho liner
6. two pair each of socks and underware
7. hat
8. one long sleeve shirt
9. small shovel
and what i was wearing and my compass

Now ask yourself if you could survive for nine days with that gear.
By the way i GAINED ONE POUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

[Fletcher]

Good post. I guess you know how the second coon felt when he saw you!
Yes i do! Not a good feeling at all.

[Rick]

Random thoughts. Snares would probably have been more productive than the bow and arrow but I understand honing those skills, too. How effective was the palm shelter? What kind of fish bait did you use?

[Fletcher]

Random thoughts. Snares would probably have been more productive than the bow and arrow but I understand honing those skills, too. How effective was the palm shelter? What kind of fish bait did you use?
You said it honing my skills
It did not rain so shelter was not really tested.
I was ready for rain though. I had 6 to 10 inches of palm fronds on the roof
the shelter was a modifed lean to with sides and a closeing door that was also a awning.
I used mussels for bait the fish around here love them.

[wareagle69]

what about critter protection are ya near nay gators or rattleheadedcoppermoccisans?

[crashdive123]

Looks like you had a good trip. With the list of stuff that you brought, how was sleeping at night? It got down to the mid to low 40's up here. Did you have to keep stoking the fire to stay warm?

[Fletcher]

what about critter protection are ya near nay gators or rattleheadedcoppermoccisans?
I have no fear of snakes or gators Critter protection is common since not a
weapon.

[Fletcher]

Looks like you had a good trip. With the list of stuff that you brought, how was sleeping at night? It got down to the mid to low 40's up here. Did you have to keep stoking the fire to stay warm? Yes i got a little cool. I have the new pocho liner it's a little thicker than the old ones. But all in all it wasn't that cold. And yes i had FUN FUN FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fletcher]

Do you have any pictures?

Did you read the list of what i brought??