I Give Us (SM) an "F" as in "Fail"... told you some will not like it

Bear as usual you have hit the nail on the head. Your list of questions and thoughts in all the posts is worth many lists of bob items etc and this approach to the question of survival, information and feedback, is why this newbe is here and not at Rawles psychological games. I don't care how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I do care if the pin can be used to hold my pocket together when I am forced to over fill it for some reason. I always remember the story about Levi"s jeans. The miners were over loading their pockets with ore samples or more likely stealing the best ore, and kept tearing out the pockets. He got so da**ed mad that he rivited them and created a product that is still sold. But I am sure that during that gold rush, the next miner who saw those jeans asked the man who made his jeans to do the same. It is the ideas based on each persons experiences that I find interesting.

 

I really had to read the OP and several of the posts before I really got what Bear is getting at. As a neophyte I don't yet have much to contribute to the intent of this forum, so I read, reread, rethink, and digest what I can. I can say that my knowledge and understanding has increased greatly thanks to the posts of the many contributors. You all have my heartfelt thanks for sharing what you know.

The concept of surviving the things that WILL eventually come is very complex as each of us has our own specific situations, thus at least one solution per person, family, or community. I see SM as a sort of survival supermarket, where each of us goes up and down the various aisles looking for the ingredients we need to bake whatever cake we need.

Once again, Bear and the rest of you my gratitude. It is likely that the knowledge you share may one day save my life.

 

Starting with what kellory said on page one, we all have different strengths and skill sets. And speaking from a context of differences of opinion, I have an example I can throw out there.

kellory is a trapper. Mentions very clearly that putting out traps is a very energy efficient way to gather food, and a preferred practice medium for a camper. I am a stalk hunter. I'm not good at sitting still, especially with a empty belly. Instead of putting out traps, which I do not have a lot of successful dirt time for reasons not immediately pertaining to this discussion, I like a bow. I can manufacture ammo, I can tune it to my situation (with MY skillset), and most importantly to me, I can hunt anything on the planet with a simple shift in how I build of my arrow. Large game, small game, fish, signalling. It is just something I am comfortable with.

I guess what I am hitting at is where kellory would tell them to trap, I would tell them to practice with a primitive hunting tool (and Spears do suck for that).

That said, if we want to open up a primitive hunting tool/hunting technique debate, I would love to here it.

I will also add that I have trouble trawling through the old threads. Y'all mention opinions shifting over time, and getting those critical details down, you don't get that by looking over the old stuff very often.

 

Thanks for posting @vonslob

Good thoughts indeed....

The more information the better decisions...

As stated earlier .... we are all adults here (I think... although sometimes I like the child in me best)... communication is a two way street.... I often remind myself that a unexpected or surprising reaction or response may be a result of my own inadequate or inability to get my message across as intended... Everyone learns, listens, and communicates differently... some of the very best "teachers / instructors" I have had knew this and how to get their message across so that "learning and understanding" was the result ....

I agree... some folks have that "jerky" gene or tendencies... and maybe it's best to overlook that and try again... or in some cases... just try another approach....

Time and Patience... every once in a while it is just so limited... I understand that and try to factor that into my thoughts before I draw conclusions and my next course of action....

Great points.... and advice...

Thanks for posting...

Have a great Sunday!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Actually, @AxesAreBetter , I prefer hunting. But there is no reason to overlook a second or third line of foraging. Set a few snares, set a fishing snare or fish traps, while you are doing other things like setting up camp. No reason to not add hunting once the set up is done. Perhaps you get rabbit, pheasant and fish. Who is to complain? hunting is my primary skillset.
In fact, my bucket list is to try every type of hunting that exists, with two exceptions. (No high fence or remote rifle).
I hunt with rifle, shotgun, sabot gun, longbow, recurve, compound, crossbow, and slingshot, now. Trapping is just another method.

 

Kell you can come to lousina/Tx and hunt hogs with a spear or knife {with dogs}
and you can also hunt them out of a chopper if ya want ...
sometimes even get the farmers to pay for the chopper and ammo...

 

Sounds like fun and good food. I have a rotisserie pig roaster I built, I have yet to test.

 

Hey, kellory, you get down in my neck of the woods to hunt hog, you PM me at least.

 

@Bear I think that a checklist/questionnaire is a good idea. If it is floating here on the monkey then a person can visit, read it and run it through their thoughts prior to purchase or as they try to narrow down what they are seeking. Example:

Different brand knives that you like | Page 3 | Survival Forums

Those were posts made by me in 2014. I had/have no knowledge of knives. I don't expect a response to every post but maybe had I known how to properly state what I was looking for, I may have had success. Also- I may have made the mistake of burying the question in an older thread. I appreciate @Byte for answering but since I was clueless I couldn't convey properly what I was searching for. So a checklist or talking points would be a useful tool (at least to me).

I really do think at times we all get stuck in a box and overthink. Yesterday I was PM'ing with someone about gear and how my shell needs to be dried then ironed to help preserve the water repellent feature. I pondered what to do if lights out. The monkey responded use the original iron-
Bam! that was simple.

I was probably over thinking the issue and I needed that insight and simplification. Same with @kellory and his coffee pot issue. Kellory is one of the most inventive persons on here and it seemed like he was unable to step back from his issue. Coffee without a coffee pot | Survival Forums Another monkey from the outside of the issue was able to look in and suggest a simple solution.

there is a phrase- Keeping up with the Jones. I think most preppers do not live that way but unconsciously we maybe be keeping up with the preppers and stuck in the material way of thinking.

 

Bear ,we have something in common. My Grandfather was also a great wood worker. He was a master pattern maker who has his eagle (weather vane) on top of the White house. I remember his work shop with the carving tools and such. He passed that torch to me and my wooden fishing lure shop. Working with wood is a solid skill set to have however even though I am proud of having this talent I believe that growing food (animals and crops) in adverse conditions is and should be my main concern . I doubt Ill ever master everything but the learning process goes on. This site and survival boards dot com have increased my knowledge base 100 fold. The Monkey is a more closed group of regulars and smaller. More personal like a group of good friends having coffee every morning. It is for this reason I return every day.

 

Bypass the Kool-Aid in the survival supermarket...

 

I would like to see that debate.

 

Try hogs with a knife and no dogs? I have a crazy friend who does that. It's the stalk that gets is juices going. To be able to get close enough to stick it and then track it as it runs off to die. Not the most humane way though.

 

Naturally every forum has a fair amount of BS and information from people who pose as experts by parroting things they have read elsewhere but really don't have experience in. SM is not exempt from this, but my BS-O-Meter reads lower here than elsewhere. The monkeys who walk the walk are pretty easy to spot. I pay attention to most views, but those are the ones I pay the most attention to. Because I recognize my path is different (though has similar goals) to many contributers, I try to pick and choose wisely.

 

I like living too much to knife a hog like that. A Spear, maybe. But I have a buddy who would take on a gator with his bear hands turn ghost pale and skin up a tree with an -06 whenever we saw a hog. No thanks man. Haha.

 

I wouldn't prefer to do it that way either. That's why I said my crazy friend...

Years ago, I did go face to face with one that stood with it head height around between my belly and chest. I thought it was as big as me. I'm 200#. Don't know how big it was exactly but we were within touching distance. I stayed in its path because I didn't want it going back into our camp area from which we chased it out just a little earlier. It had no fear. I held my ground and it walked right up to that distance. When I lunged at it, it turned tail and took off. Sucker was fast.

When I got back to camp, I told my wife that I was very lucky.

 

hanzo if you stood face to face with a wild hog ...
and it was in arms reach and u were camping with out a weapon and you didnt kill the hog...
Well u know the rest