How Many Here Could Survive On Wild Edibles Tomorrow If TSHTF?

[Nativedude]

This poll and thread is in response to Sarge 47's Post "Reality Check/Wild Edibles" (http://wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6049)

To get a sense of how many here really know their wild edibles, I am curious to know how many people that practice survival and/or primitive living, actually know, the wild edibles in their area and could sustain off them as well?!

Let's see. . . .Here we go! P.S. Please be truthful in answering.

Sarge's thread pertains to W.E. "plants" and the poll is in response to his post.

Now for winter sustenance you could eat W.E.'s harvested in the summer and dried for the winter or you could cook and can them.

There are many creative ways to use plants, fruits, berries, etc.

[endurance]

I know the very basics for my area, but in my area, actually being able to survive on what you find would be nearly impossible. I can identify about 12 native plants that are edible. At the peak of the season, I might be able to gather enough of those 12 plants to give me 50% of my calorie needs for any given day. The exception would be wild berries, but that season is so short around here that I could really only meet my calorie needs for maybe six weeks a year.

[crashdive123]

While there are lots of fruit orchards and farms in the area - I don't think that is what you are asking. I would have trouble - now, add fish or wild game and I would do OK.

[Sarge47]

This poll and thread is in response to Sarge 47's Post "Reality Check/Wild Edibles" (http://wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6049)

To get a sense of how many here really know their wild edibles, I am curious to know how many people that practice survival and/or primitive living, actually know, the wild edibles in their area and could sustain off them as well?!

Let's see. . . .Here we go! P.S. Please be truthful in answering.
Great thread idea, Nativedude!:clap::thumbup1:

Hmmm, Questions 1 & 3 are exactly the same!

[Sarge47]

Question #5: I know a very limited amount of W.E., but not enough to sustain me!:cool2:

[crashdive123]

Great thread idea, Nativedude!:clap::thumbup1:

Hmmm, Questions 1 & 3 are exactly the same!

I fixed em.

[vthompson]

I know several wild edibles, but I would have to add fish or game to it in order to get by n a daily basis. I would have to cover a large area on a daily basis to rely solely on wild edibles.

[SARKY]

Now when you say wild edibles to me I am including furry mamials, scaley fish and the descendents of raptors. In that case yes! if you are talking about just plants......I didn't climb to the top of the food chain in order to eat grass!

[crashdive123]

Now when you say wild edibles to me I am including furry mamials, scaley fish and the descendents of raptors. In that case yes! if you are talking about just plants......I didn't climb to the top of the food chain in order to eat grass!

Kind of why I haven't answered the poll yet. Plants only - and I will have trouble.

[endurance]

Agreed. If I can take critters, I'm much more likely to meet my calorie needs (or would that be meat my calorie needs).

[Sourdough]

Native Dude, I went with #1 however I do not think I could live through the winter here on just plants. But with so much fish and game available, my brain just will not grasp eating only wild edibles.

So I will ask you, Native Dude, with 3' to 5' of snow most of the winter here on the south shore of Turnagain Arm, is it possible to live 7 months on only wild edibles found here.....? I truly do not know about winter wild edibles.



Hey, CRASH....can you change my vote from #1 to #3

[crashdive123]

Hey, CRASH....can you change my vote from #1 to #3

Done, but your name still appears in #1 (don't know how to change that).

[endurance]

I've thought about enhancing an area (besides the obvious, my garden). Building some check dams in dry gullies to catch extra rain and plant some seeds, etc., just to give you another source for edible plants if your garden was raided. Even if only 10% of the seed you put out there made it, you'd still have a lot more to forage off of than you would if you just went completely native.

[Sourdough]

Done, but your name still appears in #1 (don't know how to change that).

Thank you........:)

[shankfisher]

how many people that practice survival and/or primitive living, actually know, the wild edibles in their area and could sustain off them as well?!

Depends. I know cattail and poke salad by sight, and can of course eat all the nuts, berries, and wild fruits (persimmon, possum grape), etc. Ate those as a kid. But what you need to know is how to select food by watching animals, touching to the tongue, waiting for reaction, scratching skin for a wipe test, waiting for reaction, eating a tiny bit, waiting for reaction, eating more, waiting for reaction, etc. You'll find something to eat if you can do that testing. You can then eat a bit and keep your strength up to wait on a rabbit, squirrel, or fish trap. To live forever? No.

[gryffynklm]

Well, I'm basically toast. I know about 12 wild plants in our area that I am confident about. Without my edible field guide I'd be lost. If you haven't figured it out, I'm real green with the actual practice of survival. I have done a lot of reading and note taking but that is squat without the practice. To answer your survey with I don't know is the same as No. I have no hunting experience. Point and shoot at at target does not count.
Dang, did I just type that out loud, I think I just red flagged myself.

KArl

[Sourdough]

I don't understand option #2 it is clearly is not a choice for me, but would someone explain it to me. Seems like a eat and pray program, or am I missing something.

[Stargazer]

Hunting and fishing Id be OK. But to survive only on wild edibles I would die a slow painfull death.I have some learning to do.

[SARKY]

Oh yeah.....That is also why I carry a book in my kit that idenifies edible and medicinal plants in my area.

[shankfisher]

I think I just red flagged myself.

We are all at different places in our knowledge. You are learning, that's what's important.

[Ken]

Like several of you, I'd do just fine if game, fin fish, and shellfish (and other unmentionables like slugs) were added to the list. Wild plants would supplement/compliment my diet, but there's no way I would be able to survive on just those alone. Does anyone know where to find wild hops, wheat, and barley? :drink:

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

in familiar territory, its easy. put a canadian in the sanora (without prior training) his chances are reduced. and then there is the problem with exposure to the elements. when the wood wont burn and your clothes are wet,as you plod through a winter freezing rain, miles and miles from help,survilal turns into suffering. I can tell you because i have been there.sometimes survival means "how much suffering can you endure,when your knowledge cant stop the cold ,the wet, the injuries,the exaustion......ect.

[skunkkiller]

w.e. means any thing you can get your hands on and that would be fish, critters,plants ect. I would say yes I could survie and will because if you don't have the will you will not.

[Rick]

I could probably be pretty happy in the summer and fall but winter and spring would be my undoing. Without protein from fish and animals I'd probably be in trouble, too.

Farmer: "Hey, you! Get out of my garden."
Me: "Sorry, I thought these tomatoes were wild plants."

[Sourdough]

Well, If wild edibles includes fish and game, then the poll results are most likely not valid.

[adalel]

I can ID more than thirty edible plants in my area but am not confident that I could find enough of them to eat all year round. I voted yes I could survive but am not totally cetain of my answer. Edible animals would definatly increase mine or anyone elses survivability.

[chiye tanka]

I hate to admit it, but wild edibles are one of my weaknesses. I know a handfull and most of them are native to New England.

[crashdive123]

My knowledge of wild edibles is very limited. There are an abundance of fruit and nut trees in the area. I could probably make a go of it for a while, but not long term. I would not however (nor do I think many would) exclude fish and game. I don't survive now as a vegetarian, so I see no reason to do so in a wilderness setting either.

[RichJ]

I'd slap starve to death if I tried to live off of edibles.

That's why I have guaranteed protein getter. Go to the hardware store and get one of those large traditional wooden rat traps. Drill a hole big enough to tie on some paracord, tie to tree limb, set on top of limb with a little bit of peanut butter as bait and wait. You'll get a squirrel guarenteed.

[DOGMAN]

I'd have to hunt and fish as well...it may be possible here without meat...but I couldn't do it

[Canadian-guerilla]

I know several wild edibles, but I would have to add fish or game to it in order to get by n a daily basis. I would have to cover a large area on a daily basis to rely solely on wild edibles.


ditto for me

[Runs With Beer]

Same here, I know the area where I live very well. If W.E. Includes meat and fish, For sure, With out, For a while yes, Long term No.:tongue_smilie:

[Ole WV Coot]

I do know the greenery in my area but I consider it a salad before the meat or fish. Do I know them, yes. Could I live on them, no I ain't a rabbit. I need meat or fish.

[LowKey]

I'm like gryffynklm. I don't know how to hunt. Yet. But I've learned to make snares. And I can fish most seasons except deep winter. Ice is an issue without a drill or a decent axe.

Plants on the other hand, I know. At least for the Northeast. I was a botany major in college with a couple of professors that let us eat our lab material when it was edible. But I still won't do wild mushies. They scare me.

A winter would be tough dumped out in the middle of it but if you had the fall to prepare, it might not be so horrible. Unpleasant maybe. The first time.

Hops do grow wild in many places that used to be old farms. It's convincing the new farmer with the gun that you really aren't stealing his wheat and barley... LOL.

[wareagle69]

Depends. I know cattail and poke salad by sight, and can of course eat all the nuts, berries, and wild fruits (persimmon, possum grape), etc. Ate those as a kid. But what you need to know is how to select food by watching animals, touching to the tongue, waiting for reaction, scratching skin for a wipe test, waiting for reaction, eating a tiny bit, waiting for reaction, eating more, waiting for reaction, etc. You'll find something to eat if you can do that testing. You can then eat a bit and keep your strength up to wait on a rabbit, squirrel, or fish trap. To live forever? No.

shankfisher you are new to me, so i do not mean to offend with what i am going to say but, if you follow what you post you will be dead very fast, nevr and i mean nevr watch what animals eat, i have seen deer and rabbits eat the deadly amanita mushroom "smooth parasol and destroying angel" with zero ill effects. and i personally think the edibility test is crap.some toxins can be removed by cooking others cannot.

as to the poll, personally stated that i know my wild edibles but could not sustain on them, what they do for me is prolong my supplies and keep me alive in an emergency situation. i know a few that could live of of what the woods provide,but i am also saying that they live off of wilderness foods. what you say semantics, wild edibles, wilderness foods, wild is wild be it a bear or berry

as to sarges question , some area would be over run with folks trampling over food to try to find food, other areas such as where i live would be able to with stand the few folks who do know what they are doing in the bush. as i have stated before i moved here after years of consideration from arizona after going over a map of the states and canda and decided my best opportunity was here.

[shankfisher]

shankfisher you are new to me, so i do not mean to offend with what i am going to say but, if you follow what you post you will be dead very fast, nevr and i mean nevr watch what animals eat, i have seen deer and rabbits eat the deadly amanita mushroom "smooth parasol and destroying angel" with zero ill effects. and i personally think the edibility test is crap.some toxins can be removed by cooking others cannot.

You should be careful what you condemn. This is a general rule, widely taught by professional, credible survival experts. As for mushrooms, the answer is simple; I was trained simply to not eat mushrooms. And as for the edibility test being crap, well, this is exactly what you'll encounter in E&E training. Certainly real expertise trumps the test, but nevertheless, this is not "crap" advice. YMMV.

[wareagle69]

no need to be careful condeming not eating what animals eat. you don't know me so let me give you a heads up. i am also well trained as an army ranger been around lots of operatives, i have been to wild edibles schools and train with one of the best in the world in allan beauchamp also train with a native elder and a woman who lives in the bush, while a fellow named tammarack song will suggest watching the animals to learn from them, we do not eat what they eat, we eat them. i would like to know who has trained you. sorry to say you are way off and would likely harm someone here with your info, i am sure you feel strongly about what you have been taught, but personally you might want to do allot more research when it comes to wild edibles, this is not something that i study it is what i live, please do not read more into this than is intended i mean only to educate you, and help you along in your training. if i do not mean any offence with my post

[shankfisher]

no need to be careful condeming not eating what animals eat.

You apply that rule AND the food test rule, not the singular.


you don't know me so let me give you a heads up. i am also well trained as an army ranger been around lots of operatives, i have been to wild edibles schools and train with one of the best in the world in allan beauchamp

This is all great to know -- my training was in the military, too. If you went to some of those schools, these things should be recognizable to you. If you've got more training in wild edibles, good on you.


also train with a native elder and a woman who lives in the bush, while a fellow named tammarack song will suggest watching the animals to learn from them, we do not eat what they eat, we eat them.

Again, the two rules go together -- not singularly. In particular, if you are in an unknown area, or dealing with unknown edibles, you watch and test.


sorry to say you are way off and would likely harm someone here with your info

Well, if I am way off, and don't think I am, you need to inform the U.S. Army. It's "off" too. Again, if you been to these schools and "live this," you should know I'm not blowing smoke.

[LowKey]

Why do people on forums always resort to correcting someone's writing when an argument brews?

I'm not Military trained but I got better things to do when surviving than trying a little of this or a little of that to see if it will kill me before the weather does. Long term on a deserted island maybe. Not in the here and now.

I'm glad someone touched on the subject of the sheer numbers of people who would be out there trying to survive in the same place you are trying to survive. And how many of them may be trying to kill you in the process, either inadvertently or on purpose. It would sure not be a pretty scenario if everyone, say in the outer environs of NYC, tried to live off the WEs in the Catskills.

[Bibow]

without fish or game id be done after a week

[shankfisher]

Why do people on forums always resort to correcting someone's writing when an argument brews?

Hey, I agree with you. I'm not correcting anyone's writing; I'm simply pointing out that to claim that "if you don't know every wild edible you die" is an overstatement -- and equally dangerous. There are methodologies to survival outside of "living it," and it's not rocket science. We are all at different levels of training, and to me it's better to respect that than talk down to people. No offense intended, of course.

[Rick]

I do support the edibility test. I learned an abject lesson in Phoenix last year. I suddenly found myself in a desert environment that is completely outside my knowledge base. If I had to try and survive in that environment for any length of time the edibility test would have been the only tool I could have relied on in order to eat.

Nothing takes the place of knowledge and experience but it sure taught me how quickly you can find yourself in a foreign environment and you don't have to go all that far to find it.

[Nativedude]

Shankfisher wrote:"You should be careful what you condemn. This is a general rule, widely taught by professional, credible survival experts. As for mushrooms, the answer is simple; I was trained simply to not eat mushrooms. And as for the edibility test being crap, well, this is exactly what you'll encounter in E&E training. Certainly real expertise trumps the test, but nevertheless, this is not "crap" advice. YMMV.

First, there are a lot of "professional" (and I use this term loosely!) survival instructors whom teach the "taste & wait" technique. As well as, instructors that say "watch what the animals eat", but let me tell you, with 30 years of teaching experience, I have NEVER and I mean NEVER said to any of my students either of the aforementioned statements. The best thing to do is get a book on wild edible plants (with color pictures) and carry it with you, at least until you learn the wild edibles in your area.

Second, on a forum like this, giving ANYONE advice to try any plant, is at least, dangerous. There may be some newbies that take the advise posted to heart, and could become sick, deathly-ill, or even possibly die from what they've read on here. Again, the best advice is: "get a book on wild edible plants (with color pictures) and carry it with you, at least until you learn the wild edibles in your area."


Wareagle69 wrote:"No need to be careful condemning not eating what animals eat. you don't know me so let me give you a heads up. i am also well trained as an army ranger been around lots of operatives, i have been to wild edibles schools and train with one of the best in the world in allan beauchamp also train with a native elder and a woman who lives in the bush, while a fellow named tammarack song will suggest watching the animals to learn from them, we do not eat what they eat, we eat them. i would like to know who has trained you. sorry to say you are way off and would likely harm someone here with your info, i am sure you feel strongly about what you have been taught, but personally you might want to do allot more research when it comes to wild edibles, this is not something that i study it is what i live, please do not read more into this than is intended i mean only to educate you, and help you along in your training. if i do not mean any offense with my post."

I do agree with WE. Watching what the animals eat DOES NOT assure that we can eat the same things. There are MANY foods that animals eat, that if we ate them, would make us very sick or even possibly kill us.

My Lakota Elder guide taught me to break the leaf or stem in half and rub it on your arm and wait to see if you have a reaction. If not, then rub a little spot on the inside of your lip and/or tongue and wait. If no reaction then eat a very small piece of the leaf and, again, wait.

Now, just because you didn't have any reaction doesn't mean that you can't get sick from that particular plant. Eating a small quantity may do nothing at all, but consuming a larger quantity may make you nauseated, sick, deathly ill, or even kill you. Everything in moderation!

Lastly, I have a lot of respect for the military. I have very close, personal friends in the military. But, just because the military teaches something does not make it "gospel"! I have been to and observed a couple of military survival courses. While they were okay, I wouldn't teach their curriculum on a daily basis. I have had men and women, whom are active Navy, Marines & Air Force, go through my 14 day survival course. I mean the courses where thy have nothing with them except the clothing on their bodies. All of them stated that they learned how to actually "stay alive" if a survival situation arose, and that they could survive "without" any provisions if hey had to! And I've had many referrals from them for other Mil. men & women whom have taken and are going to take my course.

[shankfisher]

The best thing to do is get a book on wild edible plants (with color pictures) and carry it with you, at least until you learn the wild edibles in your area.

Yes, obviously this is true . . .

First, I never gave anyone any advice to try any plant. Please do not rephrase my statement and try to make a point. I find that quite offensive, on a couple of levels.

And yes, of course, simply eating what animals eat without an edibility test is not recommended -- not the least of which because animals and humans don't digest food anything alike (ever seen a cow's stomach?). And when your Lakota elder gave you instructions -- you just repeated the edibility test I have spoke of already. Again, why you feel the need to repeat that -- and yet mock the "professionals" who teach the same thing, I don't know.

Look guys, there is no one here to impress. If you've got advanced training in eating wild foods, great. But twice I now I have heard of folks with training from NAs as if that IS "gospel." I know some NAs who will tell you they know nothing about skills in the wild. So trotting that out does not impress either. If you have some skills, good on you. I hope that works for you, but don't condemn. And certainly, please, treat people with the respect and close reading they deserve. That's just basic courtesy . . .

[Sarge47]

You should be careful what you condemn. This is a general rule, widely taught by professional, credible survival experts. As for mushrooms, the answer is simple; I was trained simply to not eat mushrooms. And as for the edibility test being crap, well, this is exactly what you'll encounter in E&E training. Certainly real expertise trumps the test, but nevertheless, this is not "crap" advice. YMMV.With all due respect, Shank, WE would get my vote before anyone else, be careful who you "diss".:smash:

[shankfisher]

With all due respect, Shank, WE would get my vote before anyone else, be careful who you "diss".:smash:

Who did I diss? And how exactly did I diss them?

[Sarge47]

Even Les Stroud, when he had a lot of Wild edible "plants" nearby said that they, alone, would not sustain him for the 7 days that he would be out in the wilds & that he needed to find a way to add meat or fish to his larder. I agree that the plant-life is important, but cannot be used as the sole diet. Like WE says, watch what the animals eat, then use it as bait to trap them! (or something like that.):cool2:

[shankfisher]

Even Les Stroud, when he had a lot of Wild edible "plants" nearby said that they, alone, would not sustain him for the 7 days that he would be out in the wilds & that he needed to find a way to add meat or fish to his larder. I agree that the plant-life is important, but cannot be used as the sole diet. Like WE says, watch what the animals eat, then use it as bait to trap them! (or something like that.):cool2:

Yeah, sure. Upthread I specifically said: "You'll find something to eat if you can do that testing. You can then eat a bit and keep your strength up to wait on a rabbit, squirrel, or fish trap. To live forever? No."

[Sarge47]

You should be careful what you condemn. This is a general rule, widely taught by professional, credible survival experts. As for mushrooms, the answer is simple; I was trained simply to not eat mushrooms. And as for the edibility test being crap, well, this is exactly what you'll encounter in E&E training. Certainly real expertise trumps the test, but nevertheless, this is not "crap" advice. YMMV.This looks like you're "dissing" WE, IMO. If I had to choose 1 person to pick out of all the members of this site to help me survive in the wilds, WE would be that person. However, just remember, this is only MY opinion.:cool2:

[shankfisher]

This looks like you're "dissing" WE, IMO. If I had to choose 1 person to pick out of all the members of this site to help me survive in the wilds, WE would be that person. However, just remember, this is only MY opinion.:cool2:

I don't get it. He was dissing the exact advice as "crap" that Nativedude put in his post. Was Nativdude also dissing WE?

[Sarge47]

I don't get it. He was dissing the exact advice as "crap" that Nativedude put in his post. Was Nativdude also dissing WE?I've spoken my piece, I'm just saying that WE has the credibility with me over anyone else on this site. It sounded to me like you were putting him down a bit & I mentioned it, that's all. I don't know you that well, so I guess I'm just watching & learning. BTW, I didn't see, Nativedude dissing WE over it, they were just exchanging opinions. It's not the advice that I'm reffering to, but the way things are being said.:cool2:

[Nativedude]

Shankfisher wrote: ". . .why you feel the need to mock the "professionals" who teach the same thing, I don't know. . . .there is no one here to impress . . .

First, I'm not mocking any one. But there are people whom claim to be "professional" survival instructors, yet the things that they teach can be detrimental to their students health and well being. And edible plants is NOT a subject to be taken lightly, nor are mushrooms!

Second, As I stated before, There may be some newbies that take the advise posted on here to heart, and could become sick, deathly-ill, or even possibly, die from what they've read on here.

Third, I'm not trying to impress anyone. I'm trying to convey and impress upon others what I wrote in my second sentence!


WarEagle wrote: ". . .while a fellow named tammarack song will suggest watching the animals to learn from them, we do not eat what they eat, we eat them."

I guess I should have been more specific in what I was referring to what War Eagle wrote.

When it comes to survival, I never throw caution to the wind when it comes to others safety and well-being.

[crashdive123]

My knowledge of wild edibles, as I have stated before, is limited. That being said, I do not see that Shankfisher has offered any advice that would be contrary to what others have said, or harmful. I believe that the universal edibilty test has it's place, albeit a latter stage resort to sustaining yourself. Native Dude's teachings from the Lakota Elders sure seems to be along the lines of the universal edibility test. As with many things, knowledge is power - and learning more about wild edibles will improve your chances of survival in the wilds.

[Chris]

You know, the official side of this site speaks the UET (because, of course, it is just a publication of US Army FM 21-76). The fact is, there is safe and sorry, and I'd rather be safe than sorry. One should only eat something one has not tested and is not familiar with if one is starving and has exhausted all other options.

And, you know, it isn't JUST plants that'll kill you fast, there are also those that'll kill you slow. Something that'll give you kidney or liver failure you don't find out about until you've been out for 6 months.

Then you all are talking about who is professional or not, let me tell you a story about a professional.

So, we have hardwood floors, and we had cleaning ladies. And the cleaning ladies forgot one day to put the guard on their vacuums when doing the floors and so the beaterbrush tore off the gloss finish. I knew what caused it, the marks exactly matched the bottom of the vacuum. I insisted they pay to have it fixed. This woman, Vanessa, the manager of the cleaning company, came and insisted that because she was a "professional" interior designer and she had seen lots of hardwood floors she knew that the marks were from the original install and not her vacuums. (I let it go how she is a "professional" interior designer and yet is managing a cleaning company.) She called "her own" flooring installer to get his opinion, and he sided with me, saying he knew of no tool that could have caused the marks and that it was obvious a vacuum. She tried again "but but... I'm a professional interior designer." He wouldn't back down, boy was that fun. Later when he came back to do the work at their expense he confided that he wasn't very fond of Vanessa, and I admitted neither was I.

The moral of this story is, people call themselves professional all the time, much of the time they are not, or even if they are, it doesn't necessarily mean they're experts or know what they're doing. In the end, a professional is merely someone who has convinced someone else to pay them for something, it doesn't mean they are good at it.

One of my fortes as a webmaster is Search Engine Optimization, and I'm an expert at it, and for years and years, and still now, I'd see people on webmaster help forums simultaneously asking basic SEO questions while at the same time touting their "professional SEO consulting business" in their signature. Or blatantly touting things that have been proved to be false, such as say a doctor nowadays recommending bleeding to treat a fever. And in fact, some large and successful sellers of services would be making these mistakes, proving that knowledge on a topic and the ability to sell that topic to another person aren't always in a direct correlation.

So in the end, considering that, arguing about who is more "professional" is somewhat pointless. Especially in a field with no accepted standards. Let it be, and just do what you think is best for you, and let others take risks if they desire.

Afterall, if someone you meet on the Internet does something wrong, you'll probably never even know. It might make the local paper "Lost Hiker Dies After Accidentially Eating Poisonous Mushrooms" but you're a thousand miles away and don't get that paper.

[Alpine_Sapper]

My Lakota Elder guide taught me to break the leaf or stem in half and rub it on your arm and wait to see if you have a reaction. If not, then rub a little spot on the inside of your lip and/or tongue and wait. If no reaction then eat a very small piece of the leaf and, again, wait.

Now, just because you didn't have any reaction doesn't mean that you can't get sick from that particular plant. Eating a small quantity may do nothing at all, but consuming a larger quantity may make you nauseated, sick, deathly ill, or even kill you. Everything in moderation!


That is pretty close to the UET.




First, there are a lot of "professional" (and I use this term loosely!) survival instructors whom teach the "taste & wait" technique. As well as, instructors that say "watch what the animals eat", but let me tell you, with 30 years of teaching experience, I have NEVER and I mean NEVER said to any of my students either of the aforementioned statements. The best thing to do is get a book on wild edible plants (with color pictures) and carry it with you, at least until you learn the wild edibles in your area.


That doesn't make sense. Your elder taught you the edibility test above, but you don't teach it to your students, then you tell them to get a book and learn wild edibles, to carry the book until they do, but then neglect to tell them how to find wild edibles if they are in an unfamilar environment, left the book at home, or have lost it. I understand the UET isn't the safest thing you can do, but I'd rather be armed with the knowledge that might keep me alive if I'm going to die without food than not have it because someone thought it would be a liability because they didn't stress the dangers enough or whatever.

[Sarge47]

Seems like there's a difference of opinions here on the validity of the "edibility test." My thoughts are let everyone make their own decision on the matter. I don't see it as a "debatable" topic, & will tell you that, in all probability, I will never use it. If I don't know for a fact what it is I'm eating, then I'm not going to eat it & that's that. You all can knock yourselves out & if you ever have to use it, hopefully you'll come out alright. (urp.):cool2:

[Rick]

Here are a couple of sites that might help folks along the learning trail:

http://foragingpictures.com/

http://www.sacredearth.com/

[Ken]

Here are a couple of sites that might help folks along the learning trail:

Nice links. Thanks, Rick.

[crashdive123]

Good links - thanks.

[BruceZed]

Not possible in many areas of NA. The local natives lived on a diet of 95% Meat and Meat Products. So way can anyone say they could live off Wild Edibles in this area. You will never achieve your BMR. Maybe in some areas of the US, but not here.

[wareagle69]

well one last thought i have on this and it has already been touched upon and that is of the test some items that you can test may not show up and yet come back to haunt to later. the best suggestion is to seek out competent qualified instructors, i personally recomend leaving the test alone. it would not be the first time that the army was wrong or that someone taught a doctrine that they did not beleive in but were compelled to teach, for anyone new learn long and hard.
i agree with native dude to a point, start with books with color pics but as you progress you will find that they lack much in detail, instead look for color hand drawn pics much better, and even better yet get you own artist sketch pad and color pencils and drw them yourself. does not matter if you can draw as you will be the one looking at the drawings and as you draw you will focus on certain things and will be able to recall much better in the future

the end

[RBB]

Extremely subjective question - open to so many variables there is no way to give an objective answer.

The answer would be something like "IF."

"IF I could poach enough deer quicker than my neighbors."

"IF there is a good wild rice season this year."

"IF fox are down and rabbits are up."

"IF there is a good berry season."

As for living off cattails and rock tripe - the energy expended gathering is hardly replaced by the food value you gain. Anyone who thinks they can live off lambs quarter and Indian potatoes - good luck. They are supplements - not a living diet.


Just my opinion

[trax]

I voted option 3, can I vote again now? Still just trying to keep the democratic process working here. I understood the question to mean without hunting and fishing, that's why I voted 3. RBB is on the money about variables though, but bear in mind that people lived off wild edibles here for thousands of years, the environment and population bases have changed a lot since then, though. Where you are is a huge consideration.

[tsitenha]

Question does not allow for reality. aboriginals were hunter gatherers...ate what ever they came across even to the point of managing their travels to access wild edibles in their seasons.
Knowing what to eat is not enough, being able to access edibles in quantity is what is needed.
Supplementing your food intake with even rudimentary agriculture greatly enhances your survival abilities.
I am not a deer or a mooze so I can't graze at will and get enough just from the vegetation at hand.
I would need to hunt for meat also.

[wareagle69]

wait a minute i am confused, for those of you who say you do not know your wild edibles but could exsist on them, how is that possible, you don't know what you are doing but could live off of them?, yet those of us who say we do know them very few said they could survive off of them. please clear this up for me eh

[crashdive123]

wait a minute i am confused, for those of you who say you do not know your wild edibles but could exsist on them, how is that possible, you don't know what you are doing but could live off of them?, yet those of us who say we do know them very few said they could survive off of them. please clear this up for me eh

I thought that was a bit odd as well. I'm curious to see the answers.

[Durtyoleman]

Unfortunately my knowlege of W.E.'s is lacking...mostly due to lack of another to train me who knew them well enough to trust risking my health. I could possibly survive by experimentation if I had no choice useing common sense and the few plants I do know but would not want to test it without need. I read up on this subject often and study pics of various plants to try to remedy this lack but as we all know nothing beats first hand experience. So I had to answer in the negative. But in a shtf situation I'm killin palms law or no.

D.O.M.

[Batch]

Durtyoleman,

You might try joining the Florida Native Plant Society.

http://www.fnps.org/

Membership is $35 a year and includes newsletters and magazine. You can team up with members who have more knowledge from a local chapter.

There is also a book called "Florida's Incredible Wild Edibles". It only has line drawings. But, it does contain some good recipes.

I just joined the FNPS after reading "Surviving the Wilds of Florida" by Reid F. Tillery.

Kinda hard to find good info on South Florida...:sneaky2:

I am a wet behind the ears rookie. But, I'm working on fixing that problem. :online2long:

[Ted]

I know I can live on w.e.'s no problem! So can anyone! If you answerd you know them but don't think they would sustain you, your wrong!

Some must be cooked thats a given, but the ones that don't and can be eaten raw, have way more nutritional value the anything you eat out of a can. For instance I read once one cup of wild violets has more vitamin C than a whole bag of oranges! Thats just the tip of the iceburg people!

It is a fact that if you ate the weeds you pull out of your garden raw, you'd get more nutrition from them than you do the vegatables you keep after cooking them!

Just think about wild herbavors, all they eat are raw w.e.'s! I now your think'in well I'm not an animal,..... wrong,... we all are! I also believe humans were ment to be herbavors! Look at the teeth we have, not made for tearing flesh thats for sure!

[Mischief]

The survey specified WE's not WE plants
Therefore fish fowl game and plants all work

[Ted]

The survey specified WE's not WE plants
Therefore fish fowl game and plants all work

Well if anybody doesn't know they can eat of fish, fowl, and game. I feel very sorry for them, very, very sorry.

[Durtyoleman]

The point of the survey was to ask if you knew the w.e.s well enough to survive.I could survive for a short time on what I know but I would not thrive long term...one needs to know it well for a healthy diet. And while game and fish are wild edibles I believe they were refering to plant life specifically.

D.O.M.

[Nativedude]

wareagle69 wrote: "wait a minute i am confused, for those of you who say you do not know your wild edibles but could exsist on them, how is that possible, you don't know what you are doing but could live off of them?, yet those of us who say we do know them very few said they could survive off of them. please clear this up for me eh"

If you don't know your WE's, but you're with someone whom does, and they can tell you which to harvest, are you willing to, and could you eat them to sustain yourself?

[Nativedude]

Mischief wrote: "The survey specified WE's not WE plants
Therefore fish fowl game and plants all work"

WE's = Wild Edibles is a term used for "wild edible plants". If it were directed towards animals, then it would be denoted as wild game, not wild edibles.

[Trabitha]

While there are lots of fruit orchards and farms in the area - I don't think that is what you are asking. I would have trouble - now, add fish or wild game and I would do OK.

Agreed. I think it's just too difficult to sustain your needed calorie intake on wild edibles alone. Without SOME form of animal protein I think anyone would struggle.

[crashdive123]

Agreed. I think it's just too difficult to sustain your needed calorie intake on wild edibles alone. Without SOME form of animal protein I think anyone would struggle.

My biggest issue is that I am not knowledgeable enough with wild edibles. I know that I walk past food every day without realizing it.

[Trabitha]

Personally, even with the knowledge that I DO have...I would have to stumble on a large patch of legumes to thrive in any way...

[Mischief]

WE's = Wild Edibles is a term used for "wild edible plants". If it were directed towards animals, then it would be denoted as wild game, not wild edibles.

That may be your interpretation,however,WE is a general term WE Plants is specific
Peterson field guide "Edible Wild Plants"
"Edible Wild Plants" A north american field guide


Yeah I know you are going to site some books that only say We,and I will return with the dictionry meaning of W & E and string then together for you.
If you want a survey on Wild Edible plants then say so
Let us agree that we don't agree and drop it after you get the last word.

Ted the comment was a point of grammar

[crashdive123]

Wow. He was the original poster in this thread. There was some confusion as to what he meant. He cleared it up. It wasn't a challenge to see who had what definition, but rather a point of clarification to the original post. Why so antagonistic?

[Mischief]

Wow. He was the original poster in this thread. There was some confusion as to what he meant. He cleared it up. It wasn't a challenge to see who had what definition, but rather a point of clarification to the original post. Why so antagonistic?

Who me or Ted ?

[crashdive123]

You.......

[rwc1969]

I've held off posting on this or voting for a long while now. But, based on the poll question, the definition of sustain and the OP guidelines...

Yes! I do know my local wild edibles well enough to sustain on them indefinitely. And I don't know them very well BTW.

Would I? NO!

I would eat animals and fish too, and probably bugs before I ever tried to exist on WE's alone.

Most of the local high carb WE's taste awful and/ or require extensive preparation.

Same goes for many of the wild greens around here.

But, if I could gather, prepare and store them I could easily sustain off them. It would be a miserable, exhaustive and un-productive experience, but I could do it and stay quite healthy doing so.

Most of my time would be spent gathering, preparing and storing my food, so I wouldn't have a lot of time or energy for anything else. If you look at herbivores that's pretty much how they spend their lives. Eating, storing, sleeping and breeding with very little time for frollicking in the woods.

The reason we advanced as a society and as a species is we were able to farm food, domesticate wild animals, hunt and such. This gave us all kinds of free time to frollick, think, plan, overbreed and overcome nature. We're omnivores with reasoning abilities! We eat anything that's reasonable and it's not reasonable to just eat flora or vegetable matter. We eat anything that won't kill us or make us sick and sometimes we even eat that.

[countrymech]

First off, if I were to survive on wild edibles in Wyoming I'd get real sick of prickly pear cactus. Beyond that I wouldn't have a clue. In some areas one can find wild onion. I don't think it would be possible to live here on vegetation alone. Or maybe I'm not looking hard enough???????

[preachtheWORD]

I think I could sustain myself, but unless I happen upon someone's abandoned tater patch, I don't think I could forage enough to feed many more. Also, I am sure that you would have to supplement wild veggies with small game, fish, crayfish, bugs, or some kind of protien. It would be almost impossible to have anything like a balanced diet eating only wild plants. I imagine you would have a serious protein deficiency.

[Old GI]

Can I count lots of cattle, horses, alpacas, llama, etc. around my location?

[Rick]

You can but be very careful. Those dang llamas spit.

[Old GI]

OH yes they do!! Among other things that sound like that.

[trax]

My biggest issue is that I am not knowledgeable enough with wild edibles. I know that I walk past food every day without realizing it.

I have more of a problem walking past things every day and making myself realize that they're not food:blushing:

[rwc1969]

... Also, I am sure that you would have to supplement wild veggies with small game, fish, crayfish, bugs, or some kind of protien. It would be almost impossible to have anything like a balanced diet eating only wild plants. I imagine you would have a serious protein deficiency.

You could eat mushrooms and get protien along with many of the other nutrients that plants lack and animals have.


...and I think this thread needs to take into account where a person lives as some places don't have a wide variety of edibles to choose from. Here in MI we have a virtual smorgasboard of wild edibles.

[Excalibur]

I may not know by first glance most of the wild food around my area but i know enough to live. I WILL be hungry but alive. I have learned the different tests to see if the food is safe. Plus I raise rabbits, chickens, and dogs. Even mans best friend will become dinner if i get hungry enough