Whether you’ve just chosen to eat wild game because it’s healthy and more rich in nutrients than store bought meat, you’ve gone off the grid to live a stress free life, or you’re preparing for the end of the world, there are some essential skills and supplies you will need in order to survive as a hunter/gatherer.
You need calories and protein in order to survive and in order to get those you need to be able to hunt and father foods. When you are trying to survive in a wilderness scenario wild game is probably going to be the best way for you to get the protein your body needs.
You’ll also want a couple other basic skills, aside from hunting. You should take some time to learn how to get the meat you want off the animal you’ve hunted and be able to start a fire to cook them on.
Weapons of Choice
While a knife is going to be a great tool to have on hand for skinning and dressing your game, you’ll need something more in order to take them down. Bow and arrow can be your backup when you start to run out of bullets if you truly are in an end of the world scenario.
The most important weapon of choice when it comes to game hunting is going to be a rifle. You’ve got turkey guns and predator guns and muzzle loaders, and probably a bazillion other options for game hunting. But as far as a universal survival gun you can’t do better than an AR15. Just make sure you have the AR 15 accessories you need to make your gun the best weapon it can be, whether for food or survival in general. Your most important accessories will be ammo and a scope.
Your Food of Choice
When it comes to wild game you have choices from the sky, the land and the water. You have big game and little game. A lot will depend on where you live, but some options include deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels. doves, bear and more. The larger the animal the more meat you will get, which can be important if you are feeding more than just yourself.
Hunting some animals, like bear, can pose a little bit of danger, so you want to be skilled and have great aim. This is why it is important to have a scope and to take some time to practice your aim and shooting abilities.
You also might not always get the game you go for, whether they just didn’t come into range or you missed, or you just didn’t see any that day. Then it’s time to come up with some other ways to get the sustenance you need. Bugs, beetles and worms can offer some of the protein you’ll need in order to get by. You can also gather some wild plants, just make sure that you know what you are eating (with the bugs too) isn’t poisonous. It helps to have a guidebook on the subjects. You can also go fishing.
The most important things to remember are to have a good gun, practice your shot, cook your meat thoroughly and know what you are eating. When it comes to survival, it doesn’t matter if it tastes good or is seasoned properly, as long as you are getting the nutrition your body needs to keep going.