So you're going to go hunting when the SHTF?

[Cannonman17]

Here's something to think about... or I have anyway and thought I should share. In the course of conversation with people I have often times heard people express their dependance to some extent in a SHTF type situation on their ability to hunt and fish. I think many people do this to some extent, myself included, but to what extent is an important question. You location also plays a key role in this. For conversation's sake I'll break the location down and over simplify it like this:

1)City dwellers
2)Suburbs of city/ Medium to small towns
3)Semi rural
4)Boondocks

If you live in a city and are planning on shooting some squirrels/rabbits/or worse... dogs cats.. etc in a prolonged SHTF type situation and already have an air rifle etc you're one step ahead.. problem is how many people are going to be doing the same thing? My bet just about everybody... I'm guessing that for whatever reason the store shelves go empty it will only take a few weeks before nearly every squirrel, rabbit, cat, dog, coon, whatever is gone.

Suburbs / Medium to small towns I think it would be about the same situation but take perhaps a couple of weeks longer.. I think finding wild game on the outskirts of these areas such as deer would also become increasing difficult within the first few weeks.

Semi rural areas- I live in an area like this, tons of great hunting and fishing but also a relatively high population density, people from the city would call it the boondocks but people from the boondocks would scoff at it being truly wild country. I think the people who live in these areas are at the most at risk for over estimating how much wild animals they will be able to harvest. The population density may not be that high and you may feel as though you are out in the woods but the percentage of DIY type people, hunters, fishers, and outdoorsmen in general will be much higher than what you would find in the city. I very much believe that if there were ever a truly rough situation in this country, great depression, war, terrorism, or whatever, there would be a great many people who would be shocked to find out that one of the things they had counted on to supplement their meager food stash was in reality much more rare than they anticipated. There's no doubt that I would try to utilize the resources at hand just like everybody else (if I can have fresh venison steak I'm not going to cook up my freeze dried pork chops!) Guess I'm just saying don't rely on the critters more than you should to feed your family.

The only group who probably doesn't have to worry too much about his is the last, those people who live far enough away from others (and in areas not likely to get over run by the out flow from the cities) but even here we should probably take some caution... perhaps some type of bio terrorism has taken a heavy toll on the animal life as well and some of the resources you've counted on are no longer available.

Depending on what has caused the problem to start with, fishing could be expected to last considerably longer than large mamals as they are not as easily wiped out. I know I have added a quanity of basic fishing type supplies to my stores should the need ever arise. If there is ever a time and place where rules and regulations have gone out the window there are some fantastic ways, and easy ways, to catch fish for the table (no explosives required!) but I won't get into that right now as it would require a follow up on preservation as well....

[Ed Harris]

IN TRYING to solve the nation's energy crisis, lawmakers and policymakers in Washington may be unintentionally creating a food crisis.
America remains the world's breadbasket, but if Congress and the president continue their love affair with ethanol, the corn-based "alternative" fuel, the nation's farms no longer will have the capacity to feed the world. They won't be able to supply Americans with relatively cheap food, either. Human history records brief swings of cannibalistic consumption during times of extreme famine.

See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_of_1315-1317
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famines_in_Czech_lands
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pa ... Famine.htm

[Huntinfool]

Thank God I live in the Boondocks! I live smack dab in the middle of 12,000 acres of public hunting area!

About 100 acres never get touched by anyone but me and my friends! Because of the close proximity is is to mine and my neighbor's homes!

I've also got a couple of small private ponds chocked full of bass and channel cats, which for now I just catch and release. I've told eveyone these are my personal emergency food source.

Life is good!

~HF~