I know that food is not top priority in the initial survival situation, and that health, fire, shelter, water... comes first. I read articles on commercial food prep and they allow a fair percentage of BUGS and other creepy crawlies in our food. I have also read that these bugs have high neutritional value. What I was wandering, has anyone eaten any bugs, on purpose, lately or ever? Was it good, and how did you prepare it? I remember in my youth we would eat black ants and they were sweet. We learned to eat vegetation by taste, trial, and error. We didn't have any book to tell us how. Where is a good source for how to bug munching? Tell us your best bug munching story.<br><br> Thanks Rick<br>Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional<br><br><br><br><br>

Well to begin, insects have their share of poisonous species. The most famous is the familiar ladybug we use for pest control. two of these beetles have enough toxicity to kill a child. Insects are eaten worldwide. It is just a cultural hangup.Some of our food habits and preparations would make a New Guinea highland headhunter faint. A good start for the squeemish is a fancy french restaurant with a plate of escargot. I've eaten earthworms,snails,grubs and grasshopppers in schools. I have some pamhlets and a weblisting somewhere here. Ill post it when I dig it out.<br><br>

I would be interested in the info. I am planning a three to four day walkabout in my local woods the first part of October. I'm going to take my mini kit, some water to start with, a good knife, and the info I've picked up from my manuals and this forum and try them out. I know this will not be a forced survival situation but I figure it's best to practice before you need it. I wish there was a good survival school in Ky. but I couldn't afford it anyway. I hope to try several types of fire building and shelter on this trip. Any advice would be appreciated.<br><br> Thanks Rick<br>Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.<br><br>

Rick, To be safe, take a regular backpacking setup on your local 4 day hike. If you want to practice skills, you are under no obligation to use the regular contents. But if you run into difficulties ( and we all do), practicing , oh say bowdrill firemaking nobody will begrudge your use of matches. Plot an itinery on a local topo map and leave a copy with a loved one, sort of a landlocked float plan. Kentucky is rich in edible plant material. A local flora guide and a general wild food reference will help greatly. Don't overlook the recorded folklore of native and pioneer people either, such as the FOXFIRE series from nearby Appalachia.Now on to Bugs! There are two sister sites that have wonderfully informative and readable info. www.stalking thewild.com and www.hollowtop.com<br><br>

I think the Foxfire series is underappreciated. It was designed as an Anthropological collection of oral histories in order to preserve the vanishing mountain culture. I have always appreciated it as a preservation of basic skills and a wonderful resource for living on less sophisticated technology. The series covers everything from natural/wild foods, animal husbandry, religious worship, care for the dead, to tales and recreational activities.<br> The best part is that these books are regularly found cheaply at used book stores. Unfortunately they have cheap paper covers and the bindings are not very durable. I think the information is priceless<br> The best survival tool is kept between your ears and these Foxfire books have greatly added to my knowledge.<br><br><br><br><br><br>

I found two foxfire that I have had for years. You're right, they cover everything from what to catch, how to catch, and how to fix it. What you have is often all you need...<br><br> Thanks Rick<br><br>

My dad and mom got back from a fishing trip in Ontario, Canada today. While there they caught several large bass. While cleaning the bass the meat was infested with tiny worms. The locals stated that "some americans eat the fish that way." They threw them away and released any bass caught after that. My question is in an extended survival situation would these fish be safe to eat if properly cooked? Does anyone know what these worms are or what causes them?<br> Thanks Rick <br><br>

There are many parasites. The negative health effects range from mild to fatal. Commercially processed fish are 'candled', which is a physical inspection and removal of visible parasites. Fish frozen a week or well cooked is generally considered safe.In a survival situation the worms would provide excellent bait. Fish are traditionally prepared by salting,drying and even cold cooked with lime or lemon juice in some cultures.Remember, food isn't the highest immediate priority in survival. Id pass on this sushi until my fire was going.<br><br>

I don't know about the worms specifically but I'd pass, even if they were totally cooked. I do know that fish may carry Fish Tuberculosis, which can be transmitted to humans. I have a friend that was infected via the water in his fish tank through a cut on his finger. The resulting infection was excruciatingly painful and took months of expensive antibiotic treatment to finally clear up. I'm not sure if the disease is present in fresh water fish, but it would be wise to take precautions anyway. Treat and bandage even the smallest of cuts, even with a band-aid, especially if you're working with raw meats. <br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL