Archive for the ‘Wild Food’ Category
Squirrel Prep and Cooking
September 28th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Squirrel is one of my favourite wild fare. I bagged myself one at my brothers, so I thought you’d like to see how I prepped it, I also salted the skin for a future project.
I took the squirrel with a head shot from the top of an oak in my brothers garden, nice clean kill, they can be difficult quarry and a well placed shot is needed.
Duck Butchery Demo
Hers a demo I did back in the shooting season. It’s not the only way of doing it there are lots of ways of dressing Bird’s or undressing them as it should be termed (easy tiger)
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Fishing Techniques Part 3 – Spear Fishing
The fishing method uses a spear. Spear fishing can be accomplished using many different designs of spear, anything from a simple single point (sharpened stick), to a multi point (trident), or barbed point (Leister).
In general the more points the better giving you some lee way. Aim slightly below the fish to allow for light refraction.
Wild Food that can be Forraged in Summer
Summer is here, well rumour has it anyway. Although the sun seems to have disappeared in the last few weeks and we are getting fair amounts of rain wild foods are still abundant at this time of year. So let’s take a look at a few of the wild edibles that can be found in the fields, woods and hedgerows over the coming weeks.
Fishing Techniques Part 2 – Hook and Line
In the first article, entitled Know your prey we looked at the different categories of fish predator, prey and mixed. We also looked at where these fish may be feeding and what they were likely to be feeding on. Now, let’s take a look at some of the techniques and equipment which we can use to catch fish. When I say equipment I’m not referring to the huge array of fishing tackle which can be found on offer in tackle shops around the country. Ray Mears once said “most tackle and lures you find in fishing shops are there to catch one thing… Fishermen”. I think he makes a good point.
Fishing Techniques Part 1 – Know Your Prey
Spending my early years in Worcestershire, I did a little fresh water fishing. Then living by the sea in Cornwall I progressed to sea fishing. Regarding the fresh water fishing I caught a few trout (mostly rainbow), bream, perch and a few pike. Sea fishing has mainly been whiting, mackerel, flounder and if I’ve been very lucky the occasional bass.
**Please note that in normal situations you should NOT use some of these techniques that will be covered in this and future fishing articles, in the United Kingdom as they are illegal and others require the correct permit or licenses.**
OK! Let’s address the most common mistake that inexperienced anglers make. When I say ‘inexperienced anglers’ I’m thinking of people such as myself. I’m interested in survival and bushcraft not fishing itself. When I am fishing it is not for sport or merely pleasure, although I do enjoy it to a certain degree, it is to obtain food. Food which may possibly help to keep me alive or at least enable me to function.
Samphire
Just a heads up to anyone who lives near, or might be going to an estuary in the near future.
The Marsh Samphire (Salicornia europaea) is just starting to come into season. This delicious saltmarsh plant is an annual species, growing from seeds deposited in the previous year. Seeds germinate anywhere between May and June, growing quite rapidly into the succulent pale green plants beloved of posh fish restaurants and which are sold vastly overpriced in some fish shops.
Wild Edibles – Bushcraft Videos
Here are some great vidios which show you some wild edibles which can be forraged in the woods and hedgerows.
Wild Leeks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP75l_einjM&feature=channel_page
Chicory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLtos6muvg4&feature=channel_page
Ostrich fern (fiddleheads)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcgpimFmM9Q&feature=channel_page
Dandelion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ZHJEU5A_g&feature=channel_page
Birch tree tap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1tyzJzu4Tk&feature=channel_page
Wild Food that can be Forraged in Spring
Spring is now well on its way. The sun has made an appearance, the sap is rising, buds are opening and birds have paired up and are busy nest building. So I thought it was an appropriate time to look at some of the wild foods that can be foraged from the fields, woods and hedgerows over the coming weeks.
Preparing Small Game
Now the old saying goes that there is more than one way to skin a cat and this is true and its not just cats we can skin! In a long term survival or emergency situation our aim would be to utilize every part of the animal but where game is plenty or where we have other uses in mind for instance the construction of decoys, skinning is a valid option and should not be ruled out. Birds can be skinned just a readily as mammals and such a method as described below is far less pain staking and messy then spending time laboriously plucking.