Giant, carnivorous bunnies terrorizing remote desert town, circa 1972. Calling it a B movie would be grading on a serious curve. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hmm. Maybe I'm doing something wrong and just not realizing it. Well, I'll keep trying. I am most aptly to use the entrails for bait than to eat them myself. How would you clean a snapping turtle? I'm always running into them up here and am quite proficcent at there elimination. There is no season on them and they have few predators, once at a fair size. Also do you have any suggestions for bow and drill, or just drill fires? I have tried everything and goten it fairly warm, but to no avail.

Oh yeah, I'm certain that in this wacky state, you could into some D S for 'molesting' a bear. And I know how fast a cub can go, I saw one run the entire length of a very long field in under 5 seconds. Haven't seen them lately though. Shouldn't you put your shelter in the middle of a hill next to a valley so the cold air doent sink down all around you and winmd on the top of the hill freeze you out? Oh yeah, were do you guys find all these survival websites?

<img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />Oh yeah, now I remeber that, the little kids released the lab rabbits and stuff. That movie was so cool when I was little. What was it called again?

Actually, I was referring to how fast the adults can move, but I'll bet the cubs can really scoot when when they want to, too.

As far as campsite location is concerned, let me give you an excerpt from the Army survival manual. "Ideal sites for shelter differ in winter and summer. The choice during winter depends upon protection from the wind and cold and nearness to fuel and water. In mountainous areas, you must consider the danger of avalanches, rock falls, and floods. you should choose a site during the summer months which is relatively free of insects and near fuel and water. As a protection against insects, it is better to select a site on a breezy ridge or in a place that receives an onshore breeze. Sites in forests and near rapid streams are desirable".

I don't know that I'd necessarily camp halfway down the hill. Depending on the location of fuel and water, another location might be better. It might be sufficient to just be on the lee side of the ridge or hill. Be careful that you don't locate your site in a drainage area on the hillside. You don't want your site to be flooded if it rains.

For what it's worth, in the winter, the East and South sides of a hill will recieve sunlight before the other sides, so they may warm up the fastest (that would be East and North for those south of the equator). Keep the prevailing winds in mind, though, and try to stay shielded from them. I was on a deer hunt once, and had a stand on the West side of a ridge because I didn't want to be blinded by the sun when it came up. I was also about halfway down the hill, as it was about the best location on that hill. As it turned out, the sunlight didn't reach me at all until 10 or 11 o'clock, and I froze my butt off most of the morning while cold air from the valleys behind me poured over the ridge and down my collar.

People assume survival eating will be some paleolithic diet of tubers and animal protien . SInce yu come from a farming background I propose the following : A. find a native plant society or heirloom seed collector's group. B. throughout your home territory establish some wild gardens, planting enough for you and the various critters that assure you the food is good. A fellow by name of Johny Appleseed did this. Many native peoples have also encouraged certain food crops.

Way ahead of ya! I have been experimenting with translpants and am going to raid the mill for some corn. Not doing as good as I want, but it's a start.

Good points. I've been wondering how to avoid biting bugs. I have seen the difference the sun can make, once when I was duck hunting I was only 10 feet away from warmth where the sun could peak through the hills. But my blind was better where it was and I managed to get one.

It wouldn't hurt to have some kind of insect repellent. Try to get a copy of the May 2003 edition of Consumer Reports. It contains a pretty fair article on insect repellents. It rates a number of repellents that they have tested.

If you don't know where to find a Consumer Reports, try the book stores, or the magazine sections of the grocery stores, Wal-Marts, Targets, K-Marts, etc in your area. If it is difficult for you to get to a place like that, let me know and I'll summarize the info and relay it to you.

TackDriver303,

Based upon my reading here on ETS and a few other sites, I recently purchased the 2oz. Sawyer Maxi DEET Low Odor Formula (100% DEET, about $3.85 in a local Walmart for those interested) & wondered if it was listed in the Consumers Report that you mentioned.

Thanks,
Comanche7