Odds ‘n Sods:

Evidently your TV now sends ultrasonic messages to your phone, which tell your phone to transmit your information back to the advertiser.

Wonder what else this technology could be used for… How TV ads silently ping commands to phones: Sneaky SilverPush code reverse-engineered via Linux News. Link sent in by K.F.

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These assignments were discovered by accident when the child brought the work home from school. How many more of these indoctrinating assignments are never caught by parents? Public schools, by design, indoctrinate your children with values that you have little or no control over. In fact, many of these assignments are from new, young teachers, who are fresh out of a liberal college with pro-Islamic/anti-Semitic views. Start a homeschool; lower your standard of living to afford a private school; start a co-op; do whatever it takes to protect your children as they are educated, but get your child out of public school!

Utah school homework assignment to make propaganda poster for jihadi groups: “JOIN ISIS!” Sent in by B.B.

California Middle School Makes Kids Sing About Spreading Islam Sent in by D.S.

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Speaking of constant indoctrination, how about a video of Hillary Clinton stating that Muslims have “nothing to do” with terrorism: Hillary hits back over “radical Islam”.

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Bill Whittle Video: Post Paris: Can Sharia Law And The Constitution Coexist?. Sent in by MtH

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While there has been considerable chatter about the U.S. catching Islamic terrorists on the southern border with forged papers, apparently the concept of “forged” papers is meaningless. Succar, the head of New York’s Syrian community has some scary claims about the refugees.”
“You can go to the Syrian government today and say to them, ‘I need a piece of paper that says I’m Tony Caterpillar.’ And they give it to you”
“These are not forged documents. These are written out by a government employee who needs money, whose family has no food.”

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely:
for mine anger is turned away from him.
I will be as the dew unto Israel:
he shall grow as the lily,
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread,
and his beauty shall be as the olive tree,
and his smell as Lebanon.” – Hosea 14:4-6 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – November 20, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 61 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But first, there’s a word from JWR on establishing your Preparedness Library. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  5. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  6. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  7. Twenty-five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knifemaker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 61 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Establishing Your Preparedness Library, by James Wesley, Rawles

Anyone who is serious about family preparedness recognizes the importance of having hard copy (EMP-proof) references on hand. In addition to the binders of reference articles, recipes, and technical manuals that I often mention in SurvivalBlog, I strongly recommend that you buy some particularly useful published reference books. These books include:

Survival Trapping: The Efficient “Hunter”- Part 2, by J.C.

Basic Sets:

Leghold traps have a few basic types of sets. The main one is referred to as a dirt hole set and is by far the most common and popular for this style of trap. A depression slightly larger than the trap is dug out and the trap is set down into it and “bedded”. This means to solidly seat the trap to reduce any movement at all. Most animals will immediately leave the set area, if they feel the trap move as they step on it. Once the trap is bedded, then use the screen to sift fine dry dirt over the whole trap, covering it completely. Using your hands press down and solidly pack the dirt around the trap itself being careful to avoid depressing the trigger pan and setting the trap off. Level the loose dirt out and apply one last layer of fine undisturbed dirt over the whole trap area. Next use a stick or metal rod to open up a hole in front to the trap. Six to nine inches from the trap is a reasonable distance. You can add a backer of a rock, log, or any larger item just past the edge of the hole to force the animal to investigate on the trap side. Insert your bait or lure into the hole and step back. Examine everything and try to arrange the area as naturally as possible.

Some tricks for this type of set are:

  1. Place small rocks or sticks in a position that the animal must step over or around them and will direct their paw right onto the trap pan trigger.
  2. Vary the depth and angle of the bait hole for certain animals.
  3. Cover the bait hole with loose grass or leaves to force the animal to move around to investigate and increase the chances of their foot getting into the trap.

Other sets for the leghold traps that should be studied are: Cubby set, Scent Post set, Walk Thru set, Water sets, and drowning sets.

Leghold traps must be prepared for best results. Boiling, dyeing, and waxing are common to remove scent and prevent rust. Tuning of the traps for specific animals will greatly increase the effectiveness. Proper pan tension and adjusting the trigger system is simple and easily done. A little research will pull up a variety of resources on how best to accomplish this task with just basic hand tools.

Conibear traps are spring-loaded traps designed to close over the body of the animal. They are sometimes referred to as body grip traps. They are lethal traps designed to kill the trapped animal instantly through force. The design allows the traps to be set up for the animal to walk or swim through the opening. Used on runs, trails, den openings, and water flows, these traps are versatile and effective in many environments. The sets for these are limited only by the imagination of the trapper. Some styles have springs on one side or both. Anchor stakes from limbs are easy to install on both sides of the trap. Although it is designed to be lethal, it is still a good idea to anchor the trap with a chain or cable. Remember a trapped animal is a tasty treat for any passing predators, and a coyote, bobcat, or wolf will gladly carry off your catch for their dinner and rob you of both your trap and dinner in one quick swipe. The small 110 sized conibears are perfect for placing over den openings and small game trails, and moving up in size to the 330’s are good for larger water animals, such as beaver and otter. Tips for conibears:

  1. Use safeties when setting the heavy springs, as these traps are strong enough to break bones.
  2. Anchor the traps solidly to prevent animals from pushing them out of the way.
  3. Sticks, rocks, and logs can be placed to help funnel animals into the trap for greater effectiveness.
  4. Can be adapted to fit into the openings of buckets with baits or lures added to entice the animal to enter the container.

Snares have their place in any survival situation. They are lightweight and quick to set up. You can carry dozens of them in the same space of even one leghold trap. However, snares have a major draw back. They are much harder to learn to use effectively. They also aren’t easily set to draw an animal in with baits or lures. So learning the animal’s terrain and habits is absolutely critical to success when using snares. If you are able to master setting snares in the proper locations, you will be rewarded; if not, you will be just wasting time and energy. Learning the proper sizes to set is important. The openings of the loop and the height the loop sits off the ground will be lessons you will need to learn quickly for the animals in your area. For example, a 6” loop might work for a groundhog, but a rabbit may slip right on through. Or a 2” wire loop for a squirrel may be perfect, but a possum will just walk over it. There are a few types of sets with snares that work well with baits. Holes that are baited and loops set over the entrance can be successful, as can putting baits back into deeper areas of a brush pile and setting snares on all the obvious routes of entry will work. Spring loaded snares have seen some popularity for a number of years and can be set up around a bait pile or other food source. The bottom line is that if you haven’t practiced with snares, they will not work well for you. No matter how many books or drawings you study, the only way to expect these to feed you is lots and lots of practice.

Live cage traps are some of the most underrated traps in the survival community. Urban nuisance wildlife trapping is a billion-dollar industry right now in the U.S. and the corner stone of this industry is the live cage trap. While it might be difficult to catch wary predators in live traps, all other animals are easily caught in these style of traps. In fact, this may be the easiest way for a novice to catch his dinner. The basic operation is a metal cage with a self-closing door. The animal enters the trap and steps on a trigger pan, and the door closes trapping them inside. One important advantage of this trap is that the animal is alive and contained, allowing it to be saved for future use by the trapper. Without refrigeration, keeping the animal alive is the next best way to preserve the meat for when it is needed. A word of warning: Keeping wild animals for long periods of time can be difficult and dangerous, so please exercise caution.

Tips on using live traps:

  1. Bed the trap securely on level ground to prevent wobbling when the animal enters.
  2. Line the bottom of the trap with dirt, sand, grass or other natural materials as they may shy away from stepping on the cold metal.
  3. Hang the bait or place it inside a metal soup can wired to the back of the cage to prevent the animals from reaching through the wire mesh from the outside and stealing the bait.
  4. Cover or conceal the trap under brush, leaves, and lightweight materials to increase its effectiveness and to camouflage. Be careful not to entangle the trap mechanism.
  5. Use small amounts of bait to get the animal to commit all the way into the trap for increased success.

Putting all these components into a trapping plan is the last part of the process. Setting up a trapline does take time. The upfront investment can pay off with a steady supply of meat. It will take more effort to set up the traps initially, but it will be easier to maintain and check once they are set up. Pick a route that you can easily and safely check. Ranging miles out may not be practical if you are on foot, but setting multiple types of traps on just a few acres can be very productive if done correctly. Wilderness fur trappers are used to traveling long distances to run their traplines. The main goal is to harvest quality fur from specific target animals. Survival trapping is more general, and any animal that you catch could be dinner. Setting multiple traps together can work well. Setting up on logging roads or creek banks can produce many animals quickly and easily. Urban neighborhoods actually have higher populations of some animals than in the deep woods. There are reports from nuisance wildlife trappers of getting dozens of possums from a residential yard over just a few weeks’ time. Catching 20 squirrels from a single backyard in a month isn’t that uncommon, and rodents such as chipmunks and rats are plentiful almost everywhere. Trapping is a skill that takes a lifetime to master, but the beginner can learn to succeed quickly with limited practice. Ethical trapping techniques and humane treatment of wildlife is important. Professionals don’t rejoice in allowing animals to suffer. Checking traps every 24 hours to make sure all catches are harvested quickly keeps both the trapped animal from suffering and losing it to a competing predator of both two- and four-legged varieties. Having a catch pole available to safely release unwanted animals will help keep you from wasting resources or needlessly killing wildlife. Utilizing the whole animal, including the fur, hide, and bones is always recommended to avoid wasting resources. All states have differing laws concerning the use of traps and the types that are allowed. As with all SHTF scenarios you will have to decide when the time will come to use the skills you have practiced to provide for yourself, your family, and others.

Recommended minimum trapping kit to have on hand for emergency needs for all terrains and environments:

  • Leghold Traps: three #1’s, three #1.5’s, three #2’s, three #3’s, plus chain and cable for anchors
  • Conibears: four 110’s, two 330’s
  • Snares: 50 in a variety of sizes
  • Live Cage Traps: two small, three mediums, and one large
  • Setting supply tools, selection of baits and lures, and buckets for storage of gear.

Resources: All of these companies have the supplies, books, and training videos to get you started

Three Letters Re: A Solid Solution On Securing Home Defense During A TEOTWAWKI Situation, by B.M.

JWR,

I’m sure I won’t be the only one commenting on this article, but I come to this site for good advice sound information; this article concerns me a lot. I have learned enough in the past couple of years to see the total unworkability of this approach, but I worry about newcomers seeing this and either heeding this advice or seeing through it and getting turned off to the whole site. What’s this family going to do when the mob torches the house, shoots through the (non-bullet resistant) walls, or just breaks through with a chainsaw or pick axe once they realize this is a “prepped” home. Also, 40 miles wasn’t enough distance to slow down the current wave of “refugees” into Europe; they will not be shrieking in pain over a little razor wire. More likely they will throw a rope or cable over it and drag the whole mess back out through the door. I want to tell him to watch that refugee crisis documentary from the other day (instead of some B-rated Hollywood flick) and try to envision how his plan will hold up in the real world. I trust the article will be duly critiqued and not just left on the site along side and positioned up there with the other great information posted here. – RH

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Hugh,

Really? One entrance/exit and razor wire on all windows. ONE Molotov Cocktail is all it would take. That Spartan defense you just set up works both ways. – W.A.

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HJL,

Regarding Tuesday’s article, “A Solid Solution On Securing Home Defense During A TEOTWAWKI Situation, by B.M.”

The positive:

The writer offers some great ideas for utilizing concertina wire in a home defense scenario–one most of us have never thought of. And, he even offers a source for purchasing it. I’ll be ordering some tonight!

The potentially negative:

  • Unfortunately, I believe the writer is drastically underestimating the levels and types of threats, at only 40 miles from a major city like Chicago. I have yet to see a suburban house that is defensible against large, violent mobs, for any length of time. Even WITH concertina wire!
  • The Chicago region is rife with illegal firearms, despite some of the most-stringent gun control laws in the world–and all rifles and many pistols will shoot through concertina wire without any deflection, because most of the volume is simply filled with air. Even if rounds hit the wire itself, the deflection will be pretty small and probably inconsequential.
  • If you’ve got kids, they’ll almost surely eventually get into the concertina wire and/or the booby traps. Be very careful.
  • If you’re going to close off every single exit but one…you’ve created a fatal funnel that you yourself must pass through, if you’re forced out of a burning/invaded home.

Recommendations:

  • Have some additional ways to get out, the more hidden, the better.
  • Have some hidden means of defeating your booby traps during an emergency exit.
  • If you must live in such a highly-populated region, the first thought must be to add some ballistic protection. No one is going to bother attacking your home.
  • If you can’t afford to build that into your home (and most of us can’t), then you need to have an alternative method, such as sandbags.
  • Or, perhaps you get a load of concrete blocks delivered to build a wall around your yard…and you just never get around to building that wall. (Meaning, you can position them around the interior or exterior of your home, should conditions ever warrant.)
  • If you can, move away from the big cities. If you can’t move away, be VERY ready to bug-out and FAST!
  • If you simply have to stay, be realistic about your chances, and prepare for World War III. Recalling that you can’t store enough bullets to defeat a city’s worth of mobs, you might consider building the proverbial hidden bunker inside your basement and learn to be very, very quiet.

It is likely to be a lethal mistake to underestimate threats to the suburbs outside of a major city–especially one with a definite penchant for violence, such as Chicago. Plan accordingly, YMMV. – Jim

Economics and Investing:

The Pension Problem Is Worse Than You Think – G.G.

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If The Economy Is Fine, Why Are So Many Hedge Funds, Energy Companies And Large Retailers Imploding? – M.A.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Video interview: USA Watchdog -Craig Hemke-Get Physical Metal Because the End is Coming

Video- Mike Maloney Hidden Secrets of Money- Episode 6.. – If you have not seen the first five episodes, I would strongly encourage you to do so… They are all very well done.

Items from Professor Preponomics:

Terrorists: A Dangerous and Costly Economic Threat (Fox News)

WSJ Reports: U.S. Pursuing Criminal Charges Against RBS, JP Morgan (Reuters)

$3,115,688: Taxpayer’s Tab for Obama’s Golf, Vacation and Daughters’ NYC Trip (CNS News)

Clinton Foundation Running Private Equity Fund in Colombia (Washington Free Beacon)

Mollycoddled: Why Wall Street Expects a Band-Aid for Every Boo-Boo (Contra Corner)

Is the Economy Overheating? It’s Hard to Say. (New York Times) Commentary: This is an interesting conversation about the economy and its complexity, especially in light of the myriad and extraordinary policy interventions of the last several years. It’s no surprise that many people feel confused and that, in their confusion, they may draw incorrect conclusions about the meaning of the data.

Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader T.Z. suggested this link profiling an excellent book review: From Sun Tzu to Fourth Generation War

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Robert Griswold (of Ready Made Resources – A SurvivalBlog advertiser) was interviewed on The Common Sense Show by Dave Hodges. There is some excellent information in this interview about surviving a terrorist attack like those that have just happened in Paris. With the holiday season upon us, this is information you need.

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Man cave? or Apocalypse bunker?In any case, I’m not sure why you would advertise this to the world-at-large, but perhaps you can garner a few ideas for your own bunker or BOL. Thanks to D.S. for the link.

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P.M. sent in a link emphasizing the importance of situational awareness: Three held in fatal shooting of Downey officer during botched robbery, authorities say
“…the officer had just pulled into the parking lot…when two of the suspects walked up just after 11 p.m. and shot him, giving him no opportunity to defend himself.”

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America’s enemies within: How nearly SEVENTY have been arrested in America over ISIS plots in the last 18 months – including refugees who had been given safe haven but “turned to terror”.

Notes for Thursday – November 19, 2015

There are less than 2,000 Rawles XL Voyager knives left on hand at Cold Steel. Because this is a limited edition knife, they are likely to sell out before Christmas. Order yours soon. All profits benefit two Christian charities.

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Ready Made Resources is having a sale on PVS-14 2nd Gen+ Autogated Night Vision. If you’ve been wanting a PVS-14 but can’t afford the Gen 3 units, this may be for you.

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The owners of Naturally Cozy (one of our long-term Writing Contest prize sponsors) have launched a new venture: PrivyPaper.com. They provide the solution to a dilemma faced by most preppers: How do I store a large quantity of toilet paper for my family in compact form, and so that it doesn’t get ruined by moisture or mice? This is also a great solution for blue water yachtsmen (who face even tougher space constraints and who have even greater worries about moisture damage). Be sure to check it out!

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Today, we present another entry for Round 61 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  5. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  6. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  7. Twenty-five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knifemaker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 61 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Survival Trapping: The Efficient “Hunter”- Part 1, by J.C.

Trapping animals is a skill that is as old as time itself. From a simple stick-triggered rock deadfall to modern day legholds and automatic snares, these devices increase the efficiency of gathering that all-important meal. There are many myths surrounding trapping and most notably the modern leghold style traps. It’s best to dispel some of these myths in the beginning, so as to not bog down the discussion of their use in the field for both survival and non-survival situations. It is best to refer you to the National Trappers Association for more detailed information on the myths and misunderstandings of modern trapping equipment. Also, a quick YouTube search will pull up several videos of people showing examples of traps purposely set off on their own hands to show that these traps are not only humane but are very high quality pieces of equipment. (Search “Hand in the trap challenge” for multiple video results.) One of the most notable is of a 13-year-old girl setting off a variety of traps on her own hand with no problems at all. Now, onto the information of why trapping is important for the prepper. It all comes down to time. In any SHTF scenario, time will be one of your most valuable commodities. Gathering, processing, and preserving food will make it to the very top of the list of daily chores, and if you want to maximize your time then trapping is the most efficient “hunting” method available. Traps work 24/7 and are there when you can’t be. They are simple and easy to use and with a little skill can be highly productive. Every survival book out there seems to always have the same hand drawn sketches of those really neat snares that are made with just the materials at hand. The problem with these sketches is those traps are difficult to manufacture and will only have limited success. There are many instances where full grown animals, like raccoons, beavers, and coyotes, have damaged metal traps and snare cables. These traps are of professional quality, and they still get damaged and sometimes fail. The rope and stick trap that took you several hours to construct is going to fail. The 550 cord you have in your pack or the lightweight wire stuck back in the BOB will fail, and the nifty little wire snares you bought online will fail too. Why will they fail? It’s mainly because animals are strong. They’re stronger than most people realize. Raccoons, for instance, will tear right through metal hardware cloth to get at chickens. Imagine how much of a fight they will put up when they have a snare around their leg. This strength cannot be underestimated, and your traps need to be set accordingly. Another way they will fail is the anchor system. Traps need to be anchored securely. Most professional trappers use heavy chain or steel cables. The twine, rope, or zip ties you think will hold the snare simply won’t do the job, except for the very smallest animals.

The Basics of Setting Up Traps:

  1. Determine Target Animals in the Area and Select Appropriate Sized Traps

    All traps come in different sizes and can be matched for the size of the animals you are targeting. A good rule of thumb is you can go larger but don’t go smaller. A squirrel might easily be caught in a cage trap designed for a raccoon; however, a raccoon probably won’t be able to fit in a small cage trap designed for a squirrel. Size recommendations: All are available for purchase from quality manufacturers.

    Legholds: #1 – #2 sizes for small to medium animals, and #3 and larger for bigger predators

    Conibears: 110’s and 220’s sizes for small and medium animals and 330’s for larger animals

    Live Cage Traps: 10”x10” opening for small- to medium-sized animals is a good all-around trap size.

    Snares: 1/16” inch cable wire is a good medium strength size for many applications. 1/32” for small animals and 1/8” for larger animals. Properly built snares with slidelocks will increase the success rate.

  2. Location, Location, Location

    Knowing where to set your traps is important. Wind direction, travel routes, food sources, and water access are key factors. Places where multiple types of terrain intersect are great locations to set up traps. Fence lines and other man-made features can help funnel animals into specific travel routes. Natural cover and protective terrain, such as rock outcroppings and brush piles, are magnets for both predators and prey. Avoid just setting up in the middle of the woods or fields and hoping for the best. Traps have been known to sit for weeks even with bait and never catch a single animal. Experienced trappers will tell you that location is the most important decision that determines success. Setting a trap on the wrong side of a culvert or not using the wind to push the scent from a lure onto the travel routes can be the difference between catching dinner and wasting time. Sometimes even just a few feet can make a difference. Learn the animal, and learn the terrain.

  3. Attractants

    Baits: These can be almost anything that would represent a food source– meats, fruits, shellfish, fish, cookies, candy, oils, left over or spoiled foods, and other animal parts. The list is almost endless. Many commercially-available baits are excellent and are stable for longer-term storage. However, be aware that any bait that is rotting will reach a point where it is not palatable and may cause the animal to shy away. Something else to consider is the time of year you are trapping. Spring, summer, and fall will have you fighting off insects from many of your baits. Ants, flies, and other insects will immediately come after food/meat baits and make them useless for trapping. This is one aspect that most winter fur trappers do not have to contend with and can be difficult to overcome. When using baits, it is important to not overdo the amount used. A small amount will go a long way, and sets can be productive with only a tablespoon or less of bait added at a time. Refresh the bait as needed, but waiting days and even weeks to add new bait is acceptable if the weather doesn’t interfere with them.

    Lures: These are different from baits as they are more about the scent that will draw a curious animal to investigate. Lures may have a very strong odor for an attractant and will often work with just a few drops in the right place. Some lures are made with using glands from specific animals. Canines, beavers, and scavengers are some that respond well to lures. Skunk musk is another ingredient used for lures as the odor is a strong curiosity scent for many animals. Still others may have fruit scent extracts added for scavenging animals. Animal urine can be put into this category; however, urine can be over-used easily and is hard to gather in the wild. Curiosity and territorial behaviors help these attractants become very effective when used correctly.

    Physical items: Feathers, fur, bones, skulls, turtle shells, tinfoil, and even paper bags are items that are used to attract an animal from a distance. Many nuisance wildlife trappers know that human trash is a major source of food for wildlife. Roadsides littered with fast food wrappers will draw animals for miles. Using those local items around your set can increase the activity and the catch rates. Animals will investigate anything and everything in their range for a chance at a free meal. Even a freshly dug hole is enough to bring some animals in for a quick check. Learn to use them to your advantage. Once you have picked your trap, location, and attractant, it is time to set up and go to work. A very basic trapping preparation kit can be made from the average garage and kitchen. Here is what would be considered a minimum set up:

    1. Shovel – small hand trowels will work, but larger garden shovels will make life easier. This one piece of equipment will allow you to start almost any style set.
    2. Gloves – to protect your hands but also to keep your scent to a minimum when putting in the trap.
    3. Screen sifter – for leghold traps you will need a way to put clean, loose material over the traps. A colander from the kitchen will do a suitable job or anything with ¼” or less holes.
    4. Cable or chain with attachment hardware. D-rings or split rings work well, but avoid lightweight materials as discussed earlier. Closed link chain is best as types like swingset chain can be twisted open if the animal is determined enough and left alone for any length of time.
    5. Axe or hatchet – for removing and adding limbs and cutting roots out of the set area. For snares you will often have to move a large limb into a specific location, and this is where an axe will come in handy.
    6. Kneeling pad– Save your knees and reduce the human scent by having something like a foam square to kneel on while working on the area.
    7. A way to dispatch the animal when caught. A .22 caliber firearm is a good choice for this task.

    Other items that are useful: screwdriver, pliers, hammer, hand pick axe, and a small rake to clean up debris. Five-gallon buckets are excellent to carry the supplies and baggies or jars are perfect for storing baits and lures.

Letter: Unintended Exposure Through Bank Debit Cards

All,

When giving an analysis of bank debit cards and the advantages and disadvantages of their use, we come across quite a bit of useful information. There is indeed a shift from the use of checks and cash towards debit cards. According to the Federal Reserve Payment Study (2013) “Over the years, payments have become increasingly card-based. Card use may have replaced check use for certain payments” (P.6). The use of cards is of great end use convenience to account holders as swiping a debit card is faster than writing checks. Debit cards are almost universally accepted in today’s market, and most vendors do not overtly charge usage fees. However, many businesses have in fact increased prices slightly to offset the costs of maintaining an electronic payment network. The most common overt increase of payments is at service stations where the price per gallon of fuel is slightly increased with debit/credit payment. Also some business have instituted minimum purchase prices in order to utilize debit or credit cards. The use of a debit card also decreases bulk the end user must carry as a check book is significantly larger and heavier when compared to a debit card.

Another great aspect of debit cards is almost real-time payment posting/authorization. This allows for very accurate and timely electronic account balancing and a more robust option to balance accounts accurately. The record of transactions is also easily searchable depending upon your financial institution’s electronic platform. The downside to this is the system is wholly electronic based with backup procedures that are largely institutionally chosen and not standardized.

One major drawback however to debit/credit cards is financial and personal data security. Debit cards operate on an electronic system that is much more susceptible to fraud, and according to the Federal Reserve Payments Study (2013) “In 2012 cards had substantially higher total unauthorized transactions by number and value than ACH and checks. Card fraud rates by number and value were also substantially higher” (P.6). So the convenience doesn’t come without increased risk to fraud and identity theft as the magnetic strip contains personally identifying information.

Within the last couple of years we have also seen an increase in exploitation of date storage facilities and payment processing websites. All of these convenient systems create a huge amount of exposure, often times creating huge liability for both parties to financial fraud and leaked personal information. If you are unfortunate enough to be targeted for this type of financial fraud, the path to recovering your money and credit can be quite time consuming and difficult. According to PrivacyRights.org (2015) “Debit cards typically put consumers at much greater risk than credit cards, because they offer less legal protection in the event of a loss. And because debit cards access funds directly from your bank account, your money will remain missing while you and your bank sort out any theft, which could mean bounced checks, late fees, and numerous other problems” (P.1).

Scarier still is the knowledge that not all nefarious parties involved in such schemes are seeking financial fraud alone. On the rise are government sponsored hacks that target monstrous amounts of data to create databases of sensitive information. According to CNN (2015) referencing a recent breach “the goal behind the attack is to build a database of federal employees using stolen personal information to fool and impersonate government workers, to set up future insider attacks. By revealing who has security clearances and at what level, the Chinese may now be able to identify, expose, and blackmail U.S. government officials around the world, the experts added.

Ladies and gentlemen we are currently at war with China; this may be a soft or non-kinetic war, but it’s war nonetheless. The war we fight currently against China and potentially Russia is being fought on the front lines of the Internet and other Internet-type systems of data storage and sharing. The financial/personal identifying information data breaches are just another aspect of the exploitation of our lust for easy to use convenient systems. So I submit to you that perhaps the ease of using that credit/debit card or your favorite website might not be worth it after all. Don’t be complacent.

The information I obtained for this posting I believe is both accurate and relevant. The sources were reputable and within the referenced documents was additional source material and reliable research.

S.M.

References:

Liu, M., Berkenpas, J., & Chen, M. (2013, December 19). The 2013 Federal Reserve Payments Study. Retrieved October 17, 2015, from https://www.frbservices.org/files/communications/pdf/research/2013_payments_study_summary.pdf

Liu, M., Berkenpas, J., & Chen, M. (2013, December 19). The 2013 Federal Reserve Payments Study. Retrieved October 17, 2015, from https://www.frbservices.org/files/communications/pdf/research/2013_payments_study_summary.pdf

Liptak, K., Schleifer, T., & Sciutto, J. (2015, June 6). Experts: China might be building database of federal worker info – CNNPolitics.com. Retrieved October 17, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/04/politics/federal-agency-hacked-personnel-management/

Unknown, U. (2015, August 1). Fact Sheet 32: Paper or Plastic: What Have You Got to Lose? Retrieved October 17, 2015, from https://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs32-paperplastic.htm

Economics and Investing:

War on Cash: Here are the latest disturbing developments Sent in by D.S.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

Requiem for QE: Seeds Sown for Future Economic Troubles (Cato Institute)

DC Settles Civil Forfeiture Suit for $855K (Forbes)

Value of Civil Forfeitures Exceeds Burglaries (Zero Hedge)

Rent Control Policies: Ineffective and Unjust (Washington Examiner)

Restoring Federal Fiscal Sanity Requires New Approaches and Strong Leadership (Washington Examiner)

Oil Production in North Dakota Falls YOY for First Time in 11 Years (Business Insider)

A Billionaire’s Post-Apocalypse Shelter: Here It Is (Zero Hedge)

Puerto Rico is Running Out of Options (Bloomberg)

Greece Reaches Deal with Creditors Including Compromise on Home Foreclosure Protections (Market Watch)

U.K. Treasury Chief Sells 13B Pounds in Mortgages from Financial Crisis (Houston Chronicle)

These Indicators Suggest China’s Economy Isn’t Growing Anywhere Near 7% (Business Insider)

Can China’s Consumers Save the World Economy? (CBS News)

Odds ‘n Sods:

From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large comes this link showing groundwater resources: New study maps Earth’s hidden groundwater for the first time

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Four Dead, 1 Million Lose Power in Destructive Northwest Windstorm (Article and auto starting video)

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Emphasizing the need for situational awareness, SurvivalBlog reader T.Z. sent in the link to this article on the Paris attacks: Paris attack witness says black Mercedes pulled up and shooters fired rifles from the hip

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Only hours after “He who must not be named” taunted the GOP with being afraid of widows, a female suicide bomber exploded in Paris Sent in by P.M.

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C.L. sent in this link to an article showing the map of states and their stance on accepting refugees.

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G.P. sent in this link to a short film on the new generation of farmers: Where Have All the Farmers Gone? It’s really good to see young people expressing concern about farming.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In third world countries a traffic stop can be made to ‘go away’ for ten bucks or so. In the good ol’ USA, land of the free and home of the brave, it’s an opportunity to take everything in your wallet, everything in your car and maybe the car too. No warrant, no charge, just straight up theft. Congress—the people’s representatives, ask ’em—thought this up. The Supreme Court says it’s legal because it’s the property being charged, not you. It’s a legal concept from Medieval times. Karma awaits, and it’s never disappointed.” – Ol’ Remus, writing again in The Woodpile Report blog