Poll: Fishing, Hunting, Foraging, Gardening, Food Storage.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I was thinking more in terms of global disaster that may have hoards of Mexicans coming over the border escaping what is bound to be a worse situation in Mexico.

AS, I think it already happened....

[Cornmonkey]

I chose all of the above if it comes to a tough time. One must be able to use every thing in the bag to make it and take care of those around them.

[hoosierarcher]

I see no reason to rely only only one stratagem for food accumulation. I would do answer 6) All of the above. Decisions based on season, weather, and any number of other parameters.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

The question is which one you would rely on the MOST. Unless you are dividing all your time equally between them. I will be doing them all but I know which ones will be much more productive for me.

[crashdive123]

Which to you put the most confidence in for your long term survival. You can choose more than one.

I was thinking more in terms of global disaster that may have hoards of Mexicans coming over the border escaping what is bound to be a worse situation in Mexico.

The question is which one you would rely on the MOST. Unless you are dividing all your time equally between them. I will be doing them all but I know which ones will be much more productive for me.

I guess I misunderstood the poll. From the OP I thought you were asking what we currently do regarding food for our long term survival. From the other two posts I cited from you, I guess I misunderstood what you were asking. My apologies.

[your_comforting_company]

As many creeks, ponds, and lakes as there are here, it'd be silly not to rely on fishing, and with the long growing season and wide variety of veggies year-round, foraging would be a sure source of food.
Gardening will fall in there somewhere, but it's gonna be kinda hard to get adequate sunshine in the woods. trapping is feasible but hunting would require bullets or bows and arrows, so that'll be later.
Food storage will be an integral part of it all.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I guess I misunderstood the poll. From the OP I thought you were asking what we currently do regarding food for our long term survival. From the other two posts I cited from you, I guess I misunderstood what you were asking. My apologies.

Everything I say is coming from the perspective of a tin foil hatted full blown DOOMER seeing the end of the world happening! Anything less than total collapse is just a bad day. My only hope for the future is that decline is slow enough to see me through the rest of my days in relative comfort or that I belong to a minority of the very stupidest people on the planet that see things this way.

[hunter63]

I marked all that I mostly use.......If asked for only one, it would be long term food storage.....no matter what the source.

[crashdive123]

Everything I say is coming from the perspective of a tin foil hatted full blown DOOMER seeing the end of the world happening! Anything less than total collapse is just a bad day. My only hope for the future is that decline is slow enough to see me through the rest of my days in relative comfort or that I belong to a minority of the very stupidest people on the planet that see things this way.

Thanks for the clarification so that I can tailor my future responses accordingly.

[Sourdough]

My only hope for the future is that decline is slow enough to see me through the rest of my days in relative comfort or that I belong to a minority of the very stupidest people on the planet that see things this way.

That is my wish also. My being 10 years older than you, I have a better chance of having completed my life before TEOTWAWKI.

[Rick]

Color me crazy but I pretty sure no matter when you go it will be the end of the world as you know it. Just sayin'.

[Sourdough]

Color me crazy but I pretty sure no matter when you go it will be the end of the world as you know it. Just sayin'.

Yep, 100% correct.

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

Just a thought really.... for those who say that gardening is not a viable option. Why couldn't you use the same tactics that the growers of illegal crops use? What is referred to as "Guerrilla Farming". If Heirloom seeds were used, what was not collected this harvest would replant itself for the next season. Site selection would be the most crucial part of this type of "gardening". Using "main crops" would provide plenty more than just foraging for food. A small corn field would at the very least provide seeds for the next season......

I would do all of those, personally.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I once read that Indians did more farming than is commonly known. It was a passive kind of farming done by just enhancing the natural habitat of existing native plants they ate. Things like diverting a creek to supply water or cutting branches that were shading plants they ate. I have never found much info on this but I wonder if any of the foragers on this forum do similar.

[Rick]

Yes. One in particular.dilligaf2u2. He hasn't been on in quite a while.


http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=river+bottoms

[ClayPick]

I never picked hunting and harvesting, and left them both as opportunistic. Last numbers for population density of my province are 28 people per square mile. Non arable land bumps it up even more. That many starving people could clean’er out in no time. I can see weir nets and greenhouse plastic being a valuable asset. Ammunition? I’d save that for my defence............. I’m feeling depressed.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I've heard it said that "90 percent of the game is taken by 10 percent of the hunters". I believe this to be an accurate statement. I know my hunting trips have been unsuccessful more times than not. The best hunting these days is in areas with limited access and the time, effort, regulation, expense has put me in the 90 percent catagory.

The same is said of fishing but I slay them and almost always catch fish and lots of them. Access to deep water is a factor same as hunting but I have that access and even when in public areas with fisherman lining the banks I will limit out when no one else is catching fish. I include crab, shrimp and clams as fishing and anytime I am near the ocean I eat like a king and now a days I just trade Halibut for my meat. The trading factor puts it way ahead of other methods for what I rely on.

Foraging is very seasonal here and we do it but I would say it provides less than 1 percent of our food.

I've had some crop failures due to frost but always been able to grow potatoes even in the worst years and know I can live off potatoes. Growing potatoes should be part of everybodies survival plan.

I am doing good with food storage and set for several years. Most my other methods I am using just to offset costs to build up food stores. As I slow down with age I will be rely on food storage more and more.

This is what my experience has been and I realize climate, location and abilty will affect methods used. I am surprized at some of the results of this poll so far. Since most don't have access to the ocean the fishing result surprizes me. Hunting is big in Alaska but driving truck I see how many hunters come back every season empty handed so I am surprized by that result as well. I know people that can't grow anything either. The numbers just seem high to me and some may be based on speculation. That in itself is enlightening.

[klkak]

All the above.

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

I once read that Indians did more farming than is commonly known. It was a passive kind of farming done by just enhancing the natural habitat of existing native plants they ate. Things like diverting a creek to supply water or cutting branches that were shading plants they ate. I have never found much info on this but I wonder if any of the foragers on this forum do similar.

This is kind of what I meant in post #33. What Marijuana growers do with small scattered plots. By planting a dozen or so plants in one location, then the same in another spot and so on until almost all my seeds are planted. This way I feel that chance encounters and loss to people who stumble on them would be reduced. In a worse case scenario a 5 acre plot of corn would almost certainly have to be guarded all the time.

If you think of it in terms of a "Trap line" of vegetables, I think you could see the potential value of this. True you might not harvest as much as if it were an ordinary garden, but more than if you didn't plant anything at all. Site selection and crop type would be the most important aspects of this. Squash and Gourds family(Like Pumpkins) figure high in this I would think. Even Gourds would be a beneficial crop... utensils and such made from them could be used in trade too. Another benefit would be in running a trap line in the same areas as this "Trap line Garden". The animals would also be attracted to these veggies, increasing chances of hunting while harvesting/tending plants.

[randyt]

I've often thought about planting Jerusalem artichokes here and there and yonder. Figured plots of artichokes spread around could come in handy. It could be taken to another level by trimming fruit trees and such. there is a large number of wild apple trees around my area that could use a good trimming. Perhaps backwaters and sloughs could be seeded with wild rice. Groves of wild plants and trees could be mapped out. I had located a wintergreen birch years ago and I'll be darned they logged off that area and it got cut. In my area maples are in a abundant supply perhaps in a quiet area a little syrup operation could be developed. there's probably lots of good ideas.