If you consider yourself an outdoorsman, then you probably think you know a lot about surviving in the wilderness. And you probably do, but there’s no such thing as too much knowledge when it comes to being comfortable in the great outdoors. For that reason, you might want to file a few of these away for later use… just in case.
Tip #1: To Find Fish, Look For The Birds
Catching fish isn’t easy, but the first thing you need to do if you’re hoping to catch your dinner is to figure out where the fish actually are. Fortunately, you can follow a simple tip from Outdoor Life. As they point out, all you need to do is look for fishing birds like herons or loons. These birds know where the eating is good, and they’re a lot easier to spot than the fish themselves. Once you see them diving, or spearing the water with their beaks, you know precisely where to drop your lures.
Tip #2: Pluck Fast, Roast Slow
If you’re shooting game birds, it’s easy to get distracted and look for another target. Especially if you want to make sure you have enough bird meat for everyone, at the end of the day. However, as Field and Stream points out, you’ll get better results if you take a few minutes to pluck the bird you just killed. If you wait, it will get stiff, and the feathers won’t come out as easily. An ounce of prevention, a pound of cure, etc.
Tip #3: Stay High When Hunting
Every hunter knows that scent carries, and if the animals you’re trying to sneak up on smell you, then you’ve already lost the game. However, if you’re stand hunting (or you’ve climbed a tree in order to get a good shot), then you need to make sure you’re high enough that your scent won’t reach the animals on the ground. Even if there’s a wind, you need to be sure your scent will go over the treetops, rather than along the ground.
Tip #4: Build A Solar Still If You Can’t Find Clean Water
Water is a necessity for all of us, and if you can’t find a reliable source of it in a dry area remember that it’s quite possible to use the power of the sun to pull clean water out of thin air. You simply dig a hole roughly a foot and a half deep, and about three feet in diameter. Put a can or bottle in the center of the hole, and cover it with a clean, plastic tarp. Weigh the edges of the tarp down with earth and rocks, and place a rock in the center above the tarp to weigh it down. Make sure this rock isn’t so heavy that it dislodges the edges. Temperature differences above and below the tarp will make moisture gather on the underside, and the angle will make that moisture drip into your collector, giving you a source of fresh water. You could even make a few of these stills, ensuring that you have enough water to go round.
Tip #5: Trap Fish If You Want Passive Success
Stream fishing is tough, but you can build a fish weir with relatively little effort to put the game back on easy mode. You simply need to wade into the stream, and push long stakes deep into it, creating a three-sided box. Fish will swim into the open end, and to get out they’ll have to fight the current. That will give you plenty of time to snatch them up, and voila, dinner is served!
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