# Mountain Men: A Series About Living Off the Land



## Prepadoodle

I just discovered the History Channel's, "Mountain Men" series, and thought some of you might be interested in taking a look.

It's about 3 groups who live totally off the land, one in Alaska, one in Montana, and one in the North Carolina. It's an interesting look at exactly what it takes to survive off grid and on your own.

I can't seem to locate season 1, episode 1, at least not on YouTube. Of course, I would never suggest looking on popular file sharing sites like TPB. <cough>

Here's season 1, episode 2...






For some reason, Tom reminds me of our very own Montana Rancher. LOL This isn't meant as an insult, he is more of a man than I'll ever be, but at least gives me something to aim for.


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## jimb1972

Tom is the most impressive of the bunch, I am surprised a couple of the others are still alive.


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## split

Great show, never miss it.


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## wesley762

I have been watching this, but like the rest of the reality TV out there, there is not much depth to it. it's pure entertainment value to be, but it does show that you can live off the grid.


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## bigdogbuc

There are 6 "groups" now; too many to have any depth to it whatsoever. Eustice is my favorite (North Carolina) but after this season started with all of the "extra" characters, I pretty much gave up on it. Got too "ADD" for me. I like Yukon Men and Life Below Zero. But even those got mundane after awhile.


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## split

I like the old man in Montana (Tom) and Eustice. It was very upsetting to watch the episodes where the government was going to take his land away....apparently for back taxes. Here is a guy completely separated from society, using no services, requiring nothing from the world. And yet, he still must pay property tax. There is obviously something very wrong with the property tax system in this country.


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## AvengersAssembled

I enjoy this show, it's much better than most reality shows! I also remember the show Alaska: The Last Frontier, about the homesteading Kilcher family. Haven't seen it on in a while, but I thought it was pretty good. The first time my husband saw an episode, he asked me what they all did for a living. I said "You're watching it", and he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that some people don't have to work a 9-5 job.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder

Eustice Conway is a moron in my book. I have watched the show from day one, and he knew he owed taxes...the "I'll die for my land" sentiments he expressed was a bunch of crap. Anybody with a lick of sense knows we have taxes to pay regardless. If you'll notice, most of the things he does is repairing equipment that hasn't been used in years. If he lived that life style completely then his tools and equipment would be kept up and in working order. But that's just my opinion.

I love the rest of them though...especially Tom and his wife.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder

Eustice Conway is a moron in my book. I have watched the show from day one, and he knew he owed taxes...the "I'll die for my land" sentiments he expressed was a bunch of crap. Anybody with a lick of sense knows we have taxes to pay regardless. If you'll notice, most of the things he does is repairing equipment that hasn't been used in years. If he lived that life style completely then his tools and equipment would be kept up and in working order. But that's just my opinion.

I love the rest of them though...especially Tom and his wife.


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## tango

Marty in Alaska seems to the real deal, in spite of the imposed drama.
Eustis has some skills, but appears to be a dumbass.
Tom also seems to real.
Been watching from the beginning, like the show.


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## ajk1941

For people who are supposed to be experts, they seem to do some pretty dumb things. Also bare in mind that no matter what happens, there is always that camera man or crew with them... I give that camera guy credit who gets stranded 10 miles from home because the snow machine broke down. He has to walk home too!


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## Montana Rancher

Kidzthinkimahoarder said:


> Eustice Conway is a moron in my book. I have watched the show from day one, and he knew he owed taxes...the "I'll die for my land" sentiments he expressed was a bunch of crap. Anybody with a lick of sense knows we have taxes to pay regardless. If you'll notice, most of the things he does is repairing equipment that hasn't been used in years. If he lived that life style completely then his tools and equipment would be kept up and in working order. But that's just my opinion.
> 
> I love the rest of them though...especially Tom and his wife.


I am sure this is the first time I've ever agreed with you

Property taxes in Montana are very low, and they come due in 2 payments 6 months apart starting on November 30.

My taxes on a house, 40 acres is $1100 a year, and I always pay it as soon as the notice is sent in cash.

Losing your land worth hundreds of thousands over shoddy accounting for a thousand a year is ignorance.


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## Montana Rancher

Oh and btw

As people in Minnesota and Michigan can attest to, living at ZERO degrees with a 30 mile an hour wind (don't even try to figure that wind-chill) it isn't rocket science or even elaborate.

I've done the same for over 37 hours outside with nary a frost bite and if you have a cabin, the chances of survival are about... 100 percent.

Unless you are clueless, have no sense, or panic and run toward the nearest FEMA camp at the first sign of adversity, ZERO degrees is just an uncomfortable survival situation, not a reason for a reality show.


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## Meangreen

split said:


> I like the old man in Montana (Tom) and Eustice. It was very upsetting to watch the episodes where the government was going to take his land away....apparently for back taxes. Here is a guy completely separated from society, using no services, requiring nothing from the world. And yet, he still must pay property tax. There is obviously something very wrong with the property tax system in this country.


The problem with Eustice is no property taxes were paid for like 40 years.


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## Meangreen

Montana Rancher said:


> Oh and btw
> 
> As people in Minnesota and Michigan can attest to, living at ZERO degrees with a 30 mile an hour wind (don't even try to figure that wind-chill) it isn't rocket science or even elaborate.
> 
> I've done the same for over 37 hours outside with nary a frost bite and if you have a cabin, the chances of survival are about... 100 percent.
> 
> Unless you are clueless, have no sense, or panic and run toward the nearest FEMA camp at the first sign of adversity, ZERO degrees is just an uncomfortable survival situation, not a reason for a reality show.


I'm a California Native and was sent to work in Grand Marais, MN, with a start date of Dec, 28 and I survived just fine and rather enjoyed it. The weather wasn't the problem and I even learned to run dog sleds and snow mobiles for extended periods of time in the Boundary Waters. The weather is no problem, the retarded Minnesotans, big problem.


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## Inor

Meangreen said:


> I even learned to run dog sleds and snow mobiles for extended periods of time in the Boundary Waters.


FINALLY! Someone who knows they are called "Snowmobiles" not EFFING "snow machines"! "Snow machines" are the devices they put on the really flat ski hills in the midwest to make artificial snow in October before nature takes over! I am a native Minnesotan and we invented the damn things so we get to name them! I do not care what Sarah Palin said in her first book. - We're right, she is wrong - about this (and not much more).



Meangreen said:


> The weather is no problem, the retarded Minnesotans, big problem.


Also 1000% correct! Doubly so up in Cook and Lake counties. Although Ramsey and Hennepin counties are no better. Actually Hennepin county MN has been making national news lately since that is where our two Somali terrorist training camps are that trained the murderers recently turned up in the Kenya mall. So yes, Minnesota SUCKS!

And some of you admonish me for being prejudice against Muslims? I have the pricks training suicide bombers damn near in my freakin' back yard! UPDATE: And I cannot even shoot them because it is out of season or some such B.S.!!! ::redsnipe::


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## Meangreen

Inor said:


> FINALLY! Someone who knows they are called "Snowmobiles" not EFFING "snow machines"! "Snow machines" are the devices they put on the really flat ski hills in the midwest to make artificial snow in October before nature takes over! I am a native Minnesotan and we invented the damn things so we get to name them! I do not care what Sarah Palin said in her first book. - We're right, she is wrong - about this (and not much more).
> 
> Also 1000% correct! Doubly so up in Cook and Lake counties. Although Ramsey and Hennepin counties are no better. Actually Hennepin county MN has been making national news lately since that is where our two Somali terrorist training camps are that trained the murderers recently turned up in the Kenya mall. So yes, Minnesota SUCKS!
> 
> And some of you admonish me for being prejudice against Muslims? I have the pricks training suicide bombers damn near in my freakin' back yard! UPDATE: And I cannot even shoot them because it is out of season or some such B.S.!!! ::redsnipe::


Yes snowmobile and the retards that ride them are belers. I had quite a few run ins with the Somalians, dirty animals, and the stupid Minnesotans with their liberal ideals did everything in their power to keep me from dealing with them as I should.


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## Inor

Meangreen said:


> Yes snowmobile and the retards that ride them are belers. I had quite a few run ins with the Somalians, dirty animals, and the stupid Minnesotans with their liberal ideals did everything in their power to keep me from dealing with them as I should.


Now you know why Mrs Inor and I are leaving the state. These people are dumber than dirt.

It is a shame really. Most of our grandparents were the toughest of the tough. Not anymore.


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## Prepadoodle

I was born and raised in the Appalachian mountains in Pennsylvania, where 3 feet of snow at a time and -20 is fairly common. Zero degrees was considered camping weather, so yeah, it's survivable unless you're an idiot. Then again, I never heated my house with wood I chopped, hauled, and split myself. I could probably manage it, but who the hell would want to?

I originally posted this thread after watching one episode. Having just finished watching the first season, now consider all of them to be insane to varying degrees and for different reasons. 

Marty (the Alaska guy) lives where it often gets to -60 and where one small error can kill you. Since he has a family that depends on him, I think that's more than a little irresponsible. That's living too close to the edge for sanity.

Tom (the Montana guy) seems to have his head on straight to a point, but when he is walking through 2 feet of snow unarmed, and says, "Winter will be here soon if the mountain lions, grizzly bears, and packs of wolves don't get me first," it makes me wonder about his sanity too. Dude, if your walking through 2 feet of snow, "winter" isn't a future event, it's what you're walking through. I would never leave the freakin' house unarmed EVER, for any reason. I'm guessing he gets eaten in the second season.

Eustice is crazy too. He has lived there over 20 years and doesn't have the sense to transplant some of the herbal medicines closer to his house where he can find them? He needs to sell off a bit of his 1000 acres so he can afford to pay his taxes on the rest. He would rather lose it all than lose some of it? That's a form of insanity I don't quite get. If you're going to court, at least wear your clean bibs and good hat.

They really need to play dueling banjos in his segments. His no trespassing signs should read, "NO TRESPASSING, Violators will be hog-tied and told they have a purdy mouth!" Egad.

It's still kinda fun to watch though.


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## Doomsday

Kidzthinkimahoarder said:


> Eustice Conway is a moron in my book. I have watched the show from day one, and he knew he owed taxes...the "I'll die for my land" sentiments he expressed was a bunch of crap. Anybody with a lick of sense knows we have taxes to pay regardless. If you'll notice, most of the things he does is repairing equipment that hasn't been used in years. If he lived that life style completely then his tools and equipment would be kept up and in working order. But that's just my opinion.
> 
> I love the rest of them though...especially Tom and his wife.


I agree Eustice seems to be very slow or lazy with chores. Marty seems to break down or get suck and have to stay in the woods a lot.

We never own or land, we just rent it. There are too many way to lose your land, adverse possession, eminent domain and back taxes. The more you know about your local real estate laws the better.


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## Meangreen

It's all pure entertainement.


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## Old Man

Meangreen said:


> It's all pure entertainement.


I agree 100% with Meangreen.


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## MI.oldguy

Yep,its entertainment.do you think some of the people on the show are that dumb or really put themselves in those positions? I think that they are acting in a script that some dumbass drug induced writer dreamed up and the producer said hey! thats a good idea!!!. and they really have no concept of what its like because,they are in their little own private Idaho.(no offense to any Idahoans).


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## Fuzzee

I've never watched the show except for that episode on the thread 1 post. I don't watch TV these days is the reason why, but there was some entertainment in it. Even in that one episode it was filled with exaggerated drama. Them working on the wood shed roof, was ridiculous. That roof was way past needing to be done, yet right there and then it was portrayed as life and death. BS. I found Eustis a moron myself. He knew well before the situation with the taxes. I still find and have always found though property taxes to be one of the biggest injustices of government to the people. There should be no property taxes at all, or paying for something in taxes again that was already paid for. There should be one tax, a fair tax on all bought goods and services, at a rate set by the people's vote, no one exempt period, and all government budgeting within those taxes. If I live to the see the day before my death, I'll be happy for the generations to come and would feel right about fighting to see it done.


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