AbouttheBook

“There’s no getting awayfrom it; I’ve eaten somepretty extreme things in mytime – live tarantulas, rawgoat testicles, elephant dung,you name it. In a situationwhenyourlifedependsonit,

you need to put yourprejudicesaside tokeepyourstomach filled and yourstrengthup.

Whetherit’smasteringtheartof foragingandcookingupatasty feast around thecampfire or learning aboutthemoreextremeendofwildfood (ever tried a scorpionkebab?),there’salottolearnwhenitcomes todinner time

in the wild. This book willteach you all the necessaryskills and techniques to getyour teeth into meals youmight never have thought ofas food in the first place –and, crucially, how torecognize plants and animalsthatmight end up doing youmoreharmthangood.

In today’s world, we rarelyneed to venture beyond the

local supermarket and weturn our noses up at thethought of snacking on bugsand grubs. But out in thewild, Mother Nature hasprovided us with a plentifulsupply of nutritious – if notalways delicious – food forthe taking. And when needsmust, we just have to knowwheretolook.

Someofitmighttakeyouout

of your comfort zone. Someofitmightturnyourstomach.But it’s saved my life morethan once. And one day, itmightsaveyours...”

Disclaimer

The survival techniquesdescribedinthisbookareforuse in genuine extremecircumstanceswherepersonalsafety is at risk. Pleaseconsult professional expertsbefore practising potentially

dangerous techniques andcarefully consider thecautions highlighted in thisbook, which includeconsulting more than onefield guide when identifyingwild plants and fungi.Compliance with applicablelaws and regulations,including those relating tohunting, firearms, and theprotectionofanimalandplantspecies, is strongly advised.

So far as the author is awaretheinformationinthisbookiscorrect and up to date as atthe time of publication. Theauthor and publishersdisclaim, as far as the lawallows, any liability arisingdirectlyorindirectlyfromtheuse, or misuse, of theinformation contained in thisbook.

Dedication

TotheoneandonlyDannyCane.

Ex-ParachuteRegimentlegendandtheman

whofirsttaughtmetoeatworms!

Whowouldhaveguessed…

Contents

AbouttheBookDisclaimerDedicationIntroduction

PARTONETHEBASICS1 COOKING UP A

STORM ROUND THECAMPFIRE

2WILDPLANTS3FUNGI4FISHING5 WILD FOOD BY THE

SEA

PART TWOGETTINGYOURHANDSDIRTY6 STALKING AND

TRACKINGGAME7SNARESANDTRAPS

8 OTHER KILLINGDEVICES

9 PREPARING ANDCOOKING YOURKILL

10 PRESERVING YOURKILL

PART THREE THEWHOLEHOG11 INSECTS (AND

OTHER CREEPYCRAWLIES)

12 AMPHIBIANS ANDREPTILES

AfterwordPictureSectionAppendixACordageAppendixBKnotsPictureCreditsIndexAbouttheAuthorAlsobyBearGryllsCreditsCopyright

AboutthePublisher

INTRODUCTION

I’veeatensomeprettyroughthings in my time. Eyeballs,testicles, raw animal flesh,warm blood, the stomachcontents of a freshly killedanimal. Some havemademegag, somehave surprisedme

andsome,iftruthbetold,I’dgo to the ends of the earthnever to have to taste everagain.

ButIdon’tregretasinglemouthful.

Becausewhenitcomestothe hard realities of survival,youhave to thinkabout foodin a different way. It’s nolonger just about taste. It’snow about energy, fuel and,ultimately,life.

Over the course of mytravels, I’ve met plenty ofpeople who have foundthemselves in genuinelyterrifying survival situations.Men andwomenwhowouldhave died if they hadn’tsummoned up reserves ofcourage and ingenuity theyneverknewtheyhad.

All of them have onething in common: they neverthought it would happen to

them.Theyneverthoughtthatthey would be the ones whowould have to survive whennaturedecidedtostackallthecardsagainstthem.

And when that momentcame, one of their mostdifficult challenges wasfinding the food they neededtogivethemenergyandkeepuptheirmorale.

It’s hardly surprising.Most people live a life very

far removed from the naturalworld. And that’s especiallytrue when it comes to thefood we eat. It often arriveson our plate pre-packagedand ready made. We rarelypick our own plants, catchour own fish or kill our ownmeat. We think of insects,amphibians and reptiles aseither frightening or gross,which means we ignore halfthefoodwithwhichtheworld

can supply us in favour ofmeals that are safe,comfortableandeasy.

Nowonder, then, that thepursuitoffoodcanbeoneofthe greatest challenges weface when the odds areagainst us in the fight forsurvival.

Thisbookisnotaboutthesafe, the comfortable or theeasyoption.Iwantittoteachyouhow to fend foryourself

whenitcomestodinner timein the wild, nomatter whereyouareintheworld.

By the end, you’ll havelearned how to do thesimplest things, like cookingup a feast with your buddiesround the campfire with rawmaterialsthatyoumighthavebroughtwithyoufromhome,throughtotheextremeendofwild food survival – I’mtalking blood, gore, beasts

and bugs (anyone for friedtarantula?). You’ll havelearned how to hunt and killwild animals for food, andhow to prepare them so thatyou can eat them safely.You’ll have learned how tocatch and eat insects andamphibians,crocsandsnakes.How to get your teeth intofood you might never havethought of as being food inthefirstplace.

Some of the food in thisbook might turn yourstomach. I make no apologyfor that. I always say thatsurvival is rarely pretty, andthat’s especially truewhen itcomestosurvivalfood.Butatthe end of the day, is therereally that much differencebetween eating a slug andeating a chicken? Betweeneating a slice of frog meatand a rasher of bacon? It’s

justaquestionofwhatyou’reusedto.

Ultimately, I want toshow you that there are fewthingsmoreempoweringthanknowing how to use whatnature has to offer. Becauseone day, that knowledgecould save you and yourlovedones’lives.

Later in this book you’regoingtolearnhowtoliveofftheland,andhowtousewhatnaturehasgivenustosurvivewhenwe’remilesawayfromthecomfortsofakitchen.

But eating in the wildisn’t always a matter offighting for survival.Sometimes we put ourselvesout on the trail for the sheerfun of it.On these occasions

we can find ourselves betterprepared when it comes totrail food. So, to kick off,we’re going to look at somegreat ways of getting fuelinside you when you’rehiking or campingwith yourbuddies.

Some of these ideasrevolve around ingredientsthat you can easily pack andbringwithyou.I’mnotgoingtoaskyoutoforage,catchor

kill anything just yet! Butthat’s OK, because knowinghow to prepare yourselfbeforeanexpeditionisjustasimportantasknowinghowtosurviveinthewildduringtheaftermath of an expeditiongonewrong.

And remember this:cookingroundthecampfireisalways fun, but it can alsoteach you some importantlessons. Learning how to

build a fire, or making sureyourwaterissafetodrink,orunderstanding thedifferencesbetween cooking out in theopen and in a well-equippedkitchen – these are allimportant techniques foranyonewhowants to standachanceofsurvivingforrealinthewild.

Learnthemwellnowandyou’ll be in a much betterposition when things get a

littleedgier…

NUTRITION IN ANUTSHELL

Food is fuel. The harder wepush our body and the moreweexpectofit,themorefuelwe need. If you’re going tofunctionproperlyinthewild,you’d better make sure thetank doesn’t get empty. Andyou tend togetoutwhatyou

putin.Except it’s not quite as

simpleasthat.Takebananas,forinstance–they’reagreat,high-energy food. But if youlivedoffnothingbutbananas,you’dgodownhillprettyfast.Thebodyneedsavarieddietto continue functioning.Thatmeans making sure youconsume all the major foodgroups: fats, carbohydrates,proteins, vitamins and

minerals. So before we startout, let’sestablishwhatthesefood groups are and whereyoufindthem.

FATSFats in general get a badpress, but in fact they areessential to survival becausecertain vitamins need fats inordertobeabsorbed.Withoutfat in your diet, you’ll die.Youshould try tomakesure,

however, that your diet isheavieronthe‘good’fatsandlighter on the ‘bad’ fats.Good fats (mono- andpolyunsaturated fats) arefound in fish, nuts andvegetable oils. Bad fats(saturated fats), which canraise your cholesterol andlead to heart disease, arefound in meat and dairyproducts.

When you’re exerting

yourself in the wild, it’sworth remembering that youget twice as much energyfrom fats as you do fromcarbohydrates or proteins.And if you’re going to burnthat energy, it’sOK to put itinthetank.

CARBOHYDRATESThese are divided into‘simple’ carbohydrates(basically sugars) and

‘complex’ carbohydrates(whole grains, pulses, nuts,root vegetables). Thecomplex carbohydrates arethe ones you want. Sugarsburn fast and quickly,whereas complexcarbohydrates release theirenergy slowly over a longperiod of time. It’s thedifference between burning ascrunched-up piece ofnewspaperandanicechunky

log. Which one’s going tokeepyouwarmerforlonger?

PROTEINSYou get the same amount ofenergyfromproteinasyoudofromcarbohydrates,andyourbody needs it to keep yourcellsandmuscleshealthy.Athome, you’re best off tryingto get plenty of protein fromwhole, natural foods such asavocados, pulses and nuts,

but in the wild your mainsources of protein will befrom any animals youmanage tokillor insectsyoumanagetocatch.Thehumbleearthworm, for example, isextremelyhighinprotein.Butmoreonthatlater!

VITAMINS ANDMINERALSThese are found in tinyquantitiesinthebody,butare

essential for it to functionproperly and most of themcome from the food you eat.Your body stores about amonth’s worth of vitamins,but after that these reserveswill start to deteriorate.Vitamin C is the first to go:the result is scurvy, thescourge of sailors on longvoyages before peopleunderstood about vitamins –itcanresultinbleedinggums,

loose teeth, jaundice andeventuallydeath.Ifyoueatavarieddietofplantmatterandalittlegood-quality,grass-fedmeat, most of your vitaminsand minerals will bereplenished, and it’s worthremembering that they cancome from the strangestsources. The Inuit derivemuchoftheirVitaminCfromcaribouliverandsealbrain.

Dependingonyoursizeandsex,youburn in the regionof2,000calories a day if you’re justsitting around doing nothing. Ifyou’re moving about andexerting yourself in the wild,you need a load more. Yourbody will use up its ownreserves if you put nothing inthe tank. After that, howmuchenergy you have dependswhollyonhowmuchyoueat.1goffathas9calories.1gofeithercarbohydrate or protein has 4calories.

WATER

As I’m sure you’ll havefigured by now, water isessentialtosurvival.Farmoreimportant than food. So ifyou’resettingoutonthetrail,the first thing you shouldpack is your water bottles.And when you have water,youshouldrationitcarefully.Drink just enough to keepyourself hydrated, but not so

muchthatyoujustexcretetheexcessas sweatorpee.Treatyour water as your mostprecious resource, becausethat’sexactlywhatitis.

The troublewithwater isthatit’sveryheavy.There’salimit to the amount you cancarry, and if you’re going touse it for cooking, chancesare you’ll need to findanother water source tosupplementit.

Your best, and mostabundant, sources of clearwater are rivers and lakes.But sometimes such riversand lakes aren’t available. Inthat case you have to beresourceful. Even a muddypuddle can supply you withwater. Digging down on theoutside of dry river beds, orunder the sand aroundgreenery in deserts, can leadyoutodampsoil.

But before you drinkwater fromany source in thewild, you must makeabsolutely sure that youclarifyandpurifyitfirst.

A sponge and a plastic bag aregreatitemstokeepinyourpack.If you find yourself far fromwater,youcanusethespongetosoakupanyrain that falls, thensqueeze it into the plastic bag.This was the method used byUS Air Force pilot ScottO’Grady when he was shot

down behind enemy lines inBosnia in 1995. He alsosurvived for almost a week byeating grass, leaves and insects–moreonthoselater!

Transporting water in the fieldcan be a challenge if you don’thave a water bottle with you.For that reason, considercarryingacoupleofcondomsinyour pack. You’d be surprisedhow strong they are and howmuchwatertheycanholdwhenfullystretchedandplacedinsidea sock for support (just don’t

overfillthem–aburstcondom’sno good to anyone!). They’realsogreatforstashingawaybitsoftinderandkeepingitdry(seehere).

CLARIFYINGWATERIn the wild, the water youcome across will not alwaysbecrystalclear.Ifit’scloudy,or even downright muddy,you’llneedtofilteroutallthenasty stuff before you purifyit.

You can buy specialwater filters for use in thefield.Thesearesimplybottleswithadisposablefilterinside,and they’re available indifferent capacities. If youknowyou’regoingtohavetoclarify water, these are greatbits of kit to take alongwithyou.

Or you can make yourown.All you need is a clothbag (or even thebottomof a

trouser leg, tied at one end)and a piece of string. You’llneed to fill the bag withfiltering material that yougatheronthetrail.Thinkfinesand,coarsesand,tinystonesand larger pebbles, or evengrass. Layer this material inthebag,withthefinematerialat the bottom, graduallymoving up to the coarsermaterialatthetop.

Use the string to tie the

bagtothelimbofatree.Pourthe cloudywater into the topand collect the clear waterthatdripsfromthebottom.

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Remember:youstillneedtopurifythewateronceyou’ve

filteredit.

DuringthejungletrainingphaseofUKSpecialForcesselection,acomponentof thebeltkit isaMillbankbag–a fabricbagforfiltering water in the field. Ifyouhaveoneofthese,youdon’tneed to fill it with filteringmaterial, but here’s a word ofadvice: make sure it’sthoroughly soaked before youaddthewatertobefiltered,andlet the first few centimetres ofwater filter through before youstart collecting it. And, of

course, always purify thewateronceit’sfiltered.

PURIFYINGWATERThe water that you’ve takenfrom a fast-moving streammight look fantastically clearand pure, but it can harboursome very nasty things. I’vesuffered badly in the pastfrom drinking contaminatedwater,soyoucantakeitfromme: dysentery, stomach

cramps and bloody poo arenot what you want in thewild.

There are two ways topurify clear water. One is totake with you some water-purifying tablets which aremade of chlorine or iodine.They might make the watertaste a bit odd, but you canadd a neutralizing tablet tocounteract this – althoughthere’snodoubt thata funny

taste is a lot better than thealternative.

Oryoucanboilit.Atsealevel, water needs to beboiledforaminutetomakeitsafe to drink. For every 300metres you find yourselfabove sea level, boil for anextraminute.

SOMEGREATWAYSOFBOILING WATER INTHEFIELD

Being able to boilwater is acrucial part of survivalcooking. Not only does itenable you to purify yourdrinking water, but theprocess of boiling certainfoods renders themediblebydestroying bacteria andparasites. But sometimesdoing this in the field isn’tstraightforward. Here you’llfind a clever way of usingcoals and hot rocks, but here

are a fewother ideas to helpyou get that all-importantboilingwater.

AstormkettleStorm kettles are awesome.The best-known are calledKellyKettles.Thekettleitselfis a hollow metal cylinderthat acts as a chimney. Theskin of the cylinder containsyourwater.You light a littlefire in thebase–usingsmall

twigs or whatever else youcanfind–whichburnsreallywell because of the chimneyand heats the water in thecylinder in just a fewminutes. Storm kettles comein all sorts of sizes, but thesmaller ones are quite lightandeasytocarrywhenyou’reonthetrail.

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AplasticbottleIt seems like anywhere you

go, chances are there’s anempty plastic bottle litteringthe ground or shoreline. Butif it’s clean, it can be put togooduseinasurprisingway.

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To do this, first fill yourplastic bottle to the top with

clear water, then put the capback on. If your bottle isreally full, it will act like apressure cooker and boilfaster. Light a fire, thenconstruct a tripod over it asshown. Use a length ofcordage to hang the bottleoverthefire–butnottoolowintotheflames.Ifyougettheheight just right (it willdependabitonhowhotyourfireis,andyoushouldletthe

bottle swinga little so that itdoesn’t get too hot in oneplace),youwillfindthatasitcomes to the boil the waterwill stop the plastic bottlefrommelting.

This probably isn’tsomething you’d want to doeveryday,becausetheplasticcanpotentiallyreleasecertainchemicals into thewater.Butif you’ve no other way ofboiling water, it’s a great

technique to have up yoursleeve(nottomentionagoodparty trick around thecampfire!).

AbirchbarkpotAs you’ll see elsewhere inthis book, in a survivalsituation thebirch tree isoneof your best friends. (You’llprobably recognize a birchtreewhenyou seeoneby itswhite, papery bark with

horizontal black markings.)hereyou’llfindsomewaysofusing it to make a nutritioussurvival drink, but you canalso use the bark to make acontainerforboilingwater.

Get yourself a roughlyrectangular piece of birchbark. It needs to be at leastthe size of a piece of A4papersothatthepot’snottoofiddly to make and holds adecentamountofwaterwhen

it’sfinished.Folditasshown.(The diagonal folds have tocrease inwards.) Make somepegs by splitting the ends ofsome small sticks and usethese to hold the folds inplace. The resulting potshould hold water withoutanyleaking.

Toboilthewater,youcanplace the full birch bark potdirectlyontheembersofyourfire(noflames!).Aswiththe

plastic bottle trick, the watershould stop the birch fromburning as it comes to theboil.

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FIRE

Itmaybe thatyouhaveyourown trail stove with you. Ifso, great. But a real fire is alot more fun, and knowinghow to light one is a greatskilltohave.

Throughout this book,you’re going to come acrosssome clever ways of usingfire tocookyourfood.Thereare lots of different methods

ofbuildingoutdoorovens,orof boiling and grilling yourfood. But they all rely onbeingabletogetadecentfiregoing in the first place. Soherearethebasics.

A fire needs three thingsinordertoburn:fuel,oxygenandheat.Takeawayanyoneof theseelementsandyou’vegotnofire.Alwaysmakesureyou’ve gathered plenty offuel before you light your

fire. Don’t pack the fuel sotightlythattheoxygenfailstocirculate. And always startwithsmallpiecesoffuelfirst,so that you build up enoughheat to get the larger piecesburning. If you rush things,your firewill go out. End ofstory.

FUEL, AND HOW TOLIGHTITYou’ll need to think of your

fuel in three groups: tinder,kindling and larger fuel.Tinder gets the fire startedand kindling builds up theheat so that you can add thelarger fuel to keep the firegoingwithoutputtingitout.

TinderYou can use all sorts ofmaterial for tinder. It justneeds to be small, fine andeasy to ignite with a match.

Dry grass, pine cones, woodshavings andoldbirds’ nestsallmakegoodtinder.

You’ll need somethingwith which to light it, ofcourse.Amatchisfine–justmake sure you keep yourmatches dry. Otherwise, acigarette lighter is a greatidea.

Alternatively, you cantakea9vbatteryandawadofvery finewirewool.As long

as it’s fine enough, if youtouch the wool to the twoterminalsofthebatteryitwillheat up very quickly –enoughtogetyourtinderlit.

Ihaveoftenalsousedthefoil of a chewing-gumwrapperandanAAbatterytomakefire.Cutalongstripoffoilabout5mminwidth,thencut out a V-shape halfwayalong the strip. Connect oneendofthefoiltoeachendof

thebattery.Thefoilwillheatup very quickly, ignite thepaperbacking–andyouhavefire!

Foracleverwayofusinga mushroom as tinder, seehere.

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KindlingYour best source of kindling

is dead branches, but try tofindsomethatarestillonthetree rather than those thathave fallen to the ground.They’llbedrier.(Agoodtestof whether kindling or woodis suitable to burn is to snapit. If it sounds like a firecrackling,youknowit’sgoodto go.) You want yourkindlingtobepencil-thinandabout40cmlong.Slowlyfeedthe dry kindling on to the lit

tinder, taking care not tosmotherit.

LargerfuelIf you have an axe, then cutsomelargerbranches–again,as dry as possible – intodifferent-sized pieces so thatyou can gradually increasethesizeofthefuelyouaddtoyourfire.Ifyoudon’thaveanaxe, try to gather wood ofdifferent sizes. If youwant a

fast, merry blaze, keep yourfuel smaller; if you’re aftermore of a slow-burner, addlargerpiecesoffuel,butonlywhenthefireishotenoughtotakethem.

A GOOD FIRE FORCOOKINGFirst,prepareyoursite.Makesure you’re not too close toany bushes, dry grass oroverhangingtrees.

If the ground is wet,muddy orsnow-covered, build a base ofthick green lengths of wood toraise the fire off the dampground.

Find some rocks tomakea U-shaped perimeter andplacealargerockatoneend,facing into the wind. Thiswill make the fire easier tolight andwill also lessen theriskofitspreading.

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Now cover the fire areawith tinder before placingyourkindlingover the top ina criss-cross pattern. For acooking fire, this is betterthan a teepee-stylearrangement because it helpsyou get the fire going overthewholeareaofthefirepit.

Light your tinder. Whenthekindlingisburningnicely,

start adding your firewood.Trytousepiecesofaboutthesame size, and spread themoutalloverthefirepit.Whenthe flames burn down andyou’re left with white coals,get yourself a decent stickand arrange the coals so thatyou have a big pile at theback, a medium pile in themiddleandasmallpileatthefront. This gives you threedifferent zones, each with a

different amount of heat, soyou can control how fast orslowyourfoodcooks.

Lots of the ideas thatfollow suggest cooking foodin theembersof the fire,butif you have a grill you canplace it across the perimeterrocks now.Try tomake surethatit’sstableandflat,sothatyourpotsandpansdon’tsliparound.

TWO GOLDENRULES

1. Always choose your fire sitecarefully. Are there anyoverhanging branches thatmightignite if a spark hits them? Areyouinanexposedpositionwherethewindmight cause the fire tospread? Have you prepared theground well, brushing away anyflammable material? Rememberthat the only stuff you want toburniswhatyouputonthefire.

2.Whenyou’ve finishedwithyour

fire, have you carefully andproperly extinguished it? Usewaterifyoucan,andplentyofit– or pee on it! – andmake surethat there are no undergroundrootsstillsmouldering.Otherwiseyoucansmother itusingsandorsoil. Either way, you mustn’tleave the site until you areabsolutely sure that your fire isout. Remember: it only takes atinysparktoburndownanentireforest … (Or, as I once toldStephen Fry, it only takes onelittle ember to start a fire. Towhich he replied, as he watchedmepeeing on the fire, ‘And one

littlemembertoputitout!’)

KEEPINGFOODCOOL

Laterinthisbookyou’lllearnsomewaysofpreservingfoodthat you’ve caught or huntedin thewild (seeChapter 10).But as you’ve probablyworked out from the bigwhite thing in your kitchen,the best way to keep foodfresh is to keep it cold. That

canbeabitofachallengeoutin thefield,soherearesomeideastokeepperishableitemscool.

NATURE’SREFRIGERATORRunningwaterisalwayscold.If you have some watertightboxes, you can submergetheminafast-runningstreamto keep the contents chilled.To make sure the current

doesn’t wash them away,either place a sufficientlyheavyrockontopofthebox,or create a U-shape of rockspointing in the direction ofthecurrentsothatittrapstheitems you want to chill.Alternatively, tie boxes orbottlestoafixedpoint,likeatree on the bank of thestream, before submergingthemintherunningwater.

HAYBOXESAgain, keep your food in asealedbox.Digahole in theground bigger than thevolumeof the box. Place theboxinthehole,thenstuffthegaps around it with hay ordried grass and cover itwithhay. This will insulate theboxanditscontentsandkeepthemcool.

KEEP COOL UNDER

CANVASIt can get pretty hot undercanvas when the sun’s out.Youneed tobeawareof thisand move your food aroundto the cooler parts of yourtent as the day wears on.Before you go to bed, putyourfoodonthewestsideofthe tent so that it doesn’t getheatedupbytherisingsun.

SOMEBASICCAMPFIRE

FOODS

Youcanbuyallsortsoffoil-packed,dehydratedorfreeze-dried trail foods for whenyou’re out in the field withyour friends. And don’t getme wrong: in a survivalsituation they can make thedifference between life anddeath, as anyone in themilitary who has had todepend on an MRE (meal,

ready-to-eat)willtellyou.But several days of

dehydratedfoodcangetveryboring and sap your morale.It’s impossible tooverestimatehowmuchahotmeal, freshly cooked overyourcampfire,canboostbothbody and soul.And formostpeople, the whole ritual ofpreparing food out in theopen is the most awesomepart of a camping trip or an

expeditionintothewild.So here are a few ideas

for some good, basic recipesand techniques that youshould build into yourrepertoire. This kind of foodis never going to be hautecuisine. It’s going to beballsy, hearty food, a bitrough round the edges – andallthebetterforthat!

TRAILSPICES

If you want to stop your trailfood from being bland, youshould think about making upyour own trail spice box. Itdoesn’tneed to takeupa lotofspaceorbeveryheavy,becausewhen itcomes tospices,a littlegoesalongway.EmptyTicTacboxesaregood for storingyourindividual spices, which youshould keep in a waterproofplastic box. You shoulddefinitely consider includingsalt,groundblackpepper,currypowder and cinnamon. Paprika,

mustard or chilli powder willgive your food a kick. Afterthat,it’suptoyou.

Youshouldalsothinkabouttakingasmallbottleofoliveoiland a small bottle of honey.Make the bottles plastic –they’re lighter to carry andwon’tshatter.

BANNOCKBannock is a kind of breadthatyoucaneasilycookoveranopenfire.Ithasbeeneatenby explorers, soldiers and

indigenous peoples forcenturies. It’s delicious,nutritiousandeasytomakeinthe field. Plus it’s fun toprepare.

There are probably asmany recipes for bannock asthere are wild-foodenthusiasts. Some peoplecookitinfryingpans,butyoucan just as easily cook it onsticks. I’m going to tell youhow to do both. The great

thing about bannock is thatyoucanpreparethebasicmixathome,thenjustaddalittlewater out in the field whenyou’rereadytocookit.

Basicbannockmix

125g wholewheat flour (or white or amixtureofwhiteandwholewheat)

1tspbakingpowderagoodpinchofsalt30gdrymilkpowder1tbsplard

Mix together the dryingredients, then rub in thelarduntilyouhaveamixturethat looks like breadcrumbs.Pour this into one of thosezip-lock freezer bags (maybeusetwo–oneinsidetheother– if you’re going on a longtrek) and pack it awaycarefullywiththerestofyourstuff.

THE FRYING PAN

METHODPut your panover the fire orstove (be really careful,because if the fryingpanhasa metal handle it can getreally hot). Even better, youcannestle thefryingpanintothe embers of your campfireif they’re not too hot.Whenyou’re ready to cook yourbannock,openupthezip-lockbag and trickle a little waterinto it. Squish it all together

and keep adding water littlebylittleuntilyougetagood,thickdough.Pullitoutofthebag and shape it into a flatround the right size for yourfrying pan, then lay it in thepan. Now let the bannockcookthrough(itwillprobablyrise abit).How long it takesdependsonhowhotyourfireis, but you’re probablytalking about 15 minutes.Shake the pan now and then

to stop the bannock fromsticking. And when it’scooked,tuckin!

THESTICKMETHODThis isa lotoffun.Firstyouneed to find a good stick –not too thick and heavy,because you’re going to beholding it over a fire forabout 10 minutes. Threefingers thick is about right,and it needs to be long

enoughthatyoudon’thavetosittoonearthefire.

Peel off any outer layersof bark from the stick, thenhold the end near the fire sothat it ‘tempers’ – gets goodand hot without burning orcharring.Thismeans that thebannock will cook from theinside as well as from theoutside.

Prepareyourbannockmixby adding water to the zip-

lock bag as above. Removefrom thebagand fashion thedough into a long sausageshape.

Now, wrap your dough-sausage round the stick,squishing it as you go – youdon’t want the dough to bemore than 1cm thick or itwon’tcookthroughproperly.

To cook your bannock,find a point above the firewhere you can comfortably

hold your hand for about 10seconds. Any closer and theoutside of the dough willcook before the inside. Holdthedough-wrappedstickoverthefireandrotateitlikeaspitfor about 10minutes. You’llknow it’s cooked when thebannockcanbeslippedeasilyoffthestick.

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You can add all sorts of thingsto the basic bannock mix:

spices, herbs, raisins, evenchocolate drops. Failing any ofthese,onceit’sbeencookedyoucould sprinkle it with a littlecinnamon from your trail spicebox.Experiment,enjoyandtrustme – after a long day in thefield,everyonewillloveit.

CAMPFIREPORRIDGEWhenyou’reoutonthetrail,you need to be careful aboutwhatyoueat.Achocolatebarshoved into your packmight

seem like a good idea whenyou’rehungry,buttheenergyyou get from the sugar willburnawayveryquickly.Youneed foodwhose energywilllastalittlelonger.Porridgeisthatfood.It’llgiveyouslow-release energy that lasts alongtime.

Like bannock mix,porridge oats are a brilliantfoodstufftotakewithyououton the trail. Keep them dry

and they last for ages,whichmeans that as long as youhavea supplyofwaterandacampfire,you’llhaveaquickand easy way of makingyourself a hot, filling andverynutritiousmeal thatwillgiveyouplentyofenergy.

Although porridge isnormallymadefromoats,youcan in fact make it from allsorts of grains: quinoa,cracked wheat and bulgur

wheat are all good. Tomakeyour porridge, you’ll needtwo parts water to one partgrain. It’s a good idea tomeasure out your dryingredients before you leavehome(useacuporvesselthatyou’ll have with you in thefield so that you then knowexactly how much water toadd).Putthegrainintoazip-lockbagandmarkitwiththeamountofwateryouneed.

To cook the porridge,bring your water up to theboilinasmalltrailsaucepan,then add a little salt. Slowlystirtheoatsin(useaspoonifyou want, but a clean stickwill be fine) and carry onstirring until the porridgestarts to thicken and bubble.Makesureyoukeepscrapingthebottomof thepan tostopitsticking.

You can eat the porridge

likethat,oryoucanaddsomeflavourings. Raisins and nutsare good (keep them indifferent zip-lock bags to theoats if you’re bringing themfrom home). Edible wildberriesareevenbetter.

Andremember,oatsmakeflapjacks,whicharegreat‘onthe go’ snacks and will giveyou much more sustainedenergy than just a chocolatebar. Honey, oats and

butter/oliveoil= tasty, slow-release power. If you’remaking them on the trail,don’tgettoohungupaboutarecipe.Justmixthequantitiesthat seem right. And don’tworry if it doesn’t turn intoproper bars – the mixturetastes just as good eatenwarmwithaspoon.

PANCAKESYou can buy packets of

ready-made pancake mix,which are less healthy, butthere’snoreasonnottomakeyourowntrailpancakesfromscratch. Obviously it’s notthat easy to take perishableitemslikeeggsandmilkwithyou,butit’snothardtotakeasupply of powdered egg andpowdered milk. Pack somewholewheat flour (get thosezip-lockbagsoutagain!)andyouhaveeverythingyouneed

to make some fantasticcampfirepancakes.Ifyoucanturntheseoutforeveryoneatbreakfast, you’ll be themostpopularpersonyouknow!

You need about a cupfulof flour and a couple ofteaspoons each of powderedeggandpowderedmilk–butdon’t stress about theproportions toomuch.Stir inenoughwatertomakeabatteraboutthesameconsistencyas

single cream. Get your pangoodandhot,addalittledropof oil and enough of thebatter to cover the bottomofthepan,cookforaminuteorso and then flip the pancakeand cook for another 30seconds. Don’t worry if ittears slightly – it all adds tothecharm.Youcaneatitlikethat, or add a bit of sugar orhoney. A sprinkling ofcinnamon from your trail

spice box, if you have one,will take it to a whole newlevel.

Pancakes are also greatfor wrapping round otherfoods to make a moresubstantial meal. Thinkgrilled meat, fish, vegetablesor fruit: anything you mightenclose in a bread wrap youcanalsoputinapancake!

BREAKFASTINAPAPER

BAGCarryinga fryingpanaroundwith you on the trail can beheavy. But a paper bagweighs almost nothing, andyou can use it to cook yourbreakfast. Layer rashers ofbacon inside thebag,makingsure that the bottom of thebag is completely coveredandthatthebaconextendsupthe sides a little. Now crackan egg or two into this little

bacon ‘boat’. Roll down thetopofthebagafewturnsandplace it on a grate over thecampfire (but keep it awayfromany actual flames).Thefat from the bacon stops thebag burning, and when yousee that it’s absorbed abouthalfway up the bag,breakfast’sready.Cool,eh?

CAMPFIREPOTATOESPotatoesareveryfilling,soif

other foods are in scarcesupplyyoucanstillfillup.Tocook them on the campfire,tin foil is your best friend.Youdon’tneed to takeabigbulkyroll;justtearoffasheetat home,maybe half ametrein length, and fold it downintoaneatsquaretotakewithyou. When you’ve used it,you can wipe it clean andrecycleitforanothermeal.

Theeasiestwaytocooka

potato is to wipe it clean,wrap it in a couple of layersof tin foil and place it in theembersofyourfire.Itshouldcook through in about 45minutes, depending on thesizeofthepotatoandtheheatofthefire.Butitdoesn’ttakemuch to make your potato abitmorespecial, ifyou’reona short trip and able to bringwith you an onion and somegratedcheese.Tryslicingthe

potatothinlyandplacingitona sheet of tinfoil. Slice theonionup thinly too,add it tothe potato and sprinkle thecheese over. Add a littlewater so that everything cansteam nicely while it cooks.Season with whatever youfancy from your trail spicebox (you’ll definitely wantsome salt and pepper), thengather up the tin foil andscrunch it tightly so that the

steamdoesn’tescape.Putthepackage in the embersof thefire and let it cook for about45minutes.

DUTCH-OVENSTEWSA Dutch oven is a heavycasserole, usually made ofcast iron, with a tight-fittingflat lid.Sometimes theyhavelittle legs,andoftenahandlethat you can use to suspendtheovenoverafire(likeyou

see in cowboy movies).Dutch ovens are greatbecause the thick cast iron,although it absorbs heatslowly, retains it well andspreads it evenly, so there’sless chance of burning yourfood.

ThemostcommonwayofusingaDutchovenistoplaceit in the embers of your fire,thenlayhotcoalsandashontop of it, which allows the

food to cook from the top aswell as from the bottom andthe sides.Youcanalsoget atripod from which you hangthe oven, enabling you tocontrol the heat by alteringtheheightabovethefire.

Because of its weight,you’re unlikely to end uptaking a Dutch oven on abackpacking trip, but ifyou’re setting up a fixedcamp, it’s a bit like taking

your kitchen with you. Youcan use your oven to makealmost anything, includingbreads and desserts, but itreally comes into its ownwhen you want to make ahearty campfire stew. Lateron in thisbook, inPartTwo,you’re going to learn how tohunt and butcher your ownwild meat. I can’t think ofmany game animals thatwouldn’t benefit from an

hour or two simmering in aDutch oven on the campfire.If you get used to cookingwith one of these ovens,you’llbeamazedathowyoucan turn a few unpromising-looking ingredients into anoutdoormealtoremember.

Hereareafewpointersonhow to make a basic Dutch-oven stew. Once you’ve gotthe idea, you can adapt it tosuit whatever food you

managetolayyourhandson.Becauseremember:survivingoutdoors is all aboutimprovising with what youhave to the best of yourabilities.

MeatstewTo make this very simple stew,you’llneedsomecubesofmeat,some carrots, onions andpotatoes cut up into chunks,some water and some salt andpepper. You want your chunks

to be about 2cm square, butdon’tworrytoomuchaboutthesize. I can’t tell you howmuchofeach–itdependsonwhatyouhave with you and how manypeopleyouhavetofeed.Justgowithit.

Place the Dutch oven in theembersofyourfireandletitgetup to temperature. You want itso that you can (carefully!)place your hand just inside theovenforabout5secondsbeforeit gets too hot. Now add yourmeatcubesandenoughwatertojust about cover them. (Ifyou’ve got a stock cube or two

knockingaround,youcouldaddthose too.) Put the lid back onthe oven then place some hotembers or coals on the top.Cookuntilthecubesofmeataretender,whichwillprobablytakeaboutanhour.Brushtheembersfrom the top of the oven,remove the lid and add yourvegetablesandplentyofsaltandpepper. Replace the lid and theembers, then cook for another20minutes until the vegetablesare soft. Now serve up yourstew and eat it while it’s goodandhot.

Once you’ve mastered the

basicidea,youcanaddallsortsof things to your campfirecasserole:chunksofbacon, tinsof tomatoes or beans,mushrooms, pretty much anyvegetable. Read the chapter onwildplants(seehere)andyou’llfindlotsofdeliciouswildgreensthatyoucouldstir inat the lastminute. Try out whateverinspires you – it will probablybedelicious!

One other tip: you can use theflat lid of a Dutch oven like agriddle – brilliant for cookingyourbreakfastpancakes.

CampfirePopcornEveryone loves popcorn, right?Popcorn kernels are dead easyto carry around with you andwon’tspoilifyou’reonthetrailfor a long time. What’s more,popcorn is incredibly healthyand a lot of fun to make on acampfire.Here’show.

Getyourselfanicebigsheetoftin foil – about40cmby40cm.Fold your foil in half, thenscrunchupthetwoendssoyouhaveanopen‘boat’offoil.Nowadd a good handful of popcornkernels and a splash of oil

(about2tbsp).Sealtheedgesofthetinfoilsoyouhavealoose,enclosed pouch with enoughroom for the corn to pop andexpand.Threadapieceofstringthrough the top of the pouch(soak the string inwater first ifyou’re worried it might burn)and tie it so that the pouch candangle from the string, then tiethe other end to a long stick.You can nowdangle the pouchof popcorn over your campfire.You’llsoonhear it start topop,and it’sdonewhen thepoppingstops. Open up the pouch andsprinkle the fresh popcornwith

a little salt or sugar, whicheveryou prefer. Or try dribblinghoney,ormeltedchocolate,onitfor a more indulgent version,andeatwithaspoon!

Wherever plants can grow,there’s the opportunity forfood. If you know whatyou’relookingfor,thenaturalworld is an inexhaustiblelarder of nutrition. Not thatyouneedmetotellyouthat–you’ve been blackberry-picking before, right? Eventhe most unexpected plantscan be eaten if you’re reallystruggling to find food.

Ordinary grass, for example,doesn’t taste toobadand it’sfull of nutrients. Sometimesin a survival situation, youjust have to go with whatyou’vegot.

That’s not to say, ofcourse, that you can eatanything that grows. Youcan’t.Mixafewberriesfromthe deadly nightshade plant(the clue’s in the name) intoyour pancakes and it will

probablybethelastmealyouevereat.So,knowinghowtoforage for your own foodisn’t just a matter ofidentifyingwhat’sedible, it’salsoamatterofbeingabletorecognize those plants thatcanputyououtof action fordays,orevenkillyou.

Learning how to live offthe land is an essential skillfor anyone who wants to beprepared in case they ever

find themselves in a survivalsituation. But it’s also atechniquethatwillmakeyourtripsintothewildmuchmorefulfilling. Once you knowwhere to look, you’ll startseeing free food everywhere.You’ll probably even findyourself foraging for goodiestobringhomewithyou.

Itwouldbeimpossibleformetolistalltheedibleplantsout there. Instead, I’m going

to suggest a few that arecommon in temperate,tropical, desert and Arcticregions. Once you’ve gotused to finding, cooking andeating some of these, I hopeyou’ll be encouraged to startlearningmore about thewildlarder and the amazingvariety of foods the naturalworld can offer us, even inthemostinhospitablepartsoftheworld.

And remember, the besttimetopractiseyoursurvivalskills is before you findyourself in a survivalsituation, not when yourback’s against the wall.Foragingforedibleplantsisagood example of a skill youcan learn wherever you areandwhenever youwant, andwhich could very well saveyourskinatsomepointinthefuture.

With that in mind, I’malsogoing topointouta fewhighly poisonous plants thatyou absolutely must nevereat.Again,it’snotexhaustiveby any means, but I hope itwill make you understandthat there are some plantbaddiesoutthere.Theymightlook pretty, or evenappetizing, but you reallydon’twanttheminyourgut.

But what if you’re in a

survival situation and youdon’tknowifaplantisedibleor not? Later in this chapter(here), you’ll find theedibility test that every goodsoldier knows – a way oftestingwhetherafoodistoxicwhenyour life depends on it–aswellassomeinstructionson what to do if you thinkyou or your buddies havepoisonedthemselves.

BEAR’S GOLDENRULES FORCOLLECTINGWILDPLANTS

1.Ifyou’renewtoforaging,chooseplants that are easilyrecognizable. Some can bereadily confused with poisonousspecies.Don’trunbeforeyoucanwalk.

2. Cross-reference youridentificationsources.Don’t justrelyonthisbook.Consultseveral

field guides from your locallibrary,orusetheinternet.Betterstill, go out into the field withsomeone who, literally, knowstheir onions. Make sure you’vepositively identified a plantbefore you even think abouteating it. Remember that theknowledge of how to survive inthefielddoesn’tcomeovernight.You accumulate it over alifetime. If you learn to identifyone of these plants every fewweeks,you’redoingprettywell.

3.Washyourplants in cleanwaterbefore you eat them, and don’teat polluted plants. That means:

avoid plants that are growingclose to busy roads, where wildanimalsmighthavebrushedpastthem, or where dogs or othercreatures may have done theirbusiness. (Animal urine reallyisn’tagoodcondiment!)

4. Don’t be greedy. Harvest onlywhat you need and no more. Ifwe’re going to live off the land,we have to make sure that whatwedoissustainable.

5.Agoodruleof thumbis that theyoungeraplantiswhenyoucookit, the more palatable it will be.Don’t cook your harvest for too

longunlessotherwisestated.Themore you cook it, the fewernutrients you’ll have at the end.Remember: this isn’t just food,it’sfuelforyourbodyaswell.

TEMPERATEREGIONS

Thefollowingplantsallgrowabundantly – but notexclusively – in temperateregions.

STINGINGNETTLES

It might sound a bit weirdeating the leaves of a plantthat every kid is taught toavoid from the moment theylearn to walk. But don’tworry! Once you cooknettles,thestingvanishes.

It’sagoodideatowearapair of rubber gloves and along-sleeved shirt when

you’re picking them, though.If you stumble across themwhen you don’t have anygloves, a good tip is to putyour hand inside a plasticbag. The best bits are theyoung leaves(once theystartto flower, you’vemissed theboat), so you’ll need to stripthem from the stalks byrunning your hand from thetopdown.

Nettles are one of the

mostdeliciouswildfoodsoutthere. They’re certainly theking of wild greens. Peoplehave been eating them forhundreds of years, and notonly do they taste good,they’realsooneoftherichestsourcesof iron in thenaturalworld. They say that eatingnettles makes your hairbrighter and shinier, andherbalists use them to clearup eczema and other skin

conditions.If you’re using them in

thekitchen,youneedtowashthe leaves well and steamthemoverboilingwater.Youcan use them in any recipethat calls for spinach, and ifyoupickandcookaload,youcan freeze any leftovers forlater.

A really great, warmingwaytousenettlesinthewildistocookupabatchofnettle

soup on the camp stove.Exactly how you make itdepends on what otheringredients you have withyou. If you can get yourhandsonanonionanda fewpotatoes (or, even better, goforsweetpotatoes,whicharemy favourite and are evenhealthier!),thenchopthemupwith a good sharp knife andfry them in a little olive oil.Add some water and let the

soupsimmertilleverythingissoft. Then throw in a fewhandfuls of washed nettleleaves. They’ll quickly wiltdown and the stings willdisappear. Season the soupwithplentyofsaltandpepperfrom your trail spice box. Ifyou’vegotabitofnutmeginthere, so much the better.Dividethesoupbetweenyourbuddies and eat while it’ssteaming hot. That’ll keep

you going for a good fewhoursinacoldtent!

DANDELIONSYep,dandelions.

You’ll find themeverywhere in the springandsummer.Even in thedeadofwinter, though, you

sometimes come acrossdandelions in shelteredplaces, so they can be awelcomesourceoffoodwhenyou’rereallyupagainstit.

The yellow flowers,which turn towhite, featherymoons as the plant ages, areinstantly recognizable. Andthe name dandelion comesfromtheFrenchdentsdelion–lion’steeth–becauseoftheshape of its leaveswith their

jagged edge. It’s the leavesyou’re after, especially theyoung ones, which can beeaten raw. They have aslightly bitter taste, and asthey get bigger and olderyou’ll probably want to boilthem before eating.Dandelion leaves are said tohave a diuretic effect, hencethe old English name forthem:pissabed!

WILDGARLICYou’ll probably smell thedistinctive,pungent aromaofwild garlic before youactually see the plant –mostlikely in damp, shadywoodland. Wild garlic bulbsput up their long, lush,pointedleavesinearlyspring,followed by beautiful whiteflowers on long, thin stems.Theleavesandflowerscanbeeatenraw,orchoppedupand

added to other wild foods togive them a flavour a littlemilder than ordinarycultivated garlic. Wild garlicis also full of nutrients,including allicin, which hasantibacterial and anti-viralproperties, so it’s a greatplantforkeepingyouhealthyinthefield.

Wild garlic also makes a goodmosquito repellent. Rub theleaves on to your skin so thatyou’re smearing yourself with

the plant’s juices. (Be warned,though: this might also repelyourfriends!)

ACORNSAcornsarethenutoftheoaktree. Nowadays we prettymuch think of them as thedietofsquirrels,even thoughhumans have used them forfood for long periodsthroughout history. TheAncient Greeks ate them, as

did the Native Americans.During the Second WorldWar, when Allied blockadeshalted the Germans’ supplyof coffee, the Germans usedground acorns as a coffeesubstitute. Even nowadaysacorns are sometimes grounddownintoflour,andtheyarestillusedinKoreancuisine.

So there’sno reasonwhyyoushouldn’t regard themasa survival food (they’re a

particularly good source ofcalories), or forage for themwhen you’re out in the field.Don’t just go popping anacorn into your mouth,though. They needpreparationfirst.

Acorns are very high intannin. This is a compoundthatoccursnaturallyinlotsoffoods, but acorns have aparticularly highconcentration, which makes

them very bitter to eat. Toremove the tannin, soakyouracorns in warm, purifiedwater for a few hours. Youmay find that some of theacornssinkandsomeofthemfloat.Keeptheonesthatsinkanddiscardtheonesthatfloatbecause this indicates thatthey’ve dried out and aren’tgood to eat (although it mayalso indicate the presence ofan edible grub – see below).

Thewaterwill turnbrownasthetanninleachesout.

Now, remove an acornfrom its little cup, cut off apieceof thenut andput it inyourmouth. If it’s still bitterandunpalatable,soakitagainin fresh water, and repeatuntil the tannin taste hasgone. Remember to removeall your acorns from theircupsbeforeeatingthem.

Onceyouhaveseparatedoutthefloating acorns, examine themcarefully.Theymayhavealittleholeinthemwhichindicatesthe

presence of a tiny grub, whichwill wriggle out of its ownaccord. Don’t waste it! Thatgrubisedible.

The tanninwater leftover fromsoakingyouracorns isgoodfortreating burns and rashes in thefieldifyoudon’thaveaccesstomore advanced medicaltreatment. Boil up a cleandressing in the tanninwater, letitcool,thenapplyittoburnsorrashes.

And once you know how toidentify the above plants,moveontothese:primroses,wild chicory, hawthorn,curled dock, alexanders, fathen.

TROPICALREGIONS

Tropical regions areincredibly fertile, especiallyin the areas around watersources. That means lots of

plants, and lots of potentialfood. But you really need toknowwhatyou’reeating.Themost abundant plants in thetropics are palms: many ofthemhaveedibleparts,soit’sworth yourwhile learning asmuchaboutthemasyoucan.

Here are three awesometropicalsurvivalplants.

COCONUTPALMSThe coconut palm can be a

lifesaver. Not only is the‘meat’ of the coconut anexcellent food, but the milkinside is a good source ofsterile liquid (so sterile, infact, that it was used as aglucose substitute in IVsolutions for soldiers in theSecondWorldWar)andhasahigh sugar and vitamincontent.

You find most liquid inthe green-orange unripespecimens. They grow inclusters high up the coconut

tree. Getting them down canbe a challenge, but there’s aknack to climbing a coconuttree. Choose a tree with agood slant, position yourselfontheuppersideoftheslope,grab the trunk with yourhands and start pushingyourself up with your feet.Keepyourfeetflatagainstthetree so you get asmuch gripas possible, and pull againstthe trunkwith your hands as

you climb. You’ll soon getthe hang of it. When youreach them, the greencoconuts should twist offfairlyeasily.

Let the coconuts fall tothe ground before you climbback down. To do this, youcaneitherreversetheprocess,or grab around the trunk andslide down slowly, grippingwith both feet and innerthighs. But, guys, beware of

gettingcrunchednuts!Back on the ground, you

need to hack off the husk atthe bottom of the coconutwith your knife so that youget a triangular point. Sliceoff the tip of this point toexpose the creamy whiteflesh. It tastes amazing, andonce you’ve cut into it youhave a ready-made bowl offresh liquid with moreelectrolytes than ordinary

water and way morepotassiumthanabanana.Getitdownyou.

It’s worth knowing thatcoconuts have other uses inthe wild. You can render oilfrom coconutmeat by gentlyheatingitoveryourfire.Thisoil can be used to treatsunburn and other sores. Itcan also be used tomake animprovisedtorch(justpouritinto a small container, add a

pieceofstringforawickandleaveittoset),andthesmokeof burning coconut oil willkeepmosquitoesaway.

If you find maturecoconuts, with theircharacteristic hairy husks,you can use the husk astinder, and even bind ittogether to create cordage.(And eat the coconuts, ofcourse!)

All in all, they’re a

godsend.

BANANAS ANDPLANTAINS

Thesetworelatedplantsgrowwild in tropical regions.Youdon’tneedmetotellyouhowto eat a banana.You can eatplantains in just the sameway, though the fruit can behardersothey’reoftenboiled,baked or fried. They’re abrilliant food source becausethey provide loads of slow-releaseenergyandarepackedfullofvitaminsandminerals.

Evenmoreawesomely, if

youcomeacrossabananaorplantaintree,thenyou’vealsocome across a water source.Grab yourself a length ofbamboo (it’s often growingnearby). Sharpen one endwith your knife, then jab itinto the trunk of a bananatree.Itwillactasatap:liquidfrom the inside of the treewillsoonstarttotrickledownthe bamboo. You can makeyourself an improvised

container by digging a holeunderneath the end of thebamboo stick and pressing abanana leaf (they’remassive)intoittoformabowl.

BAMBOOSHOOTS

Bamboo is just about themost versatile plant you cancome across in the jungle.You can use it to buildshelters and rafts, you cansharpen it tomake a huntingspear. Shavings from driedbamboo stalks also makebrilliant tinder.Youcanevencookwithit(seebelow).Bestofall,youcaneatit.

Themostediblepartsofabamboo plant are the young

shootsatthebase.Theyhavea tough outer section, whichyou’llneedtosplitwithyourknifetorevealthetenderpartwithin.Youcaneatthemraw(they might be quite bitter),buttheremaybesomeriskoftoxicity so if you can, itwouldbebetter toboilorfrythem.

If you come across verylarge bamboo stalks, whichcan grow up to 20cm in

diameter,youcanusethemtomakecookingvessels.You’llseethatthestemshaveevenlyspaced notches along them.These form solid cross-sections. If you make a cutjust outside two adjacentnotches, you’ll have a tubeclosed at both ends. Lay thetubeonitssideandcutalonghole into the top. Now youhave a cooking pot that youcan rest on a frame (made

from smaller bamboo) overyour open fire. Perfect forboiling water and cookingwhateveryouwantinsideit.

Alternatively, make bothyour cuts just below twoadjacent notches. That willgive you a tube with oneclosedendandoneopenend.Lay the closed end on theground,andpropuptheopenend over your fire with aforked stick. The result is a

deep, tubular cooking pot.Genius.

And once you know how toidentify those, move on tothese: yukkas, Brazil nuts,snake gourds, breadfruit,papaya.

DESERTREGIONS

In the desert, the hunt forwater is far more pressingthanthehuntforfood.Infact,

you should never eat if youdon’t have enough waterbecauseitwill justmakeyoumore dehydrated. The goodnews is that there are somedesertplantsthatprovideyouwith both nutrients andhydration. But don’t betempted to eat just anythingthatgrows:therearecactiouttherethatarefullofmoisturebut extremely toxic tohumans.

PRICKLYPEARCACTUSYou’vegottobecarefulwithcacti.Many of themproduceedible fruits, while the fleshcontains chemicals that willcause diarrhoea. Not so theprickly pear cactus: the fruitandthepadsarebothedible.

Pads first.You’ll need toremove the spines, then peeloff thegreen outer skin. Theinterior is edible raw. It’sbland, and a bit slimy, but a

great source of liquid – thepaditselfismorethan80percentwater.

Later in summer, thefruitsstarttomatureatthetipof thepads.They’re ready toeat when they’ve turned red,and they have a great citrustaste. Carefully cut the fruitfrom the plant with a knife,then split it lengthwise downthemiddle.You’llseealittleinterior flesh and plenty of

seeds. They’re all edible.(You can make the unripepears more palatable anddigestible by boiling themfirst.)

Although prickly pears areedible,thereareotherspeciesofcactus that look similar andaren’t. Those that aren’t have a

milky sap, so if you see that:avoid! (In fact, a milky sap isgenerallyagoodindicatorofaninedibleplant.)

ACACIATREES

These are really widespreadin desert regions, especiallyinAfricaandAustralia.Thereare more than a thousand

different species. The youngleaves and shoots can beboiled and eaten. Same goesfor the seeds,which you canalso roast then grind downinto flour to make a kind ofdesertporridge.

The roots of the acaciatree are also edible, and agreat source of moisture indesertclimates.

WILDGOURDS

These are part of thewatermelon family and growin a sprawling mat on the

ground of even the hottestdeserts and wastelands. Thefruits, when they’re ripe,form yellow spheres aboutthesizeofalargelemon.Theflesh can be very bitter,especially when under-ripe,butifyouboilthefruitwholeyou can make them morepalatable. The seeds can beboiled or roasted – they’re agood source of healthy oils.The gourd plant produces a

yellowflowerwhichisedibleraw,andyoucanchewonthestemtipstoextractwater.

And once you know how toidentify those, move on tothese: agave, date palms,desert amaranth, carob,baobabs.

ARCTICREGIONS

Foodcanappear tobescarceinextremelycoldregionsjust

asinextremelyhotones.Butif you know what you’relooking for, you can stillforage for edible plants evenin these inhospitable parts oftheworld.

ARCTICWILLOW

Thisisoneofthebestsourcesof Vitamin C in the tundra.It’salowshrub,nomorethan

60cm high. You can eat theyoung shoots, the leaves, thebarkandeven theroots (peelthemfirst).

ICELANDMOSS

Most lichens are edible,including this stuff, whichgrows well in the otherwise

forbidding Arctic regions. Itis only a few centimetreshigh, and its colour variesfromwhite,throughgrey,toakind of reddish brown. It’svery dry to the touch, butbecomes more malleablewhen soaked – which youshould do, before boiling itwell. Iceland moss is aparticularly good survivalfood because it stores reallywellwhendried.

FIREWEED

{Shutterstock}

This is thenational flowerofGreenland. It cangrowup to2.5 metres high and hasamazing purple flowers. Forthe Inuit, it’savaluable foodsource–theyeatitasasaladalongside seal and walrusblubber. Every part of it isedible. The young shoots,stemsandleavescanbeeatenraw or simmered in stews.Therootsarealsoedibleraw.Astheplantgetsolder,you’ll

needtosplitthestemsinhalfto get to the soft ediblesections.

Laterintheyear,theseedpods become covered in awoolly fluff which you canuse as tinder for starting afire. I guess that’swhere thenamecomesfrom.

And once you know how toidentify those, move on tothese: cloudberries, reindeer

moss, red and black spruce,salmonberries,bearberries.

AN AWESOME WAY OFCOOKING WILDPLANTS (AND ALMOSTANYTHING ELSE!)WITHOUT POTS ORPANS

In a survival situation, youmight not always have cookingequipment with you. Here’s a

greatwayofusingnaturetodealwith that. We’re going to usewoodandfiretomakeourselvesacookingpot.

First off, light a fire (seehere) and let it burn down sothatyouhaveplentyofglowingembers. Now find yourself achunkofwoodbigenoughtobeturned into a decent-sizedcontainer– imagine that, ifyouwere to scoop out a hole, itwould hold a litre or two ofliquid.Makesureit’snotfromavariety of tree that’s poisonoustohumans(pine,cedar,oakandhickoryareall fine,butbe sure

to avoid yew, sassafras andoleander) and remember thathardwood will make a moresolid finished container thansoftwood.

Scrape off a top layer ofbark so that you have a flatsurface. The larger the area ofthis flat surface, the bigger thecontaineryoucanmake.

Carefully scoop (not withyourhands!)someoftheembersfrom the fire and arrange themin a circle (or whatever shapeyouwant your vessel to be) onthe flat surface of your wood.Blow gently on the embers.

You’ll find that they will burndownwards into the wood andwillstart toformtheshapeofabowl. After an hour or two(depending on how hard thewood is), you should have auseablevessel.

Now extinguish the embersand empty the bowl. You’llneed to use a sharp stone toscrape away the charred woodfrom the inside, then a roundedpebbletosmoothitoff.

Since our improvised pot ismade of wood, we can’t juststick it on the fire. Butwe cancook with it, using the time-

honoured method of hot rocks.Find yourself a stash of small,rounded rocks – bigger thanmarbles, smaller than tennisballs. Try to avoid rocks fromstream beds as these canexplodewhenyouputtheminafire. (This happens because, iftherockisslightlyporous,watergets into its fissures.When thewater is heated, it turns intosteam and expands, forcing therock apart suddenly and veryviolently.)Placetherocksinthefireandheatthemthroughforacouple of hours.Now, fill yourimprovisedpotwithhandfulsof

wild greens or whatever else itis you want to boil – you cancook animal parts and fish thiswaytoo–andfreshwater.Droponeofthestonesintothewater,thenkeepaddingstonesuntilthewaterbubbles.Soon theboilingwill start to die down. Removethe original rocks and replacewith new ones from the fire.Keepdoing thisuntilyour foodiscooked.

PLANTSANDPOISON

The natural world can

provide you with food inabundance.But…itcanalsokillyou.

This makes sense whenyouthinkaboutit.Mostwildcreatures in the animalkingdomhavedevelopedself-defence mechanisms – sharpteeth, claws, venom or evenjust the ability to run awayfast. Wild plants don’t havethese advantages, so overtime many of them have

evolved a different way tofight back against predatorsthat would like to eat them:bybeingpoisonous.

Ifyou’regoingtorelyonthe natural world to provideyourfood,it’sasimportanttobe able to recognize toxicplants as it is to identifyedible ones. The pages thatfollow contain some of themore common poisonousplants andberries.This is by

nomeansanexhaustive list.Whether you’re out in thefieldorinasurvivalsituation,it’s very important that youdon’teatanypartofanyplantunless you have positivelyidentified it as being safe.Because some of the plantsnature throws up aren’t justtoxic.They’redeadly.

Before I describe somespecific poisonous plants, Iwant to tell you about two

poisonsthatareverycommonin the natural world andwhich you can learn torecognizeandavoid.Theyarehydrocyanic (or prussic) acidandoxalicacid.

HYDROCYANICACIDThisisapotent,water-solublepoison. It is very distinctive,and is normally described ashaving the smell and tasteofbitter almonds. There is a

plant called cherry laurel,with large, glossy leaves,which people often grow intheirgardens.Ifyoucanfindit,crushoneoftheleavesandsmell it. That’s the smell ofhydrocyanic acid. If youcome across it in the wild,avoid. It’s poisonous even insmall quantities. In largequantitiesitcanbefatal.

OXALICACID

This is also very common.Rhubarb leaves, for example,arehighinoxalicacid,whichiswhy they are poisonous toeat whereas the stems areedible.Aplantthatishighinoxalic acidwill give a sharp,burningsensation,andmaybesomeswelling,ontheskinortongue. See the UniversalEdibility Test here to learnhow to try this reasonablysafely, and if you feel this

swellingorburning,ditchtheplant. Oxalic acid can bedeadlyinlargequantities.

Ingeneral,youshouldavoidany plant that tastes verybitter,veryacidicorveryhot.Thesearedangersignals.

SOME VERYPOISONOUSPLANTS

DEADLYNIGHTSHADE

The Latin name of deadlynightshade is belladonna,which in Italian means‘beautiful lady’; it is thought

to have come about becauseVenetian women used tomake eyedrops from thedeadly nightshade plant inorder to make their pupilsdilate attractively. This is avery,verybadidea.Allpartsofthedeadlynightshadeplantare poisonous. It has long,oval green leaves, purple,bell-shaped flowers andattractive,shinyblackberries.The root of the plant is the

most toxic part, but it’s theberries that are mostdangerous because they lookso tempting – especially tochildren–andhaveaslightlysweet taste. In fact, eating asingleberrycouldkillasmallchild. The toxins attack thenervous system, and thesymptoms includeconvulsions, delirium,hallucinations, comas and, ofcourse,death.

FOXGLOVES

Foxgloves are very

distinctive, very common inthewild,andverypoisonous.They have colourful, tube-shaped flowers, most oftenpink, purple or yellow. Allparts of the plant areextremely poisonous: it cancause nausea, vomiting,hallucinations and heartfailure.

YEWTREES

Almosteverypartoftheyewtree is poisonous to humans,the exception being the flesh

justaroundtheseedofitsredberries– thoughpleasedon’ttry toprove that,because theseed itself is very toxic. Theleavesarethemostpoisonouspartofthetreeandcancauseheart failure or death wheningested. Symptoms includemuscle tremors, breathingproblems and convulsions.Sometimes, though, there arenosymptomsatall.You feelfineforafewhours,thenyou

die.

BUTTERCUPS

They might look pretty, butthe entire plant is toxic.Probably not fatal in smallamounts – and because theytaste horrible you probablywouldn’ttrytoeatmorethanoneortwo–butevenasmallamount can cause abdominalinflammation, diarrhoea andbloodyurine.Notoneforthepot,then.

LILYOFTHEVALLEY

Talkingofprettyflowerswithastingintheirtail,lilyofthevalley is thought to containmore than forty different

typesofpoison.Allpartsofit– including the red berries,whichmightlooklikefoodifyou don’t know what you’redealingwith–aretoxic.Lilyof the valley causesabdominal cramps, violentvomiting,irregularheartratesand in somecases total heartfailure.

OLEANDER

{Shutterstock}

Oleander is very common inwarm climates. It grows in

the wild and is also a verycommon cultivated plant.Everypartof it ispoisonous,and you can die fromswallowingasingleleaf.Thetoxins in oleander hit yournervous system, yourcardiovascular system andyour digestive system.Triplewhammy. Fortunately ittastesdisgusting.

WHITEMANGROVE

Agood example ofwhyyoushouldbeextracareful in thetropics, even though thevegetation looks lush and

distinctlyedible.Thistropicalplant, found in Africa,Indonesia and Australasia,has beautiful white flowersand berries. The sap willmake your skin break out inblisters. Get it in your eyesanditwillblindyou.

THE UNIVERSALEDIBILITYTEST

Thelistofpoisonousplantsgoes

onandon.Ihopethatbeingableto identify these eight commononeswillmake thepoint that itreally is a very bad idea to eatanything that you haven’tpositively identified as beingediblefirst.Atbest,toxicplantscan put you on your back; atworst they can put you in yourgrave. So what I am about toexplainnextmustbeunderstoodwiththatcaveatinmind.

The Universal Edibility Testappliestoplants,notfungi.Asyou’ll learn later in the book(see Chapter 3) there are

mushrooms out there that tastedelicious and can give you noinstant reaction. But if you eatjust the tiniest bit, you’re agoner.

Sometimes, in a survivalsituation, you might comeacrossaplantthatyou’reunableto identify but which couldmeanthedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.Inthatsituation,thereis a way of reducing yourlikelihoodof ingestinganythingtoxic. This is called theUniversalEdibilityTest.It’snotfoolproof, and it’s not to be

used for fun. Please don’timagine that knowledge of theUniversal Edibility Test is anysubstitute for being ablepositively to identify edibleplants.

Only use this testif your survivaldepends on beingable toeataplantyou can’trecognize.

1.DISSECTION. Someparts of aplantmight be toxic, other partsmightbeedible.There’snopointestablishing that the leaves of aplant are safe to eat, thengobbling down the petals. Sofirst,dissecttheplantyouwanttotest.Make sure you perform thefollowingstepsforeachpartyoumightwanttoeat.Theflower,forexample,needstobedividedintopetals,sepals,stigmaandstamen.

2. INSPECTION. Carefullyexamine the plant you want totest.Youneedtobesure thatnopart of it is rotting, and that nowormsorotherinsectshavetaken

up residence. Smell the plant tocheck that there isnohintof thebitteralmondsmellthatindicatesthepresenceofhydrocyanicacid(seehere).

3. PERFORM A SKIN-CONTACTTEST.Ifanypartoftheplantcausesirritationtoyourskin, you probably don’twant itinyourgut.Squeezeabitofjuicefrom the plant on to a patch oftender skin – the inside of yourwrist,forexample,oryourupperarm just by your armpit. Nowleaveitforseveralhoursandseeifthereisanyreaction.Ifyougeta burning sensation, bumps or

redness, discard the plant anddon’teatit.Ifthere’snoreaction,goontostep4.

4. CHECK FOR A REACTIONON YOUR LIPS ANDTONGUE. Do them in thatorder. Squeeze some of theplant’s juice on to the corner ofyourmouth.Waitforacoupleofminutes. If you experience anyburning or irritation, rinse yourmouthoutwithfresh,cleanwaterandthrowtheplantaway(itmaytastenasty,ofcourse,butthat’sadifferentthing–we’retestingforedibility, not deliciousness). Ifyoudon’tfeelanydiscomfort,do

thesametoyourlips,thenthetipof your tongue, then the areaunderyourtongue.Ateachstage,if you feel any burning ordiscomfort, you should considertheplantinedible.

5. SWALLOWING. If you’ve gotthis far, you’re ready to ingestsome of the plant. Don’t gocrazy. Swallow only a tinyamount. Now wait for severalhours–fiveat least,eight ifyoucan. Don’t eat anything else,because you want to make surethat if you have a reaction, youknow what’s causing it. If youfeelatallnauseous,orexperience

stomach cramps or dizziness orany of the warning signs ofillness,youneedtodrinkalotofwater and then make yourselfsick by sticking your fingersdown your throat (see here forwhat to do if you think you’vepoisonedyourself). If there isnoreaction, you can consider itreasonablysafetoeattheplantinslightlylargerquantities.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUTHINK YOU OR YOURBUDDIES HAVE

POISONEDYOURSELVES

Mistakes happen, even if wedoourbest to avoid them. Ifyouoranybodyyou’reinthefieldwithexhibitsanyof thefollowing symptoms, there’sa chance you or they mighthavebeenpoisoned:

sicknessdizziness

palpitationsdifficultybreathingseizuresdrowsinesslossofconsciousness

If you suspect poisoning,youshouldtrytogetmedicalhelpimmediately.Ifpossible,call foranambulance. Itwillbeagreathelptothemedicalstaff if you can give them asample of the suspected

poison, tell them how longago itwas eaten and inwhatkind of quantity. Whileyou’re waiting for medicalhelp to arrive, the patientshould lie in the recoveryposition (on their side withthe upper leg slightly raisedso the knee juts forward, theupper arm bent at the elbowand the hand placedunderneath the head tosupport it; while the lower

arm is extended at rightangles to thebodyandeitherbent at the elbow so that thehand is pointing towards thehead, or just left extendedstraight). The head shouldface slightly downwards sothat if the patient is sick thevomit can leave their mouthwithout choking orsuffocatingthem.Iftheystartto lose consciousness, doyour very best to keep them

awake.If you can’t call for

medical help, your firstthoughtshouldbetogettoanarea where help is available.In the meantime, there aresome things you can do tohelpyourselforyourpatient.First, drink plenty of warmwater. Try to make yourselfvomitbyputtingyourfingersdownthebackofyourthroat.If you’ve had a campfire,

swallowing a little coldcharcoal may help you tovomit.Charcoalcanalsostopyour blood absorbing certainpoisons. Mixing white ashintosomefreshwatercreatesafieldmedicinethatcaneasestomach cramps and cansometimes act as an antidotetohydrocyanicacidpoisoning(seehere).

SURVIVALDRINKS

Thebestsurvivaldrinkintheworld is water. Butsometimes, in the field, weneed a drink that’s going togiveusabitmoreofamoraleboost. Maybe it’s just theEnglishmaninme,butIdon’treckon anything raises thespiritsbetterthanacupofhottea! If you’ve got a dryteabag or two in your pack,that’sgreat,butitwouldbeashame to ignore all the great

ingredients nature has linedupforustomakeourownhotdrinks. So here are three ofmyfavouriteteasthatyoucanmakeinthewild.

PINENEEDLETEAPine trees are native tomostof the northern hemisphere,andhavebeenintroducedintomost temperate andsubtropical regions aroundtheworld.Soa tasteforpine

needle tea will keep yourefreshedacrossvastareasofour planet! But this tea isn’tonlyagreatdrinkbecausethepine tree is so common. Theneedlesthemselvesareoneofnature’s super-foods. Theycontain massive amounts ofVitaminsAandC–acupofpineneedle teawillgiveyousubstantiallymoreVitaminCthan a glass of orange juice,andNativeAmericansusedto

use it to prevent scurvy. Thetea is a natural decongestantand expectorant, and hasantiseptic properties. Also, ittastes good – mild andcitrusy.Infact,Itendtochewon the young buds as I amhiking through pine terrain –likenature’scandy!

Tomake pine needle tea,collect a handful of pineneedles – the younger thebetter. Strip them from the

branch, then chop them upinto small bits about acentimetre long. Bring a cupof water to the boil andremoveitfromtheheat.Addthe pine needles, then let itinfuse for about 10 minutes,or until the needles havesettled to the bottom of thecup.

Therearesomepoisonouspinesthat you shouldn’t use tomake

tea. One is the ponderosa pine,native to North America. TheotheristheNorfolkIslandpine,or Australian pine, commonacross the South Pacific. Yewtrees are pine-like conifers andvery poisonous: beware andavoid.

Anotherway to utilize the pinetree for food is to dig up itsyoung roots. They have thetexture of celery and can be agreat source of calories in anemergency.Youcanalsogathernuts from the cones of pine

trees, but this can be a fiddlyand time-consuming job andsomevarietiesproducenutsthatare too small to bother with.Makesureyou’renotexpendingmore energy than you’re likelytogainfromthenuts.

BIRCHTEAAswe’vealreadylearned,thebirch tree is one of themostuseful trees you can comeacross ina survival situation.Thebarkcanbeusedtomake

all sorts of waterproofvessels,frombowls(seehere)to shoes to canoes!The barkalso makes brilliant tinderthatwilltakeasparkdirectly,not to mention a fantasticdrink.

To make birch tea,harvest some small twigsfrom the end of a branch, oralternatively scrape somebark away fromnewgrowth.Add the birch to a cup of

boiling water and infuse for10minutes.

The birch tree also has ahidden secret: the sap. Youcan tap this off in the earlyspring to harvest somedelicious, safe-to-drinkliquid,fullofsugars,mineralsandVitaminC–thinkofitasnature’s energy drink. If youusethissapinplaceofwaterfor your tea, the results willbe awesome. Here’s how to

getatit.Start off bymakinga cut

in the tree – an upward sliceinto the bark is best. Nowinsert something to act as atap – a short length of barkshapedintoagutterwoulddothetrick.Letthesapdripintoa collecting vessel (it mighttake a while, so tying yourcup or bottle to the tree is agoodidea).

{HLStudios}

WILDFRUITTEASMost edible berries have

leavesthatcanbeturnedintotea. Blackberry and wildraspberryleavesarefantastic,asareblueberry.Simplysteeptheleavesinboilingwaterfor10 minutes. You can do thesame with lots of herbs – ifyou come across a patch ofwildmint,youhavethebasisfor one of the best, mostrefreshingteasintheworld.

Ifyou’veevercomeacrossapatch of mushrooms whenwalkingthroughacool,dampforest or a wide expanse ofopen grassland, you’ll knowhow abundant they can be.Knowing how to identifycertain edible mushrooms isnotonlyapleasure,it’salsoagreatstringtoyourbowwhenit comes to wild foodsurvival.

However, certainmushroomsarejustaboutthemost poisonous things thenaturallardercanprovideyouwith.

They say thatyoucanbeanoldmushroomhunter,orabold mushroom hunter, butyou can’t be an old, boldmushroom hunter. It’s worthremembering that. Gettingthings wrong with respect tothe mushroom kingdom is

potentiallyfarmorefatalthangettingthingswrongwiththeplantkingdom.Certain,quitecommon, mushrooms aredeadlypoisonous.There’snoantidote, and in many casesnothing a doctor can do foryou once you’ve ingestedcertain types of fungus.You’re more likely to needthe services of an undertakerinstead: people die frommushroompoisoning,allover

theworld,everyyear.In this chapter we’re

going to learn about whatmushrooms are, which willhelpusunderstandwhereandwhen to find them. We’rethengoingtolookatsomeofthe most toxic mushroomsyou’re likely tocomeacross:this is important knowledgethat can save your lifewhether you’re in a survivalsituationor simplyout in the

fieldwith your friends.Onlythen will we look at someedible mushrooms: I’vechosen a handful that arefairly common all over theworld, and which are prettydifficult to confuse withanything else. But even thenyou should only think aboutconsuming them if you’reabsolutely sure you’ve gotyouridentificationright.

WHAT AREMUSHROOMS, ANDHOW DO WE IDENTIFYTHEM?

Have you ever noticed howmushrooms often appear inthe same place, year afteryear, sometimes in largecircles that children like tocall ‘fairy rings’? This givesusaclueastothetruenatureofthemushroom.

When you see amushroomgrowingoutoftheground, or on a tree, or on adead branch, you’re notactually lookingat thewholeorganism. In fact, you’relooking at the reproductiveorgans,likethefruitonatree.The main part of theorganism is underground (orin thewood of the tree). It’scalled the mycelium and ismade up of thousands of

microscopically thin strands.The mycelium sends up itsfruit – what we call themushroom – in order todisperse millions uponmillionsoftinysporesandsoreproduce.

Because everything thatthemushroomneeds togrowis stored in the mycelium,mushrooms can pop upextremely quickly. One dayyoumightseeanemptyfield,

the next it could be stuffedfull of emerging fieldmushrooms.

There are so manythousands of different typesof mushroom that you could(andmanypeopledo)spendalifetime learning about themandstillnotknowitall.Thereare hundreds of books andfield guides on the subject,and the internet is a richsource of information. But

really,youcanneverhopetolearn how to gather wildmushrooms successfullysimply from reading a book.Youneedtogetoutthereandstart rummaging through theforests, preferably withsomebodywho has extensiveexperience of mushroom-hunting. Most importantly,you need to know what tolookforinamushroomifyouwant to have any hope of

identifyingit.Therearethreemain criteria you have toconsider: its season, itshabitatanditsappearance.

SEASONMostpeople thinkofautumnas being mushroom season,but there’s a bit more to itthan that. Sure, manymushrooms emerge in theautumn, but some can keepgoing through a mild winter

and others come out in thespring. Knowing the seasonsof different mushrooms canbe invaluable whenidentifyingthem.

HABITATSome mushrooms grow onlynearbeech trees,othersgrowonly near oak. Some pop upindividually, others inclusters.Make a careful noteofwhereyouhavefoundyour

mushroom and you’ll have amuch better chance ofidentifyingitcorrectly.

APPEARANCEYou need to becomepractised at examiningvarious parts of themushroom.Theyare:

The cap – its size, itsshape, its texture andwhether the skin can be

peeled.The stem – its size,shape and texture. Doesit have a ring around itlike a collar or a skirt?Does it have a bulbous‘bag’atthebase?The gills or tubesbeneath the cap – theircolour, how far aparttheyare,theirtexture.Theflesh– is it rubberyor crumbly? Does it

have a particular smell?Does it change colourwhencut?

This might sound like alottoremember,buttheonlyway positively to identify amushroom is by examiningeverypartofitcarefully.

WHERE TO FINDMUSHROOMS

We’ve already said thatmushrooms tend to be foundon open grassland or theforest floor.Butwecandoabitbetterthanthat.

Mushrooms don’t like tocompete with long grass, soas far as open grassland isconcerned, they prefer areaswhereanimalsgraze.

Forests are better huntinggrounds,butyouneedtobearin mind that mushrooms

don’tmuch like competition.If there is a lot of thickundergrowth, thefungimightstruggle to push through. It’salso worth remembering thatthe mycelium might not feelthe need to reproduce if itexists in very fertile ground.This is why you might havemoreluckclosetowell-wornpathwaysorattheedgeoftheforest – anywhere that theterrainchangesfromonetype

toanother.

SOME OLD WIVES’TALESTOIGNORE

Sometimes, when you’re outin the wild, it’s worthrememberingsomeoftheoldwives’ tales that have beenpasseddownfromgenerationto generation. A lot ofweather lore, for example,cangiveyouafairlyaccurate

indication of what theelements have in store foryou.

Notsowithmushrooms.

Don’t listen to anyonewho tells you that amushroom is safe to eatif you can peel the cap(youcanpeel thecapofthe most poisonousmushroomintheworld).Don’t listen to anyone

who tells you that amushroom is safe to eatbecause it’s growing onwood(simplynottrue).Don’t listen to anyonewhotellsyouthatifyousee an animal eating amushroom, it’s safe forhumans (unless youwanttoendupdead).Orthatcookingapoisonousmushroom renders itedible(itdoesn’t,except

inahandfulofcases).

There are no shortcuts toidentifying mushrooms. Theonly way to tell if amushroomissafetoeatisbypositively identifying it witha reliable field guide. Thepages that follow will helpyou with some of thecommonones.ButIurgeyouto use as many differentbooks and resources as

possible to learn aboutidentifying mushrooms.Because trust me: this is anarea of wild food survivalwhere you really don’t wanttomakeanymistakes.

MUSHROOMNAMES

There are thousands ofdifferent types ofmushroom.Some of them have verydistinctive common names,

which can be really useful –you’re probably not inmuchdoubt about whether youshouldeatsomethingcalledaDeathCap, or a Sickener, orPoison Pies. Mostexperienced mycologists,however, prefer to use theLatin names becauseindividual mushroomssometimes have severalcommonnames,soconfusioncan arise where you really

don’t want it. The Latinnames are specific, andthere’s only one permushroom. Here, I’ve givenyoubothnames.

SOME VERYPOISONOUSMUSHROOMS

These are not all thepoisonous mushroomsyou’re likely to encounter.

Not by a mile. But they areall pretty common in lots ofplaces around the world andyou’ddowelltolearnhowtoidentify them. Not becauseyou’regoingtogoaheadandeat any old mushroom thatisn’t on this list (at least Ihopeyou’renot),butbecausestudying these mushroomswillsetyouon therightpathto becoming a moreexperienced mycologist. And

you might just be in aposition to stop one of yourbuddiesonthetrailmakingadeadlymistake.

These poisonousmushrooms principally growin Europe, North Americaand Australia, but look outfor theminall temperateandsubtropical regions –wherever mushrooms grow,you need to have your eyesopenforthebadguys.

DEATHCAP(Amanitaphalloides)Where it grows: Europe,NorthAmerica,Australasia.

If you mistakenly pick andeat Amanita phalloides, thechancesareyouwon’tlivetoregretit.IfyoueattheDeathCap,itwillprobablykillyou.Untreated, it is deadly innearly 90 per cent of cases.Evenifyoumanagetoget tohospital and doctors throweverythingtheyhaveatit,it’sfatal in about 20 per cent ofcases.

And it doesn’t just kill

you.Itkillsyounastily.IfyouweretoeataDeath

Cap, you’d probably find itextremelydelicious–itis,byall accounts, verymushroomy. And for 8–12hours after that, you’dprobablyfeelfine.

Thenyouwouldn’t.Your first symptoms

would include massivestomach cramps, violentvomiting and explosive

diarrhoea.Asa resultof this,you’dmostlikelylosealotoffluid, so your blood pressurewoulddrop,yourpulsewouldincrease and you’d veryprobably go into shock. Thiswould last somewherebetween12and24hours.

After which you wouldsuddenly recover. At least,you’d think you’d recovered.But you wouldn’t have.Because over the next few

hours, the toxin amanitinwould be getting towork onyour liver. You’d start toshow all the signs of liverfailure: jaundice, intestinalbleeding, pain, hallucinations… The poison would beturning your liver to jelly.Once that happens, there’snothing anyone can do foryou. You’d slip into a comaanddieshortlyafterwards.

Scared?Good.TheDeath

Cap is one of nature’s badguys. Here’s how to identifyit.

Habitat: oak, beech andgeneralmixedwoods.Growsin small, widely spacedgroupsofaboutsix.Cap: 5–15cmacross, convexorflattened,smooth,greenoryellow (though sometimesalmost white) with a paleedge, sometimes slightly

sticky. Look out for faintfibres radiating out from thecentre.Stem: 6–15cm long, 1–2cmwide, bulbous at the bottom.The bulbous part issurrounded by a sac-like‘volva’; the stemhasa large,collar-like ring with a skirthangingdown.Gills:white,nottouchingthestem.Flesh:white,withapungent,

sicklysmell.

WARNINGTheyoungDeathCapcaneasilybemistakenforanordinarybuttonmushroom.

THE DESTROYINGANGEL(Amanitavirosa)Whereitgrows:Europe,but

there are similar varieties,also commonly calledDestroying Angel, found allovertheworld.

{MicaelaAlcaino/TW}

You may have noticed thatthe Latin name for this

mushroom includes thewordAmanita, just like the DeathCap.Thismeansthey’rebothfrom the Amanita genus,which includes manypoisonousmushrooms.

Amanita virosa is apretty-looking mushroom.That’s why they call it anangel. It’s also deadly – justasdeadlyas theDeathCap–which iswhy they call it theDestroyingAngel.There’sno

antidotetoitspoisonand,likethe Death Cap, theDestroying Angel causesmassive organ failure. If youmistakenlyputoneoftheseinthepot,youronlyrealchanceof survival will be a livertransplant. Not easy in thefield.

Habitat: general mixedwoodlands; also found infieldsandonroadsides.

Cap: 5–12cm across. Startsout conical, becoming flatterasthemushroomages.White,smooth.Stem: 9–12cm in length, 1–2cm across, swollen at thebase,which is surroundedbya sac-like ‘volva’. White,sometimes shaggy, with awhiteringattopofstem.Gills:white,crowded.Flesh: firmandwhitewith asicklysmell.

FLYAGARIC(Amanitamuscaria)Where it grows: native tomost temperate zones of thenorthern hemisphere, it hasalso been introduced to thesouthern hemisphere and isfound in many parts of theworld.

This is the mushroom thatpixies sit on in children’sstory books. You know theone – a red cap (sometimes

orange), with little whitespots. It’s extremelycommon, and because of itsdistinctive colour it tends tojumpoutatyouwhenbetter-camouflaged mushrooms aremoredifficulttospot.

Don’t eat it. The FlyAgaric is nowhere near aspoisonous as the Death Capor the Destroying Angel –although deaths have beenattributed to it – but it has

some very nasty effects:drowsiness, difficulty inspeaking, confusion, spasms,cramps, tremors,hallucinations and deepcoma. Some people eat FlyAgaric for fun and in certaincultures it is prized for theseeffects. But you need yourwits about you in the field.The last thingyouwant is tohave your mental sharpnesscompromised. It’s called Fly

Agaric because people usedtouseitssaptostupefyflies.Don’tgetstupefiedyourself.

Habitat:forestfloors.Cap: 8–20cm. Starts outconical,becomesflatterasthemushroomages.Brightredororange, covered with whitespots.Stem: 8–20cm in length, 1–2cm across. White,sometimes shaggy, with a

bulbous base and a simplewhiteringattopofstem.Gills:white.Flesh: white, sometimestingedwithredoryellow.

PANTHERCAP(Amanitapantherina)Where it grows: NorthAmericaandEurope.

Another deadly Amanita. Itcontains the same types oftoxins as the FlyAgaric, butin much greater quantities.

The Panther Cap is a goodexample of amushroom thatcan easily be confused withan edible mushroom, theBlusher. If you were to putthe two side by side, you’dsee thedifference.But you’dalso notice the similarities,which are a very goodreminder that youneed tobeextremely sure of youridentification before you riskeatingawildmushroom.The

Panther Cap is seriouslypoisonous, causes sicknessand hallucinations, and caneasily kill you, especially ifyouhaveaweakheart.

Habitat: forests, especiallynearbeechtrees.Cap: 6–12cm across. Startsout conical, becomes flatteras the mushroom ages.Chocolate-brown, covered insmallwhitespots.

Stem: 6–13cm in length, 1–2cm across. White, with abulbous base wrapped in awhite‘volva’andawhiteringattopofstem.Gills:white,nottouchingthestem.Flesh: white and mild-smelling.

FOOL’SFUNNEL(Clitocyberivulosa)Whereitgrows:Europeand

NorthAmerica.

{MicaelaAlcaino/TW}

The Fool’s Funnel is

sometimes called theSweatingMushroom,becausethat’s what its main toxinmakesyoudo.Beforeitshutsdown your respiratorysystem,causescardiacfailureandkillsyou,thatis.Anothername for it is the FalseChampignon, and it has anasty tendency to crop upnear the edible and popularFairy Ring Champignon(Marasmius oreades),

although it does look quitedifferent to that. Fool’sFunnel frequently appears ongrassland, and is one verygood reasonwhy you shouldclosely monitor childrenaround ‘fairy rings’. Suchrings might be harmless, buttheycouldbedeadly.

Habitat: grassland, sandysoil, roadsides.Oftenappearsincircles.

Cap: 2–5cm across. Convexaround theedgewitha smalldepressioninthecentre.Dirtywhite in colour. Sometimesdevelopsconcentricrings.Stem: 2–4cm in length, 4–10mm across. Dirty white incolour (like thecap), furryatthebase.Noring.Gills:crowdedandoff-white.Flesh:whitetooff-whiteandsweet-smelling.

So there you go. Fivemushrooms thatcandosomepretty horrid things to yourinsides,andwhichyoushouldneverputanywherenearyourmouth. Scared? Good. Somemushrooms are at least astoxicasvenomoussnakes.

But I don’t want to putyou off entirely. Once youknow what you are doing,huntingmushrooms can be agreat outdoor activity. More

importantly, the ability toidentifycertainediblespeciescan be invaluable in asurvival situation. Thefollowing are five fungi thatare relatively easy torecognize. Once you’veidentified these in thewild, Ialmost guarantee you’llwantto find out more about thefascinating world ofmushrooms.

SOME EDIBLEMUSHROOMS

First,somedosanddon’ts.

1.Nevereatamushroomifyouhaven’tpositively identified it. Use morethanonesourcetodothis.

2.Amushroommightbeedible,but ifit’spastitsbestitcanstillcauseyouharm.Ifitlooksorsmellssuspicious,is discoloured in anyway, or showsanysignofmaggotinfestation,chuckitaway.

3.Althoughsomefungiareedibleraw,

manyaretoxicunlesscooked,soit’sagoodideatocook(ideallyboil)anymushroomyou’vefoundin thewild.(But remember, cooking does notmakeallpoisonousmushroomssafe.)

BEEFSTEAKFUNGUS(Fistulinahepatica)Where it grows: Europe,NorthAmerica,NorthAfrica,Australia.

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The beefsteak fungus is aprettyweird-looking thing. Itcertainly doesn’t look like

your regular mushroom. Itgrows on living trees –normally oak or chestnut.Whenit’syoungit lookslikea large tongue (its Frenchnameislanguedeboeuf).Asit gets older, it starts toresemble a liver (the namehepaticaisLatinforliver).Ifyou cut into the flesh you’llsee that it looks like a pieceof fatty steak. Even stranger,it’ll look as if it’s bleeding

because itwill exude a largeamount of red fluid.Beefsteakfungushasarathersour, acidic taste – you’llprobablywanttosoakitfirst,then stew it well – it needsquite a lot of cooking beforeit’s tender enough to eat,unlessit’sveryyoung.

Habitat: live oak and sweetchestnuttrees.Cap: 8–25cm across, dark

redontop,pinkishbelow.Stem:none.Gills: cream-coloured whenthe mushroom is young, andeasy to separate from oneanother.Flesh: red with whitemarbling. Exudes dark redliquidwhencut.

CHANTERELLE(Cantharelluscibarius)Where it grows: Europe,

NorthAmerica,Asia,Africa.

Ifyoustumbleacrossapatchof chanterelles, you’re lucky.

They’re not only edible,they’re delicious. They’realso pretty easy to identify.They’re egg-yellow, have adistinctive funnel shape andsmell slightly of apricots.Best eaten fried, but as asurvival food can be boiledfor 10minutes before eating.There is an impostor calledthe False Chanterelle(Hygrophoropsisaurantiaca),which is evenmore common

than the chanterelle.Fortunately it’s notpoisonous,butitdoesn’ttastenearly so good. Thepoisonous mushroom that iseasiest to confuse with thechanterelle is the JackO’Lantern (Omphalotusilludens) – so called becauseits gills glow in the dark. Itcauses stomach cramps andvomiting in humans, but isrelativelyrare.

Habitat: woodland,especially under oak, beechandpinetrees.Cap:3–10cmacross.Funnel-shaped,with the edge rollingdownwards. Egg-yellow incolour.Stem: 3–8cm in length, 0.5–1.5cm across, of a similarcolourtothecap.Gills:morelikegroovesthangills, the narrow veins forkinto two and continue down

thestem.Flesh:yellow,butnotasdarkasthesurfaceofthecap.

GIANTPUFFBALL(Calvatiagigantea)Where it grows: verycommon in the UK; alsofound in Europe and NorthAmerica.

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GiantPuffballsareawesome.They are totally distinctive –big white globes with no

gills,thatcangrowtothesizeofa football–andextremelyedible. If you find one,chances are you’ll find abatch of them in a ring. Astempting as itmight be, takeonly what you need. Apuffball’s flesh should bewhite all the way through ifit’stobeedible.Ifitstartstogo brown or even green, itmeans it’s getting ready torelease its spores and

shouldn’tbeusedforthepot.Tocook it,peeloff the thickskin, thencut it intoslicesorchunks. It’s fantastic friedoverthecampfirewithalittleoil, salt and whatever otherflavouringsyouhavetohand.Youcanalsoboilit,thoughitwill lose some of its texturethatway.However you cookit,agoodslabofpuffballcanmake you a substantial mealwhen you’re hungry in the

field.Asmallwordofwarning:

Giant Puffballs are almostimpossible to mistake foranything else once they’vegrown to their full size, butbaby specimens can beconfused with baby DeathCapsorDestroyingAngels.Ifyou find yourself wanting topick a ‘mini’ Giant Puffball,thinktwice.

Habitat: grassland andamong old nettle beds;occasionally in forests if thesoilisveryrich.Cap: varies widely in size;can grow up to 80cm indiameter but more oftenaround 30cm. Pure whiteskin.Stem:none.Gills:none.Flesh: white and spongy,turning brown/green as the

mushroomages.

CHICKEN OF THEWOODS(Laetiporussulphureus)Whereitgrows:EuropeandNorthAmerica.

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Another fungus that is reallypretty easy to identify.Chickenof theWoodsgrows

on trees – mostly oak – andhasadistinctivebrightyellowand orange colouring. It getsits name from the fact that itsupposedly looks like achicken’s foot, which Isuppose it does if you useyourimaginationabit!Somepeople have an allergicreaction to this fungus, somake sure you cook it wellandeatonlysmallportionstobegin with. It has a decent

taste–slightlysour,butgoodandmushroomy.

You might sometimesfind Chicken of the Woodsgrowing on yew trees. Ifyou’ve read the section onyew (here) you’ll know thatit’s not a good tree to getinvolvedwith.Don’t eat anyfungus you find growingfromit.

Habitat: live trees, mainly

oak,sometimescherry,sweetchestnut, willow and yew –avoidthoseonyew.Cap: semi-circular/fan-shaped, 10–40cm across.Bright yellow and orange incolour, tiny pores on theunderside.Stem:none.Gills:none.Flesh: the young fleshreleases a yellow juice whensqueezed, but it becomes

crumblywithage.

CAULIFLOWERFUNGUS(Sparassiscrispa)Whereitgrows:EuropeandNorth America, cultivated inJapan.

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Here’sanotherone it’s reallyhard to mistake. Thecauliflower fungus looks like

a spongy cauliflower head.You find it growing at thebottom of conifers, andnothing else really looks likeit. Because of its shape, youmight find thatallmannerofcreepy-crawlies take upresidence inside it. You cangetridofthembyimmersingthe cauliflower fungus in(purified) water and waitingfor them all to comeslitheringout.Youcancooka

cauliflower fungus prettymuch any way you want –fried, boiled, stewed– and ittastes great. Try stickingslices of it into one of thecampfirestewshere.

Habitat: at the base of, ornear,conifers.Stem:none.Gills:none.Flesh: looks like a – youguessed it – cauliflowerwith

lots of ‘crisped’ lobes, 20–50cm across, creamy colour,sometimes turning darker attheedges,sweetsmell.

Wild‘Pizza’Tomakethis,you’llneedsomewholewheat flour, water andsalt, plus whatever wildingredients you’ve managed toget your hands on. Any of theediblemushroomsabovewouldbe good, aswould some boilednettles, or fish, or cookedseafood(seehere).

Make a soft dough bymixing the flour andwater in aratio of about 2:1. Add a goodsprinklingof saltandknead thedough till it’s well combined.Now press or roll it into a disc(you can use yourwater bottle,if you have one, as a rollingpin).

Get a small frying pan hotover the embers of a (not toofierce)fireandaddyourdough.Cook it till the underside isbrown,whichwill take up to 5minutes, depending on howhotyourfireis.Flipit,thensprinkleyour topping ingredients over

the cooked side which is nowface up. If possible, cover yourpizzawithtinfoilorwiththelidof another pot so that thetoppingscanheatthrough.

Return the pizza to the fireand cook until the underside isbrown and the toppings are hot–again,about5minutes.

You could add anything toyour wild pizza, of course. Ifyou’ve harvested some insects(and inChapter 11 I’ll tell youall about that), they’d make anexcellent and nutritiousaddition. I can tell you fromexperience, including some

roasted crickets adds anawesomecrunch!

TWO COOL THINGSYOU CAN DO WITHMUSHROOMS THATDON’T INVOLVEEATINGTHEM!

There are two fungi that areuseful inthewildforreasonsotherthankeepingyourbellyfull.Thefirstisknownasthe

TinderFungus.ThesecondiscalledtheRazorStrop.

TINDER FUNGUS (Fomesfomentarius)The Tinder Fungus isinedible,but ithasbeenusedfor thousands of years byindigenous people becausepart of its flesh makes anexcellent tinder forfirelighting.Thefungus itselfgrowson birch trees and has

ahard,grey-blackoutercrust.If you cut into it, underneatharethepores.Thefinal,cork-like, orange layer is the‘trauma’.Thisisthepartyouwant.Sliceapieceofthisoff,letitdryout,thenfluffitupabitwiththeflatofyourknife.Drop a spark on to it. Thefungus will burn slow andhot. It won’t produce anyflame, so you’ll need to addsome dry grass if you’re

going touse it to lighta fire.By itself,adecent-sizedsliceof fungus will smoulder forquite a long time. For thisreason, it can be used to‘save’embers,ortotransportfire.

RAZOR STROP(Piptoporusbetulinus)Like the Tinder Fungus, theRazor Strop grows on birchtrees. It’s also inedible, but

indigenouspeopleshavelongused its leathery flesh tosharpen their knives. Cut asliceoutofthefungusandletit dry (the size of the slicewilldependonthesizeoftheknife you want to sharpen).Your dried piece of funguscannowactasastrop.Useitto hone the blade of yourknife by swiping the bladealong the strop (imaginespreading butter back and

forth over a piece of bread).Stroppingaknife in thiswaywillmake a sharp edge evenkeener.

Fish are great to get yourhands on in a survivalsituation.Theytasteawesomeand they’re incredibly goodfor you, as they contain agood mix of all the rightproteins, fats and vitamins.There are many stories ofmenandwomenadrift at seasurviving for months onnothing more than the fishthey could catch.Sowhether

you’re just having some funwith your buddies, or youthink youmight end up in asituation where finding yourown food is a matter of lifeand death, learning how tocatch fish in the wild is anessentialskill.

First, though, I’ve gotsome bad news: fishing ain’twhatitusedtobe.

In the days before ourseas and rivers became

polluted with the toxic by-products ofmodern industry,and fish stocks had not beendecimated by over-fishing,aquatic life was far moreabundant than it is now. It’sthought that the sport of flyfishing – when you attractfishusingabrightlycolouredlure – was popularized byVictorian fishermen becauseusing live or dead bait wasseen as too easy and

unsportsmanlike.Unfortunately, ourwaters

are not quite sowell stockedas they once were. Whenwe’re in thewildandrelyingon fish for sustenance ratherthan sport, we need to doeverything we can to stacktheoddsinourfavour.Andifwefindourselves–aswearelikely to – without a tacklebag full of modern fishinggear, we’re going to have to

relyon theoldways tocatchoursupper.

Buthere’sthegoodnews:water is still often the bestplace to find food. The evenbetter news is that, havingbeen honed over centuries ofcivilization, wild fishingtechniques can be brilliantlyeffective. You don’t have tospend a fortune at the tackleshop. In fact, youdon’t haveto spend anything. Our

ancestorsdidn’thaveawholecollection of flash, modernfishing gear, and they didn’tdo so badly. You can evencatch fish with your barehands,asIhaveoftendoneinsmall rivers in thewild– it’scalled fish tickling and,althoughit’sillegalintheUKbecause it disturbs theirhabitat, it’s still permitted inmanywildernessesaroundtheworld.Make sure you check

first, unless you’re in agenuinesurvivalsituation.

What’s more, there’ssomething very satisfyingabout landing a fish usingnothing more than materialsyou’veforagedfromthewild.Youwon’tonlycatchthefish–you’llcatchthefishingbugtoo!

A word of warning: differentpartsoftheworldhavedifferent

rules about fishing. Althoughyou’reunlikelytoencounteranyproblems in the Arctic or theTropics, you will need a rodlicence when fishing forfreshwater fish, eels, salmon orsea trout anywhere in EnglandorWales andup to6miles outtosea–evenifyou’renotusinga standard fishing rod. Theremay be other local restrictionsdepending where you are.Remember to check, unlessyou’re in a genuine survivalsituation.

First we’ll look at whereandwhen to catch your fish,then we’ll look at how tocatch them. Finally, we’lllookathowtopreparethem.

WHERE AND WHEN TOCATCHYOURFISH

If you’re fishing a river,beforeyou lookat thewater,takea lookat theweather. Ifthesunisoutandit’shot,the

fish are likely to be in thedeeper,colderwaters.Ontheother hand, if it’s cold outthey’re more likely to be inshallower waters where theycan catch some of the sun’srays. And whatever theweather,you’re likely to findfish in the shelter of largerocks.

Eveningsareoftenagoodtime to fish a river: insectshover just above the water

and bring fish to the surfacelooking for their dinner. Ifyou see ripples in the stillwaters, it’s a good indicationthatfisharethere.

If you’ve ever put yourhand in a swimming pool,you may have noticed howthe bit under thewater looksas if it’s coming off at adifferent angle. This isbecause light bends – orrefracts – when it enters

water. As a result of thiseffect,fishcanseealotmorethan you might expect whenyou’re near the bank of ariver.So,ifyou’reholdinganimprovised rod and lineonariverbank,crouchlowsothefish don’t see you and getspooked. Alternatively, fishwhile it’s lightly raining, asthe impact of the rain on thewater breaks up the fish’sview.

Ifyou’refishingfromtheseashore, a lot depends onwhere you are and whatyou’re trying to catch. Thegeneralruleisthatyoushouldfish a moving tide, but aneven better rule is to findsomeone who knows thewaterswell andask themforsome good local advice.There’s no substitute for thiskindofknowledge.

IMPROVISED FISHINGGEAR

Humans have been catchingfishforfoodforthousandsofyears. They haven’t alwayshad the benefit of high-endfishing gear to make the jobeasier. It’s worthremembering that if you findyourself by the water. Hereare some ideas for how youcan improvise your own

fishinggear.

HOOKSIf you’re in the field, it maybe that you have some fishhooks with you. In fact, ifyou’re putting together asurvivalpackit’saverygoodidea to include a couple ofhooksandsomegood,sturdyfishingline.Theyhardlytakeupanyspace.

But if you haven’t, don’t

worry – hooks and line areeasytoimprovise.Hookscanbe fashioned out of all sortsof things – paperclips, pinsand needles, hairpins, ringpullsfromcansoffizzydrink(there aren’t many places inthe world that are free oflitter,butyoucanturnthistoyouradvantage),bitsofbone,flint or even sea shells. Useyourimagination!

In the absence of any of

these, you can use the toolswith which nature hassupplied us. Here are twomethods of making aperfectly decent fish hook,oneusingasplinterofwood,the other using a bramblethorn.

WoodhookFindorcutasplinterofwoodabout2cminlength.Sharpenboth endswith your knife. If

you like, you can fire-hardenthe sharpends.This involvesholding the wood closeenoughtoaheatsourcetodryout any moisture withoutburningtheactualwood.Youthen need to tie your line orcordage (see below) to themiddleofthehook.

When you add your bait,use it toposition thehooksothat it lies parallel to thefishing line. This makes it

easy for the fish to swallow,butonce it’s inside thegulletitwillopenoutatrightanglestothelineandbecomealmostimpossibletodislodge.Itwillalso kill the fish, so makesure you intend to eatanythingyoucatchthisway.

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Thornhook

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Brambles and other plantswith sturdy thorns grow allovertheplace.Cutyourselfashort lengthof the stemwithagood,strongthornattached,whichwillactasahook.Tieit to your line so that thethorn hook is pointingupwards. You can even tieseveral hooks together, asshown.

Don’tmake your hook too big.

You can catch big fish withsmallhooks,but small fishwillavoid big hooks if they’re toomuchofamouthful.

RODSIt’s perfectly possible to fishwithout using a rod – just aline and a hookwill do and,as you’ll see below,sometimes using a rod is notthebestoption.Butyou’llbeabletocastfurtherandpullin

yourcatchmoreeasilyifyoudohaveone.Anybranchwilldo, but a straight, slightlyflexible one is the easiest tohandleandwillbeless likelytosnapifthere’sabitofpullfromthefish.

LINESIf you have some decentfishing line in your pack, somuch the better. But in anemergency you can always

make a line from any stringyou happen to have in yourkit, fromashoelace,a lengthof unravelled thread fromyour clothes, or a length ofsturdy, tall grass. It’s alsopossible to make naturalcordage from the materialsnatureprovidesyouwith.SeeAppendix A for details onhowtodothis.

FLOATS

Floatsareessentialtorodandline fishing because theyallowus todangle thebaitatthe right level below thewater(seehere).Youcanbuyall sorts of fancy floats fromtackleshops,butinrealityallyou need is something smallthat floats onwater.Awine-bottle cork is good, and inmany parts of the worldpeople simply use scraps oflow-density wood. Balsa

wood floats particularly well– people have sailed acrossoceans in balsa-wood raftsbeforenow.

Floatsalsohaveasecondpurpose. Sometimes it’s hardto tell from the feel of yourline if you’ve got a bite.Butifafishhastakenyourbait,itwill probably pull the floatbeneaththesurface.

You’llneedabiggerfloatfor sea fishing than for

freshwater fishing, to copewith the currents and thewaves.

WEIGHTSWithout a weight at the endofyourline,yourbaitedhookwillprobablyjustfloatontopof thewater–fine if thefishare top-feeding, but no goodifthey’relurkingontheriverbed. Military survival kitsoften include some little

spheres of lead shot whichcanbeused toweight a line.It’sagood idea to takesomealong with you if you thinkyoumighthavetorelyonthewater for your food – theytake up no space and weighpractically nothing, butthey’llhelpyougetyourbait(see here) under the waterline.Sometimesyou’llneedaheavierweight.You can buythese, of course, but a stone

tied to the end of your linewilldojustaswell.

Onceyou’veimprovisedyourfishinggear,you’llneedtotieit all together.Fishermenuseallsortsoffancyknotsanditmightbeworthwhilelearninga few – there are loads ofresources out there to helpyoudothis.Butinasurvivalsituation, any decent, strongknot should do the trick. See

the section on rod and linefishing here for somedifferent configurations ofyourimprovisedrig.

BAITDangling a bare hook into apatch of water is unlikely tocatch you your supper. Youneed to persuade a fish thatthisissomethingworthgoingfor.Thebestwaytodothisisto convince the fish that

there’samealinitforhim.Youcandigupworms,of

course. If they’re plentiful,try to replace them often,because a wriggling wormwill catch the attention of afishmorereadilythanadeadone. (And if there’s a supplyof worms, don’t forget thatthey’reagreatfoodsourceinthemselvesifyoudon’tlandafish – see here.)Alternatively, any scraps of

foodthatyouhaveaboutyou–especiallymeat–willmakegoodbait. Ifyoucatcha fishtoo small to make goodeating,youcancutthatuptomake bait. Dead insects areanothergoodoption.

If the area of water youare fishing has anoverhanging treewithberrieson its branches, it’s a goodbet that fish have adapted tousing them as a food source

when they fall into the river.Ifyoucangathertheseberriesfrom the branches of anynearby trees, you canencourage fish to the surfaceby throwing them on to thewater.Putaberryon toyourhookandfishthesamepatchof water. Chances are you’llgetabite.

If you’re able to gatherinsects–aliveordead–theseare another great way to

encourage fish intoa feedingfrenzy(and,likeworms,theymight also be a good foodsource foryou– seeChapter11).Scatterthemonthepatchofwateryouwanttofish,justliketheberries.Inpartsoftheworld where termite moundsare common, a good trick istobreakoffapieceofoneofthesemounds and suspend itfrom a branch overhangingthe water. You’ll get a

constant drip-feed of insectsinto the water that shouldattract the local fish in theirdroves.

If you don’t haveanything that the fish wouldconsider real food, it’sworthremembering that they areattracted to colourful objectsmoving through the waterthat they might mistake forfood.Professionalanglersuse‘spinners’–brightlycoloured

artificialbaitsthatspinasyoupull them through the water,attracting the fish’s attentionas the light glints off them.You could use a coin or abutton, or even little bits ofbrightlycolouredplastic.Andat a push, you can improvisealurefromleavesorfeathers.

TECHNIQUES FORCATCHINGFISH

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RODANDLINEThis is how you’ll see mostpeople fishing when they doit for sport, though if youreally have to get food, it’snot necessarily the bestway.Inordertofishwitharodandline,you’llneedtomakesurethat you get your bait at theright levelwhere the fish are

feeding. In general it’s hardto knowwhether the fish aresurface-feeding, middle-feeding or bottom-feeding;you’ll only truly find out byfishing at all different levels.So here are somecombinations of hook, line,weight and floats that willallow you to do this. If youdon’tknowwherethefisharefeeding, try all three at thesame time. The more hooks

you have in the water, thebetter your chance ofcatchingafish!

Tofishnearthetopofthewater,attachyour float fairlyclose to the hook, as shown.Somesmallleadweights(youcan get these from anglingshops and attach as many asyouneedinagivensituation)will stop the hook and baitfloatingbackuptothetopofthe water. Alternatively, a

stone will do the job. Thefaster thecurrent, theheaviertheweightwill need tobe tokeep the hook where youwantit.

If you want to fish themiddle of the water, extendthedistancebetweenthefloatandthehookaccordingly.

To fish thebottomof thewater, extend the distancebetween the hook and thefloatevenfurther.Nowattach

a slightly heavier weight tothe line, while leaving thehookandbaittofloatfreely.

NIGHTLINES

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First, a word of warning:nightlinesareillegalinmanyparts of the world. They

should be used only in agenuine survival situation,and certainly never inwaterswhere someone mightunsuspectingly come acrossthem.

The principle of a nightlineistoattachseveralbaitedhooks to a long piece offishing line, weight the end,then cast the line overnight.There’saprettygoodchanceyou’ll end up with fish for

breakfast.You’llneedtofixasturdy

weight tooneendof the lineto make sure that it remainstaut. Anchor the other endfirmly to something on thebankthatisn’tgoingtomove.A tree trunk would be ideal,but failing thatyoucandrivea peg deeply into the soil.Have several baited hooksattachedtotheline,asshown.

It’s called a night line

because you can leave it allnight unattended then comeback in the morning to seewhat you’ve caught. Youcould, of course, use thismethod during the day too,butonlyinagenuinesurvivalsituation.

GILLNETTINGThis is the process of settingup a ‘wall’ of netting underthe water. On a commercial

scaleit’sillegalinmanypartsoftheworldbecauseit’ssuchan effectiveway of scoopingup vast quantities of fishindiscriminately. Even small-scale gillnetting can beagainst the rules. But if youhave a net and your survivaldepends upon it, this is agood way to gather much-neededfood.

In order to set up a gillnet, you’ll need weights and

floats. The weights keep thenet anchored to the river orseabed,whilethefloatskeepthenetupright.Any fish thathits the net will becometangledandcaught.Don’tusea gill net for too long – it’simportant not to take morefishthanyouneedtoeat.

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SPRING SNARE FOR

FISHINGInChapter7you’lllearnhowtomakesomedifferent snaretraps to catch small game.One of these is called thespring snare, and you canadapt it for fishing. See thepicture here. You need tofashion a trigger out of twopieces of wood by carving ahook at one end of each ofthemwithyourknife.Oneofthesepiecesofwoodisstaked

into the ground. The other isattached to a springy saplingor overhanging branch andhas your line, hook and baitattachedtotheotherend.Thehooks of the two pieces ofwood are then hookedweights together, forming asort of trigger. When a fishbites and gets caught on thefish hook, it will struggle.This will release the trigger,causing the sapling to

straighten and pull the fishdirectlyoutofthewater.

Make sure to check aspring snare regularly,especiallyinwarmweather–outof thewater, the fishcanstarttospoilveryquickly.

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FISHTRAPSFish traps can be extremely

effective – so much so thateven commercial fishermenuse them, especially to catchlobsters and crabs. If youknow the techniquesinvolved, they can be abrilliant way of hunting foryoursupper.

I’m going to show youtwo clever ways of makingfish traps in the wild: baskettraps,andfixedtrapsthatyoucreate on the river bed or

seashoreitself.

BaskettrapsTheideaofabaskettrapistocreate a structure that a fishcan easily swim into, butwhich it will find hard toswim out of. If you look atthepicturehere,you’llseeaninvertedconeattheopenendthatservesthispurpose.

Tostartwith,you’llneedseven (it’s important that it’s

an odd number, because ofthe up-and-under weavingthat you’re going to do lateron) straight, flexible stripsofsapling, about 150cm long.Lay them on the ground andlash them tightly together atone end so that theymake aneat circle. You can placethem round an extra centralsticktokeeptheminpositionifyoulike.

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Now,findyourselfaveryflexible branch and create a

hoop.Tiethistotheotherendofyoursaplingstripstomakeafunnelshape.

The next stage is to findsome material that you canweave around the funnel.Vines are good. Sturdy grasswill do the job.You need toweaveitcarefullyandtightlyalongthelengthofthefunnel.The idea is to make a wallthrough which your preycannot escape. You’ll find

thatwhenyou’vedoneabouthalfofit,youcanremovethehoop at the end, as theweaving will now hold thesaplingstripsinshape.

Nowit’stimetomaketheinverted funnel for the openend. To do this, take an oddnumber of short sticks andplace them in the ground sothat they fan out in a funnelshape. The small end shouldbe just big enough for a fish

to swim through, and theopenendneedstohaveaboutthesamecircumferenceastheopenendofyourfirstfunnel.So cut the length of yoursticksaccordingly.

Weave a wall round thissecond funnel in the sameway. You’re almost ready togo!

Now you need some bait–thebiggerthebettersothatthe smell really attracts the

local fishpopulation.Hang itinside the larger funnel, thenfit the smaller funnel insidethelargeroneandtiethetwofunnelssecurelyintoplace.

You’re now ready to layyourtrap.Tieittoatreeorafixed point near the water,then throw it in. Leave thetrapovernight.Withanyluck,you’ll wake up to discoverthat a fishhas found the lureof your bait irresistible, and

hasswuminside the trapandfounditimpossibletoescape.Breakfastisserved!

FixedtrapsThese work on the sameprincipleasbaskettraps:theyallow fish to swim in, butmake it difficult for them toswimout.Youmakea shapein the water, using rocks orsticks, that funnels any fishthat happen to be swimming

inthatdirection.A fish trap such as this

reliesonthefunnelfacingthedirectionofthecurrent,ratherthan on attracting fish usingbait.Youmustmakesurethatthe ‘wall’ has no gaps in itthatarelargeenoughtoallowyour prey to escape. Andwhileafewfishmightescapeback through the funnel, thiscanbeaveryproductivewayoffishing.

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SPEARFISHING

One of the oldest, mostprimitive ways of catchingfish–butstilleffectiveifyouknow how to do it. You canmakeaspearbysharpeningagood, sturdy stick. Evenbetter, you can take a thickpole of bamboo and, withyour knife, make fourintersectingcrosscutsintotheend,eachat45degreestotheother, so that you get eightprongs. Stick a smaller piece

of bamboo into the centre ofthe cut end. This will makethe prongs splay out a little.You can separate themfurther by wedging moresmallsticksbetweenthecuts.Sharpen each of the prongs,then throw away the wedgesandthereyouhaveit:amuchmoreeffectivetool.

Alternatively, you canattachasharppieceofflintoranything that will pierce the

fish’sskinandholditfast.Bewary of attaching your ownsurvivalknifetoaspear–it’san easy way of damaging it.See here for a few morethoughts on how to make agoodspear.

Spearfishing works bestwhen there areplentyof fishandthewaterisfairlyshallow– anyhigher than yourwaistand youwon’t really be ableto do it. Try to position

yourselfsothatyoudon’tcasta shadow over the fish youare trying to catch, becausethiswill spook current them.And remember what welearned about the way lightrefracts in water (see here).When you look at a fish, itisn’t actually where it seemsto be – you need to aimslightlybelowthefishtohavea chance of spearing it. Thebest technique is slowly to

movethepointofthespearasclose to the fish as possible.Then, with a sudden, sharpaction,pinthefishtotheriverbed.Onceyou’vemanagedtospearyourfish,reachintothewater and grab it with theother hand– itwill probablygetawayifyouliftthespear.

You can use a bow andarrowtocatchfishjustasyoucan use a spear – I’vesuccessfully caught flesh-

eating piranhas in Ecuadorusing this method. See hereformoreonbowsandarrows.

FISHPOISONExtreme stuff – and only tobe used if you really knowwhatyou’redoing.Insome–warmer – parts of theworld,theregrowplantsthatcontaina compound called rotenone.Rotenone is usedcommercially as a pesticide

and is mildly poisonous tohumans but extremelypoisonoustofishandinsects.Indigenoustribeshaveuseditas a method of catching fishsincetheyeardot.

If you know how toextract rotenone from theseplants, you can sprinkle itinto warm, still waters (thewater temperature will needto be over 10°C) and let itwork its magic. Rotenone

messes with the fishes’breathing mechanisms,forcing them to rise to thesurface in an attempt to getsomeair.Whenthathappens,you just need to scoop themup. And because rotenone isonlymildly toxic to humans,andwillbepresentinthefishin only tiny quantities, thefishshouldbesafeforhumanconsumption.

Some plants that contain

rotenoneinclude:

Derris elliptica – a tropicalshrub and vine. Dig up theroots and grind them into apowder. Mix large amountsof the powder with water,then throw this mixture intotheriver.

Anamirta cocculus – a vinefrom southern Asia that isalso found on some of the

South Pacific islands. Therotenone is contained in theseeds, which you can crushbeforethrowingintotheriver.

Duboisia – a shrub native toAustralia, with berries andwhite flowers. Crush thewhole plant and add to theriver.

ICEFISHING

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Food can be scarce in verycold regions such as theArcticorupahighmountain.

Fish are often your best betwhere there’s water, butwhereaseaorlakeorriverisfrozen,youneed toapproachfishingalittledifferently.

Icecanbebothtoughandthick.Ifthat’sthecase,you’llneed a tool called an auger,which is like a large metalcorkscrew. If you don’t haveoneofthese,thenyou’llneedtolimityourselftothinnerice– a few centimetres – and

makeahole in itasbestyoucan. Sharp rather than bluntobjects are much better, asstrikingwithablunttoolwilljust weaken the surroundingice.Andbecareful–yourisksplintering the ice all aroundyou, which will make itweaker and dramatically lesssafe. You must always bevery cautiouswalking on ice– do it only if you’reabsolutely sure it will take

your weight. If in doubt,don’t do it. No fish is worthfallingthroughicefor.

Butifyouhavenochoice,then here is how. Make theinitialholeusingtheendofasturdy wooden branch. Nowmake yourself a night linefromalongpieceofcordage,with several baited hooksalongitslength.Tiearocktothebottomendofthelineandtiethetopendtoapolethatis

longer than the diameter ofyour hole. Lower theweighted endof the line intotheholeandallowthepoletooverhangthehole,asshown.

Your line is now set, butyou’ve got a problem: if it’scold (which it is), the holewill quickly freeze up again.To slow this process down,you can shove some leafybranches(thinkspruce trees),leafyenddown,intothehole.

Counter-intuitive as it maysound, you can also thencoverthewholelotoverwithsnow, as this will helpinsulatethehole.Stickalittletwig in the snow so you canrememberwhereyourholeis.

Don’t just rely on one of theseice holes. Set up as many ofthem as you can to maximizeyour chances of catchingsomething. In a survivalsituation,you shouldnever rely

on just one food source if youcanpossiblyhelpit.

PREPARINGYOURFISH

First things first: allfreshwaterfishareedible,butyou should always cookthem. (I have eatenfreshwater fish raw, butyou’ll want to be sure thatthey come from very cleanwaterbeforeyoudothis,and

only then in an extremesurvival situation.)Freshwater fish contain allsorts of bacteria, viruses andparasites–just likethewaterthat they live in. So just asyou wouldn’t drink waterwithout purifying it first,don’t do the same with thefish that live in it unlessyou’ve no other option. Andifthewateritselflooksoverlypolluted, you might want to

think twice about eatinganythingthatcomesoutofit,cookedornot.

Saltwater fish are aslightly different matter.Generally they don’t containthesamenumberofparasitesasfreshwaterfish,becauseofthehighconcentrationofsaltin sea water. And thosemicro-organisms to whichtheydoplayhostneedahighlevel of salt, so they can’t

survive in your body. That’swhy sushi is mostly madefromsaltwaterfish.Thatsaid,unless you really knowwhatyou’redoing,it’sagoodideatocookallsaltwaterfishtoo,especially if you’ve caughtthemclosetotheshorewherethey might have come incontactwithfreshwater.

Theinnardsofmostfish–especially the liver and theroe – are normally edible.

However, there are twoexcellent reasons why it’s agood idea to gut your fishbefore you eat it. In somecases, harmful toxins canaccumulate in the guts andcan cause very nastysymptoms if ingested. Andthe guts are the first part ofthe fish to deteriorate onceit’s dead, so if you removethem you can keep your fishfresher for longer. In any

case, fish can go bad veryquickly, especially in hotweather. Best to get it eatenquickly.

Youcankeepafishalive–andtherefore fresh – by tying oneendofalengthofstringtoatreebythewater,threadingtheotherend through the fish’s gills andmouth, then tying that end to astick. The fish can then remainalive in the water withoutescaping,but ifyou’regoing toput them through this (and you

should only do so in a genuinesurvival situation), make sureyouintendtoeatthem.

KILLING ANDCLEANINGKillingNo animal should be killedlightly. Only kill a fish ifyou’redefinitelygoing toeatit,andtrytomakeitsdeathashumaneaspossible.Firstoff,you need to stun your fish

withablowtothehead.Thismakesthegrislybityouhavetodonextabitmorehumane,nottomentioneasierbecausethe fish won’t be flappingaround quite so much. Keenfishermenwilldothisusingablunt wooden club called a‘priest’, but a flat stone willwork just as well. Don’t hitthefishtoohard–youwantitstunned and brain-dead, butits heart still beating so that

youcanbleedit.Bleeding a fish is

necessary for some specieswhose flesh won’t otherwisemake good eating. But it’s agood idea for any fish of adecent size because it canexpel certain parasites andkeep your catch edible forlonger.

Youcanbleedafishwithyour hands, or with a knife.To do it manually, hold the

head in one hand, stick acoupleoffingersintothegillsandsnap theheadback.Thisshould sever themain artery.Holdthefishbyitstail toletthe blood drain out: if theheart is still beating (that’swhy youwant the fish to bealive), this should be a fairlyspeedy process – a fewminutes or so, depending onthesizeofthefish.

It’sbetter tobleedbigger

fish with a knife to avoidhurting your fingers whenyou snap the spinal cord.Make a deep cut on theunderside of the fish wherethebodymeetsthehead,asifyou’recutting its throat.Thisshould take you up to themain artery. Don’t make thecut too far back as you’ll hitthe heart and the fish won’tbleedsoeffectively.

CleaningIf thefishare less thanabout5cminlength,youdon’tneedtogutthem.Justcookandeatthemwhole.Anythingbiggerand you’ll want to gut themas quickly as possible. Theprocessofguttingisdifferentforroundfish(thinkmackerelor trout) and flat fish (thinkplaice).

For round fish, first turnthe fish upside down and

locatetheanalvent–asmallopening near the tail end.Insertyourknifeandsliceupto the throat. You can nowscoopouttheinsides.

For flat fish, stick thepointofyourknifejustbelowthepectoralfin.Cutsidewaysfor about 5cm, following thecurved shape of the fish’sskeleton.Squeezeyourfingerinside thehole to remove thegutsandstomachcontents.

Your next job is to scalethefish.Youdon’thavetodothis. If you’re going to cookthe fish over a direct flameit’s often best to keep thescales on, as they protect theflesh from burning. And ifyouintendtoskinafish,youshould also leave the scalesonastheskincomesoffmoreeasilythatway.

However, if you dowantto scale your fish, you’ll see

that the scales overlap likeroof tiles. You can scrapethemoffusingthesharpedgeof a knife by running theblade from tail to head. Youcan also make an excellentde-scaling device by fittingtwo metal bottle caps to apiece of wood, the crinklyside facing out. Rub this inthe same direction over thefish’sskinandthescaleswillfalloff.

Onceyou’veguttedafish,don’tthrowawaytheinnards.Agoodhandfuloffishgutsmakesidealbait for more fishing. If you’renotgoingtousethem,throwthegutsandthescalesbackintothewaterasfoodforscavengerfish.It’s always good, if you’vetaken something away fromnature, also then to givesomethingback…

FilletingYoumaynot alwayswant to

fillet your fish, as it cooksvery well on the bone.However, some of thecooking techniques thatfollow are much easier ifyou’vefilletedyourfishfirst.And if you’ve caught morethan you can reasonably eatin one sitting (lucky you!),you may want to salt and/orsmoke the fish to preserve it(see here). In that case,filleting’sthewaytogo.

And just as there’s morethan one way to skin a cat,there’smorethanonewaytofillet a fish. The instructionsI’mabout togiveyoushouldsee you right for most smallfish that you’re likely tocatch. They won’t win youany Michelin stars, butnobodycaresaboutthatinthefield.Filletingisoneofthoseskillsthatgetseasierthemoreyou do it, so don’t worry if

yourfilletsaren’tfishmonger-perfect first time round. Aslongasyou’veremovedmostof the flesh, you’re doingprettywell.

Thebestkindofknifeforfilleting is long and slightlyflexible. But the mostimportant thing is that itshould be sharp, and if youonlyhaveoneknifewithyou,that’swhatyou’llhavetouse(seehereformoreonknives).

Layyour fishon its sideandmake an incision behind thehead,cuttingataslightanglejustbehindthegillsuntilyourknife hits the spinal cord.Nowholdthefishbyitshead.With the blade of the knifefacingaway fromyouandatright angles to the spine, cutalong the fish’s back, usingthe spine to guide the tip ofyour knife. Rotate the fish180 degrees and perform the

sameactionontheothersideof the fillet, cutting throughthe belly flesh. You shouldnow be able to separate thewhole fillet from the fish bycutting it away from thespine,asshown.

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SOMESMARTWAYSTOCOOKYOURFISH

Thetroublewithcookingfishin the wild is that the directheatof a campfire can easilyscorch the flesh. Not aproblem if you happen tohave frying pans and grillswithyou,butifnotyouhaveto think of ways around it.Fortunatelythereareloadsofcoolones.

PONASSINGThis isanextremelyoldway

of cooking a whole fish. It’sgreat for campfire cooking,uses equipment that you caneasily find in the field, andonce you’ve mastered a fewbasic techniques it’s veryeasy. Best of all you get adeliciouspieceof fishwithagreatsmokyflavour–it’lldojustice to all the hard workyou’veputintocatchingyoursupper.

PreparingyourfishTo start with, you’ll need tobutterfly your fish. This is awayof filleting it so that thetwo fillets remain joinedtogether.

First, gut andcleanyour fishin theusualway.Cutoff thetailandremoveallthefins.

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Now, cut around the fish’sneck, down to – but notthrough–thespine.

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Hold the fish in one hand.Press the thumb of the otherhand into the cut andagainstthespine.Nowgentlypulltheheadandspineawayfromthefillet. You should find that

thespineandribscomeeasilyaway from the flesh andyou’ll be left with abutterfliedfish.

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Fixingyourfishtoaframe

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You’llneedasturdy,straightpieceofwoodabout60cminlength. Hazel is good – it’snon-toxic and won’t burneasily. Sharpen one end soyou can stake it into theground. Use a small axe orsaw–oratapush,yourknife– to make a split along theother end. It needs to be thesamelengthasthefish.

Now you’ll also need tofashion two wooden skewers

from some thin, straighttwigs, each one about thesame length. Remove thebark and sharpen the ends ifyou like.Make four holes inthe fish and skewer it asshown.

Slidethefishintothesplitstake,thentiethesplitendtoholditinplace.

Make a fire. When youhave hot embers, drive thestake into the ground at an

angle so that the fillet issuspended above the fire.Howlongyouneedtocookitfor depends on the size ofyourfishandhowhotthefireis, but 10 minutes normallydoesthetrick.

WETNEWSPAPERThis is a really easy one.Takeawholeguttedfishandwrapitinfiveorsixsheetsofwet newspaper. Place the

whole thing in the embersofa fire.When thenewspaper’sdry, your fish should becooked–you’ll know if it isbecause the flesh will flakeaway easily from the bone.Unwrapitanddigin.

An alternative to wetnewspaperistowrapthefishin sturdy, non-toxic leaves.Vine leavesorbanana leavesare good. Use several layerstomakeatightparcelandtie

withstringornaturalcordagebefore nestling it in theembers of a fire, carefullyplacing somemore hot coalsontopandcookingfor10–15minutes, depending on howbigyourfishis.

PLANKCOOKINGYou’llneed somedecentaxeandknifeskillsforthis.Havea look at my book LivingWildforthelow-down.

Find yourself a log ofnon-toxicwood – oakwouldbe great. Carefully use youraxe to split the log in halflengthways.

Theplan is topega filletof fish to the cut side of oneof these halves. Make somepegs by sharpening a fewsplinters of wood, then useyour knife to create some‘starter’ holes in the plank.Layyourfilletovertheholes,

then tap thepegs through thefishandintothem.

Light yourself a fire.When you have burningembers,lietheplankclosetoit, but not too close. If youcan comfortably hold yourhandinthevicinityforafewseconds, you’ve got it aboutright. Prop the spare half ofthe log behind your plank sothat the fish faces the fire.The fish should turn

deliciously brown in a fewminutes.

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Findingfreshwaterbythecoastcan be a challenge. But ifyou’ve managed to catch asaltwater fish, you can extractwaterfromitsflesh.Cutthefishintosmallpieces,thenputthemin a piece of clean cloth andwring the moisture out. Theliquid that you get is not toosalty and can keep you alivewhenwaterisscarce.

HOTROCKCOOKINGFind yourself some smooth,

flat stones. Lay them on theground to make a solid bed.Light a fire on top of thestonesandletitburndowntohot embers. Now – carefully– find something to brushawaytheembersfromthetopofthestones.Youcouldusealeafy branch to do this, butnot a very dry one that willignite.Youcannowlayyourgutted fish or fish filletsdirectly on to the hot rocks,

skin side down. You’ll findthat it cooks through veryquickly.

FishHeadSoupIfyou’vecaughtafish,don’tletany of it go to waste. There’splenty of good nutrition in thehead.Simplyboilitupinalittlewater.Youcanthenpickoffanyscrapsofmeat from thecookedhead–don’tforgettheeyeballs,which are edible – then drinkthebroth,whichwillbeinfusedwith fish oils, protein and

vitamins.

DANGEROUS … BUT(MOSTLY)EDIBLE!

CATFISH

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As we’ve already said, you

caneatanyfreshwaterfishaslong as they’re cooked. Youneedtobecareful,though,ofthe catfish. These are foundin the inland waters of allcontinents except Antarcticaand are particularly abundantin tropical regions. Theyespecially like muddy rivers,and there are also somesaltwater varieties. They aregood big fish with plenty ofmeat on them, and they are

not normally aggressive, butmanyspecieshavestingsneartheir fins that can causeextreme pain andinflammation. If you catch acatfish, handle it verycarefully.

PUFFERFISH

Pufferfish is one of themostpoisonous vertebrates in theworld. You sometimes find

themintemperatewaters,buttheyaremuchmorecommonin tropical zones.Their liver,ovaries, intestines and skincontainaneurotoxin that canbe fatal to humans. Thatdoesn’t stop some peoplewantingtoeatthem,butit’sarare skill to prepare apufferfish in such away thatconsumingitwon’tbefatal.Idon’trecommendyoutryitinthewild!

STINGRAY

The stingray is a lethal reef

predator with powerful jawsand a venomous sting in itstail. They are found intropical and subtropicalwaters, though they mightsometimes put in anappearance in warmertemperate waters. They’reedible, but you need to becareful of their venomousbarbed tail, which has beenknowntokill.

The indigenous people ofAlaska have a saying: whenthetideisout,thetableisset.It’strue.Youmightlookatawide expanse of beach afterthetidehasrecededandthinkthat it doesn’t offer much inthe way of nourishment. Butreally you just need to knowhow and where to look.Wherever you are in theworld,fromthefrozenwastes

of the Arctic to the burningshores of Australasia, theseashore can be a life-givingsourceofreadynourishment.

This chapter is aboutforaging at the water’s edge,and all the good, nutritiousfoodtobefoundthere.

STAYING SAFE BY THESEA

If you’re anything like me,

you can spend hours by theseashore.Andthat’sfine.Justbe careful. The tide mightlook a long way out, but itcancomeinveryfastindeed.And tides are local – justbecause you know what thetideislikelytobelikeinonelocation,itdoesn’tfollowthatyou’llknowhowitactsafewmiles down the road. Armyourself with localknowledge and always keep

one eye on the water. Andremember, there are fewforces in nature as strong asthetide.Don’tgetcaughtout.

If you find yourself foragingaround large rocks by theseashore and the waves arefierce, watch them for a goodhalf hour before venturing intothe water. This should besufficienttimetotellyouwhichareas of the rocks are likely toget pounded by the waves.Avoid those areas, because

you’llgetpoundedtoo.

SEAWEED

Seaweed might look a bitdisgusting,butinfactit’soneof the best trail foods outthere. Generations of peoplehave used it all across theworld as a survival food. It’seasy and quick to gather andmostly safe to eat. Perhapsmore importantly, you can

preserve it to provide long-termnutrition.Someofitalsohappens to taste really great.What’snottolike?

The only poisonousseaweed is the Desmarestiaspecies, but this probablywon’t be a problem since itgenerallyonlyoccurs inverydeep waters – too deep forforaging–soyou’reunlikelytocomeacrossit.

Otherwise,seaweedsarea

fantastic source of mineralsand protein, and particularlyof iodine – an essentialmineral that occurs naturallyinhardlyanyotherfoodstuff.You could eat all seaweedsexcept Desmarestia in asurvival situation, but manyofthemareprizedasgourmettreats by different culturesaround the world and areeven cultivated for the pot.The good news is, you can

just pick itwild.You simplyneed to follow a fewguidelines:

1.Harvestyourseaweedfreshfromthewater. Don’t eat any dodgy, smellystuff that’sbeen lyingaroundon thebeachforawhileandavoidseaweedthatcomesfrompollutedwatersnearsewagepipes,harboursandports.

2.Carefullypickyourseaweedoverforsmallstonesandshellfish.Thenwashit thoroughly in fresh,purifiedwater(you’ll be amazed how much sandcomesoffit).

3. Some seaweeds are palatable raw,butifyou’reableto,you’llprobablywanttoboilitbeforeeatingit.

In the pages that follow,I’mgoingtotellyouwhichofthe seaweeds that you’relikely to find make goodeating. I’m also going toshow you how to dry yourseaweedinthewild,andhowto turn it into an amazing,portablesurvivalfood.

If you can, harvest yourseaweed by cutting no morethana third from the topof theplant.Thatway, theplanthasachancetogrowback.

Ifyouthinkyouarelikelytobeharvestingsomeseaweed,takeastringbagwithyou–otherwiseyou’ll find yourself carryingaround a lot of (heavy!) seawater.

Seaweed is fantastically good

foryou,butbeware:ifyoueatalot of it on an empty stomach,youmightsufferfromdiarrhoea–notfuninthewild…

SEALETTUCE(Ulvalactuca)Wheretofindit:worldwide.

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You’ve probably seen sealettuce any number of times.It looks like–youguessed it

– lettuce floating in the sea.Sea lettuce is a very intense,almost luminous green. It’sveryhighinprotein,fibreandiron.Youcan eat it rawas akind of ‘seaweed salad’ (aslong as you don’t mindchewing for a while), fry it,cut itup intosoupsor stews,toastitinadrypanoveryourcampfire, and air-dry it (seehere).

DULSE(Palmariapalmata)Where to find it: AtlanticandPacificcoastlines.

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This is another seaweed thatyou’ve probably seen ahundred times. It has a deepredcolourandspreadsout inbroadblades, likea tangleofwide, flat, red pasta. Dulsehas a very high proteincontent and contains all thetrace elements needed forhumansurvival.Arealsuper-food.Likethesealettuce,youcaneatitraw,butyou’llhave

to chew it even harder andlonger to make it digestible.In Iceland they eat it withbutter,butyoucanalsochopit up and add it to breaddough or campfire stews toadd flavour. It’s verycommonlydried,whenitwillbecomeverycrispandeasytoeat–agreat,nutritioussnackforwhenyou’reonthemove.

GUTWEED

(Ulvaintestinalis)Wheretofindit:worldwide.

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Horrible name, but anawesome wild food simplybecause it’s so common(although in Japan they alsocultivate it). It’s an amazingbrightgreencolourwithlong,tubular fronds, and on sunnydays the gutweed fills withoxygen produced duringphotosynthesis.Youcaneatitraw – it makes a great saladdressedwith a bit of oil andvinegar if you have them in

your pack. It’s also excellentdried and crushed: you canuse the resulting flakes toflavour your campfire food(they are particularly goodsprinkled on top of a wildpizza–seehere).

CARRAGHEEN(Chondruscrispus)Where to find it: mainly inthe North Atlantic, but hasbeenrecordedworldwide.

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Also known as Irish Moss.Believe it or not, you’veprobably eaten this before,

because carragheen extractshavebeenusedonamassivecommercial scale to thickenicecream.Youcanuseit forthesamepurposebydryingitthen grinding it to a powder,before reconstituting it withwater–likegelatine.Itstandsout from other greenseaweeds because of its verydistinctive colour, whichranges from red to darkpurple or brown. Out in the

field, you can also use it tothicken a soup or a stewsimplybyaddingalittledriedcarragheen to the pot andsimmering it for about 25minutes. It doesn’t have aparticularly strong taste, sodon’tworryaboutitaffectingtheflavourofyourcooking.

KELP(Laminariadigitata)Wheretofindit:worldwide.

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Another super-healthyseaweed, kelp is also super-sustainable – it can grow up

to half a metre a day, so ifyou harvest a little for yourbreakfast, chances are it willhave regenerated for yourdinner. It is dark brown incolour and has a smoothstructure that is difficult tobreak. Like the otherseaweeds,itdehydratesreallywell,butitcomesintoitsownifyoutakeithomeandturnitinto seaweed crisps. Makesureyourkelpisniceanddry,

then cut it into 4cm squaresand deep fry for a fewseconds in oil that hasreached 180°C. Drain onkitchenpaperandeatquickly.

LAVER(Porphyraumbilicalis)Where to find it: AtlanticandPacificcoastlines.

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If you’ve ever spent muchtime in Wales, you mighthave heard of laverbread,

which is cooked and puréedlaver. It’s also the seaweedthattheJapaneseusetomakenori.Laveritselfdoesn’tlookthatappetizing–almostlikeagooey membrane coveringlarge seashore rocks. Butthere’s nothing to stop youmaking laverbread in thewild.

LaverbreadRinseyourseaweedwell,put it

in a pot and cover itwith cold,fresh water. Bring to the boil,then simmer for a couple ofhours, stirring it regularly andmaking sure it doesn’t dry out.Add more water if necessary.When the laver is very soft,strain off any remaining liquidand mash it to a pulp using aspoonoracleanstick.Ifyou’vebrought oatmeal with you foryour morning porridge, trymaking a mixture of one thirdoatmeal and two thirdslaverbread. Roll it into littleballs and fry in some oil for afantasticbreakfast.

HowtodryyourseaweedAsyou’ve read, lots of theseseaweeds benefit from beingdried. It makes them super-portable in the field andmeans you can have both anutritioussnacktohandandafantastic wild flavouring toaddtoyourcooking.Butyoudo need to dry it carefully.Here’show.

1. Rinse your seaweed in a freshwatersource.Thisgetsridofsalt,sandand

any shells or stones that have stuckthemselves to the seaweed.Seehereforthelow-downonfreshwater,butbear in mind that you can do yourfirst few rinses directly in a stream,before doing the final one withpurifiedwater.

2.Make yourself a little washing line.Tie one end of some cordage to atree, the other end to a stake in theground,andhangyourseaweedonit.

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Alternatively,erectastraightbranchbetweentwotreeslikethis:

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3.Dappledshadeandalightbreezeonasunnydayarethebestconditionsinwhichtodryyourseaweed.Itshouldbe done in a couple of hours, but

make sure it’s fully dried within 12hours otherwise any remainingmoisture will make it start to gomildewy. Once it’s dried, store itsomewheredryanditshouldkeepforacoupleofyears.

SeaweedSoupSeaweedmakesagoodadditionto any vegetable or wild-greensoup you might be cookingupon your campfire. Since theleaves don’t break down likeothergreens,youprobablywanttochopitupbeforeaddingittothe pot. And you can make a

soup out of just seaweed itself.The easiest way to do it is totake about half a litre of fresh,purified water. Bring it to theboilandaddastockcube.Thenthrow in three handfuls ofwhateverfresh,cleanedseaweedyouhavetohand.Howlongyoucook your seaweed depends onwhat type you use and howthick and rubbery it is. Laverwill take a good 90 minutes,whereassealettucewillbedonein just a few minutes. You’reaiming to get it nice and soft,otherwise you’ll be doing a lotofchewing.

Ifyouhavesomedrieddulsewith you, rehydrate it in somefresh water, then boil it for 10minutes and chop it up veryfinely before adding it to yoursoup. It will give you a reallyrichtaste.

WildSushiRollsIcan’tpromisethatthisisgoingto look as perfect as the stuffyoufindinsushibars,butifyoucangetyourhandsonsomesealettuce, you can wrap it roundalmostanyotherfoodtomakeareally substantial and deliciouswild snack. Simply pile chunks

ofcookedmeatorfish ina leafofrinsedsealettuceandwrapitup.Chewybuttasty!

MOLLUSCS,CRUSTACEANS ANDOTHER SEASHOREGOODIES

Themainediblemolluscsthatyou’relikelytoencounterarethe bivalves: mussels,cockles,oystersandclams.Ifyou’ve ever come across a

musselbedatlowtide,you’llknow how incrediblyplentiful theycanbe–a reallife-saver in a survivalsituation.

You can, however, makeyourself very ill from eatingthesemolluscs.Bivalvesfiltergallons of sea water everyday and can harbour allmanner of bacteria, virusesand poisonous algae. We’retalking E. coli, Norovirus

(both of which willreacquaint you with yoursuppermuchsoonerthanyoumight expect) and thepotentially fatal paralyticshellfishpoisoning.Sobeforeyoustartcollectingthem,youneed to know how tominimizeyourrisk.

Thebestway toestablishif it’s safe to pick molluscsfrom a particular beach is toask a local. Of course, if

you’remilesfromcivilizationthatmightnotbepossible,sohere’swhatyouneedtodo.

1. Only harvest molluscs from cleanwaters.Avoidareasnearharboursorportsand,especially,sewageoutlets.Youdon’tneedmetotellyouwhy.

2. Pay attention to the old northernhemisphere saying that you shouldonlyharvestmolluscsifthere’sanRinthemonth(i.e.avoidthemonthsofMay to August – summertime).There’s a good reason for this.Poisonous algae flourish when thewatergetswarmer.Stick to foraging

molluscs in the winter and youshouldbefine(thisisespeciallytrueintropicalareas)–unless,ofcourse,you’reinagenuinesurvivalsituationand there’s no other food sourceavailable.

3. If a mussel, oyster or clam is openwhen you pick it, give it a tap. If itdoesn’t close up, it’s probablyalreadydeadandyoushouldn’teatit.Likewise,when you’ve cooked yourshellfish, discard any that haven’topenedup,forthesamereason.

4.Alwayscookmolluscs.Cookingkillsprettymuchall bacteria andviruses,whichmeansyouonlyhavetoworry

about poisonous algae. In a survivalsituation, forget about steaminglightly to make a creamy moulesmarinière. Boil or steam yourshellfishforagood5minutesbeforeeating.

MUSSELS

The most common, andprobably the tastiest, of themolluscs. They’re native toall oceans, but thrive best in

temperate waters.Unfortunately, they’reprobablytheworstcarriersofshellfish poisoning. Makesure you follow theguidelines above beforeeatingthem.

You’ll find mussel bedsin what’s known as theintertidalzoneof thebeach–the area between high tideand low tide – somake sureyou keep an eye on the tide

when you’re gathering them.You can’t miss them – vastsheets of shellfish spreadingout sometimes for hundredsof metres. The big ones arethe best, and are normallyfound nearer the low-tidemark.

Topreparemussels, rinsethemfirstinfreshwater.Youcan,ifyoulike,soakthemfor48hoursincleansaltwatertomakethemlessgritty,butthis

canbehard toachieve in thewild. Discard any that don’tclose when tapped, and pulloff their tiny ‘beards’ (toughlittle strands attached to theshell).Don’tworry toomuchabout scraping off thebarnacles, though. Put themussels in a potwith a littleboiling water, cover andsteamorboiloverahotflamefor at least 5minutes.Whenthey’re cooked, discard any

thataren’topened.

COCKLES

Cocklesarefoundallovertheworld.Theyaremuchsmallerthanmussels,butstillagoodsource of wild food becausethey occur in vast quantities.Likemussels,thesearefoundin the intertidal zone of thebeach, normally semi-buriedin the sand. You might findthat you need a small rake –oraclawedhand–touncoverthem.

Cockles can be full of

sand.Thebestwaytogetridof it is to let them soak in acontainer of clean sea waterfor a few hours, then cooktheminthesamewayasyoucookmussels.

CLAMS

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There are many differentspecies of clam, but they’re

all edible. Like cockles, theyhide under the sand in theintertidal zone. You can tellthey’rethere,though,bylittledimples (called siphonholes)inthesand.Uncoverthembyusing a rake (or your hands)andcook in thesamewayasmussels.

Weshouldn’tforgetaboutthe razor clam. You mighthave seen empty razor clamshells along the beach, long

and pearl-like. To get themwhenthey’restillfullofmeatyouhavetobeabitcunning.The presence of razor clamsis indicated by a hole in thesandshapedlikeakeyhole.Ifyou pour a little ordinarytable salt (perhaps you havesome inyour trail spicebox)into one of these holes, therazor clam will emergesuddenlyfromthesand.Grabit quickly, before it

disappears again. Pull gentlyandthewholeclamwillcomefree of the sand, with themeathangingbelowtheshell.Rinse the clams in cleanwater,thenboilfor5minutes.Best to avoid the blackstomach–asmall,distinctivesacattachedtothemainbodyoftheclam–whichcanmakeyou ill, but otherwise razorclamsaredelicious.

LIMPETS

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You’ll find these clinging

tightly to rocks at low tide.They’re very hard to remove–you’llcertainlyneedaknifeto wedge between the shellandtherocksoyoucanprisethemoff. (If they’renot hardto remove, that’s a bad signandyoushouldavoid them–though you’ll probably findthatthetidehaswashedawayanydeadorilllimpets.)Onceyou’ve got a decent harvest,boil them for at least 5

minutes, then cut them awayfrom their shells.You’ll findyou have the internal organsanda lumpoforange flesh–discard the organs, eat theflesh.Thatsaid,themethodIuse most is just to knockthem off the rock with thepommel of my knife thenroast them in the embers ofmyfire.Delicious!

OYSTERS

If you’ve found an oysterbed,you’vereallyluckedout.They not only taste good,they’re also large and

nutritious – an amazingsurvival-food find – and arefoundinalloceans.Justdon’tbe tempted to eat them raw,likeyoumightinarestaurant,unless you have no otheroption. Cook them well, justas you would mussels. (Thishas the advantage that youdon’t have to ‘shuck’ themopen when they’re still alive– very difficult without therighttool.Steamorboilthem

for5minutesandyoushouldfind they’ve opened bythemselves.)

All the molluscs above makegreat eating, but they’re alsovery good as fishing bait – seehereforthelow-down.

SEAURCHINS

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If you tread on a sea urchin,you’llknowaboutit.They’relike spherical porcupines,

withhundredsofsharpspines– very hard to get out oncethey’veembeddedthemselvesinyourskin.Therearelotsofdifferent kinds – someMediterraneanseaurchinsarepitch-black, whereas in theUK themost common edibleoneisbrickorangeincolour.You can find them amongseaweed and rocks in alloceans, where they feed onalgaeandsmallshellfish.

To catch a sea urchin,pierce it with a sharp stick,thenhackawaythesharptipsof its spineswith your knife.The only edible parts are thegonadsandtheeggs.Yougetatthembysplittingtheurchinin half with your knife andscraping away the sand andtheguts.Thegonadsaresoft,squishybrownsacs.Theideaof eating a sea urchin’sgonads might not be that

appetizing, but they’re veryhighinenergy.InJapantheyrinse them in water and eatthemraw.Youcouldtrythat,but if you can it’s probablysafer to boil or steam thembefore eating. (Some peoplecall sea-urchin gonads ‘seacaviar’. I can’t promise thatyou wouldn’t prefer realcaviar, but they’re a greatsurvivalfoodinanycase.)

BROWNCRABS

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Of all the crabs, the brown

crabwillprovideyouwiththemost meat when it’s of aproper size. Unfortunately,most of the big ones tend tohang out in very deepwater,but you’ll often find smallerspecimens in shallow watersor in rock pools at low tideand they make a great foodsource.

Large brown crabs dosometimes hide in little rockcaves, however, waiting for

thenexttidetocomein.Youcancoaxthemoutbyusingahook on a stick (one of theimprovised fishing hookshere would do the trick). Ifyou’re lucky, a hiding crabwill catch hold of the hook.Very gently pull the crabtowards the mouth of thecave.Whenyoucan,grabthetopofitsshellwithyourfreehand.

Cookyour browncrab in

boiling sea water (this ishumane, as it will kill itinstantly)forbetween15and25 minutes, depending howbigitis.Whenit’scooked,letitcoolthentwistoffitsclawsandlegs.Turnitupsidedownandpull away thebody fromthe shell. Remove the ‘deadmen’s fingers’ (grey spongybits), then scoop out thebrown meat from inside theshell. Cut open the body

lengthways and remove theediblewhitemeatfrominsideit.Nowcrackopentheclawsandlegs.Removeandeatthewhitemeattheycontain.

SEACUCUMBERS

Despite their name, seacucumbers are creatures notplants. They live on the seabedinalloceans,butyoucan

sometimes find themwashedupunderrocksorinthesand.They look like blackcucumbers covered in littlenodules,andtheygrowuptoabout 20cm. A great proteinsource–I’veeatenthemraw,which is pretty gross, but ifyou can, you should boilthem for 5 minutes beforesplitting them down themiddleandeatingtheinnards.If theydon’tmovewhenyou

touch them, or if they smellbad once cooked and splitopen,avoid.

OCTOPUS

Hard to catch, but thesemolluscs are found in alloceans and sometimesventure up to shore at night,

especially inwarmerpartsoftheworld,whenyoucanlurethemwithatorch.Ifyoufindone, spear it with a sharpstick then get it to shore asfastaspossible.

You can kill an octopusquickly by driving a knifebetween the eyes. You canalso efficiently kill one byturningitsheadinsideoutandpulling away the innards.(Thistakesabitofpractice–

tryitonasmallonefirst!)Octopus flesh is very

nutritious and you can eat itraw – but bewarned: I oncedidthisandthesuckersonitstentacles were still working,whichmeanttheystucktomylips and my throat as Iswallowed. Best to boil thebody till it’s cooked through,though the tentacles are alsopretty fine roasted over anopenfire.

If you’re foraging around thePacific and Indian Oceans,especially round the AustralianandTasmanian coasts, look outfor theblue-ringedoctopus. It’snot large – it only grows up toabout20cmin length–but it isverydistinctive.Whenresting,ithas a beige colour with brownpatches. But when it getsagitated, those patches turn abeautifully bright, vibrant blue.When that happens, get out ofthere. It’s very venomous, willbite if provoked and can easilykill a human. It has a bite thatcan puncture a wetsuit without

any difficulty and its venomcauses total motor paralysis.There’snoknownantidote.

SEABIRDS

Birds can congregate in vastnumbers by the seashore.Obviously they’ll flyaway ifyou get too close, but in asurvivalsituationit’spossibletocatch themmuchasyou’dcatch a fish – and it’s worthrememberingthatallbirdsare

edible. Attach a bit of bait(offal isgood) toahook tiedto a long piece of fishingtwine and lay it on a rock.Wait patiently: chances are abirdwilltrytoeatit.Whenitdoes,giveagoodhardtugtocatch the birdie. See here tolearn how to despatch yourbirdonceyou’vecaughtit.

Alternatively, if there arebirdsoverheadyoucanthrowabaitedhookupintheairfor

onetocatchwhileitisflying.(You might want to tie asmallstonetothelinesoyoucangetabitofheight.)

You’ll also find someother goodwaysof catching,killing and preparing birdshereandhere.

If thirst is a problem bythe sea in a genuine survivalsituation (and trust me, youdon’twanttodrinkseawater,no matter how tempting it

mightbe),thenyoucandrinkthebloodofabirdorturtletostaveoffdehydration.(Ifyouread my book True Grityou’ll find theamazing storyof Louis Zamperini, whostopped himself dying ofthirst by drinking albatrossblood when he was strandedatseafornearlyfiftydays…)

A REALLY COOL WAYTO COOK A WILD

FEASTBYTHEBEACH

Ifyou’vemanagedtoforageagood haul of seaweed andshellfish, and ifyou’reprettycertain that it’s all of goodquality, youcould try a clambake.These are verypopularin New England, wherethey’re reserved for specialoccasions. When you’rehungry in the wild, a feastlikethiswillreallyboostyour

morale.As well as your seafood

and seaweed, you’ll need apiece of canvas tarp thatyou’ve soaked well in seawater,someroundstonesandsome firewood. First off, diga fire pit on the beach (youmayneedtocheckthatyou’reallowed to do this first) andlayer the bottom with thestones.Light a fireon topofthestonesandletitburnfora

couple of hours until youhave a layer of good, hotembers over the stones.Carefully brush away theembers to the sideof thepit,then cover the stones with agoodlayerofseaweed,whichwill act as a protective layerand produce lots of steam.Add a layer of seafood (plusanyother food thatyouwantto cook – potato chunks,vegetables,bitsofmeat),then

more seaweed, and continuelayering until you reach thetop of the fire pit, finishingwithalayerofseaweed.Nowplace your wet tarp over thetop and leave for at least 2hours. The food will steamdeliciously in the pit andwhen it’s cooked you can,literally,digin.

The natural world is like abook: full of information forthosewhoknowhow to readit. Learning how to read thesigns of nature is just likelearning to read words. Youstart off with your ABCbefore moving on to morecomplicatedtexts.Andifyoukeep reading and keeplearning, over time you’llstart to see what few people

evergettoobserve.Inthehuntforwildfood,

one of the most importantchaptersinthebookofnatureis the one that tells you howtotrackwildanimals.I’mnotgoingtodressthisupforyou.Knowing how to stalk andtrackgamecanbeaharmlessand fun pursuit, but inextreme survival situations itis the prelude to somethingthatcan’tbetakenlightly:the

deathofananimal.I don’t want you to be

gung-hoaboutthis.Ifyoucansurvive by foraging wildplants or even insects, try todothatbeforeyouthinkaboutkilling animals. It’s not onlythatyou’llexpenda lotmoreenergy hunting game. Youshould only take an animal’slifeinthewildifyouhavenoother option. I don’t eat agreat deal of meat at home,

andItrytominimizeitinthewildtoo.

Having said that, theperson who can stalk andtrackwild animalswill oftencome off better in the fightfor survival than the personwho can’t. The flesh of allfurred mammals is edible,and the same goes for theflesh of all birds. (Althoughjust because it’s edible, itdoesn’t necessarily follow

that it’s tasty.) So the betteryou can learn how to ‘read’the wild before you findyourself in a survivalsituation, the greater yourchances of survival will beshould the time arrive whenyouhavenooptionbuttokillyour quarry for food ashumanelyaspossible.

What follows is theABCoftracking.We’llconcentratemostly on furred mammals

because these are thecreatures you’ll most likelybe tracking for food in asurvival situation. But onceyou’ve mastered this, I hopeyou’ll go on to learn a lotmore: trustme, this isoneofthose fields of study whereyou never stop learning.Perhaps one day you’llbecome like one of thoseawesome aboriginal scoutswho can track animals (and

humans!)overvastdistances,using signs on the landscapethatonlytheycansee…

ANIMALTRACKS

In the chapters that follow,you’re going to learn a lotabout how to trap, kill andcookwildanimals.Butbeforeyou do any of these things,you have to find them first.Knowing how to stalk and

track your prey byrecognizing how to followtheirtracksisoneofthemostimportant survival skills youcan learn – if you wantdinner, you’ll have to find itfirst.

Tracking takes real skill.Don’t imagine that you’regoing to find yourself in asurvival situation andsuddenly start seeing animaltracksallovertheplace.You

need to practise examiningthe terrain very closely, andoftenyou’llneedtolearnhowtopiecetogethertheevidenceof partial prints. In fact,unless you’re tracking ananimalthroughthesnow,wetground or damp sand, it’spretty unlikely you’ll evercomeacross fullprints.Havefun piecing all this togetherwhen you’re out on the trailandyou’ll be farmore likely

to have the skills to handwhenyoureallyneedthem.

Start learning how to spotanimal tracks when the groundis soft – finding tracks on hardgroundismuchmoredifficult.

SOME THINGS TOCONSIDERWHEN YOU’RETRACKING

Landscape

Think about what an animalneedstosurvive:food,shelterand water. The most likelyplaces to track wildlife arethosewherethereisplentyofmixedvegetationandenoughundergrowth for animals tohide and shelter in. Wideopen spaces or deep forestaren’tsogood.Yourbestbetis tohead towhatareknown

as ‘transition’ areas – whereone type of terrain meetsanother,suchasafieldandaforest, or a forest and astream. These areas are hosttoamixtureofvegetationandcover, and are thereforeattractive to a wide range ofanimals.

And while it’s true thatanimalswilloftenbeatapathto a water source, a stream,river or lake is not always

necessary: many herbivoresget thewater theyneed fromearly-morning dew or fromthevegetationthattheyeat.

PathsWhen an animal passesthrough high vegetation, itwill leave a path. Examinethis carefully: the vegetationwill be bent in the directionthe animal travelled.Sometimes, of course, these

are established paths anddon’tnecessarilyindicatethatananimalhasrecentlypassedby. But follow them anyway– there’s a good chance thatthey’ll lead to a den or aregular feeding or wateringarea, which are very goodplaces to stake out in yourhuntforwildfood.

Broken twigs on thegroundaheadareagoodsignthatananimalhaspassedthat

way. Examine the break inthe stick: if thewood is stillgreen and fresh, that’s astrong indication that theanimal has passed byrecently.

Learn the difference between arun and a trail.A trail iswheremanydifferentanimalsregularlypass. It will be wider, thesurrounding foliage will bemore beaten down and it willshow evidence of differentcreatures. A run is used by a

single animal. It’s smaller, lesseasy to see and will showevidence of only one creature.Huntingonatrailislikelytobemore fruitful than hunting on arun.

Pooandpee!Once you get your eye in,you’ll start seeing animalfaeces all over the place. Ifyoucanlearntorecognizethevery distinct types ofdroppings (or ‘scat’, as it is

often called) that differentanimals produce, you’rewellon your way to finding theanimal itself. You couldspend a lifetime learningabout animal scat, but themain thing to remember isthat the presence of poomeans an animal has beenthisway.Thefresherthepoo,themore recently the animalhaspassedby.

Herbivores have to eat a

lotmorefoodthancarnivoresto get the same amount ofenergy. This means theyproduce more faeces.Herbivore droppings (thinkrabbits, hares and deer) aregenerally small and round;carnivore droppings (thinkdogs, bears, foxes) moretube-shaped.

Be careful if you’reexamininganimalpoo. Itcanharbourgerms,sodon’ttouch

it.Evenwhenit’sdriedout,itcan give off a dust that cancarry and spread disease.Standupwind.

Animal pee is a slightlydifferent matter. There areexpert trackers in the worldwhoclaimtobeabletosmellitonthewind.That’saprettyadvancedskillset!Iprefertosticktohuntingforpoo.

Dens

The best place to find ananimal is at its home. Ifyou’ve spent any time in thewild – or simply been on afew country walks – you’llprobably have spotted holesin theground thatareclearlyanimal dens or warrens.However, you can’t just sitoutside an animal hole andexpect dinner to turn upautomatically.Animalsmovearound a lot, somany of the

holes that you’ll find willhavebeenlongabandoned.

Lookforthesigns–mostofthemarecommonsense.Ifthere’s a spider’s web overthe hole, for example, orvegetation growing over it,chancesarenothinghascomein and out of that hole for awhile. On the other hand, ifthereare freshfaecesnearby,or signs of feeding (teethmarks on vegetation, for

example), then you can befairlysurethereareanimals–andthereforefood–about.

You might be huntinganimals that don’t live indens. But they still have torest,andoftenleavemarksonthe landscape that showwherethey’vedonethis.Deerandhares, forexample,sleepon beds of thick vegetation,often in well-camouflagedareas. You can sometimes

find the imprint their bodieshavemade– a sure sign thatthe animal itself is probablyveryclose.

ThinklikeananimalIf you think that your quarrymight be in the vicinity, beaware that wild animals areverysensitivetosound,smellandmovement.Arabbitinitswarrenwillneveremergeifitcan hear your heavy human

footsteps on the groundabove.Walk quietly, and notwith flat feet – putting yourweight gently down on yourheel first is a quieter way towalk and also stops youstumbling.When it comes tomoving stealthily, I like tosay: sight it, place it, weightit. Move slowly, stopfrequently.Listenhard.Whenyou’re hunting, your ears areoften more important than

youreyes.

Dawn is the best time to hunt,because this is when mostanimals are out and about. Ifyoucan’tavoidhuntingatnight,set out before nightfall so youreyescangetusedtothedark.Beaware,though,thatatnightmostanimalswill be able to see youbetter thanyou’llbeabletoseethem.

Remember that youabsolutely stink to another

animal, so you have to beveryawareofthedirectioninwhich the wind is blowing.Moveagainstittoavoidyoursmell being immediatelycarriedtowardsyourprey.

If you’re waiting for ananimaltoappear,camouflageyourself well and remainabsolutely still. Rememberthat many animals spendmost of their time trying nottobe eatenbyother animals.

Any sudden, unexpectedmovement will scare themaway immediately. And ifyour quarry does see you,freeze. Often that will beenough to stop them beingspookedintoflight.

I’m now going to teach youhowtorecognizeafewbasictracks of certain mammalsthat you might find yourselfstalking for food.You’ll find

many of these animals, ortheir relatives, in temperate,tropical, desert and Arcticregions.Onceyou’ve learnedhow to start spotting these,youcanstartbuildingupyourownlibraryoftracks.

If you find an animaltrack, examine it carefully tosee how fresh it is – there’sno point trying to track ananimalthatpassedbyaweekago. A very clear track is

likely tobemore recent thanalessclearone.Ifithasbeenraining and there are noraindrops on the track itself,theanimalpassedbyaftertherain stopped. Similarly, ifthere’sdewallaroundbutnotonthetrack,itpassedbyafterthedewsettled.

Animal tracksareeasier tospotwhenyou’removinguphill.Andremember that an animalprobably won’t step straight

down,butheelfirst–thisaffectstheshapeoftheprint.

DOG

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No,I’mnotreallysuggestingthat you eat Fido (thoughplentyofpeople in theworlddo,andinasurvivalsituationyou’vegottodowhatyou’vegottodo.Infact,manyofthegreatAntarcticexplorerstookdogs with them as a foodsource), but knowing how torecognize a dog’s footprintcanhelpstopyoufollowingafalse trail, because you’lloftencomeacrosstheminthe

wild.

RABBIT

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Where you’ll find them:every continent exceptAntarctica; a serious pest inmany parts of the world,especiallyAustralia.

Easy to recognize becausetheirhindprintsmakeamuchdeeper impression in theterrain than their fore prints.Rabbits are found widely allovertheworld,mostlyliveinburrows and tend to use the

sametrails,whichgivesyouagood idea of where to huntforthem.

They’reoneoftheeasiestanimals to trap becausethey’re abundant and can betaken using a simple snare(seehere),butrememberthis:you can starve to death byeating just rabbit.Theirmeatlacks certain vitamins andminerals and so your bodywilluseitsownstoreofthese

to digest themeat.Youmusteat some vegetation alongwitharabbitdiet.

Myxomatosis is acommon disease amongstrabbits in certainpartsof theworld. Affected animals willhaveswollenglands,beslowand sometimes blind. Theylook off-putting, but are infactOKtoeat.Justmakesureyou skin them first (whichyou would do anyway) and

avoid the liver, which mighthavelittlewhitespotsonit.

HAREWhere you’ll find them:Europe and North America;theArctichareiscommoninthetundra,andthedesertharein desert and semi-desertenvironments.

If there are hares in thevicinity,youmightfindmore

than their paw prints – theyrest in the open air, so youmightalsofindanimpressionof their whole body. Likerabbits, they are common inmany parts of the world andfairly straightforward to trapin a simple or sprung snare(seehere).

SQUIRRELWhereyou’llfindthem:treesquirrels are found on all

continents except Antarctica;ground squirrels (also knownas marmots, prairie dogs orchipmunks, depending ontheir size) are also verycommonacrosstheworld.

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Squirrels are an abundantsource of wild food. Theirrear paws look a bit like ahuman hand with four

‘fingers’ and a ‘thumb’. Thefrontpawshaveonlythefourdigits.

DEERWhere you’ll find them:worldwide; in the Arctic,think reindeer (or caribou);other deer-like creaturesincludeantelopeandelk.

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Deer prints vary a littleaccording to their species.They all have cloven feet,which form two teardrop-

shapedhalves.Deerand their relatives–

antelope, gazelle, elk,reindeer and the like – arefound all over the world.They are incredibly shy, andwill run a mile if they seeyou,butdon’tbetrickedintothinking they won’t attack ifthey need to. And trust me:youdon’twant tobegougedbyadeerhorn.

They can be snared or

caught in deadfall traps (seehere),butastheyvaryinsizeyouwill have to set the sizeof your traps accordingly. Ifyoumanagetocatchadeerina survival situation, you’llrear fronthavemanydaysofgood-quality meat on yourhands, and it preserves verywell(seeChapter10).Havingsaidthat,they’reprettytoughtocatchandyou’regenerallybetter off going for small

gameifpossible.

SKUNKWhere you’ll find them:NorthandSouthAmerica.

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Skunk tracks have five toeprintsoneachfoot,andyou’llnormally see deep clawmarksinfrontofthetoes.Becarefulwhentrackingskunks.You probably already knowthis, but they spray a foulliquid from their anus whenthey’re threatened, and thesmellcan travel forat leastamile and will stay on yourclothes formonths. If it does

getonyourclothes,thesmellis brutal to have to walkaround with – I know fromexperience! Also, if you getthisskunksprayinyoureyes,it will hurt and temporarilyblind you. If that’s not badenough, skunks can carryrabies. If you snare one,approach itwithcaution, andget itkilledbeforeitcanbiteyou. Make sure you cook itverywelltodestroytherabies

virus.All in all, not the easiest

dinner you’ll ever catch.Oh,and the meat tastes prettydisgusting – although thatmight be because I still hadthe foul spray residue onmyhands after I caught it andthencookedit!

BEAVERWhere you’ll find them:Europe and North America;

occasionallyintheArctic.

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As aquatic creatures, beavershave webbed hind feet. You

might also sometimes see amark on the ground wheretheir tail has dragged behindthem.

They’reverygood toeat.The tail is especially meatyand nutritious. Look out fortheir dams and set up springsnares or deadfall trapsnearby (see here and here).You can locate their regularruns by looking for chewedtreesinthevicinity.

VOLEWhere you’ll find them:prettymucheverywhere!

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Volesareextremelycommonandmakeagoodmouthfulofproteinifyoucancatchthem.They are also a good‘indicator species’: lots ofother animals eat them, so ifyou see vole prints, chancesaretherewillbeotherspeciesinthevicinity.

In general, it’s a goodidea toget ridofanyqualmsyou might have about eatingsmall rodents. Mice and rats

occur almost everywhere –catch them in a bottle trap(see here) and you’ve gotyourself a great food sourceinasurvivalsituation.Justbecareful not to split their gutsopen, and make sure youcook the meat very well –rodents can carry diseasesthatareharmfultohumans.

FOXWhere you’ll find them:

widespread across thenorthern hemisphere; Arcticfox in Arctic regions; sandfoxindesertregions.

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Foxprintsareverysimilar todogprints,butnarrower, andthe claw marks are a littlelonger.

Foxesandotherwilddogswill smell you amile off, soit’s pointless trying to stalkthem. They can be caught indeadfalltraps(seehere)–butas with all animals, be verycareful if you approach aninjured one. A wounded foxwillbeaggressive;their teeth

aresharpasneedlesandtheycanbiteyouverybadly.

Fox meat is very tough,soifyoudoendupeatingit,you can tenderize it first bysoaking it overnight in saltwater.

WILDPIGWhere you’ll find them:EuropeandAsia.

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Wildpigscomeinallsortsofshapes and sizes and tend tolive in forested areas.Whereyou find one you’ll probablyfind more, because they live

in family groups. They’reeasier to stalkduring thedaythan at night, and they areoften very aggressive –especially if they’reguardingtheir young. Their tusks caninflict serious injury if theygoforyou,andtheyprobablywill if you wound but don’tkillthem.(I’vebeeninafewbattles with wild pigs beforeand you do not want to takethem on unless you are

trainedandyouhaveaback-up plan – otherwise you’llend up skewered by a tusk.)So choose the trap that ismost appropriate for the task– a pitfall trap (see here) orheavy-duty snare is best.Thenspearitfromadistance.

The upside of huntingwild pigs is that you get lotsof good-tasting, nutritiousmeat.

BEARWhere you’ll find them:North America, SouthAmerica,Europe,Asia.

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Bear hunting is common inmany parts of theworld, butgenerally only with liveammunition or extremelyhigh-tension professionalhuntingbows.It’spossibletocatchabearusingapitfallorspear trap, but this is a verydangerouswaytogetfood.Abear can easily kill a human,and a wounded bear will bevery aggressive. So althoughbearmeatisanexcellentfood

source, I’d want to beextremely sure there was noother food available before Iwentafterabearinasurvivalsituation. In short, chooseyourbattlescarefully–andifyou tackle abear andare ill-equipped,bepreparedtolose!

FINDING ANIMALS INTHEANTARCTIC

The Antarctic is perhaps the

most brutal environment onour planet, and the leastconducive to life. Thetemperatures are consistentlysub-zeroandit’stechnicallyadesert because the rainfalllevelsaresolow.Thefurtheryou head towards the SouthPole, the harder it is tosurvive – not only for you,but for the animalsonwhichyoumight otherwise rely forfood.

However, where the seameetstheland,conditionsarea tiny bit friendlier. If youfind yourself in a survivalsituation in these regions,you’ll have to do what thegreat Antarctic explorers ofthe early twentieth centurydid, and rely on thecontinent’stwomajorsourcesof food. These are seals andpenguins. (It’s worthrememberingthatthisiswhat

kept Shackleton and hismenalive after they’d eaten theirdogs–and theirswasamongthe greatest survival storiesever.)

YoucanfindsealsintheArcticas well as the Antarctic. Arcticseals,however,areamajorfoodsource for polar bears. Whereyoufindone,youoftenfindtheother. And it’s not unheard offor polar bears to kill sealhunters.

SEALSDon’t be fooled by aseemingly recumbent seal.Large specimens can beaggressive: they can rear upand attack you. In a survivalsituation, your best bet is togoaftersealpups.Theycan’tswim and can easily bedespatched by a sturdy clubonthehead.(Manyarekilledlikethisbysealhunters–youmight have seen the tragic

footage of this brutal over-hunting, so you really mustonly consider this to be anoption in a genuine survivalsituation.) Alternatively, youcanfindasealholeintheiceand wait for an adultspecimen to come up for airbeforespearing it–but it’sahard way to catch yoursupper, requiring plenty ofpatience (and ifyou’ve spenta long time without food,

time might not be on yourside).

There’salotofgoodmeaton a seal – make sure youcookitfirst,though,asitcanharbour a nasty parasiticworm that causes trichinosis.Don’t eat the liver – incommon with polar bears(which I don’t recommendyouthinkofasafoodsource,becausethey’reuptherewithcrocs as one of the most

dangerous animals in theworld) it contains a toxiclevelofVitaminA.Thereisalot of blubber on a seal, too,which you might at first betempted to eat for thecalories.Butbecareful:yourbodywillneeda lotofwaterto process that fat. You canalso render the fat down touseasfuel.

Becarefulhandlingsealmeatif

you’vegotcutsonyourfingers:it can result in a painful anddebilitating infection called‘spekk finger’. Nobody quiteknowswhatcausesit,butifyouget spekk finger you’ll needantibiotics if youwant to avoidaverynastyillness.

PENGUINSPenguinsarelegallyprotectedunder theAntarctic treaty, sothese are another animal youcould only ever consider

taking under extremeconditions. Another toughone to catch, because theytend to head immediately forthewateriftheyseeanysignofdanger.However, theyaremore likely to stay putwhenthey’renesting.

In the previous section, welearned that if animals geteventheslightesthintofyourpresence, they’ll be scaredoff.Sologically,thebestwayto lure them out is not to bethereinthefirstplace.That’swhere snares and traps comein. They can be used in anyenvironment and, as always,theycanbeimprovisedusingmaterials you can gather in

thefield.We know that for

thousands of years ourancestors used snares andtrapsverymuchliketheonesI’mgoing to showyou.Thatinitselftellsushoweffectivethey are. Our ancestors weremeat-eating hunter-gatherers.They lived at a time beforemodern farming methodsmadeiteasiertoharvestyourown meat, and before guns

were available to shootanimals from a distance.Snares and traps, along withsomeofthekillingdevicesinChapter 8, were really theironly option. And so, if theyweregoingtoget theirhandson the protein that theyrequired, they had to perfecttheir snares and traps to thepointofmaximumefficiency.

It is because of thisefficiency that a knowledge

of these snares and trapsgives you a big advantage ina survival situation.Trackingand hunting can be veryexhausting, especially whenfood–andthereforeenergy–isscarce.Ensnaringyourpreyis a lot less labour-intensive,because you simply set thesnare and then get on withyour other tasks, whichmeans you’re not burningprecious calories ‘hunting’.

Moreover,ifyou’veeverseena rabbit, deer, fox orkangaroo running, you’llknowthatchasingafteritisafool’s errand. If youwant tocatch it, you’ll have to thinklike our ancestors did: a bitsmarter.

A few things to bear inmind:

1.Arandomlyplacedsnarewon’tcatchanything.You need to establish thatyouareinanareawhereanimalspass

through. To do this, you need to beproficient in recognizing runs andtrails, identifying tracks anddroppings,spottingchewedorrubbedvegetation,nestingsitesandwateringareas.SeeChapter6forguidance.

2. With a couple of exceptions, thesnares and traps I’m going to showyou are best for catching smallanimals. There’s really no pointsetting up a pencil snare to catch adeer,or abottle trap to catchawildpig.

3. Most animals will avoid a smallsnareplacedonawide trail.They’lljustwalk round it.Youcan increase

your chanceof successbymaking achannel,usingbranchesorfoliageoneither side of the trail, to ‘funnel’yourprey towards the snare.Unabletoturnleftorright,mostanimalswillcontinue towards the trap (theycertainlytendnottowalkbackwardsout of the channel, as they prefer toface the direction in which they’retravelling). Alternatively, you canuse the multi-noose spring snarehere.

4.Inasurvivalsituation,youshouldtryto set as many snares as possible –sometimes you need a large numberjust tocatchoneanimal.Remember:survivalisallaboutplayingtheodds

to your advantage. I always set atleastsixifIwanttocatchanything.

5. Remember what we said in theprevious section about animalshaving an excellent sense of smell.Trynottousefreshtwigsorbranchesfor your snares (they smell differentand unusual, and animals mightavoid them). If you handle yoursnarestoomuchbeforesettingthem,yourquarrywill smellyouon them.So cake your hands inmud first, inorder to mask your smell. (OurcombatsurvivalinstructorintheSAStaughtmethisandIhappilygotstuckin–Ineverneededanyencouragingtogetmuddy!)Alternatively,holding

your snareover smoke fromawoodfire is another good way of gettingrid of your stench. (Animals willavoid fires, but they’re generallyusedtothesmellofwoodsmoke.)

Best of all, if you have anypreviouskillsyoucansmearthecontentsofthegalland/orurinebladder over the snare. Justdon’tuseyourownurine– it’llmakeanimalsrunamile!

The same goes for anymaterial you use to channel atrail.

Therearecertainsmellsthatwill positively attract wildanimals. You can buy oils of

aniseed and rhodium for thispurpose. A few drops smearedover your snarewillmask yourscent and be a beacon to yourprey.

6. Camouflage your traps as best youcan. Animals aren’t stupid. If theysee something unfamiliar, they’llavoid it. Try to make your snaresblend in with their environment bycovering them with light twigs orleaves(butmakesurethecamouflagedoesn’tstopthemworkingproperly).

7.Yoursnaresmustbestrong.Acaughtanimalwillfightlikemadtogetfree,and any weakness in your

constructionwillbeexposed.

8. You must check your snaresregularly.Notonlyisanun-settrapawasted opportunity in a survivalsituation, but you need to rememberthat you’renot theonly creatureoutthere who might want to eat yourcatch.Andifyouranimalisnotdeadin the trap, there’s a substantial riskof itbreakingfree.Finally, ifyou’regoingtocatchandkillananimal,youwantitsdeathtobeasfastandpain-freeaspossible–nottomentionthatadeadanimalwillstarttodecomposevery quickly, especially in warmconditions.

9. Ifyourensnaredanimal isnotdead,approach it with great care. It willfight for its life and can bedangerous, even though itmight notseem it. Remember that an infectedbite from a tiny rodent can kill yououtinthewild…

WARNINGMany of these snares and trapsmay be illegal – it depends onwhere you are. Always behavelawfullyandonlyeverusethemin a genuine and extremesurvivalsituation.Alwaysmake

sure that you collect ordismantle any unused trapsbefore you leave the vicinity.This stops them causing anyunnecessary harm to wildanimals who might get caughtlongafteryou’vesplitthescene,andinsomeinstances,asyou’llsee, the traps can be dangeroustounsuspectinghumanstoo.

BAITING

Most of the snares and trapsI’mgoingtoshowyoucanbe

used without bait. However,if you can bait them, it willcertainly make them moreeffective.

When considering whatbaittouse,youshouldtakeafewthingsintoconsideration.First, take a lookaroundyouand see what food sourcealready exists in abundance.Don’tuse that–you’llneverbait a rabbit with a piece ofcabbage in the middle of a

cabbagefield!Now think about what

kind of animal you’re tryingto trap. If it lives in a tree,youneedtobaititwithsomekind of fruit. If it’s acarnivore,youneedmeat.Ifitdigs in the earth, you shouldbaititwithrootsorinsects.Ifitgrazes,youneedgreenery.

You could also try atechnique known as ‘testbaiting’. Before sundown,

find yourself an area of flat,dusty earth and drive a fewstakes, each 30–40cm inlength, into the ground. Toeach stake, attach some bait.Use lots of different kindsandmakeanoteofwhatbaityou’ve put where. Go backthe followingmorning to seewhichitemshavebeentaken.Check for tracks in thedustyground. Thiswill give you agoodideaofwhatanimalsare

in the area, and you can setyour traps and baitaccordingly.

HOW TO MAKE ANOOSE

Many of the snares belowrelyonasimplenoose,whichisveryeasytotie.Wireisthebest choice formostof thesesnares, because you cansupport it in different

positionswithout it losing itsshape.Soit’sagoodthingtocarryinyoursurvivalpack.

If you are using wire,makeasmallloopatoneendby twisting the end severaltimesarounditself.Thenfeedthefreeendbackthroughthisloop (a great tip is toremember that if you do thistwice, then the loop won’tslacken off once it’s tightlydrawn).

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If you are using string orother cordage, first make aslip knot at the end of thestring,likethis.

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Now feed the end of thestringbackthroughtheloop.

SNARESANDTRAPS

I categorize snares and trapsinto four types: they eitherstrangle, dangle, tangle ormangle. These sound brutal,but that’s what survival cancome down to. Ultimately,

these snares and traps areonly limited by the scope ofyour imagination and use ofthe terrain and resourcesaround you. Think smart,feed well and you willsurvive!

SIMPLE SNARE(STRANGLE)Thebasicideaofasnareistocreate a noose that tightenswhen an animal steps into it.

If your quarry knows it’sbeing trapped, it willprobably wriggle and try toescape. A good snare,therefore, will grow tighterthe more the animal kicks.This won’t usually kill theanimal – that will be up toyouwhenyoufindit.

If the noose is made ofcordage,there’sachancethatitmay loosenenough for theanimal to escape. Wire is

thereforethebestchoiceforasimplesnarelikethisone(it’salso a lot harder for apanicked animal to chewthrough wire than throughrope).

This snare is simply apieceofwirewithalooptiedat one end and the wholething fashioned into a noose.If a small animal catches itslegorneck in itandstarts towriggle to escape, the noose

willtighten.You can place a noose

like this directly over themouthofananimalhole(seehere for how to check if theanimalhole is inuseornot).Make sure one end of thesnare is firmly tightened to astakeortreetrunk.

Alternatively, you canplace thissnareonananimalrun.Inwhichcase,support itoffthegroundusingacouple

of small twigs. Make surethat the noose is a good 20–30 cm away from whateveryou’ve fixed it to, otherwiseyour prey will tend to avoidit.

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SPRING SNARE(DANGLE)If you are in an area wherethere are lots of small,

springy saplings emergingfrom the ground, you canadapt the simple snare hereby setting it under tension.(Alternatively, you can use alow overhanging branch thatcanbeeasilypulleddownbutwill snap back up whenreleased.Thisisaveryusefultrick to have up your sleeve.A spring snare raises yourpreyupoffthegroundwhereit is (a) less likely to escape

and (b) out of the reach ofotherpredators.

To make a spring snare,select a site where a springysapling is close to an animalrun. Remove the sapling’sbranches and cut off the top.Now find yourself a sturdystake that you can drive intothe ground just below thepoint where the sapling willreachwhenyoubenditby90degrees. Cut a notch in the

stake. Use your knife tofashionahookoutofapieceofwood.Tie it to a piece ofcordage,thenattachtheotherend of the cord to the top ofthe sapling.Bend the saplingover, and engage the hookinto the notch in your stake,as shown in the picturebelow.

Nowattachasimplesnareto the hook and set it raisedfromthegroundbytwosmall

twigs. The idea is that whenyour prey becomes ensnaredand starts to wriggle, themovement will cause thehook to become disengaged.The sapling will straightenup, a b pulling your prey upfrom the ground and leavingitdanglingintheair.

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Onceyouget thehangof

the spring snare, you canincrease your chances of acatchbybaitingit.Todothis,youneed to tieanotherpieceof cordage to a small stakethat you insert only lightlyinto the ground (because ithas to fly up againwhen thesnare is sprung).Tie the freeend of your cordage to thehookandfityourbaitsothatit is just above the noose ofthe snare. This is a

particularly effective way ofcatching rabbits – a bit ofapple is good as bait, as aresome rabbit droppings (theytend to attract other rabbits).Youcouldalsousethisbaitedspring snare to catch a fox –any bit of old meat willattract them, the smellier thebetter.

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TREESNARE(TANGLE)This is a particularly goodwayofcatchingsquirrelsandother tree-climbing animals.Itworkson theprinciple thatthese creatures will alwaystake the easiest route up atree. Many small trees leanone way or another. If youexamine the bark on theupper side of the lean, youmight find scratches wheresmall animals have climbed

up the trunk.A tree like thatwould be a very goodcandidateforatreesnare.

Your first job is to findapole that you can lean upagainstthetree.Youraveragesquirrelwillbemorelikelytouse this pole because it’s asimpler method of gettingwhere he wants to go. Nowtiesomesimplesnares–wireis best, because it holds itsshape better, but the nooses

only need to be about 2.5–5cm in diameter to catchsquirrels – along the pole inthe path of the animal. Themoresnaresyouputalongthepole,thehigherthechanceofyourpreybecomingtangled.

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LOGFALL TRAP(MANGLE)A logfall trap uses heavyweights to crush your prey.You need to be extra carefulsetting a trap like this – thelogsdon’tcareiftheyfallonanimals or humans, and theycan do just as much damagetoboth!Thisisprobablybestif there are two or more of

you to help in itsconstruction.

Firstofall,findyourselfaseriesof long, straight logs–the heavier the better (ifthey’re not heavy, you cancover the trap with stones).Bind them together as ifyou’re making a raft, withtwologssetatrightanglesatthe top and bottom forsupport.

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You now need to makewhat’s called a ‘figure 4’trigger – this is hard todescribe, but the picture on

the right should show youhowitworks.Itisdesignedtohold the trap up, but tocollapse when an animalcomes along cross section ofpole and wire and takes thebait–whichyoushouldspearon to the free end of thehorizontalpartofthefour.

PITFALL TRAP(MANGLE)The idea of a pitfall trap is

very simple. You dig a holedeep enough to catch yourtarget prey – make sure it’sdirectly in the middle of atrailthatyouknowtheanimalislikelytowalkalong–thencover it with a network ofbranches and dried leaves ormoss.Tomakeitmorelethal,youcanadda‘punjistick’tothe bottom – a sharpenedstick,pointingupwards.

I’ll be honest with you:

pitfall traps have a lot ofdownsides. You’ll have toexpend a huge amount ofenergy digging the pit in thefirst place, and most gamewill tend to avoid theunfamiliargroundthatyou’representingthemwithanyway.But it’s a good trick to haveup your sleeve if you’ve gotno other way of catchingfood. Just use your commonsense – never leave pitfall

trapscoveredwhenyouleavethe area. Even better, fillthem back in again whenyou’redone.

DROWNING SNARE(TANGLE)If you’re hunting near deepwater with a steep bank, adrowningsnarecouldbeyourbest bet. It’s good because itnotonlycatchestheanimal,italso despatches it quickly by

drowning.Ifthewateriscold,it will keep the carcassfresher for longer, and itwillbesafefromscavengers.

To make a drowningsnare, tie the loose end ofyoursnaretoalargeboulder.Withaseparate,longpieceofcordage or wire, tie a short,stubby stick to the noose.Placethesnarenearthewaterwhere you think an animalwill come to drink, and

balance the rock on the edgeofthesteepbank.Whenyourprey becomes entangled, therock will fall into the water(assuming it’s balanced veryprecariouslyandtheanimalislarge enough), taking theanimalwith it.Thestickwillact as a float to tell youwhereabouts under the wateryourdinneris.

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BOTTLETRAPThis is a good trap for

catching small rodents,particularly mice and voles.It’s called the bottle trapbecause you have to make aholeintheground,about30–40cmdeep,thesameshapeasabottle–wideratthebottomthan at the top. Place a flatstoneor apieceofbarkoverit, with a couple of smallstonestokeepthelargerstoneorbark2–3cmofftheground.Miceorvoleswillfindthisan

attractive place to hide fromother predators, but whenthey fall into the hole theywon’t be able to escapebecauseofitsshape.

Be warned: in the rightterrain, a bottle-trap holemight also attract snakes.Don’t go sticking your handinthereunlessyou’resureit’ssafe.

TRAPPINGBIRDS

Here you’ll see a techniquefor catching sea birds. Thisworks for land birds too, butthere are a number of othermethods you can employ forcatching this abundant foodsource. In fact, birds canoften be easier to catch thanmammals, and it’s worthremembering that all speciesof bird are edible (thoughthey don’t all taste good –vulture meat is particularly

foul).

Again, remember that theseareonlyevertobeusedinagenuinesurvivalsituation.

OJIBWABIRDPOLEThis is a very ancient,primitivetrappingdevice.Buteffective. It works in wide,open spaces, using theprinciple that birds willnaturally seek a perch on

whichtoland.Iftherearenonatural perches nearby,they’ll go for the one withwhichyouprovidethem.

First,findastraightpoleacoupleofmetreslong.Stripitof any branches or foliage,thenuseyourknifetomakeasharppointatoneend.Drillasmall hole in the other end(thepointofaknifecanworkfor this, ifyoudon’thaveanawl in your pack). Drive the

sharp end into the grounduntilit’ssecure.

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Now find a stick, about

10–15cm long, that willloosely fit into thehole.Thiswillbeyourperch.Don’tputitinplacejustyet.

Tie a rock to a piece ofthin cordage.The rockneedsto be about the same weightas the bird you’re going tocatch (if it’s too heavy, yoursnare will just cut the bird’sfeet off). Thread the looseend through the hole, thenmake a simple knot so that

it’snexttotheholewhentherockisliftedfromtheground.

Insert the stick into thehole so that the knot you’vemade holds it loosely inposition.

Now make a noose withthe loose end of the cord.Drape it over the perch asshown.

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Whenabird landson theperch, itwilldislodge it.Therock will fall and the noosewill tightenaround thebird’s

feet.

BIRDNET(TANGLE)Ifyouobservebirdscarefully,and over a decent amount oftime, you’ll find that theyhave certain ‘flyways’ thattheyalwaysuse.Whenyou’rehunting them in a survivalsituation, you can use this toyouradvantage.Ifyouhaveanet and stretch it across theflyway,someofthebirdswill

hit it and become entangled.In many ways, this is theavianequivalentofgillnetting(seehere).It’sveryeffective,so don’t keep up the net anylongerthanyouhaveto.

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STALKINGFRESHWATERBIRDS

Ifyou’renearapond,lakeorriverwherebirdshavesettled,itispossibletocatchthembyhand. You just need to getclose enough, and to do thisyou need to camouflageyourself. Strap reeds, foliageor whatever local vegetationyou can find around yourhead.Thengetintothewaterand slowly approach yourprey,movingwiththecurrentif there isone,andwithonly

yourcamouflagedheadabovethewater.Ifabirdallowsyouto get close enough, grab itsfeet and pull it downunderneath the water, thenbreak its neck while it issubmerged. But be careful:birds can become veryaggressive when they’reunder attack, and some ofthemaresurprisinglystrong.

The snares and traps thatyou saw in the previoussectionareallexcellentwaysof catching small game andbirds when you require foodin a survival situation. Butsometimesyouneedtotakeamore hands-on approach. If,for example, you know thereare wild pigs or deer in thevicinity, and your snares ortrapsaren’tworkingforthese

largergameanimals, itmightbethatyouhavetostalkthemand do the dirty workyourselfifyou’regoingtoeatand survive. To do this,you’re going to need aweapon of some kind. Herearesomeideas.

KNIFE

InNorwaytheysay:‘Aknife-less man is a life-less man.’

That’showmuch importancetraditionalNorwegianhuntersplaceonhavingagoodbladewiththematalltimes.Ifyoucould only take one thingwithyouintothewild,you’dhave to give seriousconsideration to making thatonethingagood,sharpknife.In the field of wild foodsurvival,it’scrucial.

You’ll need a knife tomake many of the devices

listed in this chapter – and itis,ofcourse,akillingdeviceallon itsown.You’llwantaknife to harvest and preparewildplantsorpreparefreshlycaught fish. In thepages thatfollow, you’ll see that it’scrucialforpreparinganywildgamethatyou’vemanagedtosnare,catchandkill.

I wouldn’t ever ventureout into the wild without agoodknife.Andinasurvival

situation, your chances ofmakingitaresomuchgreaterifyouhaveone.

In addition, I once heardanoldhuntsmansaythat‘oneknife is no knife and twoknivesareone’.Whichmeansthatitisalwaysbesttohaveaback-up in case a bladebreaks or you lose yourprimary knife. It really justreinforces howmuch a knifecan do to help you survive

and hunt in the wild. Soprepare well and don’tcompromise on a good blade…ortwo.

Hereareafewthingsyouneed to consider when youchooseaknife.

TangThe ‘tang’ of a blade is howmuch of the metal extendsinto the handle.A ‘full tang’blade is the best: the metal

extends all the way throughthehandle,whichmakesforamuch stronger and saferknife.

HandleYou need a good, solidhandle(ifit’shollow,it’snota full-tang knife). It needs agood grip and to feelcomfortableinthehand.

Metal

Your options are stainlesssteelorcarbonsteel.Stainlesssteelisalotmoreruggedandwon’t rust, but takes a bitmore sharpening. Carbonsteel is easier to sharpen,butwilltendtorustveryeasily.

BladeshapeSmooth or serrated? Asmooth blade is much easierto sharpen and will achievepretty much everything you

need it to do in this book.Aserratedbladewill allowyoutosawthroughtougheritems.A good compromise is amainly smooth blade with asmall serrated area near thehandle.Think, too, about thesizeofyourblade:averybigblademightseemlikeagoodidea,butit’smoredifficulttocarryandcanbecumbersometouse.

SheathReally important. It servestwopurposes:itprotectsyou,and the people around you,fromtheblade,anditprotectsthe blade from the elements.If you’re not using yourknife, you must alwayssheathe it and stow it awaycarefully.

TheBGGerberUltimateProKnife that I have designed

specificallyforsurvivalhasafull-tang fixed blade, 12.2cm(4.8 inches) in length. Theblade is made from high-quality stainless steel. Thehandle is shaped to fitcomfortably in the palm andisrubberizedforagoodgrip.It comeswith a good, sturdysheath from which the bladewon’t accidentally escape,andithasabuilt-insharpenerthat can make a critical

differenceinthewild.Butthetruthisthatanyblade,aslongas it is full tang, will do thetrick.Aknifeisonlyasgoodasitsoperator.Ichoosetousea blade that I have designedandthatIknowdeliverswhenI need it to. But you candecide for yourself, and weallhavefavourites.

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It doesn’t matter howgood your knife is if it’sblunt. A blunt knife will

mean you botch the job ofkilling a small animal, or ofskinning and gutting yourquarry.Inasurvivalsituationyoucan’taffordtodothat.Itis also true that abluntknifeis more dangerous than arazor-sharp one, as you thenhave to press much harder.Hencethechancesofabladeslipping or jumpinguncontrollably in your hand(or even worse, near the

artery running down theinside of your leg, whichpeople often use to supportwhatever they’re cutting) aremuchincreased.Averysharpknife, on the other hand, canbe handled gently withminimum force or strain soany slippage is unlikely.People are often surprisedwhen I tell them to sharpentheir blade for maximumsafety!

So, always make sureyour knife is sharp beforesettingoutintothewild–youcan find full instructions onhow to do this in my bookLiving Wild. If you findyourself in the field with abluntbladeandnosharpeningequipment, you can make apretty good job of it bysharpeningthebladeagainstasmooth, flat stone –preferablywet,soastoneina

riverbedorstreamisgood.Ifyou’re right-handed,hold thehandleinyourrighthandandplace the fingertips of yourleft hand against the blade.Make an angle of about 10degrees between the knifeand the stone. Press slightly,then sharpen by pushingaway from you in a slightclockwise motion. Now flipthe knife and do the otherside, but this time sharpen in

ananticlockwisemotion.

BOWANDARROW

Whenit’swellmade,thebowand arrow is one of theultimate hunting devices. Ithas advantages even over agun, because it’s quiet, lightandcaneasilybeconstructedfrom scratch. Indigenouspeoplehavebeenusingbowsand arrows for thousands of

yearsbecausetheyallowyouto stalk your prey at adistance and then despatchthem – or at least woundthem – with a very sharp,very fast, very silentprojectile.Ifit’sgoodenoughforthem,it’sgoodenoughforus.

Making a bow is an artform. Master bow-makersspend years perfecting it andmany months making each

bow.Obviously,whenyou’rehungry and out in the fieldyou don’t have that luxury.So what follows areinstructionsonhowtomakeaserviceable bow and arrowforuseinasurvivalsituation.

Be warned that in manypartsoftheworld(includingtheUK)huntingwithabowis illegal, and with goodreason. Inexpertly handled,

one of these things couldeasilykillmore than justananimal.

BOWTomakeyourbow,youneedto find a long, straight pole,just over a metre in length.(The longer the pole – or‘stave’ – the more difficultthe bow is to handle.) Youcanmakeabowoutofprettymuchanykindofwood.The

bestisyew,butthat’sraresoyou should just do the bestwith what you have.Whateverwoodyouuse,youshould try todo three things.The first is to remove thebark. The second is to taperthetwoendstomakeitmorepliable when you pull backthe bowstring (see picture –theendsshouldbeabout1.5–2cm in thickness, the centreabout 2.5–3cm). The third is

todryitoutalittlebyplacingitoveryourfire,nottoocloseto the flame: if you canreduce the moisture contentof your bow, it will lastlonger.

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Nowyouneedtocutlittlenotches at both ends of the

bow, as shown. This willenable you to tie yourbowstringwithoutitslipping.

You’ll need a length ofstringornaturalcordage(seeAppendix A) for yourbowstring. Tie it round thenotches of your bow so thatthere is only the slightestamount of tension in thestring.

Now it’s time to thinkaboutyourarrows.

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ARROWThere are three componentsto consider: the shaft, thearrowheadandthefeathering.

To make the shaft, youneed long, straight branchesabout7.5mmindiameter.It’s

quite hard to find ones thatare totally straight, but try toensure they don’t have anynoticeable kinks; the bestplace to look is in denseforest where branches arestrugglinguptowardsthesun.Cutthebrancheslong–about60–70cm – because you canalways trim them down laterif you need to. Now removethe bark and dry them overyour fire as youdidwith the

bow.Themoremoisture youcanexpel,thestiffertheywillbeandthebetterthey’llfly.Ifthere are any slight bends inthewood, you can straightenthem out by bending themback over the fire for 15–20seconds. Now cut a notch atone end – thiswill bewhereyourbowstringslotsin.

For the arrow to be aneffectiveweapon,itwillneeda point. You can do this by

whittling one end away withyour knife until it’s razorsharp,thenhardeningitoffinthe fire. But as a killingdevice, it will be deadlierwithahardertip.I’vebeeninplaces where I’ve foundancient arrow tips on theground, left over from thedayswhenindigenouspeopleusedbowsandarrowsastheirprincipal hunting weapons.But most of the time you’ll

have to fashion themyourself. The usualmaterialsformakingarrowheadsinthefield are flint andbone.Flintcanbechippedawaytomakea sharp point; likewise, bonecanbegroundagainstaroughstone.

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Once you have yourarrowhead,youneed to fix itto the shaft. A good way ofdoing this is to split the end

of the shaft, force thearrowhead into the split andthen bind it tightly withcordage.

If you want to make thearrowheadevenmore secure,andyouhavethetimeandthematerials to hand, you canmake pine-pitch glue. To dothis,youneedtoextractsomesapfromapine–oranyotherconiferoustree–byhackingasmall wound into the tree

about ametre from the base.Peel away thebark and strapacollectingvessel justbelowthe wound. The sap shouldtrickle in. Now take a bit of(cold) charcoal froma recentfire and grind it to a powderbetween a couple of rocks.Light yourself a small fireand warm the pine resinthrough, before adding somecrushed charcoal (1 partcharcoal to 5 parts resin).

Now, heat your arrowheadoverthefireandsmearitwithyour pine-pitch glue, beforefitting it to the shaft andproceedingasabove.

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Finally, you can improve

the accuracy of your arrowsby feathering, or ‘fletching’,them. Collect some decent-sized feathers – the sturdierthe better. Use your knife tosplit them in half along thelength of the quill. Ideally,you’ll need three of thesehalf-feathers, which youshould tie to the end of yourarrow so they are evenlyspaced at angles of 120degrees.

USING YOUR BOW ANDARROWWhateveryoudo,don’ttrytouseyournewweaponfor thefirst timewhen awild pig isadvancing. You need topractisewithitfirst.

Fitthenotchattheendofthe arrow into thebowstring.Extend your bow hand fully(if you’re right-handed, thiswill be your left hand, andvice versa), with your hand

just below the tip of thearrow. Now pull back thestring as hard as you can.Keep the tip of the arrow ateyelevelandaimcarefullyatyourtarget.Tofire,simplyletgowithyourarrowhand.

Whenusingyourbowandarrow for hunting, you needtogetinasclosetoyourpreyas possible. Aim just behindthe top of the front legs,where its vital organs are.

This gives you the bestchance of success. Even ifyoumisstheactualheart,youwillpunctureeitherthelungsoranarteryandthiswillsoonkill the animal. Arrows willcut through both arteries andveins, resulting in massivehaemorrhaging.Inadditiontosevere bleeding, arrowspassing through both lungscause the lungs to collapse,leading to rapid death due to

suffocation.If youwound the animal,

itwillprobablytrytorun.Butit will be losing blood andwill soon weaken. Takeanother shot if you can, butotherwisestalkitandfinishitoff humanely when it’s tooweaktogetaway.Thismightsound a bit grim, but therealities of survival are oftenfar from pretty and, if youwant to make it in the wild,

this is the kind of thing yousometimes have to bepreparedtodo.

Onceyou’vegonetothetroubleofmakingyourbowandarrow,youcanpreservetheirusefullifebyoilingthewood.Inthefield,this can be done by renderingdown some fat from an animalyou’ve caught and rubbing thisover thewood.You’ll find thatthis makes the bow keep itsspringinessforlonger.

SPEAR

We’ve already discussedusing a spear for fishing, butyou can also use it forhuntingsmallgame.Thinkofitasalarge,hand-heldarrow– the process formaking thetip is the same (see here).However, when you’recutting your pole to make aspear,thinkabouthowyou’regoing to use it: is it for

jabbingor throwing? Jabbingspearsneedtobelonger–upto2metres.Throwingspearsshouldbeabouthalfthat.

A word of warning:please don’t be tempted tolashyourknifetoyourspear.In the wild, and in anysurvival situation, your knifeis one of yourmost preciousassets.Usingitattheendofaspear for hunting (andespecially forspearfishing) is

asure-firewaytoruinit.(Theonly exception to this rule isif you need to make a spearfor self-defence againstaggressivepredators.)

CATAPULT

Youmightthinkofacatapultas being a schoolboy’s toy,but it’smuchmore than that.A strong,well-made catapultcandeliveralotmoreenergy

toatargetthananairrifle.Infact, lead shot is a veryeffective projectile if youhave some with you. But,whateveryouuse,intherighthands it will be easilypowerfulenoughtokillsmallgame such as rabbits andsquirrels.Ithastheadvantageof being extremelylightweight and portable.Plus, of course, you canimproviseone.

First, you need a sturdy,forked stick. Try to find onewherethearmshavethesamediameter, and where thehandleisthickenoughtogripfirmly.Ifthewoodhasalittlebit of give, so much thebetter: hazel, ash andhawthorn are all goodchoices.Peeloffthebarkandscrape away any bumps thatmake it uncomfortable tohold. Now carve a notch

round the circumference ofeach of the arms a couple ofcentimetresfromtheend.

Next,youneedapieceofelastic material. A strip oflatex rubber about a metrelong is ideal, but you coulduse all sorts of things:washing-up gloves, bicycleinner tubes, elastic bands…(If you don’t have anythingelastic, you can adapt yourcatapult to become a

slingshot.ItworkedforDavidagainst Goliath!) You’ll alsoneed something to act as apouch to hold yourammunitionasyou’repullingthe catapult back. A strip ofleather isbest– ina survivalsituationyoucouldcutoffthetongue of your boot and usethat.Finallyyou’llneedsomecordage. Fishing twine isideal.

Make a couple of holes,

one on either side of yourleather pouch, and threadyour elastic material throughthat. Centre the pouch. Nowtie each end of the elastic tothearmsofyourcatapult,andsecure them in place withyourfishingtwine,whichyouneed to wrap many timesround thenotchesyou’vecutinthearms.

Now: practise. Set up atarget about 10 metres away

(anemptydrinkscanisgood)andarmyourselfwithastashof small projectiles: smallstones, ball bearings, leadshot … If you’re right-handed, hold the catapult inyour left hand and pull theprojectile back with yourright,holdingitbetweenyourthumb and index finger.(Swap this round if you’releft-handed.) Straighten yourleftarm,pullbackthepouch,

aim and fire.Make sure youhold the catapult straight oryou risk hitting your hand,which really hurts.Onceyoucanreliablyhityour targetat10metres,you’rereadytogohunting.

Don’t underestimate thepowerofyourcatapult.Itwilleasily kill small game, andcan do the same to humans.Think of it like a gun anddon’tpointitatanyone.

RABBITSTICK

A rabbit stick – also simplycalled a throwing stick – isone of the earliest survivaltools.It’salsooneofthemosteffective, especially on opengrasslandwhereitcanflyforover 100 metres just a fewcentimetresabovetheground,and it is also one of theeasiest to improvise in thewild.

Thinkof a rabbit stick asa boomerang that doesn’tcome back. It’s little morethan a curved branch with aslight bend in it. Soundssimple, but it’s deadly in theright hands. People spend alot of time carving rabbitsticks to their ownspecification,butinasurvivalsituation you can use anycurved stick between 30cmand60cminlengthandabout

as thick as your wrist. Thesmaller the stick, the faster itwill fly; but a bigger stickwill be more accurate. Youcansharpentheendstomakeitmoredeadly.

Aswithall thesedevices,you will need to practisebeforeyouareadeptatusingthem.Therabbitstickcanbethrown in three differentways:

1.Diagonally.Releasethestickupandawayfromyourbodyata45-degreeangle.This is themostaccuratewayof throwingit,andisgoodforwide,openspaces.

2.Vertically.Throwthestickover-armso it rotates vertically end over end.This is a less accurate way ofthrowing, but it allows the stick topass through vertically growingvegetation,liketrees.

3. Horizontally. Throw the sticksideways, so it’s at 90 degrees toyour body. This is a good way ofhittingbirdsfloatingonopenwater.

Awell-thrownrabbitstickcan efficiently kill smallgame. At the very least, adirect hitwill stun your preyso you can approach andfinishoff thejobquicklyandcleanly.

GUN

By gun, I mean an air rifle.That’s the only gun you’reallowedtocarryunlicensedin

theUK,whereIlive,andthesame goes for many otherpartsoftheworldtoo.

An air rifle is a lot saferthan a live-ammo weapon,but let’s get one thingstraight: it’s stillnota toy. Itmight not be as deadly as ashotgun,butitcanstillinflicta lotofdamageandneeds tobe treated, and used, withrespect.Thesamegoesforallthe killing devices we’ve

already discussed. (You’lloften find that the use of anair rifle in the field is legal,whereas the use of animprovisedbowandarrowisnot.It’suptoyoutofindoutwhat the rulesarewhereyoulive.)

In a survival situation,youhavetousewhatever themost expedient tools are tohand. Air-rifle pellets areextremely lightweight, so it’s

easytocarryastashofreadyammunition with you. Manytypes of air gun are almostsilent shooters, so you canhunt without scaring awayevery animal in the vicinity.All in all, they’re anextremely effective way ofkilling all manner of smallgame wherever you findyourselfinthewild.Soifyouhave an air rifle with you,you’dbefoolishnot touse it

whenthesituationdemands.Thereare,however,other

good reasons for learninghow to use an air rifle.Although it’s easier to learnhowtouseitmoreeffectivelythan, say, a rabbit stick,possessionofafirearmbynomeans guarantees that you’regoing to endupwith food inyourbelly.Touseanairrifleproperly, you’ll need tobecome extremely proficient

in the age-old techniques oftracking and concealment.Havingtheskillsetnecessaryto do this can only help youin a survival situation. Youshould consider an air-rifleawareness training course,butherearethebasics.

TYPESOFAIRRIFLEAir rifles fall into manydifferentcategories.Themostcommontypesforhuntingare

compressed-air-poweredrifles and spring-poweredrifles.

Compressed-air-poweredrifles use a cartridge ofcompressedcarbondioxidetofire the pellet. A 12gcartridgewill give you aboutfifty shots. The advantage ofusingoneoftheseisthatyoudon’thavetopumporspring-load your weapon beforetaking a shot. On the down

side, they’re not quite aspowerful as other types ofrifle.

Spring-powered riflesrequire you to pull back alever to compress the air inthe barrel. This means thatyou need to cock the rifleeachtimeyoutakeashot,andyoualsotendtogetabitofarecoil when you fire, whichcan make them a little lessaccurate.Butontheplusside

theytendtobemorepowerfulthancompressed-airrifles.

TYPESOFPELLETIf you’re going to use an airrifle, you need to make adecision about what kind ofpellet you’re going to use.Your choice will probablyboildowntoa.22-calibreora.177-calibre.A .22 isslightlybigger,sowillkillyourtargetmore efficiently. The .177-

calibre, being lighter, isslightly easier to shootaccurately.But,withpractice,you should find either up tothejob.

WHATTOSHOOTAir guns are not as powerfulas shotguns. You won’t beabletousethemefficientlytokill anything much largerthan a rabbit or a game bird.Trying to kill a deer-sized

animal with an air rifle islikely to be a waste of yourtime and to causeunnecessary suffering to theanimalitself.Don’tdoit.

PRACTICE MAKESPERFECTIf you’re going to hunt withan air rifle, you need tobecome proficient with itbeforeyougooutinthefield.You’llneedtomakesurethat

your sights are properlyzeroed, and that you canaccurately hit a target aboutthesizeofafive-pencepieceatabout30–35metres.That’sthekillzoneonarabbit-sizedanimal. In order to make acleankill,youneedtobeabletoguaranteeaheadshot firsttime. And the best way tolearnhowtodothat is togetoutinthefieldwithsomeonewhoisexpert inthehandling

ofanairrifle.That doesn’t mean,

however, that you can’tpractise on your own –because you don’t even needagun inyourhand tomasterthe most important skillsrequiredtogetabirdorsmallanimal in your sights. Thoseskillsarestillness,stealthandsilence.Getout intothefieldand search for a trail or aroosting spot. Get up close.

Camouflage yourself as bestyou can. Now stay still.Reallystill.Thebestwaynottobeseenbyananimalisnotto move a muscle. They areunbelievably sensitive tomovement,but ifyou remainstatue-still, you’ve a chanceof going unobserved. If youwant to know a bit moreabout how to remain unseenin the field, see my bookLivingWild.

So you’ve managed to trap,catch or shoot an animal.Positive work so far towardsa life-giving meal for you.Butyourwork’snotdoneyet.In order to get that preciousfuelinsideyourstomach,youneed to skin, butcher andprepare your animal forcooking. And, in a survivalsituation, you need to makesure that no scrap of useable

foodiswasted.What’smore,youneedto

do it quickly. Freshly killedanimals can become inedibleverysoonafterthey’rekilled,especially in warm climates.This means that you shouldcarry out the act of ‘fielddressing’ the animal – i.e.getting rid of the soft organsand blood – as soon aspossible. It’s a dirty job, butsomeone’sgottodoit,andif

you are squeamish, this is agood time togetover it. It iswhy I find it best to getmucky early, so then youdon’t get too precious abouttryingtostay‘sanitized’lateron. (The better you are atbutchering,thelessbloodyoushould need to get on you.But however good you are,youwillinevitablygetbloodyat some stage, sogetused toitearly.)

Then you need to knowhowtoskinandpossiblyjointyour kill before preparing itforcooking.

In this section, we’regoing to start off with smallgame. Think rabbits, hares,otters, squirrels – thetechniques are similar for allof them, and these are whatyou’re most likely to becatching. (Large game areharder to hunt, and in a

survival situation you’llexpenda lotofenergy tryingtodoso.)Moreover, it’sbesttostartwithsmallgamewhenyou’re learning how tobutcher animals in the wild,because they’re easier tohandle and you’ll see thatsome of the techniques holdfor larger game too. Finally,we’lllookatbirdsandhowtopreparethemforthepot.

SMALLANIMALS

THEBESTWAYTOKILLSMALLANIMALSIf you’ve snared an animalfor food, you owe it to thebeast to give it a quick,painless death. There are anumberofwaysofdoingthis.

The first is to break itsneck. This is a particularlyefficient way of despatchingrabbits.With one hand, hold

themfirmlybythehindlegs.Now grip the animal’s neckwithyourotherhandandwitha strong, sudden movement,yank back the legs and bothpullandtwistthenecksothatitbreaks.

By this time,youranimalshould be dead (even if it isstilltwitchingabit).Ifyou’reinanydoubt,youcanemployan alternative method ofdespatch:ablowtothehead.

Holdtheanimalupsidedownandgive ita fewsolidblowson the back of its head.Youcan use a karate chop actiontodothisifyoulike,oruseastout, heavy stick. Bothmethods will work if donefirmly and swiftly. Get itright, though, andmake sureyouminimizeanysuffering.

Thethirdwaytodespatchyour prey is to stab it. It’smessier, but sometimes

necessary, especially if youranimalispanicked,strugglingandthere’sariskitmightbiteyou.Youcanstabtheanimalfrom a distance with a long,sturdy,sharpenedstick.Or,ifyou can get in close enough,stabitatthebackoftheneck.Alternatively, if it is a smallanimal, quickly remove thewhole head with your knife(you might want to hold itdown under your coat or

some other piece ofprotectivematerialwhileyoudothis,toprotectyourhandsfrom a frightened, bitinganimal).

FIELD DRESSINGSMALLANIMALS

Bleeding

There’s no doubt that you’ll

getcleaner,tastiermeatifyoudrain off an animal’s bloodbefore butchering it. Butthat’snot theonly reasonwedoit.Allmammalsarewarm-blooded,and thatbloodstayswarm for a while after theanimal is dead. But if wewantourcatchtostayfresh,itneeds to be as cool aspossible as quickly aspossible.

To bleed an animal, you

need to sever its jugularand/or carotid artery. Theycanbedifficulttofind,soit’softensimplesteithertocutitsthroat, ear to ear, or toremove the entire head.Suspenditupsidedownfromatreebranchfirst,thoughyoushouldmakesuretotieitbyalegjointratherthansimplybyapawsoitdoesn’tslip.

There are plenty ofindigenous peoples who

regularlydrinkthebloodofafreshly killed animal (Inuitsbelievesealbloodgivesthemstrength, and the Maasai ofTanzania tap blood from alive animal and mix it withmilk, before letting thewoundheal).And thehistoryof survival exploits is full ofstories of people drinkingblood to stay alive. In fact Ihave drunk it many times,both with the Tuva tribe in

Siberia and the Sami innorthernNorway.Neververynice, but the blood is warm,saltyandtheultimatesurvivalfood.

In extreme situations, thefreshly drawn blood of anewly killed animal is a richsourceofliquidandnutrients.Ifyoufindyourselfinsuchaposition, you can catch theblood of your prey in acontaineranddrinkit.Butbe

wary. Although fresh, rawblood can be edible – I havenever suffered any ill effectswhen I have drunk it in thewild straight from a freshlykilled animal – it is possibleto catch diseases from it, soyou should do it in the fieldonlyifthealternativeismuchworse.Remember:survivalisall about weighing up risks.(Also remember that if youcut the animal’s oesophagus,

the contents of its stomachmight drain out as you’rebleeding it and contaminatethe blood. Not good. So cutthe throat carefully, and nottoodeeply.)

Bleeding an animal canbe a messy business. If youcan, clean the blood off thecarcass in a stream onceyou’vedoneit.

If you’ve set up camp, all field

dressing, but especiallybleeding, should be done at agood distance from the campitself. Fresh blood and animalparts will attract otherscavengers. You really don’twant your living and sleepingquarters tobeoverrunby them.While we’re on the subject,don’t let anyone tell you thatburying animal parts will stopother scavengers from smellingthem – it won’t. If you’reintending to trapmore animals,it’s a good idea to field dresstheminthevicinityof thetrapsto attract more animals to the

area. If youmust do it in yourcamp,it’sbesttodisposeofanyremainsbyburning them in thefire.

SkinningSkinning a small animal is aloteasierthanitlooks.Ifyoucan, cut off all four feet justabove the knees.Now,makea small incision in the hide(the easiest place to do it isaround the stomach, at right

angles to the length of thebody). Be careful with thiscut. You want to pierce thebodysufficientlytopullawaytheskin,butnotsomuchthatyoubreakintotheorgansandsofttissuesac.

Once you’ve made thecut, insert one finger fromeach hand into the incisionand peel the skin back. Youshould find that it comesawayquiteeasily,thoughthis

will depend on the type andage of the animal: the skinwill pull away from a youngrabbit without muchdifficulty,forexample,butanoldhareorsquirrelwilltakeabitmoreeffort.

You don’t always need to skinsmall animals. You can just liethem on the edge of a burningfire.Thiswillburnawaythefurand you’ll end up with a verycharred-looking dinner. But the

skin will have protected themeat, which should be nicelycooked through. When youpiercetheskinwithaknifeandthejuicesrunclear,it’sgoodtogutandeat. I’vedone thiswithallsortsofanimals,fromskunkstopossums!

GuttingAswithbleeding,youwanttogut your animal as soon aspossible. The contents of itsintestine, stomach and

bladder can all start to turnrancidveryquickly.

Turnyouranimalbellyupand locate the urinary tractjust between its hind legs.With a sharp knife, make anincision deep enough topierce the skin, but not sodeep that you puncture theintestine and other innards.Work your knife up throughthe skin until you reach thebreast bone. You can now

peelopentheundersideoftheanimaltorevealthestomach,intestinesandotherorgans.

Don’t be tempted just toscoop everything out.Although you’re going todiscard most of the insides,there are edible parts here.There will be a membranethat connects the stomach tothe kidneys. Carefullyseparate this so the kidneysare still attached to thebody.

Removetheintestinesandthebladder (if it splits and yougeturineoverthemeat,makesure you wash it beforecooking). The lungs need tocome out, but you shouldkeep the heart and liver asthesearegoodeating.

You’lldefinitelywanttoeattheliver, kidneys and heart – theyare high-value foods, full ofnutrients–butyoucanusebitsof the remaining offal to bait

snares, or as fish bait. Let theoffalgetabitsmellyanditwillmakeparticularlygoodalligatorbait(seehere).

Once you’ve prepared youranimal, it’s best to get itcooked or preserved (seeChapter 10) as quickly aspossible. But if you’re notgoing to eat it immediately,suspenditsomewhereoff theground so scavengers can’tgetatit.Youhaven’tgoneto

all this trouble to providedinnerforsomeoneelse!

Pay attention to the liver. Itshould be smooth, wet and adeepredcolour. If it isn’t,or ifithaswhitespotsonit, itcouldbethesignofadiseasedanimal.That doesn’t necessarily meanyoucan’t eat the animal’s flesh(you’ll have to make that calldepending on your situation),butyoushoulddiscardtheliver.It’s also worth checking theheart and kidneys for signs ofwormsorotherparasites.Ifyou

find’em,chuck’em.

COOKING SMALLANIMALSOnce you’ve caught andprepared your small game,it’stimetocook.

StewingIf you have a pot, stewing isthe bestway to get themostnutrition out of your meat.All the fats and minerals

leach out into the cookingliquor, which you’ll end updrinking. That way they’renot wasted: you get food,nutrients and liquid all at thesametime.

How you stew an animalin the wild depends entirelyonwhatingredientsyouhaveto hand. As with so manythingsinthefield,you’vejustgot to improvise. This issimplyaguideline.

Cut your animal intosmall bits (don’t worry toomuch about jointing itneatly). Now think aboutwhat else you might be ableto add to the stew. If youhaveanygrains inyourstore– think barley, oats, rice –theywillmassivelyenrichthestew,soaddthemnow,alongwith any spices you mighthave inyour trail spicepack.Addwatertocoverandplace

overyour fire.Letyour stewsimmer slowly. Stir itwith aspoonoracleansticktostopthe contents sticking to thebottom of the pot.When thegrainsarealmostcooked,addwhatever vegetables youmight have to hand, or anyother edible wild plants toflavourthestew.

When everything iscooked through, let it cool alittle, thenremovetheanimal

pieces. Strip the meat fromthebonesand return it to thepot. You can discard thecooked bones now – but notnearyourcamp.

Even if you don’t havethe luxury of extraflavourings like grains orwildplants,thisisstillagoodway of cooking your kill toget themaximum food valueoutofit.

Spit-roastingIfyoudon’thaveanycookingpots, spit-roasting your smallanimalisthewaytogo.

You can make a simplespit by inserting two sticks,eachwithaforkedend,eithersideofyourfire, thenrestinga skewer across them.Whenyou spit-roast your smallanimal there are a couple ofproblems you’re likely toencounter. The first is

securing the carcass to theskewer in such a way that,whenyourotate thespit,youalso rotate the carcass.Second, because the weightof the spit won’t be evenlydistributed, it will want tospin to one position all thetime.

You can deal with boththese problems by choosingyourskewercarefully.Findagreen branch (so it doesn’t

burn through easily) with atleast two decent side shootsandseveralshootsattheend.Ifyoucan,soakitinwatertomake it more fire resistant.Skeweryouranimalinsuchawaythatyoucanusethesideshoots to pierce the carcassandholdit inplace.Youcannowusetheshootsattheendto hold the spit in place bymeansofaverticalstickstuckinto the ground, as shown.

When youwant to rotate thespit, simply adjust theposition of these end shootsso the vertical stick keepstheminplace.

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SOME RECIPES FORCOOKING SMALL

ANIMALSINTHEWILDSometimes in the wild youdon’t have the luxury ofdoing anything but get yourmeat cooked and eaten,quickly. Sometimes youmighthavemore time,or theoccasionalextra ingredient toplay with. Half the battle ofgoodsurvivaliskeepingyourmoraleup,andadecentmealwill go a long way towardsdoingthat.Withthatinmind,

hereareafewsimplerecipesyou might try with yourfreshlykilledcatch.

SquirrelSoupSquirrels provide one of thesweetest wild meats out there,butsomeofthegaminesscanberemoved by soaking it in saltywater.

Tomakethissoup,firstskinandgutyoursquirrel, removingitsheadandfeet.Putit inapotand just cover it withwater, towhich you’ve added half a

teaspoonofsalt.Soakovernight,oratleastforafewhours.Bringthe pot to the boil and simmerfor10minutes, thendiscard thewater, cover the squirrel withfresh water and boil it for acouple of hours. When coolenough to handle, remove thesquirrel, reserving the liquid.Strip themeat from thesquirreland return it to the liquid withwhatevervegetablesyouhavetohand.Anonionandacoupleofpotatoes would be awesome. Acarrotorsomebeansandyou’rein heaven. Boil again until thevegetables are cooked through,

then season with salt, pepperand whatever else you fancyfromyourtrailspicemix.

Clay-roastedPorcupinePorcupinesarea lot tastier thanyou might think. If you’re inporcupine territory (Asia,Europe,Africa,NorthandSouthAmerica) they can be easy tocatch because they don’t moveveryquickly.Youdo,however,have tobecarefulof thequills,which can easily pierce yourskinandcauseanastywound–

a potential problem if you’restalking it in a tightly enclosedarea, as I once did when Ihunted porcupine with the Sanbushmen in Namibia. A whackontheheadwithastoutstickisenough to kill them, but thenyou have the issue of gettingpast the spines. It’s not toomuchofaproblem,though.Theporcupine has no spines on theundersideof itsbelly, so ifyouroll it over on to its back youcanskinitinthesamewaythatyou skin a rabbit. The Sanbushmen simply laid hunks ofporcupine meat directly on to

the embersof their fire to cookitthrough.

Another way of removingthe spines is toplace thewholeanimal on a fire just longenough that the spines burnaway.

Alternatively, you can clayroast it. Follow the instructionshereforpit-roastingajointfroma large animal, but first smearthe gutted porcupine in a thicklayerofclayorwetmud,sothespinesarecompletelyencasedina good few centimetres. Placethe porcupine in the oven pit,coverintheusualwayandletit

cook for 3–4 hours.When youremoveitfromthepitandcrackitopen, thespinesshouldcomeaway with the baked mud,leaving you with some good,tendermeat.

Braised BeaverTailBeavermeatcanbeverytasty–rich, dark, not unlike venison.Youcancookit inall theusualways – it’s particularly goodroastedover thecampfire–andit’sworthpayingattentiontothetail, where there is a large

amountofgood-qualitymeat.Ifyou carefully skin the tail andcut the meat into 2.5cm cubes,you’ve got the basis of a reallyfantastic meal. Put your cubedbeavermeat inapotwithsomespices and, if you have them,some sliced onion, a fewhandfuls of beans and somechopped garlic (leaves of wildgarlic would do just fine – seehere). Simmer until the beansaretender,thenseasonandeat.

LARGEANIMALS

Larger animals you mightfind yourself hunting includedeer and its relatives (elk,moose, reindeer …),antelope, camels, wild pig,bison,buffalo,crocodilesandlarge monitor lizards (moreonthoselater)–evenbearsifyou’re in bear country(though,as I’vealreadysaid,you’d have to be prettyhungrybeforegoingaftermynamesake, because bears are

smart, aggressive and strong,anddefinitelycanbedeadly).

Hunting large animals inasurvivalsituation isahigh-stakesgame.You’relikelytoexpendalotmoreenergy,butyou get a lot more food inreturn. Here’s what to do ifyoumanageit.

IS YOUR ANIMALDEAD?Ifyou’vehuntedyouranimal

with a gun or one of theimprovised killing devices,you still need to make sureit’s dead before you get tooclose.Ananimal’seyesbeingclosed does not necessarilymean it’s dead. In fact, it’soften quite a good indicationthat it’s still alive. Instead,poke itwith a long stick andwatch for a reaction. If yougetone,attachyourknifetoalong pole and stab the beast

in its neck muscles. If youthink it’s safe to approach,use a stout stick to bludgeonitonthehead.

Always aim to bleed and gut alargebeastinsitubeforemovingit. There are no prizes forcarryingtheheavygutsoveranylongdistancesforlittlereward!

MOVING LARGEANIMALS

If you’ve caught yourself adeer,oranelk,orevenawildpig, moving it can be achallenge.They’reheavyandawkward to handle, and ifyou try simply to drag themalong the ground, you’regoing to expend crucialenergy.

A better way to movethemistofindalong,straightbranchandtietheanimaltoitupside down. This can then

be dragged by a singleperson, or one end taken byeachoftwopeople,asshownhere.

{HLStudios}

Ifyouranimalhaslargeantlers,you should cut these off – oreven remove the entire head –beforetryingtomoveitas theycangetintheway.

FIELD DRESSINGLARGEANIMALSBleedingWebleed large game for thesame reason as small game(seehere),but,becauseof itssize,theprocesscanbemoredifficult. If you can, suspend

theanimalfromthebranchofa tree. If that’s not possible,you can make a frame fromstout, straight lengths ofwood. If the animal is verybig, or if there aren’t anytrees nearby, you’ll just haveto deal with it on its side. Idid this with a camel in theSaharaandit’stotallydo-ablewithabitofpatience.

Cut the throat or removethe head of the animal to

bleedit,andremembertoputa clean container underneathifyouintendtodrinkorcookwiththeblood.

SkinningAswithsmallgame,westarton the underside. If theanimal is male, it’s best toremove the testicles first.Being very gentle with yourknife (you don’t want topierce the innards), make an

incision lengthways betweenthe legs just deep enough toslice into the skin. Cuttowards and around thecrotch,andthenupthelengthoftheanimaltotheneck.Putyour knife to one side, getyour hands beneath the skinandstarttorollitaway.

The better you are atbutchering, the less you willuse your knife. Work withyour fists clenched and face

down to ‘knead’ the skinaway from the flesh in apushing motion. On a freshanimal, the skin shouldseparate fairly easily,althoughyoumayneedtouseyour knife to slice some ofthe connecting tissue. Toremove the skin fromaroundthe legs, you’ll need to cutalong them, and you’ll needtomakesomecutsaroundthecircumferenceofthelegsjust

above the first joint in ordertoremovetheskinfully.

Being able to remove the skinfromalargeanimalinonepieceisagreatsurvivalskill:thehidecan be used to provide much-needed warmth in coldenvironments.

GuttingOnce you’ve skinned yourquarry, youmust gut it.Youcanmakeabigslit along the

lengthofthebellyandsimplyscoopouttheinsides.Messy,but itwouldget the jobdone–theentrailscomeoutinonebig mass (although you mayhave to get your hands deepinsidethecarcassandmakeacutwhere they’reattached tothe body). However, in asurvival situation you mightneed to think a bit smarter.The insidesofa largeanimalmight look a bit disgusting,

but they can still be a goodfoodsourceifyouknowwhatyou’redoing.

If your kill is suspended,cut carefully – and not toodeeply, to avoid slitting theinternal organs – upwardstowardstheanus.Youshouldfind that theentrails spilloutbut still hang from thecarcass, allowing you toinspect them. You can nowstart to cut away the bits of

offalthatyouintendtouse.

OFFAL AND OTHERBODYPARTSThe offal of large animalsshould be used as quickly aspossible before it spoils. Aswith small animals, youshould definitely helpyourself to the liver (thoughhusky and moose liver cancontain toxic levels ofVitamin A), kidneys and

heart. In a survival situation,the liver and heart can beeaten raw (many indigenouspeopledothis),butifyoucanit’s best to cook them. Someindigenous people, whenthey’ve butchered a largeanimalinthefield,willplacethe liver directly on to hotcoals to cook it throughbefore eating it. A greatsource of nutrients andenergy if you’ve gone

withoutmeatforalongtime.However, they’re not the

only parts of the animal’sentrails thatyoucaneat.Thelungs are ediblewhen boiled(makesure theyarepinkandfree fromany black orwhitespots–cutawayanybitsthatlookdodgy).Youshouldalsoconcentrate on the stomachand the intestines. They bothhavearoletoplayinkeepingyoufedandwatered.

StomachDon’t be put off by thecontents of your kill’sstomach. It has already beensemi-digested, which meansit’smoreeasilydigestibleforyou.So, in themost extremesituations, you can boil thecontents of the stomach theneat it yourself to get someessentialnutritioninsideyou.

Thestomach itself isalsoedible.You’veheardoftripe,

right? To prepare it in thefield, first scoop out thecontents. Now wash thestomachreallywellinseveralchanges of freshwater.Nextboilitslowly.Noteveryone’sfavourite meal, but whenyou’rehungry…

It’s also worthremembering that a stomachhas been designed by naturetobeacontainer.Youcanuseit for that purpose too, by

turningitintoawaterholder.Empty the stomach of itscontents, then wash it outseveral times, until thewatercomes out clear. Nowcarefully turn the stomachinsideoutand,withthesharpedge of your knife, scrape atthe inside lining so that itcomes away withoutpuncturingthestomachitself.Washthoroughly.Ifpossible,you should soak the stomach

inwarmwaterforacoupleofhours so that it is thoroughlyclean. You’re now ready touseitasawaterbottle.Don’tfill it too full, and use alength of cordage to tie theopeningtightly.

IntestinesThe intestines of a largeanimalwill lookdisgusting–long tubes of semi-digestedfood – but don’t be put off.

Chances are you’ve eatensomething similar before,because they’reoftenused tomakesausageskins.Andyoucan do the same thing in thefield.

IntestineSausagesFirst, squeeze out the contentsof the intestines. Do thiscarefully, so you don’t tearthem. Now, carefully turn theintestines inside out and washaway any remaining undigested

food. As with stomachs, youneedtomakesurethatintestinesare scrupulously clean beforeusing them to make sausages.Thebestwaytodothisistoboilthem,sogetsomewaterboilingover your fire and simmer theintestines for a good couple ofhours.

They’re now ready to fill.Cut away some meat and fatfromyourcarcassandchopitupas small as you can. (Don’t beshywiththefat–it’llmakethesausage taste better and is agreatsourceofenergy.)Youcanseason it with salt, pepper and

spices from your trail mix, orwith some chopped-up edibleplants (wild garlic would beawesome).Youcanalsomixinsome blood, if it’s fresh anduncontaminated (think blackpudding).

Carefully stuff the sausageskins with your mixture, againtaking care not to split them.When they’re full, tie aknot ineither end, or tie each endtightly with some cordage (seehere). You can now either boilor fry your sausages. They canalsobesmokedtopreserveyourfood supply for longer (see

here).

BrainIf you can get the head ofyouranimalopen,thebrainisagoodfoodsource.Justcookit like you would any otherpart of the beast – boil, grillorfry.

TonguePerfectlyedible.Cutitoutofthemouth and boil it whole.

Peeltheskinoffbeforeeatingthe flesh. Native Americansusedtokillbuffalosimplyforthe tongue: they removed itwithout having to field dresstheanimal,andwouldhaveafull meal on their hands.Nowadays, of course, we’dwanttomakesureweusedasmuch of the animal aspossible.

Bones

Once you’ve stripped youranimalofitsmeatandoffal,itstill has something to offeryou. The bones are full ofgelatinous marrow andnutrition. Break them up asmuchasyoucan,getthemina pot, cover themwithwaterandsimmerforaslongasyoucan. The resulting broth islife-giving.You can also useit as the base for wild soupsandstews.

COOKINGTHEFLESHBefore you cook the meatfrom a large animal, you’llneed to cut it into smaller,moremanageablepieces.Youcan spend ages learning howto butcher an animal neatlyand efficiently, but in asurvival situation yourbutchery is likely to be a bitmoreroughandready.

First, remove the hindlegs. You do this by cutting

round the ball-and-socketjointwhere the legmeets thebody. You’ll find bits ofsinew around the joints,which you’ll need to cutthrough. Then yank the legsback so that the socketbreaks.Youmightneedtogetyourknife into the jointabitbefore the haunch comesaway.

Nowcutalongeithersideof the spine and start

removingtheslabsoffleshonboth sidesof thebody,usingyour knife gently to separatethemusclefromthespineandribs. Once these are away,you’ve got the bulk of theanimal’s meat, but you canbreakoff theribs,whichwillstill have flesh clinging tothem,thenpicktheremainingscrapsfromthecarcass.

You’ll now have twohaunches,somethickslabsof

meat, and some scraps andbones. You can spit-roast orboil the slabs and haunches.Smallerscraps,andanymeatstillclingingtothebones,arebestboiled.

Ialsowanttoshowyouareallygreatwayofcookingahaunch. It’s been used byindigenous people forthousandsofyears.

First, dig a pit at leasttwice the size of the joint of

meatyouwanttocook.Fillitwith large flat stones, thenlighta fireabove thepit.Letthe fire burn for a goodcoupleofhours–thiswillgettherocksreallyhot.

Carefully brush theembers away from the pit.Move some of the hot rocksoutof thepitandarrangetheremainder so you have a flatbase and a surrounding wallof rocks. Place your meat

directlyontopof this.Itwillsizzle and start to shrinkslightly. Cover with theremainingrocks.

Younowneedtoinsulateyour makeshift oven. Placesome long green (so theydon’t burn) branches acrossthe top,aboutahand’s-widthapart.Nowcoverwithathicklayerofmoss.Oncethemossis in place, cover the wholethingwithwetmudorsand.

You’ve now created anairtight, well-insulated oven.Itwillcookahaunchofdeerto perfection in 2–3 hours.When the time is up, brushaway the sand and carefully(everything will still be veryhot) peel back the moss.Remove the sticks and leveraway the rockson topof themeat. It should smellfantastic, and the meat itselfshouldbereallytender.

There’s nothing to stopyou cooking a whole animalinthisway.You’lljustneedabigger pit and more cookingtime. The result will beawesome, though. I havedone this a few times withgreat excitement from thosetravellingwithme.Ithinkit’sthesuspenseandsmelloftheslow-cooking, hidden,steaming, sizzling carcass intheground!

Bear and BaconKebabsIfyou’vebaggedyourselfabear(black ones make better eatingthan grizzly ones, but I’ll saythis again – be careful in bearcountry), you’ve got a wholeload of meat to get through.Once the animal is skinnedandgutted, cut themeat into cubes.Ifyou’vegotit,wrapeachcubein a rasher of bacon – or anyother fatty meat – then threadthem on to a wooden skewerandroastoverafire.Makesure

the bear meat is very wellcooked through, as it canharbour certain parasites thatmust be destroyed by cooking.(The same principle goes forcooking crocs – dangerous tocatch, but they have a ton ofamazing, rich, nutritious meatonthem;seehere.)

Campfire StuffedElkHeartTake the heart from a freshlykilled elk (or deer, or moose),trimitandgive itagoodwash.Sliceoffthetopoftheheartand

thenslitalongitslengthtoopenit up. Clean out the inside,getting rid of any congealedblood.Nowdiceyourstuffing–a mixture of apple, onion andgarlic is good, with plenty ofseasoning, but really you canusewhateveryouhavetohand.Fold the heart up, replace the‘lid’,thenwrapitintinfoilandroast in the embersof your fireforaboutanhour.

BIRDS

Birds of prey – I’m talking

about vultures, crows,seagulls, eagles, hawks – arethe easiest to catch becausethey’re so inquisitive.Unfortunately, they don’ttaste as good as game birds,whichareharder tocatchbuta lot better for eating. Allbirds, however, are edible,and the process of preparingthemislargelythesame.

If you’ve managed tocatch a bird, the method of

preparing it for the pot ismuch the same as for smalland large game. It needskilling, bleeding and gutting.The only difference is thatyou’llneedtodecidewhethertopluck it or skin it.Fromanutrition point of view,plucking is better becausethere’s lots of good, energy-givingfatintheskin.

FIELDDRESSINGBIRDS

Killingandbleeding

Thebestwaytokillabird istotwistandstretchitsneckinoneswiftmovementsothatitbreaks. Quick. Painless. Jobdone.Onceit’sdead,youcancut its throat and hang itupside down to bleed.Alternatively, you can kill itby cutting its throat and socombinethetwojobs.

PluckingandskinningIt’s easier to pluck a freshlykilled bird while it’s stillwarm. Pluck carefully andslowly, otherwise you risksplittingand tearing the skin.You’llprobablyfinditeasiesttostartaroundthebreastareathenmoveround.Itrequiresabitofpatience,but it’sworthit.

You can make theplucking process easier by

submerging the dead bird inalmost boiling water for 30seconds, letting the waterdrainoffandthebodysteam-dry, then repeating twicemore.

Skinning a bird is easierthanplucking it.Slit the skinalong the breast bone, thengently peel the skin (andfeathers)awayfromthemeat.When you reach the legjoints, bend them back until

the joint snaps and cut thefeet offwith a knife.Cut offthe head, then continuepeeling off the skin until itcomes away from the body.Useyour knife to cut off thewingtipsandthetail.

GuttingPut the bird on its back andmake a cut from just belowthe breast bone to the analopening.Pull thecavityapart

andremovetheinsideswithascoopofyourhand.Youcaneattheheartandthekidneys.

CookingOlder birds, and those thathavebeenfeedingoncarrion,arebestboiled–theoldbirdsbecome more tender, andboiling prevents the risk ofparasite infection from themeat-eaters.Otherwise,attachthebird toa spit in the same

way you would a smallanimal. For a small gamebird,wheremostof themeatison thebreast, youcan justcut that away and cook it asyouwouldanyotherpieceofmeat.

BIRDS’EGGSWhere there are birds,chances are there will beeggs. In many parts of theworld it’s illegal to touch

them, and you certainlyshouldn’t interferewith neststhoughtlessly. But in asurvival situation, they’re aready stash of protein,carbohydrate and fat. Prettymuch all birds’ eggs areedible.Thebestway to cookthem is by boiling, but youcan make a small hole ineitherendwithyourknifeandroast them over a fire. Bewarned: I’ve cracked open a

bird’s egg to find a semi-incubated chick inside. Notmy favourite meal ever, butedible and a perfectly goodsourceof food (onceyougetthrough the yuk factor ofchomping through bone,feathers and blood!). In asurvival situation you can’tletanythinggotowaste.

Campfire Roast

DuckIf you’ve managed to catchsome kind of water fowl (seehere forhow todo this), here’ssomething to try.Pluckandgutthe bird, then rub the skin allover with salt and pepper, plusany herbs you have to hand.Wrapitintinfoilandmakesurethe seal is tight, then place itovertheembersofyourfireforabout2hours.Ducks andotherwaterbirdshaveathicklayeroffattokeepthemwarm.Thiswillform loads of juices in whichthe bird will roast, but you’llwanttogetridofthemeltedfat

before you eat the bird. So,when it’s nearly cooked, piercethe tin foil and the bird’s skinwith your knife and let the fatdrainout.Nowunwrapthebirdandtuckin.Itwillbeworthyofanyfeastday!

If you’ve managed to trap,kill and butcher a decentamount of game, there’s agood chance that you’ll havemore meat on your handsthan you need in one sitting.In a survival situation, youcan’tletanythinggotowaste.Inaddition,youoweit totheanimal you’ve just killed tomake the most of the fleshwithwhichit’sprovidedyou.

As we’ve alreadydiscussed,theoffalshouldbeeaten as quickly as possiblebefore it spoils. There are,however, somegoodways topreservethefleshsothatyoucancontinueeatingitdays,oreven months, after the kill.They are: freezing, drying,smokingandsalting.

FREEZINGMEAT

If you’re in sub-zerotemperatures and there’ssnow and ice on the ground,nature’s already given youthe perfect food-preservationdevice.

You must still skin andgut your game in the usualway.Thequickeryougetthefleshfrozen,thelongeritwilllast. So cut it into smallpieces before packing it insnowor ice(thisalsohas the

advantagethatyouonlyneedto defrost what you need toeatatanygiventime).

Inwinter,you’llprobablyfind that your meat freezessolid out in the open,depending on thetemperature. During thesummer months, you shoulddig a hole in the snow andpackyourmeatintothat.

When you want to cookyour frozen meat, let it

defrost slowly near an openfire before cooking throughthoroughlyintheusualways.And if raw meat hasdefrosted, don’t re-freeze it.Getitcooked,quick.

AIR-DRYINGMEAT

You’ve probably heard ofjerky – strips of dried meatthatcanlastforages.They’rea brilliant food, whether

you’re in a survival situationor just on the trail. Andknowing how to dry yourown meat in the wild is agreatwayofplanningahead.

You can air-dry smallanimals (anything up to thesize of a squirrel) whole.Makesuretheanimalisbled,gutted and skinned. Suspendit off the ground in a sunnyplacewithgood airflow.Themeat will start to dehydrate.

Once it feelsdry,break itupwith a rock to expose thebones and themarrow – thiswill not be as dry as theexteriorandwillgooffifyouleave it that way. Leave themeat to dry in the sun for asecondtime.

If you want to dry leanflesh, you need to cut it intostrips, about 3cm wide and0.5cm thick. Make sure youtrim it of as much fat as

possible–fatdoesn’tdrywellandwillspoilthemeat.Hangthese ribbons of meat indirect sunlight – a makeshiftdrying rack constructed fromtwo branched sticks with apole stretched between themwill help you do this. Makesurethatnoneofthestripsofmeataretouchingeachother.

Alternatively, threadyourstrips ofmeat on to a lengthof wire or a thin branch and

suspend that above theground. Again, make surenone of the strips aretouching.

Dry the meat in the sununtil it has a really crisptexture – if the strips arehanging over a drying rack,youwant themtosnapat thebend if you pull them. It’lltake up to 24 hours, but themeatwillkeepindefinitelyaslongasit’skeptdry.

Air-dried or smoked meatretains all the nutrients of theoriginal, undried meat, butbecause you’ve got rid of somuch water, it can weigh lessthan half – useful if you’re onthemovewithaheavypack.

SMOKINGMEAT

Air-drying meat relies onsunny,airyconditions.Butintheabsenceofthese,youcanalso preserve meat using

smoke. It dries the meat outandcreatesasmoky layeronthe outside that keeps thebugsaway.

Thebestwaytodothisisto dig a small pit and light afire in the bottom.When thefire has burned down toglowing embers, add sometwigs of green hardwood(soakit if itseemsverydry).Unless there’s nothing elseabout, avoid pine or other

resinous trees. The smoke’snot harmful, but it will taintthetasteofthemeat.

Cut and suspend yourstrips of meat as for air-drying, then hang them acouple of feet above thesmoking coals. The fireshouldn’tbetoohot–you’renot trying to cook the meat,justdryitoutwiththesmoke.

Keepthefiresmokingforas long as it takes to dry the

meatout:youwantittocrackwhen you bend it. This cantakeupto24hours.

You can grind air-dried orsmoked meat down into apowder called pemmican. Abrilliant survival food – eat thepowder raw or add it to any ofthe soups or stews in this bookto boost the flavour and thenutritionalvalue.

You can smoke fish in exactly

the same way that you smokemeat.Justmakesureit’sfreshlycaughtandthatyou’reconfidentbeforeyoustart that thefleshissafetoeat.Seehereforthelow-downonfish.

Manyspiceshaveanti-microbialproperties.Thatmeansthattheyinhibitthegrowthofbacteriainfood. Spices with this qualityinclude garlic, chilli, blackpepper,gingerandcinnamon.Ifyou have dried spices in yourtrail box, rub them into yourmeatbeforedrying it.Thiswill

not onlymake it taste better, itwill also slow down itsdeterioration.

SALTINGMEAT

One of the oldest ways ofpreservingmeat(orfish)istousesalt,eitherbyrubbingdrysalt into the flesh, or bysoaking the flesh in a brinesolution. The salt draws outthe moisture and the driedflesh will keep for a long

time. This is not particularlypractical in thefield,becauseitcantakealongtimetosaltthefleshfully.Butifyousaltthe flesh before drying orsmoking it, it can speed upthe process and also make ittastebetter.

If you’re near the sea,collect some sea water andboil it down until crystalsalmost start to form. Thisconcentrates the salt solution

and kills any bugs in thewater. Let it cool, then soakyour strips of meat in thesolutionforhalfanhourorsobefore proceeding to dry orsmoke themasabove.You’llprobably want to wash offany excess salt before eatingthe finished product, or evensoak it in fresh water if it’sverysalty.

PRESERVING MEAT IN

FAT

You can preserve meat forshorter periods of time usingfat.Thiscanbedifficulttodoin the field, but it’s a goodtrick to have up your sleevebecause it doesn’t take aslong as air-drying, smokingor salting.Themeatneeds tobe cooked first to kill anybacteria. You then need torenderdownanyfatfromthe

carcass and place the meatintoitsothatitiscompletelycovered.Asitallcoolsdown,the fat will congeal andprotectthemeatfrombacteriafor a few days. It’s best toreheat meat that has beenpreservedthiswaybeforeyoueatit.Justscrapeoffasmuchofthefatasyoucanandheatitthroughinadrypan(orona hot, flat stone placed closeto the fire). Make sure it’s

thoroughly hot before youeat.

Did you know that two-thirds of all living creaturesareinsects?They’rethemostabundant complex life formontheplanet.Byalongway.And thatmeans there isa lotof food out there – if youknowwhere to look and canget over the whole thing ofeatingbugs.

As the population of ourplanet increases, so will the

demand for food. Ourtraditional sources of meatand fish won’t be enough tofeed us all. There are manyexpertswhobelievethatwe’llbe obliged tomake insects apart of our diet in the nextfiftyyearsorso:lotsofthemare edible, and they’reeverywhere.

Think about what thatmeans to you in a survivalsituation. You might be

findingitdifficulttogetyourhands on meat or fish, butthere are probably perfectlygood food sources nearby, ifyouonlyknowwheretolook.

Perhaps you think thateating insects soundsdisgusting?Well,mostoftheworld’s population eats themonaregularbasis.Insectsandotherbugsformanimportantpart of the diets of manycultures around the world,

from Asia to the Amazon,and for many indigenouspeople a plague of locusts isliketheskiesrainingfood.

And high-nutritional-value food too: most insectsare an excellent source ofprotein,carbohydrateandfat.Take a small grasshopper:100g of grasshoppersprovides youwith about 20gofprotein,6goffatand4gofcarbohydrate. Compare that

to 100g of beef, which willgive you about 27g ofprotein, 5g of fat and hardlyany carbohydrate. In asurvival situation, that littlegrasshopper is a real all-roundsuper-food.

Most insects are edible,butyoushouldavoidanythathave very brightly colouredmarkings. That’s nature’swarning to stay away, andalthough there are some

edible types that are brightlycoloured, it’sworth avoidingthem just to be safe. Insectsare also mostly edible raw –though,aswithallrawfoods,there’s a risk that theymightcarry parasite infections andthe only way to get rid ofthese is by the applicationofheat. So cook your bugs ifyou can – you’ll find someideasforhowtodothisinthepagesthatfollow.

The best place to findinsects during the day is incool,shadyplaces.Theywillburrowintothebarkoftrees,or congregate in dark, dampholes. If you’re lucky, you’llfind beetle larvae. These cangrowupto15cmlongandareparticularlynutritious–ifyoucan swallow them downwithoutgagging!

This chapter is not onlyabout eating insects: it’s

about other creepy crawliestoo. Technically, insects arepart of a group of creaturescalledarthropods,whichalsoincludes arachnids (that’sspiders and scorpions to youandme)andcrustaceans.I’malso going to throw in theoccasional gastropod (snailsand slugs), which can be anexcellentsourceoffood.

CRICKETS

Where to find them: allenvironments exceptAntarctica.

TheLatinnameforcricket isGryllus (I’m not kidding, Ipromise!). And crickets areone of the most frequentlyeaten insects known to man.In many parts of the worldthey’rethoughttobringgoodluck(whichtheycertainlydoif you’re hungry and comeacross them in the field).They’re a common snackfood in Thailand andCambodia, and of all the

insects that you might findyourself eating in a survivalsituation,theseareoneofthemost palatable. They reallydon’ttastetoobad–althoughbe prepared for a slightlyfishy flavour that can catchyouunawares!

Cricketsareprettyeasytocatch. You’ll find themmostly inwarm,humidareaswhere there is a decentamount of plant material to

eat.Ifyou’reinaplacewherethey are particularlyabundant,youcancatchthemby swiping a tightly wovennetacrosstallgrassorfoliage– try doing this in the earlymorning, when the coolertemperature makes thecrickets very sluggish.Alternatively, you can use abottletrap(seehere).A thirdmethod is to use a plasticbottle. Remove the cap, cut

offthetopthird,thenputthistop section upside down intothebase.Sprinklesomesugarinto the trap so that it lightlycoversthebase.Leaveitinanarea where you know thereare crickets. The insects willbe attractedby the sugar andable to enter the bottle, butnotescapeit.(Youmayfindafew other delicacies getinsideaswell!)

You can eat the whole

cricket, butyoumight find itmorepalatable to remove thewings, legs and antennae.Crickets can then be eatenraw(thoughyoushouldtrytocookthemifyoucan),boiled,roastedorfried.Myfavouritemethod is to get a pile ofthemandsimplyfrythemup,niceandcrispy,withadrizzleofhoney!

Youcanalsousecricketsto make a tasty trail snack.

Here’show.

Bear’sGryllusDrop your crickets into someboilingwaterandcookthemfora couple of minutes. Removeand let themdryout.Lay themout on a piece of tin foil andplace them over the embers ofyour fire. Alternatively, placethem over the fire in a Dutchoven (see here) or any othercooking vessel you have tohand. Cook for an hour or so.Youwantthemtobecompletelydried through – you should be

able to crush them easilybetween your fingers. Oncethey’redried,letthemcool,thengentlyrolleachcricketbetweenyour palms to remove the legsandantennae.Sprinklewithsalt,orwhateverseasoningyouhavein your spice mix. These salty,crunchy crickets make a great,nutritioussnackinthefield.

Only male crickets make thedistinctive chirping sound. Thewarmer the weather, the fasterthey chirp.When they get verycold,theydon’thavetheenergy

tochirp–butthatdoesn’tmeanthey’renotaround!

Althoughcricketshaveexternalwings,mosttypescan’tfly.Butlookout!Some typesofcricketcanbite.

ANTSWhere to find them: allenvironments exceptAntarctica.

{Shutterstock}

Ants are awesome food.Therearetensofthousandsofdifferent kinds, and they’re

oneofthemostabundantlifeformsontheplanet–thetotalbiomass of ants is equivalentto the total biomass ofhumans. That’s a lot of ants.They might look prettyharmless when they’recrawling around on thepavement, but in the tropicsvast armies of ants can killmuchbiggercreaturesastheyswarm through the jungle –andtheycancarryfiftytimes

their own body weight. Inshort,neverunderestimatethehumbleant!

Most ants are edible,thoughyoushouldcookthemfirst to destroy a toxinmanyof them harbour. (There arecertain stinging ants youshould avoid, like fire ants,whose stings can make youvery ill. The bigger the ant,the worse the sting.) Lots ofants have a vinegary, citrusy

taste because of the formicacid they contain – theyexplode in yourmouthwhenyou eat them and release theacid! I actually love the tasteofthis.

In Australia, honeypotantsareparticularlyprizedbyaboriginal peoples. The antseatsomuchthattheyswelltothe size of small grapes andarefilledwithasweet,nectar-like liquid. They can be dug

upfromthegroundandeatenraw. In South America,leafcutterantsaretoastedandeatenlikepeanuts.Andintherainforest,tinylemonantsareadelicacy.

Weaver ants have aparticularly bad sting – theyspray their formic acid intotheir bite,which really packsa punch. But their larvaecontainmoreproteinthanthesame quantity of beef, so if

youcanputupwiththebitesthey’re a good survival foodwaiting to be harvested. Ifyou come across an agaveplant, it’s worth inspectingthe roots. There’s a goodchance you’ll find ant eggshere. In some parts of theworld they’re known as‘insect caviar’. The eggs,once collected, canbeboiledor fried and have a goodbutterytaste.Yum!

You can collect ants byleaving a scrap of food outforthem.Ifyou’veeverbeenonapicnic,you’llknowhowquickly they’ll arrive. You’llneed a lot of ants tomake adecentmeal,butyoucanusethemtobringsomeflavourtoother food you might beeatinginthewild–friedantsareprettygoodsprinkledoverwildgreensasacondiment.

In South America, queen ‘big-butt’ ants fly in swarms ofthousands and can be caught inlarge nets ready to be toastedandeaten.

BEETLESWhere to find them: allenvironments exceptAntarctica.

Of all the edible insects,beetles are one of the mostwidely eaten – perhapsbecause 40 per cent of all

insects are beetles. Thescientist J. B. S. HaldaneoncesaidthatGodmusthavean ‘inordinate fondness forbeetles’. But I like thembecause they can be theultimatesurvivalfood.

One of the most populartypes is the dung beetle,which you’ll commonly findfeedingunderneathcowpats.That might sound a bitdisgusting, and although I’d

normallysteerclearofinsectsthat are feeding on faeces,reallycowpatsarejustsemi-digested grass and, whenyou’re hungry in the wild,you can’t be too sensitiveaboutthisstuff.Dungbeetlesare edible, as are scarabbeetles, rhino beetles,longhorn beetles and Junebugs.

The fully grownspecimensofthesebeetlesare

greatsurvival foods.Removethe head and wings, thenwashthemwellinfreshwaterbeforeboilingorfrying.

Butyoucanalsoeat(andI often have) beetle larvae,which can be absolutelymassive–amealallon theirown.Thesepale,sausage-likegrubs are best found hidingbehindpeelingtreebarkorinthecool,darkcrevicesoftreestumps. They look a bit like

caterpillars, but are shapedmorelikea‘C’.Beetlegrubsareanamazing survival foodbecause they’re so high inboth protein and fat.Sometimes in the tropicsyou’ll come across bambooshoots that are completelyinfested: a real treasure trovefor the hungry survivor!Oneof the most commonly eatenbeetle larvae is themealworm, which is

produced commercially andturnedintoahighlynutritiousflour.

Both beetles and theirlarvae are a rich source ofprotein and trace minerals.Eat them raw ifyouhave to,or fry themup tomake themtastegreat,mixedwithalittlemaplesyrup!

Avoid beetles that are verybrightly coloured – a warning

signthattheycouldbetoxic.Aswithall insects,checkoutwhatthey seem to be eating. If youknowittobeatoxicplant,givethebeetleamiss.

BEESWhere to find them: allenvironments exceptAntarctica.

Coming across a swarm ofbees is a good sign for threereasons. First, their presencealmost always indicates that

thereiswaternearby.Second,honeybeesmeanhoney.Andthird,youcaneat them.Beeslike to nest in dry, darkplaces. Think abandonedrodent holes, dark corners ofdilapidated buildings, caves…

Of course, bees presentone big problem. Or rather,onelittleproblem:theirsting.A single sting from a desertbeeoncemademyentireface

swell up until I was barelyrecognizable, and if you’reparticularly sensitive to beetoxins, there’s a real risk ofanaphylaxisanddeath.Ifyoudocomeacrossabeeswarm,however, there are severalsmartwaysofturningitintoafoodsource ifyou judge thatriskworthtaking.

If you’re allergic to bee stings,you probably won’t be getting

close to the little fellas. Butremember: you could also beallergic to eating them, even ifthey’recooked.

The best time to gatherbees is towards nightfall.Worker bees travel milesfrom their nests, but alwaysreturn there at night (theyhave an incredible sense ofdirection).

Withbees, smoke isyourbestfriend.Ifyoulightafire

(use lots of green vegetationto make it smoky) and blowthesmokeintheirdirection,itwill sedate them and makethemlesslikelytodive-bomband sting you. (This mightsound counter-intuitive, butthey have evolved to startfeeding when they encountersmoke, so that they haveenough energy to leave thehiveifthequeendecidesthattheymust escape.And a full

bee is a sleepy bee.) So, ifyoucreatealotofsmokeandkeep it going for a couple ofhours, you might find thatyou can drive honey beesaway from their nest so thatall you’re left with is thehoneycomb and, if you’relucky, the bee larvae. Theselarvaegrowinthecellsofthehoneycomb and they’re anamazingfoodsource–sweet-tasting,madeupofalmost50

per cent amino acids andstuffed full of minerals andvitamins, especially (no punintended!) B vitamins. Then,of course, there’s the honeyitself: a great instant fix ofcarbohydrate that will last,literally, for ever. (Honeydoesn’t spoil or deteriorate –which is why the Egyptiansused honey in themummificationprocess.)

To catch the actual bees

(which are also incrediblynutritious),yourbestbetistofind a swarm that has madeitsnestinahole.Youcankillthemby filling the holewithsmoke and then covering it.This will give you access toallthefoodinside:thehoney,the larvae and also the beesthemselves.

If you’re hunting bees, getyourselfcoveredupasmuchas

possible. Tuck your shirt intoyour trousers and your trouserlegs into your socks, if you’rewearingthem.Coverasmuchofyour face and head as possiblewith a T-shirt or another pieceof cloth. If you do get bees onyour skin – and you probablywill – don’t brush them offbecause that’s when they sting.Leave them to fly awaynaturally.

Once you’ve harvestedthem, you should removetheir wings, legs and –

crucially–theirstingsbeforeeating. (You’ll find thestingerattherearofthebee’sabdomen.Dependingonwhattype of bee it is, it’ssometimesbarbedandwillbeattached to a small venomsac. The bestway to removethe stinger is by using a pairof tweezers (you might havethese inyourFirstAidkitorpenknife) – hold the bee’sabdomen with the fingers of

one hand and give it a littlesqueeze to make the stingerprotrude.)Becareful.

Bees can be boiled orfried. Roasted bees make agreatsnack.

CENTIPEDES (and notmillipedes)Where to find them: allenvironments exceptAntarctica.

Don’t fall into the trap oflumping centipedes andmillipedes together. They’reverydifferentcreatures.

Centipedes don’t have ahundred legs and millipedesdon’t have a thousand, butyoucantellthedifferencebycounting the legs on eachsection: centipedes have onepair of legs on each bodysegment, whereas millipedeshavetwo.

Thedifferencesdon’tstopthere. Millipedes aregenerallynotedible:therearespecies that contain

hydrocyanic acid, which inhigh enough quantities cankill. You’re unlikely to diefrom eating a singlemillipede, but it can burnbadlyandmakeyoufeelquiteunwell, so you should avoidthem.

Centipedes are a slightlydifferent matter, althoughthey still have to be handledwith care. I’ve come acrossgiant centipedes that are

highly venomous, with bigfrontclawswhichareable todeliver a dose of poison thatwill make you feel as ifyou’re being stabbed with ared-hotpoker. (Notwhatyouwant scuttling up your legand then biting you!) Iabstained from eating thatlittle beauty, but there arecertain centipedes, like thegiant red-headed centipedeScolopendra heros, that are

prized as a food in certaincultures. You need to makesureyouremovetheheadandthefirstsetoflegs,whicharein fact toxic pincers – theyusethemtosubduetheirprey.The remainder of thecentipede can be cooked andeaten.

COCKROACHESWhere to find them: allenvironments except

Antarctica.

I wouldn’t advise eating any

cockroaches you might findaroundyourhouse,butoutinthe wild they can, despitetheir reputation, be a clean-living bug. Wash them first,then either boil them or frythem.Ifyouhavesomesugarinyourpack,sprinklethisonto the frying pan so that itcaramelizesover theroaches.If you can find youngerspecimens, they tend to bebetter to eat because their

outershellisn’tquitesohard.

You can despatch most insectsbyremovingtheirheads.Notsowithcockroaches–theycanlivefor a week without it! Tough,eh?

DRAGONFLIESWheretofindthem:allovertheworldexceptAntarctica.

Dragonflies are fast – theycan fly up to 35 miles perhour – but if you catch oneyou’ve got yourself a meal.

You’ll normally find themnear water. If they’re veryabundant, youmight evenbeabletocatchthemwithanet.In Indonesia there is atraditionalmethodofcatchingdragonflies that involvestaking a bamboo pole andtying a long strip of palm toone end. The palm is thencoveredwiththestickysapofthe jackfruit tree. You flickthe palm towards the

dragonfly;ifittouchesit,theinsect sticks and you’ve gotdinner.Alternatively,youcanwait until nightfall, then takea torch to the water’s edgeandexaminetheundersideofleaves. This is where thedragonflies rest up at night,when they’re much slower –and you should be ablesimply to pick them off theleaves.

You’llneedtoremovethe

dragonfly’s wings beforeeating it.What’s left is goodfried, or you can skewerseveral on to a straight twigandtoastthemoverthefire.

Dragonfliesspendmostoftheir life cycle as nymphs,which live in the water andarealsoedible.

If you’re trying to catchdragonflies, wait for the sun togo behind a cloud. They needwarmth to fly – when the sun

disappears,theytendtosettleontheground.

Damselflies look similar todragonflies. You can tell thedifference because unlikedragonflies,damselfliescanfoldup theirwings.Bothareedible,though.

EARTHWORMSWhere to find them: allenvironments except the

ArcticandAntarctica.

Wormsarefullofproteinandvery abundant wherever the

soilisrichandmoist.They’llcomeuptothesurfaceafterarain shower, or you can digfor them. That’s one of thereasons they’re such a greatsurvival food.Youmightnotknowhow–orhavethetools– to hunt or fish or trapanimals. But you sure knowhowtodig(andyouhavethetools todo it– they’reat theendofyourarms!).

It’s possible for there to

bemorethanamillionwormsinoneacreofland.Andyourhumble earthworm is morethan 80 per cent protein andvery high in iron (in someparts of South America theyareeatenbypregnantwomenforthisreason).

Worms eat dirt, and anywormyoufindwillbefullofthe stuff. There are a fewwaystodealwiththis.

Probably the best is to

starve them for 24 hours,during which time they’llpurge themselves.But if youdon’t have 24 hours beforeyouneedtoeat,youcandropthem into cleanwater for 10minutes. This will cause theworms to clean themselvesout.

Alternatively, you cangentlysqueezethecontentsofthe worm’s body out fromoneend, like toothpaste from

atube.Earthworms can be eaten

raw(justmakesureyouwashthemfirst),thoughaswithallcreepy crawlies it’s probablybest to cook them first – 10minutes in boiling water isfine. After that, you can addthemtowildstews,frythem,orjusteatthemwhole.

My personal favourite isthewormomelette.Acoupleofpigeoneggsandahandful

of worms and you have agreat dinner. The cool bit isthatitlookssodisgusting,butactuallydoesn’ttastetoobad!

Youcansmokeearthwormsjustlikeyousmokemeat–seehere.

Dried earthworms can beground down into a highlynutritiouspowder–agreatthingto add to your wild foodsurvival recipes to boost theproteinandironcontent.

EarthwormJerkyTake several large earthwormsand clean them by gentlysqueezingoutthecontents.Boilfor 10 minutes, then skewerthem on to a thin twig. Findyourself a flat stone and heat itin a fire. Carefully remove thestonebut keep it near the fire’sembers and lay the skeweredworms on it. Keep them therefor 10 or 20 minutes, turningfrequentlysotheydon’tsticktothestone,andmakingsure theydon’tburn.Youwantthemtobe

niceandstiff.Removefromthetwigandeat.

Earthworm jerky will lastfor ages – Native Americansused to dry earthworms in thespring for use during the leanwintermonths.

FLIESANDMAGGOTSWhere to find them: allenvironments exceptAntarctica.

{Shutterstock}

Mostfliesareedible,butyoushould avoid any that havebeen feeding on anything

disgusting,likeanimalfaeces.There are stories of peoplesurviving for months in theharsh Australian outbackeating nothing but the fliesthey could catch, and inAfricavastquantitiesofthemare mushed up and turnedinto a great survival foodcalledkungacake.

And don’t forget themaggots – an awesome foodsource.Theonlytroublewith

maggots is that they’re nottoofussyaboutwhattheyeat,so you’remost likely to findthem on rotting debris ordecomposingflesh.Normallyit’s an indication that thefleshisnonetoofresh,soyoushouldn’teat it.Themaggotscan be eaten, though youshould purge them first bystarvingthemfor24hourssothat they expel any of therottenflesh that they’vebeen

consuming. Once they’vebeen purged, you can boil orfrythembeforeeating.

Avoid any maggots thatyoufindonanimalfaeces.

Flies are perfectly edible, butyou should keep them awayfrom your food. They defecatethree hundred times a day, andtheyeatbyspittingontheirfoodandsuckingup the liquid.Nexttimeyouseeaflyhoveringnearyour lunch, think about what itwantstodo!

GRASSHOPPERS ANDLOCUSTSWhere to find them: allenvironments except theAntarctic.

Grasshoppers and locusts areessentially the same thing.The Bible tells us that JohntheBaptistlivedinthedesert

on a diet of locusts andhoney. He must have beensomething of a survivalexpert as well as a visionary(in fact he is one of myheroes – the ultimate wildman on a mission!), becauselocusts are a great source offood. They’re widely eatenacrossSouthAmerica,Africa,theMiddleEastandAsia.

The best time to gathergrasshoppers is early in the

morning when they moveslowlybecauseoftherelativecold; you can simply pickthem off blades of grass.However, when foodbecomes scarce theycongregate in big swarmswhich can fly massivedistances looking forvegetation, and it’s whenthey’re swarming that theybecome known as locusts.Locust swarms can be pretty

scary, blackening the sky formilesaround,butastheypassthrough,younormallyendupwith a good number oflocusts on the ground whichyoucanharvestandeat.

Grasshoppers and locustsare edible raw in extremity,butyoushouldaimtoboilorfry them if you can, or evenskewer the larger specimensandroastthemoveryourfire.You’ll probably want to pull

offthelegsandwingsfirsttomake themabiteasier togetdownyourthroat.

SCORPIONSWhere to find them: allcontinents except Antarcticaandhigh-latitudetundra.

There’s an old Cantonesesaying: the Chinese will eatanything that flies, except anaeroplane;anythingwithfour

legs, except a table; andanythingthatswims,exceptasubmarine. It’s pretty muchtrue: walk through a Beijingfood market and you’ll findanythingfromdog-brainsouptostewedgoatlung.

A French historian calledJean-BaptisteduHaldewrotein 1736 about a Chinesebanquetwhereguestsatestagpenises, bear paws, cats andrats.So, toahungryChinese

person, scorpions aredecidedly tame – althoughquiteadelicacy.Youcanbuythemfrozeninbagsabitlikewe buy frozen prawns. Infact, they even taste a littlelikelargeprawns,andyoueatthem with the shell still on.The desert hairy scorpion(Hadrurusarizonensis)isoneof the tastiest, but they’re alledible.

Scorpions can be eaten

raworcooked.Ifthey’reraw,you’ll need to cut off thepoisonous stinger with aknife.(Bewarned–raw,theytaste pretty terrible, full ofpungentgoothathasonehellofanaftertaste.)

By the way, if you’recooking them, the heat willbreak down the proteins inthe venom, making itharmless–butyoumightstillwant to cut the stinger off

anyway. Once you cookscorpions up, though, theystart to taste a lot better –crunchyandnutritious.

So all round, scorpionsareaverygood,high-proteinsurvival food. If you find alive scorpion in thewild, pinit down with a stick, cut offthestingerwithasharpknife(becareful,becauseitwilltryto strike repeatedly when itknows it’s in danger). Then

cut off the pincers to stop itbiting you and just pop thelittle critter into yourmouth.It could be the differencebetween starvation andmaking it through anotherday.IthinkImusthaveeatenhundredsofthemintotal!

If you have more time –andmorescorpions–youcanmakeabettermealofthem.Ifyou’re in a region wherescorpions are rife, hunt for

them in dark places – underbig rocks, or hidden in logs(they are largely nocturnal).Be very careful, though –scorpion stings are nasty andsometimes even fatal. (Therule of thumb is that thesmaller the scorpion, themore deadly the venom.)Scoopthemupwithanet.

Ifyoumustholdthemforany reason,dosoby the tail,either side of the stinger, so

that you’re controlling thevenomous bit, not thescorpion. And if it pinchesyou, do not let go of thestinger,asitwillthenbefreetostingyou!

It’s traditional in someculturestosoakthescorpionsin milk for half an hourbefore cooking them, to helpwith the taste. If you don’thave any milk to hand, youcanfrythemjustasyou’dfry

raw prawns, using whateverseasoning takes your fancy.Alternatively,youcanskewerthemonalong,thinsticklikeakebab, thengrill themoveryour campfire. Cook themreallywellandtheytasteabitlikeshrimp(ifyoukeepyoureyesclosed).

TARANTULASWhere to find them:widespread throughout the

southern hemisphere, exceptAntarctica.

Tarantulas get a bad rap. It’s

true that some of them cangiveyouaverynastybite,butthey’renotgenerallyharmfulto humans and some are notvenomousatall.Buttheyareedible.

Tarantulasareparticularlypopular in Cambodia.Cambodians started eatingthemduringthebrutalKhmerRougeregimewhenfoodwasin very short supply. Theybecame a true survival food,

and if youcomeacross themin your own survivalsituation, you can consideryourselflucky.

The best tarantulas forcooking are the Thai Zebravariety (Haplopelmaalbostriatum).Theseareverycommon in Cambodia,Thailand and Malaysia,where theyareapopular fastfood (and one that childrenlovetohuntfor).Youcango

to a Cambodian market andbuylive,de-fangedtarantulasby the dozen from hugewicker baskets, ready to takehomeandcook.

Or you can catch yourown. It’s not too hard. Thespiders live in little roundburrows, the openings ofwhichtheycoverwithafine,silky web. To catch them,gently tickle the web toimitate a trapped bug.When

thespiderclimbsoutontoitsweb to see what’s for lunch,slide a shovel behind it tocover theopeningandstop itretreating back into theburrow.

You can pick up atarantulabygrabbingitsbackwithtwofingers,justinfrontof theabdomen– thisavoidsthe fangs. Worth doing,becauseatarantula’sbitecanbe nasty – like a bee sting,

onlyworse.Avoiddoing thiswith your bare hands: wearglovestoavoidthetarantula’surticating hairs (see below).Alternativelyyoucanjustpinthem down with a stick anddespatch them with yourknife.

Once you’ve caught yourtarantulas,thebestwaytokillthem is to drop them in abowl of water until theydrown. This will help clean

them aswell.Or just skewerthemwithasharpsticktokillthem.Youthenneedtolocateand remove the fangs, andsinge off any hairs. Onceyou’ve done that, they’reready to cook. It’s verycommon to stir-fry thespiders inplentyofhotoil ina large wok. If you’recooking in the wild, though,it’sprobablyeasiertousethemethodoverleaf.

A tarantula’s bite isn’t the onlythingyouneed tobecarefulof.They have little needle-likehairs on their abdomen, whichtheyscrapeoffandthrowwhentheyfeelthreatened.Thesehairscancauseanastyrashandabadallergicreaction.Theyarecalled‘urticating hairs’ and if any getlodgedinyourthroatasyoutryto eat a tarantula, your throatcanswellupandsuffocateyou.So remember: the urticatinghairs ’urt, so always burn themoffoveraflamebeforecooking.

Spicy FriedTarantulasAfter burning off the hairs,bring some water to the boil,then boil your tarantulas for 2minutes. Remove and allow todrywhileyouheatupalittleoilinyourfryingpan.Sprinkle thetarantulaswithspicesfromyourtrailspicebox–agoodmixtureissalt,sugar,pepper,garlicandchilli. Fry the seasonedtarantulasfor2–3minutes,untilthe skin is nice and crispy andthemeatonthelegsfeelssolid.Eat hot – they will have a

smoky,spicytaste.

TERMITESWhere to find them:tropical, subtropical andtemperateregions.

Termiteshaveabadname inbuilt-upareasbecauseoftheirtendency to consume anddestroy wooden structures.

But for the survivor, termitesareawesome.They’vebeenamajor food source forindigenous peoples of SouthAmerica,AfricaandAustraliafor thousands of years.Hardlysurprising–poundforpoundthey’remorenutritiousthan vegetables and have ahigherproteinandfatcontentthan beef or fish (100g ofbeefwill giveyouabout300calories, 100g of fish about

80and100gof termiteabout560).

Another reason they’resuch a great survival food isthat they’re so easy toharvest: they offer a vastamount of energy for hardlyany expenditure. In tropicalregions they live in huge,impressive ‘termite mounds’,which can each housemillionsoftheinsects.Seeingoneofthoseinthewildislike

seeingarestaurant,wherethefood is free and, for thesurvivor, incrediblynutritious.

Therearewingedtermitesand worker termites. Thewinged ones are larger andmore prized by termiteaficionados, but the workerinsects are easier to catch. Ifyou come across a termitemound, you can simply digyour knife into it and watch

thempourout.You’llbeableto pick themoff one by one.Alternatively, if you poke awet stick into the termitemound,you’llfinditcoveredwith the little beauties whenyoupullitout.

We’ll ignore the fact thattermites indulge in whatscientists call trophallaxis(which means they eat eachother’s faeces). They are infactverycleancreatures,and

groom each other to keepparasites at bay. Eaten raw,they taste a little bit zingy.Cooked, they taste kind oflikehazelnut.

FriedTermitesBecause termites have such ahigh fat content, you can puttheminadrypanand fry themin their own fat. If you havewinged termites, you’llwant toremovethewingsbeforeaddingthem to the pan, then fry them

gently over your fire untilthey’rebrownandcrispy.

Termites don’t only live intermite mounds. In temperateregions they can be found –alongwithmany other types ofbugs–intreestumpsandrottingwood.

WASPSWhere to find them: allenvironments except polar

regions.

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Like bees, wasps are edible

(so they are good forsomething–althoughyoudonot, of course, get the addedadvantage of the honey).Wasps are a lot moreaggressive than bees, so youneed tobeevenmorecarefulwhen you’re approaching anest (though it’s only thefemales that have stingers,not the males). But they canbecaught,killedandeateninthe same way – make sure

youremovethestingersfirst.Aswithbees,wasplarvae

are perhaps more commonlyeaten than the adult wasp –usesmokeinthesamewayasfor bees to drive away theadults, then help yourself tothe babies. They are bestfried, with perhaps a littlehoney if you have it, to givethemsomeextrasweetness.

Hornets are a type oflarge wasp. They and their

larvae are extremely edibleandyoumightbe tempted togo after them because theirsizemeansagoodmeal.Onlydo that if you’re reallydesperate: hornets are one ofthe most aggressive insectsout there,andtheirstingsarereallynasty.

Adeadwaspemitsapheromonethat attracts otherwasps.Get iteaten if you don’t want to beinundated.

CICADASWhere to find them:temperate and tropicalregions.

{Shutterstock}

Cicadas are amazing. Somespeciesspenduptoseventeenyears buried in the ground,

without even poking theirnoses up into the sunlight.(Even the more short-livedtypesspendacoupleofyearsunderground.) Then, all atonce, after nearly twodecades of this weirdhibernation,allthenymphsina particular location willclimb out of the ground inhuge swarms. These youngcicadas have no wings, sowhen theyarrive theycanbe

easilyharvestedforfood.I’vecaught and eaten cicadasmany times in Africa, andthey’re used as a source offood all over the world –they’re a particular delicacyinMexico.

In Africa, I was onceshownhowtobeatthemfromtheir roosting places in thetree tops. But you can useyour ears to find them atnight– thesoundofacicada

is totally distinctive. With atorch, look at tree trunks.When they emerge frombeing buried in the groundtheycrawlupthenearesttreeand you can just pick themoff.

Here’showIcookthem–very simple, and you coulduse this method for mostinsects.

Sand-cookedCicadasPick the legs off your freshlycaught cicadas to stop themrunningaway.Lighta fireonapatch of dry sand. When it’sbeenburningforawhileandthesand is good and hot, carefullybrushitaway.Layyourcicadason the hot sand. They’ll cookthroughinafewminutes.Oncethe cicada is cooked, you cantugout its insidesfromtheanalopening – they’ll come out inonegloopypiece.Thenjustpopthispieceinyourmouthandeat.

Easy!

GIANTWATERBUGSWhere to find them:worldwideexceptAntarctica.

These fellas are also knownas ‘toe-biters’, because that’sjust what they can do. Theyhaveanastylittlebite,soyou

should be careful whenhandlingthem.Theycanalsobehuge–someofthemgrowupto12.5cmlong.Thatsaid,they’re pretty easy to catch.Giant water bugs areabundant in freshwater lakesand streams all over theworld, but especially in theAmericas, northern Australiaand Asia. At night they are,likemanyinsects,attractedtothe light, so if you have a

torchora lantern,placeitbythe water’s edge and you’llfind that they come to you –scoop them up with a smallnet.

The bugs can be boiled,fried or roasted, then eatenwhole – though lots ofindigenous people prefer justto scoop out the meat fromtheinside.

SNAILS

Where to find them:worldwide,exceptAntarctica.They prefer cool, dampplaces but are sometimesfoundindesertclimates.

Many land snails are edible,butsomeareverypoisonous.Avoid any that have verybrightly coloured shells. In

particular, steer clear of theConus – a brightly colouredsea snailwith avicious stingthatcankillahuman.

You can, however, eatpretty much any snail foundin the UK, where I live.Perhaps themostdelicious isthe common garden snail,Helix aspersa, which is alsofound widely across theworld.Theycomeouttoplaywhen it rains, so if you go

hunting for them after arainfall,you’reinforafeast.

However, unless there’sno other option, you shouldavoid eating themimmediately. Snails need tobe purged of all the nastystuffintheirdigestivesystem.(They can carry all sorts ofparasites, including aparticularly nasty one thattheygetfromratfaeces.)Thebestwaytocleanthemoutis

toputtheminacontainerthathas holes large enough toprovideventilation,butnotsobigthatyourdinnercancrawlaway.An ice-cream tubwithholespunctured in the topofthelidwithaskewerdoesthetrick.

Putyour snails in the tubandadda few lettuce leaves.Let them eat this for fivedays, thenremove the lettuceleaves and starve the snails

for another two days. Nowthey’rereadytocook.

I should tell you thatsome snail-gatherers will eattheir harvestwithout purgingthem first, and in a survivalsituation you might findyourself having to do this. Ifthat’s the case, you shouldmake sure you cook themvery well first to kill anyparasites. And you shoulddefinitely avoid them if

they’ve been feeding onpoisonous mushrooms(although slugs are muchmore likely to have eatenthesethansnails–seehere).

Bring some water to theboil, then chuck in yoursnails. Let them simmer for10 minutes, then drain themand leave them to cool. Youcan now remove the snailsfrom their shells with thesharp end of a needle, a

toothpick or with the tip ofyourknife.

Theymightbeabitslimy.Ifthisworriesyou,tossthemina littlesalt, leave themfor5 minutes, then rinse off thesalt. It should take the slimeawaywithit.

You can either eat thesnailslikethis,oryoucanfrythemup in oil or butterwithplenty of garlic – or, evenbetter,wildgarlic leaves that

you’ve foraged yourself (seehere).Thatwayyouavoidtheslime!

Snailshibernateinthewinter,soifyouwantthemyou’llhavetogo hunting underneath stones,logs or anything else thatprovides themwith shelter. It’sworthdoing–hibernatingsnailsdon’tconsumeanything,soyoudon’thavetopurgethembeforeeating. But youmust still cookthem.

SLUGSWheretofindthem:Europe,AustraliaandNorthAmerica.

Youcanjustthinkofslugsassnails without their shells.Like snails, they need to bepurged and cooked beforeyou eat them. They cancontain many dodgyparasites, but they alsosometimes feed on toxicmushrooms. If you’ve readChapter 3 on fungi, you’llknow that you don’twant toget any of that in yoursystem.

If youdon’thave time topurge them, you can splitthem open and rip out theguts. These are the bits thatwill contain anyparasites, sodiscard. Now boil the meatfor a few minutes until it’sproperly cooked through. Abit slimy, and certainly notthemost delicious thing I’veevereaten–butgoodproteinand energy if you need it. Ialsotendtodrinkthewaterin

whichthey’vebeenboiled,soas not to lose out on anypreciousnutrients.

WOODLICEWhere to find them: allenvironments except theArcticandAntarctica.

Woodlice might look likeinsects, but in fact they’re aform of crustacean, andindeed they taste a bit like

prawns. Unlike theirseafaring relatives, they liveon land – although they dostillprefermoistareas,sothebestplacetolookforthemisin damp, dark places such asin shady old tree stumps orunder stones or fallenbranches. They’re easy tocollect, and can be quiteabundant once you find theirhidingplaces.

The best type of

woodlouse for eating comesfrom the familyArmadillidiidae. These arealso known as pill bugs orroly-polies, because theyhave a tendency to roll upintoa littleballwhen they’rethreatened. To cook them,simplydropthemintoboilingwater, or fry them over yourfire.Ifyoudothis,you’llfindthey’ll‘pop’astheycook–Ilike to think of woodlice as

nature’s popcorn.When theystoppopping,they’regoodtoeat. You’ll have a tasty,crunchylittleballofnutritionthat’s90percentprotein.

As with insects, manypeoplehaveabitofamentalblockwhenitcomestoeatingamphibiansand reptiles.Andas with insects, there’s noreason for this tobe thecase– although it is true that thepursuit of snakes, crocs andalligators can be a lot moredangerous than thepursuitofbugs and creepy crawlies. Alot of the information in this

chapter really is for use in asurvival situation only. Youshouldn’tgoafterpuffaddersorsaltwatercrocs lightly,butif there’s nothing else to eat,knowing how to deal withthemcouldjustsaveyourlife…

AMPHIBIANS

Whenwesayamphibians,wemean,largelyspeaking,frogs,

toads and salamanders.There’s another group ofamphibians called caecilians– wormy, snaky things thatbury themselves inwetmud,butthey’renotgoodtoeat,sowe won’t be worrying aboutthose.

In wet, marshy areas,amphibianscanbeavaluablefood source. But you’ve gotto know what you’re doing,because you can make

yourself pretty sick eatingthem if youdon’t take a fewprecautions.

FROGSANDTOADSMost frogs are edible. Mosttoads are toxic. So you needto know how to tell thedifference.

Firsttheconfusingbit:alltoads are actually frogs, butnotallfrogsaretoads.Toadsarejustasub-classificationof

frogs. They’re also generallyfound in the same regions.Frogsliveoneverycontinentexcept Antarctica. Toads areindigenous to everywhereexcept the polar regions andAustralasia – although sometypes have been introducedintoAustralia.

However, they do, ingeneral, have some distinctdifferences:

1.Toadshavedry,wartyskin,whereasfrog skin tends to be smooth andslimy.Thisisbecauseofwheretheylive: frogs like moist environments(they’re always found near water),whereas toads prefer to keep dry(they can be found near water, butarealsofoundfarfromit).

2.Frogsmostlyhavewebbedhindfeet(forswimming)andstrong,longhindlegs (for hopping). Toads haveshorter hind legs (they walk ratherthan hop), and their feet tend not tobewebbed.

3.Frogsliveonthegroundor in trees.Toadsonlyliveontheground.

4.Toadsarechubbierandstumpierthanfrogs.Theydon’tmovearoundquiteasmuchorasquicklyasfrogs.

So now you’ve workedout if your amphibian is afrog or a toad. If it’s a toad,leave it well alone. Toadequals toxic. They havelumps behind their headscalled paratoid glands whichare filled with nastychemicals. The skin secretesthese and – although it is

possible to prepare sometoads in such a way thatthey’re ready for thepot – ifyou get it wrong thesechemicals can cause pain,inflammation, blindness andeven death. Not worth therisk.

If you’ve got yourself afrog, examine it carefullybefore you even touch it. Ifit’s very brightly coloured,leaveitalone.Althoughmost

frogs are edible, there aresomewhicharepotentlytoxicto humans. Most of these(likethegoldendartfrog,seebelow)havebrightlycolouredskin.

ThegoldendartfrogisfoundintheColombian rainforest and isthought to be one of the mostpoisonous creatures in theworld. Its skin contains a veryrare,verylethalpoison.Asinglefrog contains enough of this

poison to kill ten people, andthere’s no known antidote.Some indigenous people haveused the poison to tip theirhunting arrows to make themmoredeadly…

HuntingfrogsYourbestbetistohuntbythewater’s edge at night – ifyou’re lucky, you’ll hearthem croaking and the noiseshould bring you straight tothem. Frogs can be timid, so

movequietlyandcarefully.Ifyouhaveabrightlight,shinethis towards the water. Itserves two purposes. First,the light will reflect in thefrogs’ eyes, allowing you tolocate them. Second, frogs,like rabbits, will becomestunned by the bright light,making it less likely thatthey’ll jump away as youapproach.

Youcanuseasharpspear

–traditionallycalleda‘gig’–topinthefrog;thesplitspearherewouldbeagoodtoolforthe job. Alternatively, youcan use a net. Or, if you’refast, your hands. I’ve caughtplentyofbigfrogsthisway–you just need to be able tocatch them faster than theycanjump.

If it’s definitely a frogthat you’ve caught, and it’snotbrightlycoloured,youcan

probablyeatit–butyouwillhave to skin it first, becauseevenediblefrogshavedodgystuff in their skin that youdon’twantinyourgut.

Before you skin it,though, you’ll need to makesure your frog is dead. Thiscan be harder than it looks,especially with largespecimens. A knife throughthe back of the head shoulddo it, though you might

sometimes need to give thehead a good hitwith a bluntobject to finish the job offquicklyandpainlessly.

Most of the meat on afrog ison the legs–youcancuttheseoffandskewerthemonasharpstick.Holdthelegsclosetoyourfireandtheskinwill burn off, then you cancook the meat through. Thisworks better for smallerfrogs.

Alternatively, you canskin the whole thing. If youmake an incision down itsback, you should be able topeel the skin away from thebody – a bit like pulling offhis trousers.You should alsofind that this takes the gutsaway from the body too.What’s left is fine to eat. Oryou can cut off thehead andpull the skin away, beforegutting the peeled frog

separately.Frogscanbefried,grilled

or boiled. You’ll probablyfindyourselfconcentratingonthe legs where most of themeat is, but on bigger frogsyoucangetafewdecentbitesoutofthebreastaswell.Inanemergency you can eat themraw – I’ve done this myselfseveral times. But they’re abit more appetizing whenthey’vebeencooked,andit’s

always safer to cook yourmeatfirstinanycase.

FrogSoupThisisalotnicerthanitsounds!It’s good to make if you’vecaught yourself plenty of smallfrogs. Skin and gut them, thenrinsetheminfreshwater.Bringsomewatertotheboilandaddastock cube if you have one inyourpack–thiswilladdmuch-needed flavour to the soup,because the frogs themselvesdon’t carry much. Simmer the

frogsforabout10minutes,thenaddanywildgreensyouhavetohand and cook for another 5minutes. The meat should fallnicely off the frogs, and thebrothwillbeenrichedwiththeirnutrients.

SALAMANDERS

In China, the Chinese giantsalamander – which is theworld’s largest amphibian –is considered so delicious

(and is so easy to hunt,because of its size) that it’sbecomingendangeredandit’snowillegaltohuntit.Butnotallsalamandersareedible.Aswith frogs, there are somewhich secrete a toxin fromtheirskin,sobecarefulabouttouching them unless you’resure. Generally speaking,nature gives you a warningabout thesepoisonousones–they’re very brightly

coloured,whichintheanimalworld is often a clear signthatyoushouldstayaway.

You can hunt ediblesalamanders in much thesameway as you hunt frogs.In fact, it’s a bit easier,because salamanders don’tmove soquickly.You’ll findthemby,orin,thewater,butalso hiding in warm, dark,damp places. Maybe you’veheard the myth that

salamanders are created infire. They’re not, of course,but the storyprobablycomesfrom the fact that theysometimeshideoutinrottinglogpiles –whenyou set firetothewood,outtheycome.

Treat salamanders in thesame way as frogs – makesure you remove that skin!Thebestway todo this is toskewer your salamander to atree, or some other fixed

point, and peel the skin offwhole, using pliers and aknife. It’s quite a trickyprocess and works best forlarger specimens. If you’veno pliers, just use your knifeand your hands and do thebestyoucan.

REPTILES

Byreptiles,wemean,broadlyspeaking, snakes,

crocodilians (that’s crocs,alligators and caimans),turtles and lizards. It mightsound like this class ofanimalsdoesn’toffermuchinthewayoffood.Thinkagain.Reptiles have plenty to giveus in a survival situation.Troubleis,they’renotalwaystheeasiest–orthesafest–togetyourhandson…

SNAKES

{Shutterstock}

All snakes are edible, eventheveryvenomousones.

You hear people say that

snake meat tastes likechicken, but I don’t knowwhatsortofchicken theyareeating! Snake is muchtougher,muchbonier.Havingsaid that, some snakes don’treally taste too bad, andthey’re full of protein. I’veeaten puff adders before thatcontained enough venom tokillfivepeople,bothrawandcooked. I can just aboutstomach it raw, but for

something so aggressive anddangerous, the cooked meatactuallytastedprettyfine.

Since reptiles are cold-blooded,they don’t carry asmany bloodparasites as warm-bloodedanimals.Thismakes them a bitsafer to eat raw. They can stillcontain some parasites, though,not tomention salmonella – soit’s better to cook them if youcan.

Snakes are a goodsurvival food because youfind them in awide rangeofterrains, from grassland, totropical jungle, to desert.They’re found on everycontinent exceptAntarctica–although some larger islands,like Ireland and NewZealand, claim to be free ofsnakes.

But, of course, you haveto knowhow to handle them

– or not handle them,depending on the situation.Andyoumusttaketheproperprecautions before you try totackleone.Sobeforewelookathowtoprepareandcookasnake,hereareafewpointersonhowtocatchthem.

CatchingsnakesThefirstthingtosayisthis:ifyou know a snake isvenomous, do notmesswith

it unless you’re veryconfident about what you’redoing. It’s a good idea tofamiliarize yourself with thevenomoussnakesofwhateverterrain you’re entering. Thiswill give you a good idea ofwhat to avoid and,conversely, which snakes togoafterforfood.

There’s no dead certainway of telling if a snake isvenomous, other than being

able to identify it.Butaveryrough rule of thumb is thattriangular heads tend toindicate venomous snakes.Constrictors and other non-venomous snakes tend tohave heads that run in linewith their bodies, with notriangular shape. But pleaseremember, this is only a ruleof thumb – the coral snake,for example, doesnothave atriangular head and is

extremelyvenomous.Generally speaking, the

constrictors (that’s boas andpythons) are easier to catchthan non-constrictors.They’remuchslowerandarenotpoisonous.However,youshouldavoidthemiftheyarevery large. They can beaggressiveandgiveyouverynasty, ifnonvenomous,bites.Not tomention that if averylargeconstrictorgetsitscoils

around you, and you aren’tthat big a human, then it isabletosqueezethelifeoutofyoubitbybit,breakingeverybone in your body beforeswallowing you whole. Sochooseyourbattlescarefully.

I’ve been bitten by agreentreeracerintheBorneojunglebefore,anditisn’tfun.I grabbed it by its tail as itracedalongatreebranchandit flicked back and bit me. I

pulled it off my hand and itthen started biting itself, itwas so angry. It all endedOK, though – I ate it forsupper.

It’s worth rememberingthat pretty much all snakesare scared of humans. Theyare very sensitive tovibrations in the ground andwill hear you walking from(literally) a mile off. They’llhideunder rocks, inholes, in

the long grass, under woodpiles – chances are you’llhave to go hunting for them.A long pole with a hook attheendisagoodtoolforthis–youcertainlydon’twant togo sticking your hand into asnake hole. Use this to hookand drag them out into theopen.

Remember that when itcomes to handling snakes, ifyou control the head, then

you control the snake.Obviously, it is only evergoing to bite you with itsmouth and this is where thevenomsacalwaysis.Pressingdownat thebackof theneckwithaforkedstickisthebestwaytocontrolasnake,asthiskeeps it pinned in place andstopsitmovingitspotentiallymost dangerous bit. Youshoulddothisevenwithnon-venomous snakes, because

they can still bite and causenasty infections (there’s anold saying: snakes don’tbrush their teeth!). Infectionsfromasnakebitecandoyoualot of damage in the field,especially in the jungle,where the warmth andhumidity can cause bacteriatomultiplyextraquickly.

Once your snake ispinneddown,thebestwaytokill it is to club it to death

with another stick – use aheavy,swift,choppingactionto the back of the head – orwithasturdyrock.Youneedtodoyourverybest tomakethefirstblowfatal–notonlybecause it’s more humane,but also because woundedsnakes are aggressive anddangerous. Alternatively,swiftlycutitsheadoffbehindwhereyouhaveitpinned.

Don’t let your guard

down just because you thinkyou’vekilledit.Manysnakesare good at pretending to bedead,so ifyoufree themtoosoon you could be in for anasty surprise. Even afterthey are dead, the body cantwitch and writhe for sometime and the head of apoisonous snake will stillcontainvenom.Itisevenableto bite you after it is dead!That’s why I always cut the

snake’s head off beforehandling the body, even if Ihave clubbed it to deathbeforehand.Dothiswithyourknife while it’s still pinneddown. Once the head issevered, you still need to becareful – there could still beactive nerves in there thatcause it tobite.Buryorburnit. Never leave a freshsnakeheadlyingaround.

If you think you’ve been bittenby a venomous snake, forgetany old wives’ tales aboutsomeonesuckingoutthepoison.That just risks putting thevenomintothebloodstreamofasecond person. And don’t cutthe wound to try to drain it –that will just speed up the ratethevenomisabsorbedintoyoursystem. Instead, keep calm,washthebiteandkeepthelimblow (below your heart level).Try to identify the snake andthen get to a hospital, fast. Assoon as that venom hits yourbloodstream, you’re walking

aroundwith a potentially lethaltime bomb inside you. In themeantime,trytokeepthepartofthebodythathasbeenbittenasstill as possible to stop thevenom moving round yourbody. Remove any watches orjewelleryfromthelimbthathasbeenbittenbecausetheycancutintoyourflesh.

Aboveall,getmedicalhelp.Haemotoxic venom is going tostart destroying your musclesand organs. Neurotoxic venomis going to destroy your nervesandbrain.Bothversionscanbedeadly. Here is a picture of a

friend of mine after he wasbittenbyaferdelancesnakeinaCentralAmerican jungle.Thesnake injected him through theeye of his boot with a hit ofhaemotoxic venom.Bewarned,be smart and always have anevacuation plan in place if youaregoingtobeinsnaketerritoryforlong.

{SteveRankin}

Howtoskinandgutasnake

Skinning a snake is notalwaysnecessary–seehere–but if you want to, here’show. Turn the snake so it’slying belly side up. Nowmake an incision along theentireundersideofthesnake.Once this is done, pull theskin away slightly from thefleshatoneend,then,holdingthesnakeinonehandandtheskinintheother,peelitawayinonebigpiece. (Youmight

occasionally find this a bittough, in which case use thetipofyourknifetoeaseawaytheskinfromtheflesh.)

Once you’ve peeled offtheskin,getyourfingersintothe incision and pull out theguts,muchasyouwouldwithafish.Theyshouldcomeouteasily,andofteninonewholepiece.

Ifyoucangetasnake’sskinoff

intact,youcanuseitasawatercarrier. To do this, rather thanmaking a long slit along itsbelly, cut around thecircumferenceof itsbodyabout2.5cmabovetheanalvent.Nowpeel the skin off in one longtube. Clean it very well, bothinside and out. Scrape theexterior(whichwastheinterior)ifyoulike,butbecarefulnottoteartheskin–thentieaknotinone end before filling it up.(Theremaybescentglandsnearthe anal vent – remove thesebeforeeatingthesnake.)

Snakegutsmakeoneofthebesttrap baits, and there are fewbaits that work better forcatching fish. Because the gutsare so tough, you can catchseveral fish with one piece ofbait.

Some ways of cookingsnakesI’mgoingtoshowyouafewmethods of cooking a snake.The first is best for smaller,thin snakes that you’ve

skinnedandgutted.Thesecansimply be coiled around astick, tied in place and heldover an open fire. (Wireworks best to tie them with,as it doesn’t burn through.)Alternatively, insert one endofthestickintothegroundatanangle,sothesnakeisheldabovetheheat.

Agoodruleof thumbformaking sure you have theright heat is that if you can

holdyourhandintheheatfor5secondsbutnomore,thenitis good to cook with butwon’tburnthemeat.

Bigger, fatter snakes canbecookedinhotsand–thisisa great way of cooking awhole snake in the desert.You don’t need to skin oreven gut it first. Light a firein the sand and, when it’sburneddown,brushawaytheembers. Now bury the snake

in the hot sand and cover itagain with the embers. Theskinwillprotectthemeatasitcooks through.After awhileyou’ll be able to hear thesnake sizzling beneath theembers.Carefullyliftitoutofyourbushovenwithacoupleof sturdy sticks. It’ll lookblack and charred, but youcannowcutawaytheskintorevealthenicelycookedfleshbeneath.

You can also cut up askinned, gutted snake intosegments and boil it withwhatever other edibles youhave to hand. Or you cansimply fry the meat – stir-friedsnakeisverypopularinChina,asexpected!

I have worked with someindigenous people who carrylive rattlesnakes in their packsbutwith themouths sewn shut.Thatway,thefleshdoesn’tspoil

intheheatandtheyalwayshavefresh meat ready for whenevertheywantit–alltheyhavetodoiskillthesnake.

LIZARDS

Lizards can be found almostanywhere, but they are mostcommon in warm climates –mainly tropical and

subtropical regions. And I’mnotjusttalkingaboutthelittlecritters you see on holiday.Lizards can bemassive – upto3metres long–andmanyhave strong jaws and sharpteeth, which can give you anasty bite. It’s pretty specialcoming across large lizardslikethatinthewild.

All lizardsareedible,buttwoarevenomous.Thesearethe gila monster – a slow-

moving, snake-like creaturewhich can grow up to 60cmlong and is found in thesouth-western United StatesandtheMexicandesert–andthe beaded lizard, which isfound in Mexico and SouthAmerica. Both arehaemotoxic and, althoughthey rarely kill humans, youwant tobe carefulwith thembecause they can make youextremelyilliftheybiteyou.

You’ve also probablyheardoftheKomododragon.If you come across one ofthose bad boys, leave it wellalone – not only becausethey’re endangered, butbecausethey’repowerful,fastand will readily attack ahuman. Their saliva containseighty types of bacteria,which can cause fatalsepticaemia in their prey.When the prey’s dead, they

tuckin.It’spossibletocatchlarge

lizardswithyourbarehands–I’ve caught a few monitorlizards in swamps this way.One method is to grab themby the tailandhold themup,whichstops themfrombeingable to wriggle around. Youcan then stun the creaturebyswinging its head against atree or the ground.Alternatively,strikethelizard

with a long, heavy stick tostun it, pin it down and thendespatchitwithaknifeinthebackofthehead.

Smaller lizards can becaught using a lizard noose.This is a piece of lightcordage (fishing twine orwireisgood,butalongpieceof dry grass will do just aswell – or even a piece ofdental floss) with a runningbowline(seehere)atoneend

toformanoose.Tietheotherend to a twig. Holding thetwig, gently ease the nooseover the lizard’s head andyank it upwards. The noosewilltightenandthelizardwillbedanglingbyyourcordage.Noosing is effectivebecause,although the lizardmight seethe noose coming, it doesn’tperceiveitasathreat–unlikeyour hand, from which itwouldrunawayimmediately.

Ifyou’reproficientwithacatapult (see here), that canalso be a goodway to kill asmall lizard.Or, if you hit itwith a stick with lots ofbranches, that can stun itenough toallowyou tocatchit.Justdon’tletasmalllizardget anywhere near a tree –once it starts clambering upthere,you’velostit.

Iguanas are a verypopular food in Central

America, where they areknown as chicken of thetrees! But raw lizardmeat isvery tough. I’ve eaten smalloneswhole,butthere’sariskof parasites and salmonella.Youwanttogetthemcooked.Most of the good meat on alargelizardisonitstail.Youcanjustremovethetail in itsentirety, turn it upside downand split it lengthways alongtheunderside.Layitskinside

downonanopenfireandtheskinwillprotectthemeatasitcooks. While the tail iscooking, you can scoop outthe entrails and locate theliver–it’llhavealittlegreenbile sac attached, which youneed to remove beforetoastingtheliveronaskewerover the fire. It tastes prettygood–andisfullofnutrients.

Anotherwayofcookingalizardistoboilit.Cutintoits

belly and scoop out theentrails (preserving the liver,if it’s big enough, as above),thenplaceyourlizardinsomeboilingwaterandcookituntilthemeatistenderbutnottoosoft. You can now simplypeeloff theskin togetat themeat beneath. In a survivalsituation,youmightalsowantto drink the broth – it’ll bewarming and contain muchgoodness.

Alternatively, you canroastaguttedlizardonaspit,just as you would any othersmallanimal.

Lizard ShishKebabIf you’ve caught yourself asmalllizard–I’mtalkingjust7–10cm long – you can simplyinsertasharpenedstick into thebacksideandroast itoverafirefor5or 10minutes.Make sureit’s properly cooked through

before removing from theskewerandeatingitwhole.

Being cold-blooded, lizards aremoresluggishinthemorningorthe evening when thetemperature is cool. That’s thebesttimetogoforthem.

CROCODILES ANDALLIGATORSCrocs and alligators looksimilar but are part of

different families (caimansare a type of alligator) andthey have slight biologicaldifferences. Alligators areonlyfound inNorthAmericaand China, whereas you’llfind crocs in many tropicaland subtropical regions.They’re aquatic, and crocscan be divided into saltwaterand freshwater – althoughsalties can and do live infreshwater rivers. Some

people say that crocs aremore dangerous than gators,but that’s too much of ageneralization: they can bothbeterrifyingandlethal.

Crocs are a massivedangertohumans.Saltiesarethe most aggressive. If they

attack you and drag you intothe water, your chances ofsurviving the subsequentdeathrollarealmostnil.Theycansnap their jawsshutwitha force of one tonne persquareinch–it’sthoughtthatthis makes a croc’s jawsstronger than aTyrannosaurus Rex’s – andAustralian salties are thecontinent’s deadliest animal.But even freshwater crocs

andalligatorswillgoforyou.Soyoudon’teverwant tobebetween a croc or gator andthewater.

Be aware that thesecreaturescangrowtomassivesizes. When they do, theirskin is almost impossible topierce, and they are fast. Ablow from their tail can bealmost as bad as a snap oftheir jaws. They’re alsocunning. They’ll lie in wait

for you andwatch as yougodowntothewatertodrink.Ifyougotothesameplaceforasecond time, they’ll strike.They have amazingcamouflage and can hideunderwater for long periodsof time waiting for anunsuspecting meal to cometheir way. This makes themundoubtedly the ultimate andmost fearsome stealthpredator.

I remember onceswimmingacrossanalligator-infested river. I chose toswim underwater becausecrocs and gators sometimesmistake your bobbing headfor something else – like abird or turtle. Swimmingunderwater stops thathappening, but it’s still adangerousgame.Ifthecrocisbig enough and hungryenough, then you are toast,

however many clever tacticsyoutrytoemploy.(I’veheardof the strategy of going forthe palatal valve in the backofacroc’smouthifitattacksyou,which in turn letswaterfloodintoitslungs.Butgoodluck to you if you evermanage that!) There aren’tmany things these creaturesare scared of, and you’recertainlynotoneofthem.

The death roll is done

even by small caimans. Thisis where the croc or gatorgrabs its prey then rolls overrepeatedlyandviolently. If itis a small caiman, this ripschunks of flesh off the prey.If it is a big croc, the deathroll will rip off entire limbs.Ifyouare lucky(orunlucky)enoughstilltobeinonepieceafter being dragged into thewater, the death roll willdrown you. Then the croc

will take you down andwedgeyouundersomeloginthemurkywatersandwaitforafewdaysto‘tenderize’you,before ripping you apart inbite-size chunks to swallowwhole. (Crocs can’t chew,remember.)

Have I made my pointthat hunting crocs and gatorsis not for the faint-hearted?Good.

However, having said all

that, they are edible too, andourbrains arebigger!And ifthere’s nothing else to eat,some fresh gator meat couldbealifesaver.

In a survival situation,youshouldonlyeverconsidergoingforthesmallercrocsorgators/caimans – nothingmuchmorethanametrelong.They’re still dangerous.They’re still fast. And theyare still very powerful and

can kill. But against one ofthose, youmight just stand achance.

When I killed a gator inthe Louisiana swamps once,my strategy was to creep upbehinditstealthily,getclose,thenleapontopofitandpinit down with all my weightandstrength.Youwanttopinit just behind its head,straddling its body. Butbewareifittriestodeath-roll

free! If it succeeds,you’re introuble.

Asaferway is tomakeanoose from sturdy rope andcarefully loop it over the topor bottom jaw of the croc’smouth.Attachalongsticktothe noose if you want to trythis.Thecrocwilloftenallowyou to do it, as it will befocusing on you and not therope. It will no doubt bepoised for attack, and will

hissabitthroughout,butyoucanperseverestealthily.Oncethenooseisover itsupperorlower jaw, pull it tight.Givetheropeatugandasthebeastdeath-rolls it will wrap therope around its mouth andforceitclosed.(Analligator’sjaws are incredibly powerfulwhenclamping,butnotwhenopening.)

Whichever technique youuse,onceyouhaveitsecured

and pinned, the quickest andmost humaneway to kill thebeast in this situation is bysevering its spinal cord,which means a knife drivenstrongly down through thesofttissuebehindthebackofthehead.

It’s also possible to set acrocodiletrap.Here’show.

The best tool for this jobisa large,sturdymetalhook,aboutthesizeofyourhand.If

you don’t have one of these,thenashort,sturdystickwilldo–itneedstobebigenoughthat itwill stick in thecroc’sgullet – about 10cm for asmall croc or gator. Tie thehookor stick to a longpieceof rope and attach the freeend to a tree on the water’sedge. Now you need to baityourhook.Anymeatwilldo,and the smellier it is thebetter, because it will attract

your prey from a distance.Animal innards that you’dnormally throw away are agood choice. Wrap themround your hook or stick sothat it’s completely covered.This baited hook now needsto be suspended above thewater,soyou’llneedtodrapetheropeoveranoverhangingbranch. Let the bait dangleclosetothewater–ifit’stoohigh, the smaller crocswon’t

beabletoreachit.Theideaisthat when the croc goes forthebait,thehookorstickgetslodged in its gullet, trappingthe animal. It won’tnecessarily kill it, though, soyou’llneedtobeextracarefulasyouhaulyourprey in anddespatch it using one of themethodsmentionedabove.

Oncedead, you can skin,gut and butcher a croc oralligator in much the same

way as you skin large game.You’ll find plenty of goodmeat on the carcass,especially on the tail, wherethemeat isvery tender (hackit off just behind the rearlegs), as it is around the jaw(which aficionados considerto be the best bit). The legmeat can be as tough as oldboots,butarackofgatorribsisarealfeast.Crocandgatorcan be grilled, roasted or

boiled in all the usual ways.It’s great cut into chunks,skeweredandcookedoveranopen fire, and you can alsouse it in any of the wildcasserolerecipesinthisbook.

There’salotofmeatonagator.Ifyou’vegottoomuch,youcandry it tomakealligator jerky intheusualway–seehere.

Trytoremoveasmuchfatfrom

the meat before cooking it asyou can, as it will make themeattasteveryunpleasant.Youcan rub the yellow fat from afreshlykilledalligatorintoyourskin – itwill act as amosquitorepellant.

Grilled AlligatorLegsMost people go for the tail,wheremost of themeat is. Butinasurvivalsituationyoucan’twasteanything.Themeatonthe

legs is tough, but perfectlyedible.Hackthelegsoffwhole.Ifyouwant,youcanskinthem.Thiswillgive themeatabetterflavour. Grill the legs over theembers of a fire until they’recookedthroughbeforeeating.

TURTLES

{Shutterstock}

There are freshwater turtlesand sea turtles. They’re bothedible,andbothgoodsources

of nutrients – low in fat andcarbohydrate, very high inprotein, not to mention anabundance of vitamins andminerals to keep you healthyinthefield.

Sea turtles are found inwaters worldwide, with theexception of the polarregions. They weretraditionally used as foodsources for sailors on longvoyageswhenfreshfoodwas

at a premium, because theycould be kept alive on boardand killed when necessary.Theyareverygoodtoeat.Sogood, in fact, thatmost typesofsea turtlesareendangered.Sadly, they don’t helpthemselves by returning tothe same beach where theywere born to lay their eggs.Here, they can be easilycaught and the eggsthemselves foraged. But it’s

illegal everywhere to huntsea-turtle eggs, and you’donlywant todothis if itwasa genuine question of life ordeath.When it is a questionoflifeordeath,seaturtlescantipthebalance.

Freshwaterturtlesarealsoon the decline, but they arestill widely hunted in manyparts of the world – Northand South America, Africa,southern Europe, Asia and

Australasia – and there aremany types that are notprotected, which means youcan eat them if absolutelynecessary.

Don’t be fooled by a turtle’slazy demeanour. In theEverglades, I once caught asnapping turtle – and they canbe vicious. They have anaggressive, snapping beak thatcouldeasilytakeyourfingeroff,and they’ve been known to killeach other by decapitation.The

best way to make a turtleharmless is to roll it on to itsback,orholditupbythetail.

You can fish forfreshwater turtles using ahook and line – they tend tobe more abundant closer tothe water’s edge, so don’tcasttoofar,orusenightlinesas here. Alternatively, youcan simply drag them fromthe water (mind those jaws).

Oryoucanmakeaturtletrap.Here’show.

Make a ringed wall ofsticks pushed vertically intothe ground. It needs to bethree times longer than thetype of turtle you’re huntingand only slightly wider. Atone end, you’ll need toconstruct a hinged door thatopens inwards, as shown.Prop the door open with astick and place some bait

inside the trap – any kind ofmeat or fish will do. As theturtleenters,itwillknockthestickoverand,assoonasit’sfullyinsidethetrap, thedoorwillclosedownandtheturtlewon’tbeabletoescape.

{HLStudios}

To despatch a turtlequickly and humanely, youcankillitbygivingitablow

to the head and thenremoving the headwith yourknife. (Be warned – someturtleswill continue tomoveeven after you’ve cut theirheads off.) If the head hasretreated into its shell, youcanuseahooktopullitbackout.Alternatively,ifyouhaveno hook, you can sever itsarteries by inserting a knifebeneath the shell and drivingit into the turtle’s neck.

(Smaller turtles can bedespatchedbydropping themstraightintoboilingwater.)

Once you’ve decapitatedthe turtle, you can hang itupside down to collect theblood. It’s considered adelicacy in somepartsof theworld,butithasrealvaluetothe survivor as a source ofnutrients and liquid. Someindigenous people have beenknown to let the turtle blood

clot and coagulate, beforeaddingminced-up turtle fleshand skin, the heart, lung andliverandwhateverseasoningsthey can put their hands on,then frying the resultingmixtureforanutritiousmeal.Thisisactuallyprettytasty!

Once your turtle is dead,you can butcher it by slicingopen the belly, scooping outthe guts and then cuttingaway the meat (avoid eating

the head and neck, as thesecan be poisonous). Themeatcan be boiled, fried andgenerally used as you wouldany other kind of meat, andthe skin isvery edible, albeitchewy.

Turtlesoupisaspecialityin many parts of the world.Youcan improviseyourownsurvival version by boilingturtle meat in a little waterwith a stock cube, removing

any meat from the bone andreturning it to the soup, thenaddingafewdicedvegetablesand boiling again till they’recooked. The resulting soupwill go a long way torestoring both your moraleand any vitamins andmineralsyoumighthave lostinthewild.

Alternatively,Ihaveonceplaced a whole turtle, shellandall,upsidedownontothe

embers of my fire. It tookabout an hour to cook. Dothis, and you can tell whenit’s ready because the shellbecomesbrittleandwillcrackeasily.Hackawaythecharredshell to get at the nutritiousturtlemeatbeneath.

If you’ve eaten a turtle ortortoise and the shell is stillintact,don’t throwitaway.Useit as a cookingpot.Boil it firsttomakesureit’sperfectlyclean.

Itcannowbeplaceddirectlyinthe embers of your fire, or youcan use the hot-rock cookingmethoddescribedhere.

All tortoises – which you canthink of as land-based turtles –arealsoedible,andtheymostlytaste really great. So great, infact, that the Giant Tortoise oftheGalapagos Islands is almostextinctbecauseitwashuntedsopersistently during the lastcentury. If you ever findyourself there, look forsomethingelsefirst!

REPTILEEGGSReptiles lay eggs. They’reedible, but you need to besuper-carefulaboutcollectingthembecauseallanimalswillprotect their eggsaggressively. So, whilealligator or rattlesnake eggswillmakeyouadecentmeal,think twice about messingwith them. However, if youdo manage to forage reptile

eggs, make sure you cookthem well before eating toavoid salmonella or parasiteinfections. This can be donebyboiling,orbybakingthemonafire(seehere).

Alleggs,whetherbirdorreptile,are great sources of protein. Ifthe shell is uncracked they canremain edible for quite sometime. If you plan to keep them,though, don’twash them clean.Bacteria cannot penetrate a dry

egg,butifthereisanymoistureit can allow pathogens to passthrough the shell. Also, manycreatures apply a protectiveliquid coating around the egg,called a cuticle, which protectsitsquality.Ifyouwashtheeggs,youwashoffthecuticle.

Being able to find food isoneof thecornerstonesofallsurvival. Food gives uspreciousenergyand–almostas importantly – boosts ourmorale. I hope that thisbookhas given you some of theskills and all of theconfidence that you need togetoutthereintothewildandstart thinkingabout food inadifferentway.

You might have foundsome of the contents in thisbooktrulyextreme.(IknowIwouldn’t want to be eatingthepartiallydigestedcontentsof a dead animal’s stomachevery day of the week.) Butto finish off, I want to goback to something I said atthe beginning. This bookcontains food-gatheringtechniquesthatyoumayonlyever use when you find

yourselfinagenuinesurvivalsituation. (I certainly hopethat you’d never be temptedtokillasinglelivingcreaturein the wild unless you wereintendingtoeatitoryourlifedepended on it.) But youdon’tneedtobetrappingwildpigs or pit-roasting puffadders in order to takeadvantage of the amazingbounty with which natureprovidesus.

Evenifyoujustboilupafew nettles after your nextwalkinthewoods,orgatherafew mussels when you findyourselfbythesea,you’llbefarmoreintouchwithnaturethan most people evermanagetobe.

ThesurvivalskillsItrytoteach people can take alifetime to learn. Even now,I’m still learning myself,everyday.Butbygatheringa

littlewildfoodandstartingtounderstand how we can relyon nature (and not justsupermarkets) to supply ourfood,you’llbetakingthefirststeps on a path that I hopewill teach you a great dealabouttheworldaroundyou.

In short, knowinghow togather food in the wild willdefinitely improve your life.Oneday,itmightevensaveittoo.

PICTURESECTION

OnthelookoutforwildfoodintheswampsoftheNorthernTerritoriesofAustralia.(Inthisplaceyou’renottop

ofthefoodchain.)

Improvisinghuntingweaponsisakeyskillinthewild.Thisspearwouldbeidealforhuntingsmallmammals.Thestickinmylefthandtriplesthevelocityofthespearandturnsitintoadeadly

weapon.

OnaraftImadeinthejungleofBelize—aperfectplacetotrailfishinglines

from.

Realsalmonsushi,Alaska-style.

Ediblefrogs,thesalvationofmanyasurvivor.(Bewareofbrightlycoloured

frogs,andalltoads.)

Whatgoesthroughmymindbeforeeatingcritterslikethisisgenerally:Oh

s***!

Blendintoyourenvironment,stayalertanduseyoursuperiorbraininthehunt

forfood.

Snakesarealwaysriskytocatch,butagreatsourceofproteinandenergy.

AlargeboaconstrictorthatIcaughtinBelize.Itfedmeandallthecrewfor

threedays!

Theskullofalargesaltwatercrocodile.Thepowertheseguyshaveisoffthescale.Donotgetinafightwithoneof

them.

Thisalligatorwassixfoot,andwasjustaboutmanageabletocatchand

despatch.

Rawzebrameat,onthebone—itdoesn’tgetbetterthanthis(although

thislionkillwasfreshandIdidn’twanttohangaroundlongtofightthemfor

it).

APPENDIXA

CORDAGE

Throughout thisbookyou’llhave come across instanceswhen you’ll need some sortof cordage in the wild.Fishing lines,makingasnare

noose, tying the bottom of acleaned stomach to make animprovised water bottle,lashing poles together tomake a drying frame, evenmaking a bowstring – allthesejobsneedstring,ropeortwine. But there’s a limit tothe amount of this stuff youcan carrywith you, and in asurvival situation you mightfindyouhavenoneatall.Sohere’s how to make your

own.Anything fibrous can be

turned intocordage.Youcanthen plait this – if it’s longenough–intosturdierlengthsofrope.Butyouneedtokeepa few things in mind beforeyouchooseyourmaterial.

First, is it long enough?When you turn fibre intocordage, you end upshortening it. Second, is itstrong? Give it a tug. If it

doesn’t snap, tie a simpleknotinitandpullittight.Ifitstill doesn’t break, yourmaterial should be good andstrong. It also needs to beflexible,andnottoosmooth–the fibres need to grip on toeachother.

The natural world cansupplyplentyofmaterialthatmatches these criteria. Plantstalks (nettlesareparticularlygoodandcommon).Seaweed

(ifyouhaven’teatenitfirst!).Animal hair. The bestcordage is made from theinterior of dead tree bark –yousimplypeelitoffinlongstrips, before separating thestripsuntilyouhavemultiplelengths of fibre of thethickness you need. The bestfibrous material comes fromwillow and lime trees, butreallytherearen’tmanytreeswhose inner bark won’t

supply you with decent rawmaterialforcordage.

It’s worth soaking yourfibre before you turn it intocordage. This stops itshrinking as much when itdriesoutasitwouldifitdriedfrom its natural state. Thisprocessiscalled‘retting’and,once you’ve done it, you’reready tomake your cordage.I’m going to show you twoways to do it: laid cordage

andplaitedcordage.

LAIDCORDAGELaid cordage is made bytwistingfibrestogether.

To do this, take a long pieceof fibre and twist it in onedirection until it wants tomake a kink. Now fold in athird of the fibre. Pinch thefold, then put the fibre onyourlapandrollitawayfrom

you with the palm of yourfreehand.

{PatrickMulrey}

Keepingyourpalmfullyhelddownonthefibre,releasethe

pinched join. The cord willnaturallytwistfromoneend.

{PatrickMulrey}

Now, pinch where the twistends and repeat the processuntilyouareabout5cmfrom

the loose end. Lay anotherpieceof fibreup to the looseend and continue the process– the newpiece of fibrewillbecomepartoftheoldone.

You should end up with agood, strong piece ofcordage,butyoucanmake iteven stronger by repeatingtheprocess.

PLAITEDCORDAGE

If your fibre is not quiteflexible enough tomake laidcordage, plaited cordage isthe way to go. It’s just likeplaitinghair–asthefatherofthree boys, this is notsomething I get to do veryoften,Imustadmit!

Takethreelongfibresandtie them together at one end.Foldtheleft-handstrandoverthemiddleone.Nowfoldtheright-handstrandoverwhatis

now the middle strand (butwas the left-hand strand).Repeat this process untilyou’ve plaited the entirefibre.Makesureyoukeeptheplaits tight as you go. Tie orclamp the end when you’vefinished and let the strandsdry out a bit before using.And remember that you canplaitseveralofthesepiecesofcordage together for an eventhickerrope.

APPENDIXB

KNOTS

In appendix a, you learnedaboutnatural cordage.But toput any kind of cordage,natural or otherwise, to gooduse, you’ll need a few knotsupyoursleeve.

There are loads of

different knots you could –and should – learn. It’s ahugely satisfying skill tohave, and a potentiallylifesaving one too, if you’regoing to spend any time inthewild.

When it comes to thebusiness of wild-foodsurvival, the truth is thatyoucan do almost all tasks withjust ahandfulofbasicknots.Onthefollowingthreepages,

you will find five excellent,trustyknots–thebestonestocover a multitude ofsituations.

CLOVEHITCHYou’d use a clove hitch toattach a rope to a horizontalpole or post. For example,youcoulduseittosecurethenight line here to a fixedpoint on the river bank. Aclovehitchisfastandeasyto

tie and untie, although it cancomeundoneifit’stiedtoanobject that rotates,or if thereisn’t a constant pressure ontheline,orifthelineisnylonand slippery. Add extrahitchestomakesuretheknotissecure.

{PatrickMulrey}

CONSTRICTORKNOTThis is agreatknot for tying

the neck of a bag or sack.You might use it whenturning an animal stomachintoawatercarrier(seehere),or for tying the end of anintestine sausage (see here).It’s similar to a clove hitch,butishardtountie.

{PatrickMulrey}

SLEDGEKNOTThis is an awesome knot forconstruction – but be awareit’s so strong that once it istiedunderpressureyouwon’tbe able to untie it. Ideal fortying a large animal’s limbsto a pole, for example (seehere).

{PatrickMulrey}

REEFKNOT

Thisisusedfortyingtogethertwo pieces of cordage of thesame thickness – essential ifyou need to make a longpiece of string out of severalshorterpieces.

{PatrickMulrey}

RUNNINGBOWLINEA good knot for snares – itwillactasanooseandtighten

when something pulls on theloop.

{MicaelaAlcaino/TW}

PICTURECREDITS

ColoursectionAll images courtesy ofDiscovery except here andhere,courtesySimonReay.

Everyefforthasbeenmadeto

tracethecopyrightholdersofimages reproduced in thisbook. Copyright holders notcredited are invited to get intouchwiththepublishers.

The page references in thisindex correspond to theprinted edition from whichthis ebook was created. Tofindaspecificwordorphrasefromtheindex,pleaseusethesearch feature of your ebookreader.

acaciatrees49acorns44–5airrifle169–71air-dryingmeat194–5

alligators239–42bait177catchingandkilling241–2cooking242–3

amphibians227–31frogs/toads227–30salamanders231

Anamirtacocculus97animalsdrinkingbloodof175large181–9bleeding183butchering187

cookingtheflesh187–9gutting184killing182moving182–3offal and other bodyparts184–7

skinning183–4small174–81bleeding175–6cooking178–81gutting177–8killing174skinning176

smellsthatattract145tracking seestalking/trackinganimals

trapping/snaring seetraps/snares

Antarctic, finding animals inthe140–1

ants204–5arctic regions, plants grownin50–1

arcticwillow50Australia205

baitalligator177forfishing89–90,121offalas177snakegutsas236andsnares/traps146–7

baittesting146–7balsawood88bambooshoots47–8bananas/banana leaves 47,104

bannock30–2baskettraps93–4

battery, use of to light a fire25

beadedlizard237bearandbaconkebabs189bears181–2tracking139–40

beavermeat181beavers,tracking137–8beelarvae208beefsteak fungus (Fistulinahepatica)76

bees207–9beetlelarvae202,206

beetles206–7berriesasfishingbait89wildfruitteas63

BG Gerber Ultimate ProKnife161

birchbarkpot24birchtea62–3birchtree24,62birdnet156birds189–91cooking190–1drinkingbloodof124

gutting190killingandbleeding190pluckingandskinning190seabirds123–4stalkingfreshwater157trapping124,154–7birdnet156ojibwabirdpole155–6

birds’eggs191blackberryleaftea63bleedingbirds190largeanimals183

smallanimals175–6blooddrinkingofanimal175drinkingofbird124

blue-ringedoctopus123blueberryleaftea63boilingwater22–4bones,animal187bottletrap154,203bowandarrow96,162–6brain,animals’186braisedbeavertail181breakfastinapaperbag34

browncrabs121–2burns,treatingof45buttercups56

cacti48–9caecilians227calories19campfire foods see foods,campfire

carbohydrates18–19carragheen (Chondruscrispus)113

catapult167–8,238

catfish106cauliflowerfungus(Sparassiscrispa)79–80

centipedes209–10chanterelle (Cantharelluscibarius)76–7

charcoal60cherrylaurel54Chicken of the Woods(Laetiporus sulphureus)78–9

cicadas220–1clams119–20

clarifyingwater21–2clay-roastedporcupine180–1cleaningfish100–1clovehitch258cockles119cockroaches210coconutoil46coconutpalms45–6coconuttree,climbinga46condoms,aswaterholders21constrictorknot258cookingalligators/crocodiles242–3

birds190–1fish102–5frogs230hotrock52–3,105inhotsand221,236–7largeanimals187–9lizards238–9makingafirefor26–7molluscs and crustaceans118–25

smallanimals178–81snakes236–7wildplants52–3

cookingpotsbamboostalks48turtleshell246wood52

cordage46,87,254–6laid255–6plaited256

crabs,brown121–2crickets202–4crocodiles239–42catchingandkilling241–2cooking242–3settingatrapfor242

damselflies211dandelions43deadfalltrap153deadlynightshade39,54–5Death Cap (Amanitaphalloides)70–1,78

deer133tracking136–7

dens,animal132–3Derriselliptica96desert regions, plants grownin48–50

Desmarestia110

Destroying Angel (Amanitavirosa)71–2,78

dogs,trackingof134–5dragonflies210–11drinks,survival61–3animalblood175birchtea62–3pineneedletea61–2seabirdorturtleblood124water from saltwater fish105

wildfruitteas63seealsowater

droppings,animal132drowningsnare153–4Duboisia97duck,campfireroast191dulse(Palmariapalmata)112dungbeetles206Dutch-ovenstews35–7

earthwormjerky213earthworms19,211–13edibilitytest57–9eggsbirds’191

reptile246–7elk heart, campfire stuffed189

faeces,animal132fat,preservingmeatin196–7fats18fire24–8choosingsitefor26,28forcooking26–7extinguishingof28fuel25–6kindling26,27

larger26tinder 25–6, 27, 46, 47,51,62

goldenrules28lighting25

fireweed51fishheadsoup105fishtickling84fishtraps92–5baskettraps93–4fixedtraps4–5springsnare92–3

fish/fishing83–107

bleeding99–100cleaning100–1cooking102–5hotrockcooking105plankcooking104–5ponassing102–4wetnewspaper104wrapping fish in non-toxicleaves104

dangerous106–7filleting101–2gutting99,100healthbenefits83

killing99–100preparing98–102regulationsgoverning84scaling100–1smoking195techniquesforcatchingfish90–8fishpoison96–7fishtraps92–5gillnetting92,156icefishing97–8nightlines91rodandline90–1

spearfishing95–6springsnare92–3

where and when to catchfish84–5

fishinggear85–90bait89–90,121floats88hooks85–7lines87rods87weights88

flapjacks33flies213–14

floats88Fly Agaric (Amanitamuscaria)72–3

foilcookingpotatoesin34–5useoftolightafire25

foods,campfire29–37bannock30–2breakfastinapaperbag34Dutch-ovenstews35–7pancakes33–4popcorn37porridge32–3

potatoes34–5spices30wild‘pizza’80

Fool’s Funnel (Clitocyberivulosa)74

foxestrackingandcatching138–9,151

foxgloves55freezingmeat193–4frogsoup230frogs227–30cooking230

differences between toadsand228

huntingandkilling229–30poisonous229

fuel,forlightingafire25–6fungiseemushrooms

garlic,wild43–4Giant Puffball (Calvatiagigantea)77–8

giantwaterbugs221–2gilamonster237gillnetting92,156

glue,pine-pitch164goldendartfrog229gourds,wild50grass39grasshoppers201,214guns169–71guttingbirds190fish100largeanimals184smallanimals177–8snakes236

gutweed (Ulva intestinalis)

112–13

hares133trackingof135–6

hayboxes29hazel103heart,eatingananimal’s185honey208honeypotants205hooks,fishing85–7thornhook87woodhook86

hornets220

hotrockcooking52–3,105hydrocyanicacid54,58,209hydrocyanic poisoning,antidoteto60

icefishing97–8Icelandmoss51Iguanas238insects201–25ants204–5bees207–9beetles206–7centipedes209–10

cicadas220–1cockroaches210crickets202–4dragonflies210–11earthworms211–13finding202asfishingbait89fliesandmaggots213–14giantwaterbugs221–2grasshoppers and locusts214

nutritionalbenefits201scorpions215–16

tarantulas216–18termites218–19wasps219–20

intestinesausages186intestines,animal186Inuit19,175

Jack O’Lantern (Omphalotusilludens)77

jerky194

KellyKettles23kelp (Laminaria digitata)

113–14kidneys,eatinganimal185killingbirds190crocodiles/alligators21–2fish99–100frogs229–30largeanimals182lizards238rabbits174snakes233–4smallanimals174turtles244–5

killingdevices159–71bowandarrow96,162–6catapult167–8guns(airrifle)169–71knives159–62rabbitstick168–9spears166seealsotraps/snares

kindling26,27knives159–62sharpeningof81,162

knots88,257–60clovehitch258

constrictorknot258reefknot259runningbowline260sledgeknot259slipknot148

Komododragon238

laidcordage255–6large animals see animals:large laver (Porphyraumbilicalis)114

laverbread114lichens51

lilyofthevalley56limpets120lines,fishing87liver,eatingananimal’s185lizardshishkebab239lizards237–9catchingandkilling238cooking238–9venomous237

locusts214logfalltrap152–3lungs,eatingananimal’s185

Maasai175maggots213–14matches25meatstew36–7Millbankbag22millipedes209minerals19molluscs117–21clams119–20cockles119cooking118limpets120minimising the risk when

harvesting117–18mussels118oysters120usedforfishingbait121

mosquitorepellentcoconutoil46wildgarlic44

mushrooms57,65–81appearance67dosanddon’ts75edible75–80beefsteak fungus(Fistulina hepatica)

76cauliflower fungus(Sparassiscrispa)79–80

chanterelle(Cantharelluscibarius)76–7

Chicken of the Woods(Laetiporussulphureus)78–9

Giant Puffball (Calvatiagigantea)77–8

habitatandlocation67,68

identifying66–7,69names69natureof66old wives’ tales to ignore68–9

poisonous65,69–75Death Cap (Amanitaphalloides)70–1,78

Destroying Angel(Amanita virosa) 71–2,78

Fly Agaric (Amanitamuscaria)72–3

Fool’sFunnel(Clitocyberivulosa)74

Jack O’Lantern(Omphalotus illudens)77

Panther Cap (Amanitapantherina)73–4

season67used for sharpeningknives81

usedastinder81mussels118myxomatosis135

nettlesoup42nightlines91noose,makinga147–8nutrition18–19caloriesneeded19carbohydrates18–19fats18proteins19vitaminsandminerals19

octopus123offalasbait177

eating184–7O’Grady,Scott20ojibwabirdpole155–6oleander56–7oxalicacid54oysters120

pancakes33–4Panther Cap (Amanitapantherina)73–4

paths,animal131pemmican195penguins141

pigs,trackingwild139pineneedletea61–2pine-pitchglue164pit-oven188pitfalltrap153‘pizza’,wild80plaitedcordage256plankcooking104–5plantains47plants,wild39–63arcticregions50–1arcticwillow50fireweed51

Icelandmoss51otheredibleplants51

containing rotenone (fishpoison)96–7

cooking52–3desertregions48–50acaciatrees49otheredibleplants50pricklypearcactus48–9wildgourds50

golden rules for collecting40–1

poisonousand inedible39,

40,49,53–7temperateregions41–5acorns44–5dandelions43otheredibleplants45stingingnettles41–2wildgarlic43–4

tropicalregions45–8bambooshoots47–8bananasandplantains47coconutpalms45–6otheredibleplants48

Universal Edibility Test

57–9washingof41

plastic bottles, boiling waterin23

poison,fish96–7poisoningshellfish117,118symptoms60treatmentof59–60

poisonousfish106poisonousfrogs229poisonous mushrooms 65,69–75

poisonousplants39,40,53–7buttercups56deadlynightshade39,54–5foxgloves55hydrocyanicacid54,58lilyofthevalley56oleander56–7oxalicacid54pines62universal edibility test 57–9

whitemangrove57yewtrees55–6

poisonousseaweed110poisonoussnakes233poisonoustrees52polarbears140,141ponassing102–4popcorn,campfire37porcupine, clay-roasted 180–1

porridge32–3,49potatoes34–5preservingmeat193–7air-drying194–5infat196

freezing193–4salting196smoking195

pricklypearcactus48–9proteins19pufferfish106purifyingwater22

rabbitstick168–9rabbitscatching151killing174tracking135

rashes,treatingof45raspberryleaftea63razorclam119–20Razor Strop (Piptoporusbetulinus)81

recoveryposition60reefknot259reptiles231–46crocodiles and alligators239–42

eatingraw232eggs246–7lizards237–9

snakes232–7turtles243–6

rhubarbleaves54rodandlinefishing90–1rodents,catching154rods,fishing87rotenone96runningbowlineknot260

salamanders231salties240saltingmeat196sand, cooking in hot 221,

236–7sausages,intestine186scorpions215–16scurvy19seabirds123–4seacucumbers122sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca)111–12

seaurchins121seals140–1seashore109–25cookingafeast124–5molluscs and crustaceans

117–20seabirds123–4seaweed110–16stayingsafe109–10

seaweed110–16carragheen (Chondruscrispus)113

drying115–16dulse (Palmaria palmata)112

guidelines110–11gutweed(Ulva intestinalis)112–13

harvesting110–11healthbenefits110kelp (Laminaria digitata)113–14

laver (Porphyraumbilicalis)114

laverbread116poisonous110sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca)111–12

wildsushirolls116seaweedsoup116shellfishpoisoning117,118

skinningbirds190largeanimals183–4smallanimals176snakes235–6

skunks,trackingof137sledgeknot259slipknot148slugs224small animals see animals:small

smokingfish195

meat195snails222–3snakescatchingandkilling233–4cooking236–7poisonous233skinningandgutting235–6treatingofbites235

snaresseetraps/snaressoupsfrog230nettle42seaweed116

squirrel180spearfishing95–6spears166makinggood95

spekkfinger141spices30,196‘spinners’89–90spit-roasting, small animals179

springsnare92–3,150–1squirrelsoup180squirrelscatching151–2

cooking180tracking136

stalking/tracking animals129–40intheAntarctic140–1bears139–40beavers137–8deer136–7dens132–3differences between runandtrail132

dogs134–5foxes138–9

freshwaterbirds157hares135–6andlandscape131paths131pooandpee132rabbits135seals140–1skunks137squirrels136thingstoconsider131–4thinklikeananimal133–4timefor133voles138

wildpigs139stewing,smallanimals178–9stews,Dutch-oven35–7stingingnettles41–2stingray107stomach, eating an animal’s185

stormkettle23sunburn, treatment of bycoconutoil46

sushirolls,wild116

tannin44

tarantulas216–18teasbirch62–3pineneedle61–2wildfruit63

temperate regions, plantsgrownin41–5

termitemounds89,218termites218–19thornhook87tides109tinder25–6,27,46,47,51,62Tinder Fungus (Fomes

fomentarius)81toads227–8tongue,animal’s187torch, use of coconut oil tomakeimprovised46

tortoises246tracking see stalking/trackinganimals

trailspicebox30traps/snares143–57baiting146–7baskettrap93–4andbirds124,154–7

bottletrap154,203andcrocodiles242deadfalltrap153drowningsnare153–4fish92–5logfalltrap152–3makinganoose147–8pitfalltrap153simplesnare149springsnare92–3,150–1thingstobearinmind144–6

treesnare151–2

turtle244–5treebark,ascordage255treesnare151–2trees,poisonous52tropicalregions,plantsgrownin45–8

turtles243–6catchingandkilling244–5cooking245–6makingatrapfor244–5

UK Special Forces selection22

UniversalEdibilityTest57–9

vineleaves104VitaminC19sourcesof19,50,61

vitamins19voles,tracking138vomit,makingyourself60

wasplarvae220wasps219–20water20–4boiling22–4

clarifying21–2extracting from saltwaterfish105

purifying22sources20,47transportingof21useofincoolingfood29

waterfilters21waterholdersanimal’sstomach185condoms21snake’sskin236

water-purifyingtablets22

weaverants205weightsforfishing88whiteash60whitemangrove57wildfruitteas63wildgarlic43–4wildgourds50wildpigs,tracking139wildplantsseeplants,wildwoodhook86woodlice224–5wormsasfishingbait89

asfoodsource89seealsoearthworms

yewtrees55–6,79

Zamperini,Louis124

AbouttheAuthor

BEAR GRYLLS hosts theNBC shows Running WildandTheIsland,andforsevenseasons starred in theadventure series Man Vs.Wild. A former member of

the UK Special Forces, Bearhas climbed Mount Everestand has led record-settingexpeditions that have raisedmillions of dollars forchildren’scharities.

Discover great authors,exclusiveoffers, andmore athc.com.

AlsobyBearGrylls

ASURVIVALGUIDEFORLIFE:HOWTOACHIEVEYOUR GOALS, THRIVEIN ADVERSITY, ANDGROWINCHARACTER

MUD, SWEAT, ANDTEARS: THEAUTOBIOGRAPHY

TO MY SONS: LESSONSFOR THE WILDADVENTURE CALLEDLIFE

MAN VS. WILD:SURVIVALTECHNIQUES FROMTHEMOSTDANGEROUS

PLACESONEARTH

THEKIDWHOCLIMBEDEVEREST: THEINCREDIBLE STORY OFA 23-YEAR-OLD’SSUMMIT OF MT.EVEREST

Credits

CoverdesignbyRichardL.Aquan

Coverimages:centipede,dandelion,grasshopper,octopus,andpricklypear

cactuscourtesyofDiscovery;©HLStudios(fireand

scorpion);©LaneV.Erikson/Shutterstock(trees)

Authorphotograph©BearGryllsVentures

Copyright

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2014by Bantam Press, an imprint ofTransworldPublishers.

EXTREMEFOOD.Copyright©2014byBear Grylls Ventures. All rightsreserved. All rights reserved underInternational and Pan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Bypaymentofthe required fees, you have been

granted the nonexclusive,nontransferablerighttoaccessandreadthe text of this e-book on-screen. Nopart of this text may be reproduced,transmitted, downloaded, decompiled,reverse-engineered, or stored in orintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyany means, whether electronic ormechanical, now known or hereafterinvented, without the express writtenpermissionofHarperCollinse-books.

FIRSTWILLIAMMORROWPAPERBACKEDITIONPUBLISHED2015.

DesignedbyJuliaLloyd

ISBN978-0-06-241675-9

EPub Edition May 2015 ISBN9780062416766

1516171819OV/RRD10987654321

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