VIDEO You Need 2 Years of Food – Martin Armstrong

[hiwall]

My dad told abouit the 1930s that there were almost no deer left around here because of hunting pressure.

In the 1920's market hunting wiped out a great amount of game birds and big game across the nation. Starting in the early 30's is when game laws became a thing. It was also when the excise tax was put on guns and ammo to pay for game management.

Many things effect game populations. In 1971 Minnesota had NO deer season. 20 years ago when I left Minnesota a hunter could legally take up to five deer.

As far as big game hunting in the end times, it would be way different than now. Now you have a set week or something when you can hunt (with millions of other hunters) but in the end times you would hunt whenever. Most game shot would likely be "targets of opportunity". You would look out the house window and see a deer and would then shoot it.
Here we have hundreds of elk and we are well over 200 miles from any urban area. I do not expect the elk will all be dead ten minutes after the collapse. Also the only 'farming' here is beef cows. There are many cows. In a collapse I expect neighbors would work together (like we do now) to butcher a cow or elk so none goes to waste. We would also work together to try and eliminate all wolves (like we do now with coyotes).
It would take about one elk per person per year to keep people fed (or the equal amount of beef). In a collapse situation people will no longer be able buy gas to drive hundreds of miles to go hunting in the hopes of getting lucky enough to shoot something.

 

[West]

In a collapse situation people will no longer be able buy gas to drive hundreds of miles to go hunting in the hopes of getting lucky enough to shoot something.

Muse for lurkers.....

Agree with all your post. But just add. I've mused shooting something after a collapse, will be a every day thing, at least at the beginning. Not looking forward to it. But all should be preparing for it just incase. Mindset over gearset. Got ammo?

 

[ktrapper]

One elk for one person for a year is pretty slim food rations. We had a family of five. Three were kids and we would eat two moose, at least two caribou, and a couple black bears a year plus the 30-40 Sockeye salmon we could dipnet each year. All taken legally and we didn't waste anything. Butchered it all ourselves. And thats not counting the 1000 lbs of Yukon gold potatoes we grew in our garden or the trout we caught during the winter ice fishing.
When you live out like we did and you work in the cold and live life like we did in Alaska you burn some calories big time.

When TSHTF people will have to burn some calories.

This is why I keep saying people who can trap and know how to will thrive. No one will be hearing me shoot much and I wont be wasting my time on a deer stand waiting. Conventional hunting methods will be for convenient opportunity only. Time will be a premium commodity when you have to provide everything for yourself. The 2000 calorie a day for food storage thing is the funniest crap I ever heard. You will be burning 4-5000 calorie a day to to keep up and stay ahead or you can sit around just eating your 2000 calories a day of your food storage until it runs out then you’re hosed for sure. Beans and rice are just fillers for in between. If you do not eat enough meat and fats you begin loosing body mass meaning muscle. When that goes your ability to work goes as well.
Vegetarians cant consume enough fodder to keep up with how much work it will take to survive. These one year food supply bundles you can buy are actually about 3 months when the rubber really hits the road or dont hit the road anymore.

Yes animals close to civilization will disappear. This the reason we settled next to the Bob Marshall. Too mountainous for people on foot except for the really athletic. Horses are needed to run those mountains. The elk will take to the high country when pushed. There are lots of moose if you know where to look.

 

[Hfcomms]

Plenty of deer up here in the U.P. Frankly I hate the damn things. Every vehicle I’ve ever had up here has hit at least one deer. Driving home at night they are all over the sides of the road, standing in the middle of the road or lying in wait in order to commit hari-kari with your windshield.

Problem is in this deer management zone there are no doe permits issued and only bucks are allowed to be taken. You can hardly swing a dead cat by the tail without hitting one.

 

[CaryC]

Just want to clarify a couple of points:

If you have a storehouse of seeds for gardening, but never garden BEFORE a crash, you've got a big surprise coming. And if you've got a bedroom full of guns and a garage full of ammo, but have never hunted BEFORE A CRASH, you've got a big surprise coming as well.

And yeah it will probably be crazy in the first month or two. No arguing there. But I think it will fall off pretty fast after that.

And it is that way now to a certain degree, on any opening day, the woods are full of hunters. After that you have the woods to yourself. Granted there will be a different driving force to get out there then, but success or lack there of, will also be a force.

On opening day of squirrel season, it's an easy task to get your bag limit (8) on a morning hunt. Done by 9. New hunter will think what's the big deal. But once the leaves get off the trees, it is a totally different story, and a different method to get your limit-with a dog.

2nd to that is: in the animal world much like the plant world, there will be die offs. Over the years, the nut trees go through cycles. Bumper, not so bumper, average, less than bumper, none. When the less than and none hit, there will be a die off of squirrels, not enough food to support the ...herd. Much like drought for plants, which can also effect squirrels food supply.

Since white oaks acorns are a favorite of whitetails, there will be food stress on them too. They will eat other acorns but it's just for survival, they don't like them. If there is any.

In the old days there was a cycle to what they did for food. This is for MS

Fall, winter - hunt for meat preservation and lack of intestinal worms kill hogs.
Spring - fish, and gather wild fruits mostly blackberries plant garden
Late spring, early summer - fish, other fruits, gather garden
Full Summer - harvest cash crops (cotton) and have all day singing and dinner on the grounds, cuz it was to hot to do anything else.
Late summer - other fruits, nuts plant late garden

Getting in tune with where the outdoors is in it's cycle will help you be more well fed.

 

[Wyominglarry]

This thread got me to thinking. I cooked up some Ramen noodles from my Y2K stash. They were good. I don't use the seasoning package and just put some salt and butter on them.

 

[WalknTrot]

Yeah. I've said this before I guess, but back in the early 20th century, the habitat (and most of the habitat in N MN) wasn't cut out for deer. More moose. It got better after everything was logged off, and there were big fires. Until then, N. MN didn't have very productive forests. Old growth is actually a pretty "sterile" environment.

During the Depression, both sides of my family lived so far back that they still had game, in fact my grandpa used to bring "rich" hunters onto the place from the big cities to hunt deer and moose - to make a few extra bucks and keep some wealthy contacts. Neither ever hurts. My mom remembers one kind fellow who used to stay with them and hunt with Grandpa every year always shipping Mom and her brother and sister a case of oranges every Christmas. That was a damned big deal for them.

Game for the family - Grandpa often used to snare deer. No sense alerting anybody with a gunshot. Deer taken in warm months was corned/canned by Grandma. Colder seasons, it went to the freezing smokehouse for safe-keeping. The game wardens back then could be pretty sympathetic to families, as long as it was only for personal use. On Pa's side of the family, he always talked about his little dog "Spitz" who was his constant companion as a kid. She was what is called a "Finnish Spitz" - where he ever got her is a mystery to me...but they are obviously the handiest dog-gone dawg for subsistence living. She would hunt up and tree grouse for him on her own time - then raise her particular breed specific bark/ruckus to call Pa out to shoot the bird out of the tree. Can't fault anything there!

Even then, everybody had a steer-calf in the pipeline and at least one or two hogs being fed potatoes and the extra skim milk. Grandpa lived close enough to a RR line that he could ship cream off to town once/twice a week for a little hard cash.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

In the 1920's market hunting wiped out a great amount of game birds and big game across the nation. Starting in the early 30's is when game laws became a thing. It was also when the excise tax was put on guns and ammo to pay for game management.

Many things effect game populations. In 1971 Minnesota had NO deer season. 20 years ago when I left Minnesota a hunter could legally take up to five deer.

As far as big game hunting in the end times, it would be way different than now. Now you have a set week or something when you can hunt (with millions of other hunters) but in the end times you would hunt whenever. Most game shot would likely be "targets of opportunity". You would look out the house window and see a deer and would then shoot it.
Here we have hundreds of elk and we are well over 200 miles from any urban area. I do not expect the elk will all be dead ten minutes after the collapse. Also the only 'farming' here is beef cows. There are many cows. In a collapse I expect neighbors would work together (like we do now) to butcher a cow or elk so none goes to waste. We would also work together to try and eliminate all wolves (like we do now with coyotes).
It would take about one elk per person per year to keep people fed (or the equal amount of beef). In a collapse situation people will no longer be able buy gas to drive hundreds of miles to go hunting in the hopes of getting lucky enough to shoot something.

I always wondered about that! It's like, why is there a "season" at all? Does deer meat suddenly turn to poison unless you harvest it in November?

 

[Hfcomms]

This thread got me to thinking. I cooked up some Ramen noodles from my Y2K stash. They were good. I don't use the seasoning package and just put some salt and butter on them.

I bought cases of the stuff primarily to give away if God puts someone in my way looking for food. This stuff lasts forever kind of like the mac & cheese boxes on the shelf. Pretty much empty calories but it will keep you going for awhile.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

This thread got me to thinking. I cooked up some Ramen noodles from my Y2K stash. They were good. I don't use the seasoning package and just put some salt and butter on them.

Parmesan cheese works great for buttered noodles. Throws in a bit of protein, too, last I knew.

 

[CaryC]

Yeah. I've said this before I guess, but back in the early 20th century, the habitat (and most of the habitat in N MN) wasn't cut out for deer. More moose. It got better after everything was logged off, and there were big fires. Until then, N. MN didn't have very productive forests. Old growth is actually a pretty "sterile" environment.

During the Depression, both sides of my family lived so far back that they still had game, in fact my grandpa used to bring "rich" hunters onto the place from the big cities to hunt deer and moose - to make a few extra bucks and keep some wealthy contacts. Neither ever hurts. My mom remembers one kind fellow who used to stay with them and hunt with Grandpa every year always shipping Mom and her brother and sister a case of oranges every Christmas. That was a damned big deal for them.

Game for the family - Grandpa often used to snare deer. No sense alerting anybody with a gunshot. Deer taken in warm months was corned/canned by Grandma. Colder seasons, it went to the freezing smokehouse for safe-keeping. The game wardens back then could be pretty sympathetic to families, as long as it was only for personal use. On Pa's side of the family, he always talked about his little dog "Spitz" who was his constant companion as a kid. She was what is called a "Finnish Spitz" - where he ever got her is a mystery to me...but they are obviously the handiest dog-gone dawg for subsistence living. She would hunt up and tree grouse for him on her own time - then raise her particular breed specific bark/ruckus to call Pa out to shoot the bird out of the tree. Can't fault anything there!

Even then, everybody had a steer-calf in the pipeline and at least one or two hogs being fed potatoes and the extra skim milk. Grandpa lived close enough to a RR line that he could ship cream off to town once/twice a week for a little hard cash.

Around here in MS it was hogs in the pipeline. Cows take up a lot of room, but hogs were pen bound, and would eat anything, snakes, dead chickens sour corn, etc. Cook well done.

You will regret having bacon as a staple? LOL

Even having a milk cow was a bit uppity. And beef, well you probably owned the bank.

The best a visiting preacher could hope for was chicken.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

And yeah it will probably be crazy in the first month or two. No arguing there. But I think it will fall off pretty fast after that.

That part you can just about count on. We've debated--and debunked--the "Golden Horde" concept several times out here. That horde will NEVER survive the first month. Its mobility will be sorely limited and its membership will die by starvation, thirst, and misadventure before it ever becomes a serious threat.

The Golden Handful that are left, though, will be the most horrifying monsters humanity ever produced. They will not only be the most amoral killing machines around, but they will also be smart enough to have survived it all.

 

[CaryC]

I bought cases of the stuff primarily to give away if God puts someone in my way looking for food. This stuff lasts forever kind of like the mac & cheese boxes on the shelf. Pretty much empty calories but it will keep you going for awhile.

I eat it everyday, for lunch. In fact just got through. When I started eating 'em it was 0.09 a pack. That's cheaper than PB&J. And I can do it myself and don't have to bother SB. Even bought my own pot.

 

[CaryC]

That part you can just about count on. We've debated--and debunked--the "Golden Horde" concept several times out here. That horde will NEVER survive the first month. Its mobility will be sorely limited and its membership will die by starvation, thirst, and misadventure before it ever becomes a serious threat.

The Golden Handful that are left, though, will be the most horrifying monsters humanity ever produced. They will not only be the most amoral killing machines around, but they will also be smart enough to have survived it all.

I'm thinking about getting a helmet with horns coming out the side, so the Golden Horde can see from a distance who they will be dealing with.

Long blonde hair hanging out from under. ......Wait......SBBBBB can I die my hair blond? White hair may not work.

 

[summerthyme]

I always wondered about that! It's like, why is there a "season" at all? Does deer meat suddenly turn to poison unless you harvest it in November?

It's based on biology. Hunting in late fall means even the late fawns will be weaned and capable of independence. The animals are in their prime for eating, having fattened up in anticipation of a lean winter. And culling out the extras before Winter hits allows more forage for the (now pregnant) does and surviving bucks, ensuring healthier fawns and better chances of survival.

Plus, timing the season for during the rut increases the chances of hunters scoring, especially on the wilier bucks. At no other time do they abandon their inborn caution! I once drove around a sharp curve in a rural road at dusk, coming back from a tough calving. There, right in the middle of the lane in front of me was a nice 6 point buck breeding a doe! He barely glanced towards the car... in hungry times, I could have had both of them down and loaded in the back of the pickup without anyone being the wiser. As it was, I ended up carefully driving around them, snd leaving them to it!

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I'm thinking about getting a helmet with horns coming out the side, so the Golden Horde can see from a distance who they will be dealing with.

Long blonde hair hanging out from under. ......Wait......SBBBBB can I die my hair blond? White hair may not work.

What hair?!!!!

 

[CaryC]

I always wondered about that! It's like, why is there a "season" at all? Does deer meat suddenly turn to poison unless you harvest it in November?

cold weather helps preserve the meat until processed. Worms, flys things like that are in for the year. As I said earlier once there is a good general frost the intestinal worms die off.

2nd It's mating season, so deer stay up during daylight looking for mates.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

I'm thinking about getting a helmet with horns coming out the side, so the Golden Horde can see from a distance who they will be dealing with.

Long blonde hair hanging out from under. ......Wait......SBBBBB can I die my hair blond? White hair may not work.

Oh no, white will be even more effective. If you've survived that long, there's a reason.

 

[hiwall]

Another problem that most people never want to think about is dogs and cats.
During hard times people won't be able to feed their pets and many will just release their pets to fend for themselves. Obviously most of these released pets will die gruesome deaths but some will survive. The ones that survive will be eating the same things that people could be eating. Livestock of all kinds, wild game birds and all other wild critters.
In the end times every feral cat or dog or other pet (snake, lizard, etc) should be killed when sighted. In many cases these feral pets will fall prey to traps and snares set by many people trying to stay alive.

 

[WalknTrot]

Another problem that most people never want to think about is dogs and cats.
During hard times people won't be able to feed their pets and many will just release their pets to fend for themselves. Obviously most of these released pets will die gruesome deaths but some will survive. The ones that survive will be eating the same things that people could be eating. Livestock of all kinds, wild game birds and all other wild critters.
In the end times every feral cat or dog or other pet (snake, lizard, etc) should be killed when sighted. In many cases these feral pets will fall prey to traps and snares set by many people trying to stay alive.

Cats do a pretty decent job of rustling up food (meat) on their own, but dogs are omnivores, and can pretty much eat whatever their humans are eating. Dogs evolved around ancient human dump sites and habitations. They are not the same animal they were 30-40,000 years ago.

In fact, new research (gotta love enthusiastic grad students and wolf-cams!) finds that even wolves pack away a darned impressive amount of vegetable matter, especially when wild berries are in season.

 

[ktrapper]

Another problem that most people never want to think about is dogs and cats.
During hard times people won't be able to feed their pets and many will just release their pets to fend for themselves. Obviously most of these released pets will die gruesome deaths but some will survive. The ones that survive will be eating the same things that people could be eating. Livestock of all kinds, wild game birds and all other wild critters.
In the end times every feral cat or dog or other pet (snake, lizard, etc) should be killed when sighted. In many cases these feral pets will fall prey to traps and snares set by many people trying to stay alive.

Many will cringe at the thought but before this is over or before Jesus appears in clouds we all may have eaten a few dogs and cats by then, rodents, snakes etc. Theres a reason why people know what these taste like. We are vehemently opposed to eating “Ze Bugs” be pushed on us, BUT, when you get hungry enough just remember John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey.

 

[Hfcomms]

Another reason you need to store food....quickly.

 

[Profit of Doom]

This thread has me considering sampling a food kit

 

[Profit of Doom]

And possibly taking the plunge, as this is on sale.

 

[Profit of Doom]

Plus the rice, beans I already have.

 

[hiwall]

This thread has me considering sampling a food kit View attachment 473685

The food kits can be an easy way to get a variety of foods for long term storage.
The serving sizes are usually quite small but not a deal breaker, you just have to know what you are buying.
Usually these kits are not good for anyone who has food allergies.

 

[Hfcomms]

Plus the rice, beans I already have.

That is the way to go. You can extend the expensive freeze dried foods buy having a bed of the beans/rice and then putting a ladle of whatever entree you rehydrated on top. I've got quite a bit of freeze dried but if I was just to eat that I'd burn through it pretty quickly.

 

[RagingRay]

That is the way to go. You can extend the expensive freeze dried foods buy having a bed of the beans/rice and then putting a ladle of whatever entree you rehydrated on top. I've got quite a bit of freeze dried but if I was just to eat that I'd burn through it pretty quickly.

This is my thinking, turning one MRE in to a meal for several people on a bed of rice, for SHTF of course and dare anyone to complain.

 

[Wyominglarry]

Friends of mine who just woke up to how bad our country and the rest of the world has become have now realized the huge debt, criminals running our country, wars all over the world, and our economy collapsing decided to buy a huge amount of surplus meals from a company that resold out of date relief food. The meals are all vegs and no meat, which they did not realize when they bought them. They tried one meal and decided to throw away all the food. That is over $1000 wasted. They now realize getting prepped is more difficult than they first thought. Their children think their parents are going crazy and do not support their current mindset of prepping. I gave them a list of what to get and they are now playing catchup, but they are trying to get prepared. Both are in their mid 60s. I say good for them.

 

[bw]

They tried one meal and decided to throw away all the food.

Never throw away food. There's always something that can be done with it.

 

[Reasonable Rascal]

Had a nice convo yesterday with the guy with the Blizzard Survival blankets I linked to recently. He mentioned that MREs are a major seller for him. Preppers are not a large part of his business but they are growing in numbers. Competition for things like MREs is growing. It could well be within a year that you won't find them for less than close to $200/case, if at all. That is my speculation, BTW, not his forecast.

RR

 

[Profit of Doom]

Cats do a pretty decent job of rustling up food (meat) on their own, but dogs are omnivores, and can pretty much eat whatever their humans are eating. Dogs evolved around ancient human dump sites and habitations. They are not the same animal they were 30-40,000 years ago.

In fact, new research (gotta love enthusiastic grad students and wolf-cams!) finds that even wolves pack away a darned impressive amount of vegetable matter, especially when wild berries are in season.

 

[Profit of Doom]

Friends of mine who just woke up to how bad our country and the rest of the world has become have now realized the huge debt, criminals running our country, wars all over the world, and our economy collapsing decided to buy a huge amount of surplus meals from a company that resold out of date relief food. The meals are all vegs and no meat, which they did not realize when they bought them. They tried one meal and decided to throw away all the food. That is over $1000 wasted. They now realize getting prepped is more difficult than they first thought. Their children think their parents are going crazy and do not support their current mindset of prepping. I gave them a list of what to get and they are now playing catchup, but they are trying to get prepared. Both are in their mid 60s. I say good for them.

HDRs, I bet. Over age and over hot, bad combo.

 

[Profit of Doom]

I gave them a list of what to get and they are now playing catchup, but they are trying to get prepared. Both are in their mid 60s. I say good for them.

Yes, catchup will help. Don’t forget mustard and other condiments. Dennis’s dogs are partial to relish, I hear.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Never throw away food. There's always something that can be done with it.

"All vegs and no meat"

Why not just "buy meat"?

Spendy these days--what isn't?--but better than throwing out a grand in food.

 

[blueinterceptor]

Over a bed of rice

this stuff is about 3 bucks a can.

 

[bw]

Over a bed of rice
this stuff is about 3 bucks a can.

The big Campbells soup cans have as much in them, cost way less, and lots of variety.

 

[Hfcomms]

Problem with the soups and stews is limited shelf life especially those that have tomato products in them. I haven’t made spaghetti in years (all starch) but I have a lot of sauce packs and pasta. I have a tote full of the small cans of tomato paste and they last about three years before you have to use them in something else or throw them out.

 

[Hfcomms]

"All vegs and no meat"

Why not just "buy meat"?

Spendy these days--what isn't?--but better than throwing out a grand in food.

I think I’ve got one or two cases of the freeze dried beef chunks in the storage shed. My wallet whimpered when I paid for it. I wish I had enough room inside the cabin for a big pantry room but I don’t. If I did I would can my own meat in jars and keep it inside. A lot cheaper than the freeze dried meat. But the freeze dried variety doesn’t care about winter in the shed.

 

[hiwall]