How To Clean and Eat Skunk

My survival buddy Jeremy, who goes by One Wildcrafter on YouTube, and I, may be one of the few people who have ever totally consumed skunk, and I mean, not just one bite, but the whole animal!  And while we’ve only just eaten the one, we may be considered experts because near as I can tell, there is no other living proof documented of the total edibility of skunk, and how to prepare it for a meal, anywhere!  While some historical records from the 1800’s mention skunk in cursory manner, none go into enough detail to properly perform the skinning operation successfully.

By The Wooded Beardsman, a contributing author to SHTFBlog & Survival Cache

So buckle up, I’m about to show you how to bring a skunk to the table! First you may wonder why anyone would bother with a skunk, and it’s a fair question.  The simplest answer that I can provide is that in an SHTF scenario, skunk might be one of those few species that remains untargeted, leaving those of us with iron stomachs free reign.  In fact, skunks have very few natural predators, and for good reason – they are generally considered unpalatable to anyone unskilled and patient enough to correctly wield a sharp implement to diffuse natures original scent bomb.

Related: A Project Squirrel Pistol

First Step

First you need to know how to trap them.  Thankfully, that’s the easy part.  My go to for trapping live animals is peanut butter – that will get you anything from a raccoon (if you are lucky) to a possum.  But if you really want a skunk, just try your luck again, eventually you’ll get one!

Approach the trap with care and pick the critter off with a .22 LR and be done with it.  If you agitated the skunk, it may spray and render the operation a failure.  You really don’t want them to spray.  If you get a docile member of the species, you can sometimes approach with a blanket held in front to conceal your silhouette, move slowly, and cover for transportation. After the animal is dispatched, clean it well.  Wash with warm soapy water with rubber gloves, paying attention to the crevices and anal region.

Next…

Next, pat and hang the animal to dry by both hind legs.  With your knife, work as any other animal, cutting up the legs and ringing the feet.  Now comes the tricky part.  You’ll want to free to entire gut system – the whole “train.”  Rather than sever the tube, work between the anal canal and the pelvis (not in the canal – the outside area) freeing the tract of connective so that it slips in and out easily within the pelvis.  Use your finger for this only.

When the connective tissue is free, you can then tie the intestines using string in two places and cut in between so that no liquid is spilled (this is much easier to demonstrate rather than explain so be sure to watch the accompanying video).  Be careful not to play around with any of the tissues around the anus anymore than necessary as spilled liquid will end up on the meat giving it that distasteful flavor we associate with skunk – burnt tire and garlic.  You’ll get immediate feedback on this as the more you move the tissues, the more smell is released.

Also Watch: Eating Bone Marrow

Once you have the anal glands removed, you can work the rest of the skin off easily as any other animal. You may think you are home free now, but there’s more.  Carefully inspect for any fat tissues that may conceal other scent glands.  We found some in the pits of the legs, around the neck and various other locations.  These look like small light colored beans.  Remove all of these or you may end up with more off flavors.  If you’ve deglanded raccoon before, you know how to do this already.

In the final product, we noticed only a very minor hint of skunk smell with most of the flavor simply sweet meat. I prefer cooking as a stew since this is a lean meat.  If you’ve done things correctly, you need no special methods of preparation, season to taste and enjoy!

Watch Video: How To Clean and Eat Skunk – The Only Living Proof of Skunk Edibility

 

The post How To Clean and Eat Skunk appeared first on SurvivalCache.

from SurvivalCache https://survivalcache.com/how-to-clean-and-eat-skunk-the-wooded-beardsman-youtube-bushcraft-survival/

Top 10 Common Prepper Fails

Being successful at prepping is a lot more difficult than most people think. In fact, the failure rate for fully prepared survivalists is pretty high on a deployment level. This is nothing to be ashamed about, because nobody ever said that life itself was going to be easy. Prepping effectively just adds extra stresses and budgetary restraints to everyday life survival.  For sure there is nothing new about that.

By Dr. John J. Woods, a contributing author to SHTFBlog & Survival Cache

However, if you elect to strike upon the path to preparing for disasters and SHTFs at any level, there are some tasks that must be accomplished to be reasonably ready for any threat.  As you begin the process, here are ten areas of concern that could very easily bog you down.  You need to know these up front to fully accept the challenge of prepping.

1. Failure to Prep

Remember Harvey, Irma, and Nate?  Nice sounding group, like people you might have over for a backyard BBQ. Except these were hurricanes that disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of residents.  Remember the clogged highways of escapees, and what happened to those unwilling to evacuate?  Some of them are dead.  Why?  Because they were ill prepared to weather a storm or have sense enough to heed the advice to leave the area.

You cannot reasonably expect to withstand a storm or any SHTF unless you have prepared to do so.  That means a commitment to prepping at a most basic level.  If you sit on the fence forever, you are likely to die there.  So, if you never elect to begin the process, you are a failure to start with.  But, of course, that can be easily reversed by stepping up to the plate.

2. Fail to Plan

Ok, you bit the bullet, but not all the way through.  In your mind, you wanted to start a prepping process for you and your family, but so far, nothing has happened.  Like a diet or exercise (tell me about it) following through can be the tough part just to jump off center.

Prep planning is really quite simple and indeed can be a fun and challenging trial.  First, buy a basic how-to book.  Pick a basic one that would seem to cover all the basic bases.  It might take a couple volumes or more.  These works will get you to thinking about all the steps involved in prepping for a bug in or out, or other SHTF scenarios.

Naturally continue to read the article posts here at SurvivalCache.com and our sister site at SHTFBlog.com.  There is a wealth of common sense advice here at both the elementary and advanced levels.  Check out the sidebars, too for supplies and gear to purchase at Forge Survival Supply.

Start a prepping notebook.  Build sections or folders containing ideas, plans, do-lists, gear needs, supply needs, and everything else.  This notebook should become your prepper’s owner’s manual.  Prepping is a lifelong process, so kick start that baby now.

3. Fail to Supply

Many wannabe preppers I have advised simply fail to initiate the process by stocking up on all the essentials they will need to survive a SHTF.  Be it a hurricane, flood, wildfire, tornado, civil unrest, or economic collapse, it is going to take supplies of every description to withstand the downfall.  This may be for 72 hours or 72 days or more.  Who knows?

Again, build your needs lists and little by little as you can afford it, start to create a survival cache of supplies to hold you over.  Go for water, food, medical, and security core supplies.  Collect them, rotate them by use, and be ready.

4. Fail to Gear Up

Just as with the life supplies mentioned above, there will be a number of vital hardware items needed too.  This might be a chainsaw to remove downed trees or limbs after a storm in order to get down the driveway.  It might be gardening tools and supplies to plant your own food producing garden.  It could be installing and maintaining a hand pump water well in the backyard.  It could be something as simple as a couple fire extinguishers in the house or shop.

You may need all kinds of mechanical tools to fix stuff.  This includes typical mechanics tools from screwdrivers to wrenches.  You may need carpentry tools to build things or repair stuff around the homestead.  You may need at least one gas powered electric generator to run drills or saws.

Gearing up can be a slow process and an expensive one.  All your tool acquisitions do not have to be new ones.  Think about garage and yard sales, pawn shops, and other ways to pick up some items without having to pay retail prices.  Take small bites on this one, but keep eating away at the lists.

5. Failure to Become Weaponized

Shocking to some but not others, the idea of buying guns, having guns, and using guns is not particularly comfortable, especially if you were not raised up around them.  For others, they often make the mistake of too much emphasis on guns and ammo to the neglect of other critical aspects of prepper survival.

Push comes to shove you cannot eat a gun.  Unless you intend to turn rogue and take supplies from others, survival weapons are primarily intended for defense measures.  You want to be able to protect yourself and your family from external threats to your life.  This requires more than a Bible and a pitch fork.  It takes a gun.

Do some reading, ask around, visit some gun shops or gun shows, and shooting ranges.  Do a lot of research and don’t get talked into anything.  To start all you will need is a basic handgun, revolver or pistol, a good 12-gauge (or 20) shotgun, and a defensive rifle.  The later can be the last to acquire if funding is tight.  There are entire books on this subject so buy one, even my own, Basic Prepping Essentials-Weapons to start out.

6. Failure to Assess Threats

This is a public awareness aspect and the initiative to stay tuned into the world around you.  This includes across the street, in the neighborhood and town where you live as well as the state.  It also means our country and the world.  Include in this regular daily monitoring of the local, regional, and national news and weather.  Know what is happening around you and you are more likely to be ready for anything.

7. Failure to Train

This not only or just includes the security aspects of self-protection, but learning to do all the tasks required to survive.  For sure learn to handle, shoot and maintain your stash of firearms, but how to hunt and clean wild game.  Know how to start a fire under all kinds of circumstances.  Learn to cook over an open campfire and to set up an emergency camp.

Most of us preppers fall very short in this area.  We have a lot of stuff, but can we use it all and under the stress of an emergency?  You better know.  Sign up for training programs in all sorts of areas like carpentry, auto mechanics, small engine repair, plumbing, sewing, gardening, hiking, camping, shooting, and much more.  Don’t forget first aid and medical skills training, too.

8. Fail to Map a Bug Out

If a hurricane is 48 hours out from your location, do you have the faintest idea where to go?  Do you know the many viable escape routes and have you traveled them just to inspect the availability of services, and supplies along the way?  Have you identified the gas stations, hospitals, police stations, grocery stores, camping areas or hotels?  You best know, and have alternatives mapped out as well.  Then take weekend trial runs to check them out.  Are your Bug Out bags packed and ready to go at a minute’s notice?

9. Failing to Practice

Practice is different from training.  First you learn how to do something correctly, then you put it into use by continuing to practice the skills on a regular basis.  If you took a golfing lesson then never played golf again, what good did it do?  The same with any other skill you acquire from shooting to running a table saw, or operating a welding machine.

10. Failure to Secure a Bug In

While a lot of preppers gear their planning toward an escape, which is prudent, don’t forget the Bug In option.  It may become your only option, or indeed the best one available.  For us senior preppers, a Bug In may be the only serious option, but we have to recognize the possibility that we may be forced to leave as well.  But for now, our home is our fort.

A Bug In requires additional work on security and lock down measures to withstand a strong storm or an assault threat if it comes to that.  Contingencies have to be in place for water supplies to drink, cook, and for plumbing.  An auxiliary power generator may be needed.  Partnering with neighbors might be an option, too, but all that has to be worked out in advance.

While the thought of failure at anything is not a pleasant idea, without proper planning and initiative to supply, gear up, train and practice, it is a serious factor of reality to consider.  But, it does not have to be.  The secret is to get engaged as soon as possible and keep grinding away at your plan and readiness.

 

from SurvivalCache https://survivalcache.com/top-10-common-prepper-fails/

iOS for building up their business applications

Thank Goodness for Hollywood’s Seven Gun Skills

Hollywood is an easy target for the teaching of poor to impossible gun skills. The number of errors and impossibilities in any gun-filled movie gives the general population a wildly distorted understanding of guns, shooting, and expectations of a bullet; all a good thing in my survival book. As long as potential adversaries are living in a fantasy world, there is a direct and severe survival advantage to a confrontation where Hollywood’s magic has taken its toll. The list of humorous gun behavior is long. From the inevitable click whenever a gun is pointed, to the ability to send someone airborne with a well placed hit, to anything and everything sparking when touched by a bullet, we come to expect the fairy tales of film firearms.

By Doc Montana, a Contributing Author to SHTFBlog and SurvivalCache.com 

But all that comic book action can be a good thing. Here are seven wonderful misconceptions that are sure to take the neophyte gun owner into bad territory when it really Hits the Fan.

1. The pre-shot pause: Most movies build tension during an armed conflict through dialog and well planned pauses. What that teaches is indecisiveness and introspection at the absolute wrong moment. When a couple of cowboys with antique wheel guns are squaring off fifty feet apart there is a poker-faced dance taking place. Not just draw speed but also hipshot accuracy. But in a true survival situation, Magpul got it right with its unfair advantage catch phrase. No reason level a tilted playing field by a calling time out. Act fast and without discussion.

2. The lack of aiming: This fallacy hardly needs explanation. It’s misfires on two fronts. First is the wildly skewed probability of a successful hit that Hollywood encourages. And second is the ease at which one can hit a target with a moment or two of actual aiming. Especially moving targets. Aiming a gun takes practice and is a perishable skill so knocking a few cans off a fence post twenty years ago is not of much comfort today. But the opposite is true. Even a little occasional practice can keep your shots in the center of mass rather than in the ceiling.

3. The bottomless supply of ammo: Usually the easiest criticism of any Hollywood gunplay, the belief in endless ammo is pretty common. Outside of Dirty Harry counting his shots, most shooters have no idea how many bangs went bang and most importantly how many bangs have yet to go bang. Add some stress to the poop salad and who’s counting? Right, nobody. So plan accordingly because they aren’t.

4. Weightless guns: Anyone who has really carried a long gun around for any length of time knows that the weight and size of the rifle makes a difference on what you can do and where you can go. Not many of the untrained can run through a forest with a rifle, nor tread water let alone swim while carrying a useful firearm even if the stock is made of wood. Walking from pickup to range table is not a workout. Ten hours of stalking during a mountainous hunt is a good start. Even after a couple hours of carrying around your rifle I can guarantee that you will want to set it down no matter how much you think you love it.

5. Easy long shots: Whether a headshot from 200 yards while standing in a row boat (Bob Lee Swagger) or knocking a helicopter out of the sky with a .380 (James Bond) or bouncing a metal bucket at a quarter mile with a Sharps rifle, (Matthew Quigley), taking time to aim can make an accurate shot possible, but still unlikely. The movie Shooter did put an opposite spin on this theme as well by making a long shot seem superhuman. So illusive in fact that only a few snipers on earth could do it. In reality only a few snipers on earth are ever given the training and opportunity for a verified quarter-mile plus shot, but anyone with a bit of money, time, skill and a wide open space can ding steel at a thousand yards.

6. Loud but not too loud: It would really a be a downer if the good guys always went deaf during a shootout. In reality there would be very little dialog following gun fire. Just a lot of confused looks and bleeding ears. Now double all that when shooting inside a car. Triple it when shooting next to someone’s head. In real life, guns are absolutely silent until they’re not. And when they are not, gunfire is one of the loudest things anyone ever encounters in life. That fact is hard to portray in the movies, and really is a buzzkill for plot lines. Actual gun loudness is ignored. Perhaps that’s why silencers are so common in movies. It’s a Star Trek fix to an obvious physics problem.

7. Faith in bad shots: The film vaults in Hollywood are stuffed full of movie footage where thousands of rounds zinged back and forth with not a meat hit in sight. There’s some truth to the accuracy outcomes of spray-and-pray, but the statistics of sustained auto fire in general directions lean heavily towards something bad happening. The happy takeaway here is that the uninitiated might suspect a positive outcome when hiding behind a telephone pole waiting for your reload.

We all owe Hollywood a collective thank you for planting the seeds of misconception in the general population. Tactical advantages are where you find them. Long before Hollywood, about the fifth century BC to be exact, Sun Tzu penned (or penciled, or scratched or whatever the heck they did back then) that letting the enemy believe the world is what it seems is truly an Art of War.

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”

Visit Sponsors of SurvivalCache.com

from SurvivalCache https://survivalcache.com/thank-goodness-for-hollywoods-seven-gun-skills/