# Eating Off the Land. What Do You Know?



## Denton

I understand that what is available varies throughout the regions and the time of the year, but do we have anyone here who is into that?
Any suggestions on books?

Thanks.


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## rstanek

In the spring, there’s maple syrup, later spring the mushrooms are ready, during the course of the summer goose berries, wild strawberries, wild onions, blackberries, raspberries, towards fall, there are puffball mushrooms, hickory nuts, all,these are not grown in my garden. Fishing, wild game, I harvest more meat then I purchase.....


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## StratMaster

I'd like to know more too.
Even here in the middle of the city (Eugene Oregon) I only have to walk out into the back alley to harvest enough wild blackberries to make pies.
I of course SEE tons of dandelions everywhere, but have I actually fixed them up to have a meal with them? No. Seems like something to try.


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## bigwheel

We could live for a good while on the dove and squirrels who live in the back yard and congregate near the bird feeders. Enough stray cats..aka Roof Rabbits to borrow a phrase from TG..to keep anybody with a pellet gun fat and happy.


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## Denton

I was thinking more along the lines of vegetation. Just you and your pocket knife.


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## hawgrider

"I can skin a buck and run a trot line"


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## StratMaster

bigwheel said:


> We could live for a good while on the dove and squirrels who live in the back yard and congregate near the bird feeders. Enough stray cats..aka Roof Rabbits to borrow a phrase from TG..to keep anybody with a pellet gun fat and happy.


Roof rabbits LOL I like it!
Reminds me of a hunting buddy of mine who used to refer to cows as "slow elk".


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## Camel923

Hey @Denton check out these titles.


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## Denton

Thanks, @Camel923!


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## MountainGirl

Denton said:


> I was thinking more along the lines of vegetation. Just you and your pocket knife.


Huckleberries (fresh, pie, etc), oregon grape (jam); clover, purslane & lambs quarter for greens...and I have some kinnikinnick drying for pipe smoking. Looking forward to trying other things soon - found a great hand-book by Steve Golieb specific to this area; we've got about 10 more plants I haven't tried yet, lol. I've skimmed through other books, pretty boiler plate. Finding a resource specific to one's area is a good idea...as might be finding someone local that can show you the ropes.


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## MountainGirl

StratMaster said:


> I'd like to know more too.
> Even here in the middle of the city (Eugene Oregon) I only have to walk out into the back alley to harvest enough wild blackberries to make pies.
> I of course SEE tons of dandelions everywhere, but have I actually fixed them up to have a meal with them? No. Seems like something to try.


Be sure and get them early - and before the dogs pee on them.


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## Denton

The reason I'm asking is what if I needed to haul-boogey into the woods for several days with nothing but a knife and a life straw? Knowing what edible fast foods are available would be helpful.


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## Redneck

Denton said:


> I understand that what is available varies throughout the regions and the time of the year, but do we have anyone here who is into that?
> Any suggestions on books?


I wonder how much you actually could learn from books... besides the obvious plants such as dandelions, cattails, berries, etc. I just find it really hard to distinguish the proper plant... and I have a degree in Biology. My problem is, when I try to identify a given wild plant, it may look similar to what is in the book... but not exactly like it. Plus many plants look similar at certain growth stages. Then of course, you have natural variation and the fact that plants look different at different stages of their life.

Maybe I'm just stupid and/or lazy. I can accept that and prep accordingly by storing plenty of food as well as plenty of garden seed.


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## Denton

******* said:


> I wonder how much you actually could learn from books... besides the obvious plants such as dandelions, cattails, berries, etc. I just find it really hard to distinguish the proper plant... and I have a degree in Biology. My problem is, when I try to identify a given wild plant, it may look similar to what is in the book... but not exactly like it. Plus many plants look similar at certain growth stages. Then of course, you have natural variation and the fact that plants look different at different stages of their life.
> 
> Maybe I'm just stupid and/or lazy. I can accept that and prep accordingly by storing plenty of food as well as plenty of garden seed.


I hear ya. I've strolled out with my mushroom books and came back empty-handed because I wasn't quite sure.


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## Redneck

Denton said:


> I hear ya. I've strolled out with my mushroom books and came back empty-handed because I wasn't quite sure.


IMO, the best method is to work with a local expert and spend plenty of time out identifying what is in your area. You have to train your eye and that takes experience. I took a Dendrology course at Mississippi State when I was in the School of Wildlife & Forestry. We spent the whole year out in the woods & walking on campus where that we could identify most any local tree by genus & species regardless of the time of year... even in the dead of winter with no leaves. Our professor was an expert & thru repetition and seeing the same species in different habitat, we all got very proficient. http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/docs/syllabi/FO2113.pdf

I'd look hard to see if there are any local classes or experts in your area.


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## MountainGirl

Denton said:


> The reason I'm asking is what if I needed to haul-boogey into the woods for several days with nothing but a knife and a life straw? Knowing what edible fast foods are available would be helpful.


What would be helpful is to do it _before_ you need to haul-boogey... for a couple reasons. Other than the obvious one - you can pre-learn if a certain plant doesn't work well for you. There's a lot of edible plants out there - you could add one or two in to your salads now, etc, and get used to the idea of it along with learning what works and in what quantity... A couple of different things, while haul-boogeying, is better for your tummy than a whole lot of just one thing. Well now there's me giving advice. Not my intention.


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## A Watchman

Camel923 said:


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> Hey @Denton check out these titles.


You can keep one of these offerings, I say there aint NO edible insects!


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## Denton

A Watchman said:


> You can keep one of these offerings, I say there aint NO edible insects!


Yes, there are. If the time comes, you'll fight me for that cricket.


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## Coastie dad

If I have to "haul boogety " from the homestead, it's possibly due to an assault.

I'm coming back to reclaim what's mine, or salt the earth and boil the seas. 
I get pissy that way sometimes...


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## MountainGirl

Denton said:


> Yes, there are. If the time comes, you'll fight me for that cricket.


Yeah well you better clear that with @Cricket first.


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## Annie

StratMaster said:


> I'd like to know more too.
> Even here in the middle of the city (Eugene Oregon) I only have to walk out into the back alley to harvest enough wild blackberries to make pies.
> I of course SEE tons of dandelions everywhere, but have I actually fixed them up to have a meal with them? No. Seems like something to try.


Yah, they're supposed to be super good for you.


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## Annie

Denton said:


> The reason I'm asking is what if I needed to haul-boogey into the woods for several days with nothing but a knife and a life straw? Knowing what edible fast foods are available would be helpful.


No gun? No squirrel, no black bear, etc. No protein...It's dandy-lions for you!


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## Denton

Annie said:


> No gun? No squirrel, no black bear, etc. No protein...It's dandy-lions for you!


Earthworms, among other things.

This is Alabama, Dear. Bugs, we got and stuff, we got!


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## SOCOM42

Winter here, it is either game large and small, honey from wild hives like I have here.

I could fish the lake after cutting through two feet of ice, throw in some tilts, Bass and pike.

In one area there is about 100 yards square area with cat o'nine tails that could be taken before turning to seed.

These with the beans, corn, rice, potatoes and wheat and rye stored 

should with adding the chickens keep me going for quite a while

Taking down a couple deer and letting it freeze will carry through the winter,

plenty of turkey, and Canadian honkers till the ice comes.

One dog brings home the honkers and mallards alive, 

jerking or salting in brine some of the meat for the spring and early summer.

There are huge snapping turtles 2-3 feet in the lake feeder that can be eaten, 

nasty SOB's though, need to shoot them.

Found it easier to open them up with a chain saw, better than the ax, 

then use a boning knife.Texas Pete is the order of the day with it.

The above is what I will do for suppliment if supplies start to run out.

The dogs sniff, find, dig out moles and other rodents and slurp them right down along with tubers, truffles and berries.


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## admin

Oh lordy...


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## Denton

Cricket said:


> Oh lordy...


So you are saying I should pray if I find myself hauling-boogey through the woods for a week or two?


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## SOCOM42

Cricket said:


> Oh lordy...


Me or the Dent are you referring to???

I have in the past eaten bugs that were competing with me for the same food.


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## Denton

SOCOM42 said:


> Me or the Dent are you referring to???
> 
> I have in the past eaten bugs that were competing with me for the same food.


I think @Cricket is saying I ain't got a prayer.


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## bigwheel

The hardest whipping I have ever got as a child was when my Daddy sent me hunting with two smooth rocks and I only came back with one squirrel for supper. The hardest whipping he ever gave my Mama was when she went out and bought groceries when there was nary a drop of whiskey in the house.


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## rstanek

When I was a kid and even to this day when hiking I will take a stem of Timothy grass or even Quack grass when it’s late spring ,early summer and gently pull the upper stem out and on that very end is a very tender and sweet morsel, about a inch of it is good tasting, it would take many to make a meal, but a good snack, also honeysuckle is very tasty....


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## Annie

bigwheel said:


> The hardest whipping I have ever got as a child was when my Daddy sent me hunting with two smooth rocks and I only came back with one squirrel for supper. The hardest whipping he ever gave my Mama was when she went out and bought groceries when there was nary a drop of whiskey in the house.


Sounds like a hard man, for sure.


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## pakrat

I'm probably way too serious about this, but somebody's got to issue grown-up words of caution...

Knowledge, books and even some firsthand experience of building snares, cooking up some greens and eating mushrooms is all well and good, but put any combination of those things in the context of a real-life scenario that includes variations in activity level, terrain, weather, seasons, competing wildlife, other foragers and potentially hostile surroundings, etc. and I can’t imagine maintaining the calorie intake and other bodily needs to survive for long. 

For about 45 years I’ve enjoyed numerous planned outings of thru-hiking (covering 15 — 20 miles per day on foot) for periods of 7 — 15 days. Even with calculated provisions of high-calorie food, well regulated water intake and good pre-travel conditioning, your body slowly adapts over a period of a few days into its own survival mode… it begins to economize because of the extended demands put upon it over time. Even athletic conditioning does not prepare your system for things like extended exertion, a sustained duration of even mild exposure and changes in sleep cycle that are almost unavoidable in a survival scenario. The abrupt change in diet and activity will almost assuredly result in either constipation or bouts of diarrhea. Introducing new bacteria from foraged foods into your gut can have serious impact on your system. You can experience swings in body temperature, sweating, chills, mild delirium, stomach and muscle cramping and other reactions that can negatively impact your odds of survival.

My input is, if you plan to utilize a live-off-the-land (LOTL) response to a future survival scenario, begin incorporating as many aspects of that response as possible into your daily life style and diet. Many native cultures lived off the land and lived well, but their bodily systems were adapted from infancy to cope. If you intend to go native at some point in order to survive, you must slowly become native now or you risk not surviving your systems inability to assimilate the plethora of great foods nature has to offer.


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## Redneck

@Denton, I saw this & thought you might be interested, as this guy is from Alabama.

Stalking the South's Wild Edibles ? THE BITTER SOUTHERNER


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## MountainGirl

pakrat said:


> I'm probably way too serious about this, but somebody's got to issue grown-up words of caution...
> 
> Knowledge, books and even some firsthand experience of building snares, cooking up some greens and eating mushrooms is all well and good, but put any combination of those things in the context of a real-life scenario that includes variations in activity level, terrain, weather, seasons, competing wildlife, other foragers and potentially hostile surroundings, etc. and I can't imagine maintaining the calorie intake and other bodily needs to survive for long.
> 
> For about 45 years I've enjoyed numerous planned outings of thru-hiking (covering 15 - 20 miles per day on foot) for periods of 7 - 15 days. Even with calculated provisions of high-calorie food, well regulated water intake and good pre-travel conditioning, your body slowly adapts over a period of a few days into its own survival mode&#8230; it begins to economize because of the extended demands put upon it over time. Even athletic conditioning does not prepare your system for things like extended exertion, a sustained duration of even mild exposure and changes in sleep cycle that are almost unavoidable in a survival scenario. The abrupt change in diet and activity will almost assuredly result in either constipation or bouts of diarrhea. Introducing new bacteria from foraged foods into your gut can have serious impact on your system. You can experience swings in body temperature, sweating, chills, mild delirium, stomach and muscle cramping and other reactions that can negatively impact your odds of survival.
> 
> My input is, if you plan to utilize a live-off-the-land (LOTL) response to a future survival scenario, *begin incorporating as many aspects of that response as possible into your daily life style and diet.* Many native cultures lived off the land and lived well, but their bodily systems were adapted from infancy to cope. If you intend to go native at some point in order to survive, you must slowly become native now or you risk not surviving your systems inability to assimilate the plethora of great foods nature has to offer.


Great post!


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