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Foraging: what it really takes.

There was a reason most of the early arrivals on the North American continent starved to death.
Has been a while since I read the journals of Lewis and Clarke but if memory is correct they spent much of their time procuring food including eating whatever horses and dogs were available. This was in a far game richer environment than exist today. The population of humans on this planet did not increase dramatically until the industrial revolution and chemical agriculture increased land yields beyond a subsistence level. Remove these influences and the population would return quickly to 1700's levels.
 
That's an interesting fact about Lewis & Clarke.

I always find it funny when I hear/read about people planning to live off wildlife if a SHTF scenario comes about. Trying to live off squirrels, deer & pigs will only go so far when every other person has the same idea. With the human population here in Georgia, scavengers will pick the wildlife populations clean to total decimation that will take decades for them to come back to the area's. Even the cattle will be shot and wasted since the majority of the country can't butcher a whole cow and process it to store the excess meat.

I've read crickets are packed with protein, may have to look into farming them just in case. Easier to keep that inside so no one can steal them in the night. Heck, having chickens will just be broadcasting to everyone to have your stuff stolen since everyone will hear those damn roosters.
 
That's an interesting fact about Lewis & Clarke.

I always find it funny when I hear/read about people planning to live off wildlife if a SHTF scenario comes about. Trying to live off squirrels, deer & pigs will only go so far when every other person has the same idea. With the human population here in Georgia, scavengers will pick the wildlife populations clean to total decimation that will take decades for them to come back to the area's. Even the cattle will be shot and wasted since the majority of the country can't butcher a whole cow and process it to store the excess meat.

I've read crickets are packed with protein, may have to look into farming them just in case. Easier to keep that inside so no one can steal them in the night. Heck, having chickens will just be broadcasting to everyone to have your stuff stolen since everyone will hear those damn roosters.
There are days I wish someone would steal my roosters.
 
Not in the numbers we have now. Plus, back then, there was the advantage of collaborative efforts of the group, and everybody in the group knew what to gather and when.
 
I wouldn't count domestic livestock out and go straight to foraging just yet. Smoking, canning, and salt/sugar curing are all ways to preserve. As cheap as salt and sugar are, there's no reason to not have 500lbs of each. The populous as a whole might very well wipe out game, but one should still consider rabbits, chicken, and a stocked fish pond on their property. If this isn't a viable option for you on your land, perhaps it's time to reevaluate if your current location suits you and your families needs best. Personally I live on only a few acres, but we raise hogs, chickens, rabbits, have Oak trees with plentiful acorn amounts. I planted two apple trees, two pear trees, blackberry bushes are abundant, planted blueberries that are taking root well. We also have a 2,400sq ft garden. Our next thing is to dig a pond that runs most of length of our front yard and stock it. That'll serve multiple purposes as a water/food source as well as a moat lol.
I am in no way trying to knock foraging, but I've done it and it's no way to survive unless you're a nomad. One has to take a look at how humans evolved. We started as hunter gatherers. Traversing large distances to obtain proper amounts of food. We moved with the game, and the seasons. We only settled and created civilizations when we realized the potential of crops. To have a stay at home or one general location type of plan but attempt to subsist off of foraging isn't compatable.
 
one thing you guys have left out... the one thing you say makes it next to impossible to survive.
people.... you put a chicken out in the yard,it makes noise,someone comes to get it, fresh meat....
i know, it sucks to think about eating people, but they have always said "you are what you eat" so just think of it as eating fast food, and junk food. to balance your diet, you will need to consume a few vegetarians..
 
one thing you guys have left out... the one thing you say makes it next to impossible to survive.
people.... you put a chicken out in the yard,it makes noise,someone comes to get it, fresh meat....
i know, it sucks to think about eating people, but they have always said "you are what you eat" so just think of it as eating fast food, and junk food. to balance your diet, you will need to consume a few vegetarians..
Kinda glad we don’t live close to each other.
 
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