wikihow.com http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-in-the-Woods-without-Hunting

How to Survive in the Woods without Hunting

What happens when a vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan or pacifist gets lost in the woods? What happens if youhate the thought of hunting or simply can't find the courage or strength to hunt? How do you survive? It's aquestion worth knowing an answer to. Rather than worrying about what might happen to you or living in fearfulimagination, be proactive and learn what you can do by way of coping through foraging, fishing and using keyskills, should this fate ever befall you.

Part 1 of 5: Upon realizing you're lost

1. Calm yourself down. Nothing is gained by panicking and whipping yourself into a state of fear or worry.This is a time to knuckle down and find yourself shelter, food and warmth as quickly as possible. It's also atime to conserve your strength and energy as much as possible.

http://www.wikihow.comhttp://www.wikihow.com/Survive-in-the-Woods-without-Hunting

2. Look around. Walk about and scout the area. You're looking for a place to sleep safely, foods you can eat,fresh water to drink and possibly ways to signal your presence, such as making rock piles forming the SOSletters.

See further How to attract attention when you need rescuing .

http://www.wikihow.com/Attract-Attention-when-You-Need-Rescuing

3. Focus on locating a reliable source of water first. You need water more than food and it must be cleanor able to be made clean. For more information, check out: How to purify water, How to make water in thedesert, How to sterilize water with sunlight, and How to desalinate water.

Part 2 of 5: Finding suitable foods

http://www.wikihow.com/Purify-Waterhttp://www.wikihow.com/Make-Water-in-the-Deserthttp://www.wikihow.com/Sterilize-Water-With-Sunlighthttp://www.wikihow.com/Desalinate-Water

1. Look to what you have with you. Before you consider the need to begin foraging for food, take stock ofany food you have brought with you. You're in the wilds, so perhaps you planned a picnic lunch, carried aset of energy bars or even better, have camping foods with you. Clearly, they'll have been packed andcarried with your dietary needs in mind, so these are the perfect things to use first. However, since youdon't know how long you'll be lost, immediately think about rationing them and about making them gofurther by adding food from the wild.

It is also a good idea to conserve the highest calorie foods the longest. For example, only eat verysmall portions of your energy bars and nuts/trail mix because these will give you the most nutritionaland energy possible, while a package of crisps or candies are a lot less nutritious and energyproviding.

If you have chocolate with you, eat it sparingly. It can help you to survive not only hunger but giveyou morale boosts if needed.

2. Consider the season. The season will clearly impact the availability of plant foods, as will the location. Atemperate winter, for example, will provide you with more options than one with below freezingtemperatures and deep layers of snow.

If it's summer, look for teasel and wild grasses, along with the versatile cattail (reedmace) ( Typha) ifyou are near a larger river, lake, or pond. Cattail rhizomes from safe waters can be eaten if scraped,and the heart can be eaten raw or boiled, while younger outer leaves can be eaten.[1] If you're apescatarian, you can also catch small fish (you can catch minnows by hand with some effort).

If it's spring, look for dandelion, plantains, mulberries, cattails, blackberries, and arborvitae (whitecedar). Still catch fish if you're pescatarian.

If it's winter, look for bittercress, straggling dandelions and plantains, wild garlic and onion, andfreshwater clams. Cattails can still be found.

If it's fall, go for fish, beech nuts, cattails, wood sorrel [2], blackberries, and freshwater clams. Pokeweed may be useful for ink.

Part 3 of 5: Identifying the foods

1. Learn about what possible plant-based foods exist in your area or in the area you're traveling to.Do this no matter how certain you are that you're never going to get lost. The whole point about being lostis that nobody ever expects it. However, it's actually a fun exercise anyway, and might even compel you tobring home some wild plants for eating anyway after a day's fun hike.

Consider doing a local course that offers plant identification for your area. You'll have fun learningand will meet people with interests similar to your own.

Know how to identify dangerous/toxic plants as much as the good ones. The more you know, thebetter your chances of long-term survival.

2. Identify plants for your region. This will vary from region to region, country to country, continent tocontinent, so you do need to identify the species wherever you are. That said, many places have the sameedible weed plants, thanks to people transporting plants all over the world. Fruit trees often escape andgrow wild in various places of the world, so if you know the fruit well, it'll be easy to identify. For thepurposes of this article, it is assumed you're lost somewhere in North America and here are some of theplants you'll be likely to find:

Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) and broadleaf plantains (Plantago major): Identifyingdandelions and plantains is very easy. The classic yellow blossom alone is not enough to identify adandelion securely, however.

To differentiate between the edible dandelion and the toxic false dandelion (catsear orHypochaeris radicata), look at the stems and flower amount. A false dandelion will have apartially pleated stem, and when you pull it apart the stem is stringy. The stem is also adarker green on a false dandelion than a real one. A single false dandelion plant will oftenhave more than one flower stem, while a real dandelion never has more than one flowerstem. Do not try to differentiate by the leaves, because they look very similar. The imagehere shows the false dandelion, while the one higher up shows the true dandelion.

The broadleaf plantain test is simple: If you see a low-to-the-ground plant with visible veinsrunning through the leaf vertically, pick it. Then pull it in half slowly. If a white vein sticks out,it's plantain. If this doesn't work, pick another and try quickly.

Beech nuts (from Fagus grandifolia): These are spiny nuts found on hardwood trees. If you partiallyscrape the bark off the young tree's trunk and try to stick your fingernail in the wood, a beech treewill be unscathed. A softwood tree with spiny nuts will be toxic.

Arbor-vitae (thuja or redcedars/whitcedars): Look for an evergreen with flat needles that look likethere are chain links on them. Eat the bitter needles for vitamin C. Do not consume too much of this,as the volatile oil is toxic and overdosing is possible.[3] Avoid using if pregnant.

Wild garlic (Allium vineale - invasive species where introduced, also known as crow garlic [4]): Thisis a grass with round blades. The best way to identify it is to pick one blade and smell. A stronggarlic smell will emanate from wild garlic. Wild garlic has many tiny bulbs, and if you are a risk-taker,you can try to "farm" wild garlic. You can pull it up using both hands wrapped around the bunch ofgrass.

Wild onion greens(Allium canadense[5]):These basically look likeonion greens from asupermarket. The onionbulb is single, but aboutthe size of the circlemade from your thumband forefinger. Youcannot pull up an onion;if you try you will simplybreak off the greens.You have to dig it with astick or a knife if youhave one. Using a bluntbutter knife is a greatsurvival tool: it's a gooddigging tool and canalso be used for manyother things.

Onion weed (Allium triquetrum): This "weed" species is also known as three-cornered leek. Thebulb, stem and flowers are edible.[6]

Mock wild strawberries (Duchesnea indica[7]): Also known as wood strawberries, these are smallred seed-covered berries growing on short stalks from the ground in late spring. They are bland butnutritious.

Wild strawberries (Fragaria): The fruits are edible and tasty too.

Amaranth (Amaranthus): This is an edible weed and all of it is edible; it is best to boil the leaves toreduce the nitrate and oxalic acid levels but can be eaten raw if needed.[8]

Clover (Trifolium): Edible leaves, best cooked but can be eaten raw too. [8] This plant is ubiquitousand is found on most continents.

Part 4 of 5: Fishing for food

1. Catch fish. Just go near the water and look for fish. After about half an hour at the water, you will havehand-caught a fish or two if you know how to fish by hand. Be aware that this is easier in some placesthan others and can be potentially dangerous if you're near waves, near deep/cold water or the fish bite.

Read How to catch fish with your hands, How to catch trout with your bare hands and How to makea handmade fishing net for more details.

Steal leftovers from fisher-animals. Some birds and small mammals catch fish; you could followthem and try to steal some of their catch. Do not do this with large mammals such as bears, unlessyou fancy being their next lunch. Consider the amount of energy you'll expend doing this though;always weigh this into any food collecting.

http://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Fish-With-Your-Handshttp://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Trout-With-Your-Bare-Handshttp://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Handmade-Fishing-Net

2. Consider seafood along a shoreline. If you know which seafood is safe to collect from shorelines, youcan supplement your diet using this. However, you must know the seafood type and also the safety of thewaters. Risks include seafood poisoning, algal bloom toxicity, being stung or pierced by toxic creatures orbeing taken by a rogue wave. A lot of seafood must be cooked before eating; read up on this and learnwell before trying anything. If you didn't read up before getting lost, err on the side of avoiding seafoodunless someone with you is properly knowledgeable.

If you live where people still gather seafood from the shore regularly to supplement their diet, askthem to show you how to forage this way safely before you go on walks, hikes and camping trips.After a few trips with experienced hands, you should be very knowledgeable.

Don't neglect the potential of seaweed or kelp for a healthy meal. Many varieties are edible; again,learn about the ones in your local area.

Part 5 of 5: Building or making shelter

1. Making a shelter is not easy. It's a really good idea to practice making shelters at home first or to do alocal course with people are properly skilled at making wild shelters. There are many ways to makeshelters, here are just a few:

Build a tepee-type structure with tree branches formed around a central sapling about thumbthickness.

http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-and-Cook-Seaweed

Dig a deep, wide hole in sand(on a beach or sandy desertarea maybe) and cover thetop with tree branches andleaves at night when yousleep in the hole. Be carefulthough; if the walls collapsein, you could suffocate. Don'tmake it too deep.

Build a cup-shaped neststructure out of tree branchesup in the crotch of twobranches on a tree. This isimportant for when being offthe ground ensures safety,such as over a swamp, toavoid prowling animals or toavoid flash flooding, etc. SeeHow to build a swamp bed formore details.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Swamp-Bed

2. Read and learn about shelters. Here are a few suggestions for you to check out: How to build an A frameshelter, How to build a sturdy and warm shelter, How to build an emergency winter shelter , How to build atarp shelter and How to make a shelter in the wilderness. There are many more possibilities in the outdoorshelter category.

We could really use your help!Can you tell us aboutSkin Care?YesNoCan you tell us aboutarts and crafts projects?YesNoCan you tell us aboutmaking frosting?YesNoCan you tell us aboutbasketball?YesNo

Tips

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-an-A-Frame-Shelterhttp://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Sturdy-and-Warm-Shelterhttp://www.wikihow.com/Build-an-Emergency-Winter-Shelterhttp://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Tarp-Shelterhttp://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Shelter-in-the-Wildernesshttp://www.wikihow.com/Category:Outdoor-Shelters

Stockpile any good supplies of food you find that are likely to last, such as beech nuts or seeds. Alwayshide a stash, as animals won't be backward about thieving your efforts when you're out foraging somemore or building that SOS sign.

Prickly pear can be eaten but you must remove its spines first. The stem should be boiled before eatingit.[8]

Warnings

Energy is vital - don't expend more foraging your food than you're putting back into your body. It may bebetter to rest sometimes than to exhaust yourself looking, especially in bad weather.

This is not a complete guide to survival. Read more detailed guides, especially with respect to the exactlocale to which you're traveling or in which you're living.

Be absolutely certain you know that a mushroom is a safe mushroom before trying to eat it. Manypoisonous varieties and toxic toadstools await the unwary.

Unless you know the plant is safe, there are things that tell you a plant may be toxic. Some of theseinclude: Foliage similar to carrot, dill or parsley; an almond scent from the woody and leaf parts; podseeds; bulbs; beans; sap that isn't clear (milky, off-color); stems with spines, thorns or fine hairs; three-leafpatterns; grain heads with purple/pink or black spurs.[8]

Bitterness in a food is a warning to stop biting on it, let alone swallow it.

If you decide to eat meat after not having eaten it for many years, you may feel sick. The bacteria neededto digest meat will not be present in your gut, so you'll need to introduce meat very slowly. As for yourconscience, that's something to give you mind-food as you cope with surviving.

Sources and Citations

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha#Culinary_uses

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis

3. http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/t/thuja-occidentalis=american-arbor-vitae.php

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_vineale

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_canadense

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_triquetrum

7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock_strawberry

8. 8.08.18.28.3http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha#Culinary_useshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalishttp://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/t/thuja-occidentalis=american-arbor-vitae.phphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_vinealehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_canadensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_triquetrumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock_strawberryhttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/How to Survive in the Woods without HuntingPart 1 of 5: Upon realizing you're lostPart 2 of 5: Finding suitable foodsPart 3 of 5: Identifying the foodsPart 4 of 5: Fishing for foodPart 5 of 5: Building or making shelterWe could really use your help!TipsWarningsSources and Citations