Category: Hunting and Trapping

Letter Re: Defensive Shotguns on a Budget

Jim, The Mossberg Model 500 has some very good safety ergonomics that make it a good choice for an “under the bed” shotgun for families with children. When it is stored with the action closed on an empty chamber, it requires several steps before shooting. While it is not difficult to learn to press the action release button behind the trigger guard, rack the action, and switch off the intuitive forward/rearward safety, before shooting, it is difficult for an untrained child or a miscreant to do this. An uninformed/untrained burglar who finds a Mossberg in this condition, and who intends …


Survival Gun Selection

In my survivalist novel “Patriots”, I included lots of descriptions of firearms used in various situations in order to illustrate that there is no single “perfect survival gun.” Different situations are best handled by using different firearms. There are several requirements that must be considered in selecting guns for use on a farm, ranch, or survival retreat. First, and foremost, they must be versatile. A single gun might be pressed into service for shooting crows or starlings at 10 yards, rabbits or coyotes at 100 yards, or rattlesnakes at five feet. While there is no single gun that can handle …


The Best Pre-1899 Bolt Action?

I strongly believe that every prepared family ought to have one or two Federally exempt pre-1899 guns. Why? There may come a time in the near future when legislation will dictate nationwide gun registration.  But pre-1899s will presumably be exempt. To explain: Guns made in or before 1898 aren’t classified as “firearms” under the Federal law. They haven’t been, ever since 1968.  They are outside of Federal jurisdiction. Because of their very small numbers, in the eyes of legislators they are a trivial “non-issue.”  In the envisioned era that you are forced to either bury or register the rest of the …


Using Lure and How to Set Snares, by Buckshot

A fast moving storm moved across the mountains, dumping heavy wet snow. The eight Mountain Men had made an almost fatal error. They stayed too long in the high country. Now cut off from retreating from the mountains they must survive and winter in this valley high in the mountains in what is today Wyoming. The pass was filled with eight feet of wind drift snow that no man or beast could enter or leave until the Spring thaw. The eight men decide to spend the week hunting for food to store for winter. At the end of the week …


Letter Re: Dealing With Buckshot Bruce

Hi Jim, Just wanted to send a short note to let you know how much I enjoy the site and the information there. Also, awhile back, Buckshot had posted a great article on trapping and a special on his DVDs trading for some 90% [pre-1965 U.S.] silver. I wanted to let you know what a great guy Buckshot is, and Mrs. Buckshot is pretty terrific as well. I’ve done a little trading with him and found him to be an honest and straightforward guy. His videos and traps are terrific!  Their e-mails and service is second to none. I’d recommend …


Letter Re: Hunting and Trapping Hazards

Mr. Rawles: All the talk about snares and traps and hunting… You’d better inform people about the proper precautions concerning RABIES in wild game. – Tamara JWR Replies: Yes, you are right. There are risks involved with hunting and trapping. But there are also risks involved with walking down a city street, or buying potato salad at your local delicatessen, or picking berries in bear country. As with anything else in life you need to weigh cost/benefit ratios, and learn to take appropriate precautions. Here are some basic precautions about hunting, trapping, and handling raw meat:  Always wash your hands …


You are “Not” a Survivalist? — by “Buckshot”

A friend once told me back in the late 1990s: “I am not a survivalist.” I replied, “Oh really? Why do you get up every morning and go to work?  Because you love working here so much?” He answered: “No, I come to work to feed and shelter my family.” I then quipped; “Oh, so in order to survive you work, so you are a survivalist too.” He cracked a smile and said that I had a good point! By the same token you have house, life, car and health insurance, right? Why? Do you plan on having your car …


Letter Re: State Boundaries (Expanding on “The State Line Game”)

Hi Jim, Your comments on building a house straddling a state line brought me back to my Navy days in Pensacola, Florida. It may be difficult to build across a state line but not impossible. There is a bar that straddles the state line between Florida and Alabama called – of course – The Floribama. As I recall it, there was a different last call time on opposite sides of the bar as the two states had different alcohol serving times. In any case, if it can be done with a commercial establishment (particularly a bar!) it can be done …


Letter Re: State Boundaries (Expanding on “The State Line Game”)

I’d like to expand on a topic that I mentioned briefly in a SurvivalBlog post on August 25, 2005:  “The State Line Game.” Many folks have discovered how to play the state line jumping game: Living near a state line to take advantage of a lower tax or other advantage in one or more adjoining states. For example, you can live in the Idaho panhandle (very low property tax, car registration, and car insurance), work in eastern Washington (no income tax), make your day-to-day purchases in Idaho (5% sales tax) and your major purchases (trucks, wood stoves, generators, gun vaults, …


My Grandfather’s Wisdom

My paternal grandfather, Ernest Everett Rawles (1897-1985), was a largely self-educated man. Coming from a pioneer family (his father and grandfather came out west by covered wagon in 1857), he had a profoundly practical outlook on life. Ernest grew up on a 6,000 acre sheep ranch near Boonville, in Mendocino County, California. There, he lived life at its basics: The change of the seasons, hunting and trapping, hard work in foul weather, lambing, shearing, and the constant state of war with the predators that annually killed dozens and sometimes hundreds of lambs. It was hard life, but it had its …


“Buckshot” on Commercial Fur Trapping Versus Survival Trapping

In a TEOTWAWKI situation, being able to trap game is a very vital skill. The fresh meat would be a welcome addition to your stored food. But you may not want to alert others to your location by shooting. Trapping is a labor-efficient method of filling this vital need. It is useful to understand fur trappers so that you don’t end up competing with them. A fur trapper’s goal is to get as much fur as quickly as he or she can. The goal to hit the hot spots hard and fast and beat the competition. Some guys run 2-to-3 …


Letter Re: Buckshot Bruce’s –“I Could Never Eat That!” Article

Hello Jim, I really enjoyed Buckshot’s post on eating wild game. Like him we eat “off the land,” on a regular basis. There is bear, beaver, turtle, pheasant, muskrat, rabbit, squirrel and venison in our freezer right now. We recently tried canning up some blue gill with great success.Free food is out there for the taking and it is good. Get started now and find out for yourself, which is the best way to fix game to your tastes. By the way we like to brown the cut up muskrat, place it in a roaster, make gravy in the frying …


From Buckshot Bruce–“I Could Never Eat That!”

“I could never eat that!” I can’t tell you the numbers of times I have heard that one! With normal grocery-store-plastic-and-foam-to-grill crowd I can understand that statement. But from hunters? I have seen people look down their nose at suggesting eating wild game but mention other animals and they freak out. Mention eating muskrats and people look at you like you are from Mars and have two heads. They have that “Stay away from my children” look. I find it amusing. Muskrat (a.k.a. Marsh Rabbit) is said to have a rat tail. But true rat tail is round whereas a …


Letter from “F1” Re: Trapping and Snaring

Hi Jim and Memsahib: An overlooked area for putting meat on the table is trapping and snaring. Perhaps the reason is it is an almost lost skill because most people live in cities or the suburbs today. However, WTSHTF it may mean the difference between having meat on the table or none at all when, if the supply runs out. Those who live in cities and suburban areas normally have squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks, deer, raccoons and other edible animals available if they have the knowledge and equipment to obtain them. Many in rural areas who are preparing plan on using …