Processing Chickens on Our Homestead, by Ozark Redneck

Growing up, we had chickens and I dreaded butcher day. Momma would get a fire going and put a huge pot of water on for scalding the chickens to remove the feathers. Dad had two cord loops one for their feet, which I held and one for the neck, which he held while he used a hatchet & a chopping block to dispatch the bird. If you have butchered chickens this way you know where the saying “she is running ‘round like a chicken with it’s head cut off” comes from. That scene and the smell of scalding chickens in hot water is enough to turn the stomach of any 9-year-old.

Fortunately, there is a better way. Somebody invented a chicken killing cone, that I have used for many years. This device inverts the chicken. Be sure to get their feet out of the cone at the top, I have had a few chickens actually push themselves out of the cone. I grab the beak/head, stretch the neck and quickly cut the head off with a sharp knife. One could use pliers to hold the beak/head if needed. After the blood drains move the bird to your butcher table. I use a folding white one from Sam’s Club.

I have used these fish cleaning stations, basically a folding white plastic table with a sink and faucet, so your garden hose just hooks up to the sink, makes everything handy and easier, especially if you are dealing with a large volume of animals to butcher.

I set up a large 39-gallon trash can with liner under the lip of the table, and as I work I put the waste into the trash can. I use a large stainless-steel bowl and stainless steel deep serving trays to put the clean birds into. I use poultry shears like these Fiskars. They make good products.Continue reading“Processing Chickens on Our Homestead, by Ozark Redneck”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the death of Gabby Petito. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

Idaho’s unemployment rate continues to drop

o  o  o

Labor shortages are still impacting Idaho industries. This is why.

o  o  o

COVID-19 surge forces health care rationing in parts of West.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 20, 2021

On September 20, 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to discontinue the national 55 MPH speed limit. This allowed the states to again decide their own speed limits, without fear of losing Federal highway funding.

On this day in 1519, Magellan left Europe on his voyage of discovery.

—

Today we are posting another review by our veteran Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Desert Eagle .44 Magnum Pistol, by Pat Cascio

Much as I hate to admit, there was a time, a long, long time ago, when I lusted after every new type of firearm I saw in the gun magazines. And, truth be told, I did lay claim to a lot of those guns. As I grew older – and maybe a little wiser – I stopped this foolishness. I discovered that any number of firearms were pretty much the same – in many ways – as some of the guns I desired to own.

I believe it was back around 1975, when I was reading an issue of Soldier Of Fortune magazine, and spied the editor, Bob Brown, in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with a Desert Eagle .44 magnum pistol in his hand. I had to have one. However, many years went by, before I actually was able to lay claim to one. Even today, the Desert Eagle, especially in .44 Mag is hard to come by – they’ve been in demand forever.

We’ve all seen the movies, where one of the good guys, in some cases, Arnold Schwartzeneggar easily carrying and using a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum pistol. How many of us, wanted one of those elephant killer pistols? I wouldn’t want to hunt big game in Africa, like elephants, rhino, etc., with a .44 Mag handgun, no matter what type of ammo I had stoked in it. However, for big game in the USA, I wouldn’t hesitate to hunt any North American big game with this caliber – assuming I had it loaded with the right type of ammo, for the game at hand.

Despite what many people believe, gun writers, in general, honestly don’t make a lot of money, and we have to hold down other jobs in many cases, so we can pursue our passion about writing about guns, I’m one of them – without my lovely wife working a full-time job (she’s now retired) and helping pay the bills, I would have stopped writing many years ago. One of the “problems” we gun writers have is that, we want to own every gun we test and write about. I can’t do it, and oftentimes, return a gun sample when I’m done with it. Now, many of the gun companies, give us writers a decent discount if we want to purchase the gun sample they sent us – still, we can’t afford to purchase all the samples we test and write about…just not possible on our income.

Many people believe that, because I write about guns (and other topics) that I have a huge gun collection – nothing could be further from the truth. When I worked for the late Col. Rex Applegate, one of my duties was maintaining his gun collection. At that time, he had no less than 850 guns, so it was almost a full-time chore some months to care for those guns. One of the perks of the job was that Applegate, allowed me to take home just about anything from his collection to test and write about them.

On to the subject at hand, and that is a sample of the Desert Eagle, chambered in .44 Magnum caliber. To be sure, they are an awesome handgun, to handle and shoot. I didn’t get the chance to test the Desert Eagle on any big game hunting, my hunting days are about over these days – sad to say! However, I did get to shoot this pistol all I wanted, and the nice folks at Black Hills Ammunition, kept me well-stocked with several of their .44 Mag loads. One thing about the Desert Eagle is that, it is a big – and heavy – pistol, and weighs in at 4-lbs 6.6-ounces, so the recoil really was all that bad.

One thing to keep in mind is that the .44 mag is a gas-operated, rotating bolt semiauto pistol, and that helps keep the recoil down a bit, too. You can NOT shoot cast lead bullets in any handgun with a gas-operated recoil system, because those soft lead bullets will clog-up your gas port in short order – ‘causing malfunctions. My sample, in .44 Magnum, stood 6.25-inches high, and with an overall length of 10.75-inches so you can see, this is a monster of a handgun, not to mention how wide it is.

My sample came in the black oxide finish, however, you can have your Desert Eagle customized in any number of finishes and colors to suit your taste. The frame, barrel, and slide on my sample were all carbon steel, and that alone contributes to the heavy weight. Trigger pull is advertised at 4-pounds, but my sample was a bit heavier, not a deal-breaker because the trigger is a single action and that helps in a reduced “feeling” trigger pull.Continue reading“Desert Eagle .44 Magnum Pistol, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Soup

The following recipe for Zucchini Soup is from reader M.N.R.  He says: “Super easy. No exact measurements needed.”

Ingredients
  • Onion  (I prefer a sweet onion such as Vidalia)
  • Garlic to taste (I use 2 cloves sliced into tiny pieces)
  • Two large potatoes (I use Yukons because they’re ready)
  • Lots of sliced zucchini (A great way to use up those oversized zucchini)
  • Water
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Put all ingredients in large saucepan.
  2. Add just enough water to cover.
  3. Boil until everything is soft.
  4. Pour everything into a blender.
  5. Blend on high until thoroughly blended (a minute?)
    Yummy creamy zucchini soup! Note:  More water makes the soup thinner so before blending I pour off some water. I have also pressure canned this soup, but don’t know what it will taste like after storage.

—

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, I describe ratio trading, in your tangibles portfolio. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

There should be a bounce-back in precious metals, from the drops on the mornings of Thursday and Friday, last week. I try not to let short-term market volatility bother me. I’m more of a “Long Haul” metals investor.

Once there is a public realization that the claimed “transitory” price inflation of the U.S. Dollar will actually become chronic inflation, I expect to see a substantial rally for precious metals and many durable base metal commodities.  I anticipate that chromium, copper, and nickel will all increase, in Dollar terms. Those “in Dollar terms” rallies will most likely begin in October or November of 2021. Time will tell.

o  o  o

50 Years Since The Closure Of The “Gold Window” (Part 1)

Economy & Finance:

Who Pays For Dems’ Plan To Spend Trillions To ‘Stimulate’ Economy? Hint: Not The Rich.

o  o  o

H.L. sent us this: Here’s how coin circulation issues are affecting some CT retailers. JWR’s Comment:  Presumably, many of these same effects are still being felt nationwide.

o  o  o

Jobless claims rise to 332,000 as economy tries to regain momentum.

o  o  o

Treasury Department Seeks to Track Financial Transactions of Personal Bank Accounts Over $600.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Business Travel, Conventions, Office Occupancy Stuck in Collapse: Been so Long, People Forgot What Old Normal Was.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The end of capitalism will be due to the unbelievable amount of debt that is currently being created. This will create monster inflation that will destroy every currency. The only currency that cannot be destroyed is gold. When investors realize this, we’ll have the makings of the greatest bull market in gold ever seen.” – Richard Russell, Editor of The Dow Theory Letters

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 19, 2021

On this date in 1796, George Washington addressed the nation in his farewell address as President.

And on September 19th, 1778, the Continental Congress passed the first budget of the United States. While the budget may have passed, the states responded poorly to the call for taxes to fund the government, and the government resorted to printing paper money to cover debts. In effect, the first budget was a failure, due in large part to the states not responding to the demands of Congress and the depreciation of fiat paper money.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 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.

Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 2, by The Novice

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

The First Range Session

I went to the range behind my barn, placed the Caldwell Lead Sled 3 and the homemade lead sled on a table at the position from which I wanted to fire, and then placed the rifle on the Caldwell sled.

I removed the bolt, and bore-sighted the rifle on the bottom center target. I then checked the aim point of the iron sights, and found them to be in the same general ballpark.

Next, I pounded a t-post fence post in the ground at the back of the lead sled to serve as a substitute for my shoulder. I used a nylon strap as a substitute for my hand to secure the forend of the rifle to the front rest of the sled. I took a rubber band cut from a bicycle inner tube, put it around some paracord, and used it to hold the paracord in place on the trigger. I ran the paracord around the back of the t-post, and ran it over to the wood stack that I planned to shelter behind while firing the first shot. I then tested the arrangement by cocking the rifle on an empty chamber, and dry firing it from behind the wood stack. The experiment was a success.

Next, I chambered a round, took shelter behind the wood stack, pulled the paracord, and fired the round. I ejected the brass, and examined it for any signs of deformity, bulging, or a blown primer. The brass appeared completely undamaged. I also carefully inspected the breech and bore for any signs of problems. There were none.

Based upon this successful test firing, I chambered another round and fired it normally, using the lead sled. The shot hit low and to the right. I fired two more rounds using the same aim point but without adjusting the sights. One bullet hit high center, and one hit low left. I checked to see if the sights might be loose, causing inconsistency in the point of aim. That was not the case.

I fired an additional two shots using the same aim point. They were a bit closer than the previous shots, but nothing to brag about. An examination of the target suggested that the bullets were tumbling in flight, producing keyhole-like tears in the targets.Continue reading“Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 2, by The Novice”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” –  Colossians 2: 4-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 18, 2021

The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 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.

Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 1, by The Novice

A couple of years ago, I submitted an article to SurvivalBlog for the non-fiction writing contest. I wrote the article because I had a story to tell. I thought that SurvivalBlog readers might find it interesting or entertaining. I had so much fun writing that first article, that I just kept on writing more. Over the course of the following months I submitted a half dozen or so additional articles. Then, in June of 2020, something wonderful happened: I won third place in the writing contest. Among other great prizes was a transferable $100 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company. The credit was good toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. I was pretty excited. I was not quite ready to make a purchase, but I checked Elk Creek inventory regularly to keep track of what was available.

The Covid gun-buying panic made things discouraging for a while. The antiques I was most interested in were snapped up quickly, and most of the ones that remained were priced beyond my reach.

I continued to write regularly for SurvivalBlog. I was having so much fun writing that I just could not stop. There were all kinds of interesting things I wanted to try out and then write about.

In the course of the following months, I won honorable mention in the writing contest a number of times. At first, the prize for honorable mention was an Amazon gift card. After Amazon got involved in dirty political tricks, the prize for honorable mention became a purchase credit from Elk Creek Company. In February of 2021, I won a $50 purchase credit. Then in April and June, I won additional $100 purchase credits. Suddenly I was starting to accumulate some substantial purchasing power.

About that same time, the worst of the Covid gun-buying panic began to recede. Inventory at Elk Creek Company began to grow and to include more options in the price range in which I was most interested. First, I noticed a dandy Brazilian M1894 short rifle converted to 6.5x55mm Mauser for about $650. Then a couple of Chilean Contract Loewe Mauser M1895 short rifles came into stock at about $450 dollars each. And finally, a nice sporterized Oviedo Mauser M1893 short rifle was also added, for about $450. The combination of historic interest, less restrictive regulations, and practical usefulness made pre-1899 shooting grade cartridge gun antiques particularly attractive to me.

Finally, in August of 2021, I won another $100 purchase credit, for a total of $450 in purchase credits. I was at the point where I could make a purchase, and pay the bulk of the price with purchase credits.

I decided to go with the sporterized Oviedo M1893 Mauser. The original sights on M1895 rifles were set to a minimum of 300 meters. I was hoping that the sporterized sights on the M1893 would allow me to zero for 100 yards.

When I placed my order with Elk Creek Company, I was expecting to pay extra for shipping and insurance. JWR generously covered these additional expenses as well. I greatly appreciate his kindness.

Pre-1899 Antique Guns

As JWR notes in his excellent post, The Pre-1899 Antique Gun FAQ, “any firearm with a frame or receiver that [was] actually made before Jan. 1, 1899 is legally ‘antique’ and not considered a ‘firearm’ under Federal law.” Although State and local laws may vary, “No FFL is required to buy or sell antiques across state lines.” Thus they are legally able to be shipped by the US Postal Service across state lines directly to your doorstep.

A Historically Significant Rifle

I was especially interested in an M1893 Spanish Mauser because of its significant historical interest and influence.

On July 1, 1889, American forces, including Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, captured the San Juan Heights from Spanish forces in the bloodiest and most famous battle of the Spanish-American War.Continue reading“Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 1, by The Novice”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I had another quiet week here, helping an ailing elderly relative. I’d appreciate your prayers. The past two weeks have been very difficult. With the deteriorating health of my relative, I’ve been on bedside duty almost around the clock.

With the assistance of my sister, who came for an afternoon and an evening to relieve me, I was able to get away for a few hours. I needed this time for a face-to-face group meeting with some consulting client families that are involved in a group venture. That went well.

I am so thankful that Lily is able to manage the ranch in my absence. She is such a blessing to me!

Now, over to her…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.

Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.” – 2 Samuel 5: 1-10 (KJV)