Survive!

by Les Stroud

Recognize these warning signs of potentially poisonous creatures. Avoid those that

  >> are very hairy

  >> are brightly colored

  >> give off a strong odor

  >> sting or bite

  >> may carry diseases from parasites such as flies, mosquitoes, and ticks

  >> move very slowly and out in the open. Poisonous creatures are not afraid because they know they are poisonous!

  Though generally you should stay away from poisonous creatures, there are some that you can eat, provided you remove their dangerous bits. In the desert, I survived almost exclusively on scorpions. Once I cut away the stinger, they tasted like shrimp. Of course you’ll have to consult a local expert beforehand, as attempting to eat something known to be poisonous should only be a last resort.

  If you lack the knowledge, perform an edibility test on anything you suspect might make you sick.

  Gathering and Catching Critters

  Many edible creatures, such as frogs and snakes, prefer damp, dark places like rotting logs and rock crevices. Just make sure you don’t shove your hand into one of these places without first inspecting it.

  If you’re close to a body of water such as a lake, you have only to sit by the shore to see how many critters there are. For example, you may see a dozen or more leeches swim by in a matter of minutes; reach down and scoop them out. They do taste better cooked, by the way—kind of like little anchovies.

  When I was in the Kalahari Desert, I trapped dozens of scorpions with something akin to a bottle trap. All I did was dig a little hole about an inch (2.5 cm) from the scorpion hole and drop a jar into it. When a scorpion came out of its hole, it would fall into the jar and get stuck.

  Cooking and Preparing Critters

  The safest way to eat critters is to cook them first, since this kills the parasites carried by many, particularly those with a hard outer shell.

  First you should get rid of as much waste as possible. This means eliminating the entrails or squeezing out the waste, provided you know where the critter’s anus is. Worms will clean themselves out naturally if you submerge them in water for a few minutes. Grasshoppers can be cleaned by holding on to the head with one hand, the body with the other, and pulling.

  All edible critters should be verified by a local expert. Taking a chance on some harmless-looking frog in Costa Rica, for example, could result in death.

  This bottle trap will work wherever scorpions are found. It even works with just a hole, if you make the sides steep enough. Scorpions can’t climb vertically very well. The trap needs to be placed right at the opening of the small scorpion hole, as shown.

  Fish

  FISH ARE A FANTASTIC SOURCE OF SURVIVAL FOOD. You can leave your hook in the water 24 hours a day and let it work for you while you rest or do other things. But don’t think that catching fish is easy, no matter how remote your location and how abundant they may be. Luck is definitely part of the equation.

  When I was in Alaska, I fished from my sea kayak with a long line, a well-made fish hook, and a big chunk of bait. Though the salmon were jumping all around my kayak, nothing would take my bait. During that same time I had a fishnet in the water for 48 hours and saw schools of salmon running by, and still couldn’t catch a fish dinner.

  Although there are no poisonous freshwater fish, the skin of some saltwater fish is poisonous when eaten raw. Several species of tropical fish are also very poisonous; the only way to identify these is to have consulted a local expert. Without that knowledge, you have to decide if eating a fish is worth the risk. Try the edibility test on fish you suspect of being poisonous.

  As with any creature you catch in the wild, try to eat all parts of the fish. The skin (provided it’s not poisonous) has lots of nutritional value, so eat that too. Many experts advise against eating fish that appears spoiled (sunken eyes, strong smell, strange color), but I believe that as a last-ditch effort, it’s okay to eat. If you become ill after eating what you suspect to be a rotten fish, however, either consume some charcoal or induce vomiting.

  Catching Fish

  Of the various fishing methods available, the most common is the hook and line. You need only some type of basic cord or rope, the thinner and more transparent the better (and, of course, some kind of hook). If you don’t have any thin line, you can unravel a piece of clothing, such as a sweater, or unwind a piece of cord or rope to use the component threads.

  To greatly improve your chances with hook and line, use bait. If your food supply is limited, using it for bait is a trade-off: you may have to sacrifice some of what you have for the prospect of acquiring something larger. Insects, raw meat, and worms are all good bait. In all cases, fish are much more likely to take bait that is native to their waters.

  If you don’t have bait, you can try your hand at making lures. An effective lure can be anything that moves and therefore catches the fish’s attention: a piece of credit card, the zipper off your pants, a piece of thread, a coin, or a key. Obviously, the more hooks you have in the water, the greater your chances of catching something. If you’re near a moving body of water, consider stringing a line across (tying it to a couple of trees or rocks) and attaching to it several other lines and baited hooks.

  More elaborate than hook and line are fish traps. These take time to build, but can also reap greater rewards under the right circumstances. The most common type of fish trap is essentially a stick fence that helps to corral the fish or move them in the direction you want them to go.

  If you don’t have fish hooks with you, they’re easy to make from bones and thorns; metal objects such as safety pins and nails work well too. Ironically, fish bones are great to make into fish hooks because they are easily carved.

  To make a simple fish trap, tie a series of sticks together with rope or cord (you want the water to flow through, not the fish). You can make one or more sections, depending on your needs. Push the sections into the soil bottom of the waterway. Ideally, the fish will be channeled into an area where you can then spear or net them.

  In coastal regions, you can use the tide to help you trap fish. Build a circle of rocks on an area of beach that is covered by water only at high tide. The tide brings small fish in with it. As the tide recedes, fish may get caught in the trap.

  Although fish trapping is possible, I have yet to be in a survival situation where I’ve had the time or energy to do it. Fish-trapping methods are closer to being traditional living skills than survival skills. They are not as easy as they look, take a long time to accomplish, require a lot of energy, and you must have all the necessary supplies (or be able to adapt what you do have). You also have to be in the ideal place to attempt these methods during the right season. There are a lot of ifs in this scenario!

  Ranking pretty high in the realm of romanticizing wilderness survival is the idea of drugging fish. Though it is possible to introduce concoctions of certain plants to water sources to stun or kill fish, this is an exercise better left to experts in plant identification. Even if you have a local teach you which plants to use, your chances of catching fish this way are slim.

  Fishing Techniques

  Build walls in narrow channels to trap fish in one area. Then, you can spear them (but beware—it’s not easy!).

  Build a rustic “fishing pole” that has several lines instead of just one. This way, you increase your chances of catching a fish.

  Use sticks and logs to create a fish trap. Once you corral the fish, they are easier to catch.

  And although Tom Hanks made it look easy in Cast Away, there is nothing easy about spearing fish. If by some lucky coincidence you find yourself in an area where many fish congregate in a small pool, however, consider making a barbed fishing spear. Take a long piece of wood, no more than an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) in diameter. To be effective, you first have to whittle the tip to a very sharp point. Carve a few barbs (curved upward) into the top of the stick to prevent a fish from sliding off after you spear it.

  The barbed fishing
spear is made from a long piece of wood, no more than an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) in diameter. For the spear to be effective, you first have to whittle each tip to a sharp point.

  Carving a few upward-curving barbs into the top of your spear will pre vent the fish from sliding off after you spear it.

  If you have a net or can make one, you can either set it in or drag it through the water to catch fish and other creatures such as freshwater shrimp. Another effective fishing method with a net—particularly in smaller bodies of water such as streams and creeks—is to build a border around the perimeter of the net, usually with sticks. Attach a series of ropes or cords around the edge of the net, all of which come together at a central point about a foot or two (30 to 60 cm) above the net. Attach another (lead) rope to these and drape it over a nearby branch. Hold the far end of the lead rope in your hands. Dangle the flat net in the water. When fish swim over the center portion, quickly raise the net.

  Finally, fish are attracted to light at night. If you have a light source, try pointing it at the water while using your primary fishing method.

  Waorani women are masters of net fishing, as seen here in the feeder streams of the Amazon.

  Torch fishing in the South Pacific increased my chances of catching fish, because fish are often attracted to bright light. It also allowed me to see sleeping fish. The task was not without danger, however. Accidentally stepping on a stonefish could have proved fatal.

  Game

  THE NOTION OF CATCHING GAME IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION is an attractive one, mostly because you can end up eating something substantial that tastes like the meat many of us eat on a daily basis. The reality, however, is that catching game is difficult, especially if you’re talking about anything larger than a rabbit.

  Without a gun, ammunition, and hunting experience, the idea that you might kill big game is wishful thinking at best. So what does that leave us with? Small game.

  Trapping and Snaring Small Game

  Once you accept the reality that nabbing big game is an exercise limited to only a handful of survival situations, the world of small game opens before you. The advantage of trapping and snaring small game is the same as that of fishing: you can set a series of traps that work while you don’t. Done properly—and in the right location—these simple devices can add enough sustenance to your diet to keep you going for a while.

  In addition to (hopefully) providing you with food, the other benefit of creating traps and snares is that it is proactive and enables you to feel like you’re doing something to better your situation. When you build these tools, you’re concentrating for hours on a specific survival task. This helps to occupy your mind—and to defeat boredom, apathy, and depression—thus helping to keep you alive.

  Another benefit of traps and snares is that they’re effective anywhere in the world. A figure-four deadfall, for instance, will work just as well in the African savannah as in the northern boreal forest.

  There’s strength in numbers when it comes to traps. The more you set, the more luck you’ll have. If you can set 45 rabbit snares, do it. You’ll have to invest more energy at the front end, but you’re also setting yourself up for greater rewards at the back end.

  Although many people tout the benefits of complex traps and snares, my philosophy is to follow the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Stupid! The elaborate ones require tremendous effort and expertise and often don’t yield any more than the basic ones.

  You’ll increase your chances of success if you use bait in your traps and snares. Begin by scattering some of it around your trap. This will encourage the animal to develop a taste for the bait. When the outer supply is exhausted, the animal likely will venture into the trap, its desire for more of the bait overcoming its natural sense of caution. Keep in mind that most types of traps and snares do not always kill the animal, and a trapped animal that’s still alive (and probably injured), no matter how small, can be a formidable opponent, clawing, biting, and scratching. In these cases, you must hit the animal on the head with a club or some other heavy object to kill it. It won’t be pretty. Survival never is.

  If you are lucky enough to snare or trap an animal, remember that you’re not looking for a few choice pieces, the way you might when you shop at the butcher. In a survival situation, you eat everything on the animal, with the exception of the bowels and excrement, and (of course) any known poisonous bits.

  Snares

  A basic snare is a simple device: a looped cord or rope that tightens around an animal as it walks through. Getting a snare to work exactly as designed often requires a bit of fine-tuning, though. The loop must be big enough for the animal’s head, not so big that the animal walks through unscathed, and at the right height off the ground for the animal’s head.

  A variation on the simple snare is the drag noose. Place forked sticks on either side of the animal trail and lay a crosspiece from one to the other across the trail (well above the height of the animal’s head). Dangle the noose from the crosspiece. If the animal becomes ensnared in the noose, the crosspiece becomes dislodged and caught in surrounding vegetation. The animal tires quickly as it struggles to get free.

  Where to Set Snares and Traps

  Never set traps and snares too far from your shelter. You don’t want to have to travel a great distance to reach them, for two reasons. First, you waste energy going back and forth to check the traps. More important, if the distance is prohibitive, you may not travel to the location every day. And if you are lucky enough to trap something but wait too long to retrieve it, you may find that some other animal has come along and eaten your catch.

  Always position any trap or snare in a location where there is evidence of animal activity: runs and trails, tracks, droppings, chewed or rubbed vegetation. Try to disturb the area as little as possible when setting the trap, otherwise you will tip animals off as to your presence.

  The best areas to set traps and snares for small game are where different types of forest meet, such as where an old-growth forest turns into a swamp. The big animals come there for the small animals, which are there for the smaller animals, and they are all there for a drink.

  A simple snare is nothing more than a noose positioned along an animal’s path and attached to a stake. The idea is that the noose tightens around the animal’s throat as it passes through the snare. As the animal struggles to get out, the noose tightens.

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  STROUD’S TIP

  A simple noose is all you need to make an effective snare. To make one, tie a small loop at the end of the rope. Pass the working end of the rope through the loop to form the noose.

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  Rabbit snare: Use a rope or cord to make a noose; drape it loosely over some foliage growing close to the ground. Attach the lead rope of the snare to a bowed branch overhead, then continue the lead rope to a trigger mechanism that will release at the slightest movement. If you’re lucky, the rabbit will walk through the noose but catch the rope with a leg or paw. This releases the trigger, sending the bowed branch skyward and catching the rabbit in the noose.

  The catch mechanism is a critical part of the rabbit snare. It must be tight enough that it doesn’t release accidentally but sensitive enough to release when the rabbit passes through it.

  The cord shown here is attached to a bowed branch. The branch needs to be strong enough to support the weight of a rabbit.

  Squirrel snare: Since squirrels are relatively plentiful in many parts of the world, squirrel snares can be a huge boost to your survival efforts. A squirrel snare is a long pole or branch that you lean against a tree at approximately a 45-degree angle.

  The idea behind the squirrel snare is that the squirrel will use the pole to climb the tree. Should it feel the noose on its neck, it will try to leap to safety and hang itself.

  To build a squirrel snare, loosely wrap three or four wire nooses (a few inches in diameter) on the top and sides of the pole. You want the squirrel to pass through at least one of them when going up or
down the pole. Placing bait between the snares is effective.

  Traps

  Even without snare wire or some kind of string or rope, you can catch game by building traps. These run the gamut from very simple and basic to extremely intricate and may include the use of rope. As with so many things in survival, the simpler the better…and often the more successful.

  Figure-four deadfall: A figure-four deadfall works by crushing its prey. To be effective, the weight must be heavy enough to kill, or at least immobilize your intended prey.

  To make the trap, gather three sticks of approximately the same size—anything from a few inches to a couple of feet (7.5 to 60 cm) if you are going after big game—and notch them as shown in the picture.

  Note that making an effective figure-four deadfall takes practice; the skill with which you cut the angles in the sticks will determine how effectively it releases.

  Figure-four deadfall sticks (top to bottom): the upright stick, the release stick, and the bait stick.

  Bait is set on the bait stick first. The sticks are then placed together in the shape of the number four, with the weight leaning against the (release) top stick. When the animal begins to nibble on the bait, the trap releases, crushing the animal.