Prairie Wolf Community Board

450 wimmin

DirttimeDude — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:49:06 GMT

Howdy everyone...

Havent had a chance to be here much in the last few months.

Did 3 weeks of dirt time in the desert . In an area called the Devils Punch bowl at the edge of the Antelope Valley in SoCa.

Then I visted one of my daughters and helped her set her veggie garden up and showed how to take care of baby chicks and started training her dog/puppy etc.

This past weekend my partner in crime Halcon and I gave classes to 450 wimmin...Basic survival skills and how to stuff. We had a ball.
These are all out door wimmins. At night the party was on ...ON I tell you!

Im worn out in my tipi , trying to sleep. All I can hear is whooping and yellin and screams and laughter. It died down about 3am

then I hear a hoot...then I hear an answer but not the same kind of owl then I hear a 3rd one...injuns I think!.nope , all different kinds of owls.

I wake up Halcon, who , for some reason is pissed off at me ..Hell its only 3 am...He has had at least an hours sleep, what does he expect. ???

So the first call was a horned owl...the second one was a barn owl. And Im not sure about the 3rd one but I think it was a long earred owl. Been sometime ago that I have heard their call. Sure was nice after those wimmin folks screaming half the night.

We were up at 6am. They fed is well and we did more classes.

See ya in a minute.

Hope everyone is well

And what have you been doing?

Dude...coveryerownsix<<<

I have a question for hunters and trappers

Primitive_Wannabe — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:17:14 GMT

OK, so you've constructed the perfect deadfall trap and it works like a charm. When you go back the next day and check the trap, you discover the carcass of a good-sized raccoon. OK, but how do you know if the meat is safe to eat or not ? I mean, raccoons are known carriers of rabies and you don't want to eat rabid meat ! Also, the meat could be spoiled because meat spoils quickly in the great outdoors. I have a keen interest in knowing about this kind of stuff, and would appreciate hearing from folks who are in the know when it comes to hunting and trapping wild game. LW.

Bullroarer...fun and inexpensive toy

Bodhi — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:21:26 GMT

With the weather warming up, to amuse my 6 year old godchild we went out and found a scrap piece of pine and with only the cost of time and effort, we whittled down this piece of pine into a flat cross-section in the shape of an 8 inch tear drop. I used a small, but very sharp pocket knife with a sheep's hoof point. Yes, it was steel, but we used a hand drill to drill (inverted chert Y shaped Ohio stone head attached to the spindle--it's harder than you think, too) the hole in the thin part of the tear drop and used back sinew for the cordage, braiding it to a three-ply thickness...about two yards worth.

Then we went and played it. It takes some skill and elbow grease to get this design to roar, but with some consistent effort it makes a really unique sound that carries. The trick is getting the design to twirl as you spin the devise. Use a leather glove on the hnad used to twirl the toy...it will rub your hand or finger raw if you are not used to the bullroarer.

The little one tried and tried and tried and eventually he got the toy to sing, and what a look of satisfaction on his face.

It was a fun time for a warm spring afternoon...

Art

Hand Drill Technicalities

lonewolf — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:09:58 GMT

I have been successful in using a cottonwood hearth and a mullen stock drill. I recently made two coals in a row and thought that I finally had it licked. I tried once again with materials from the same parent branch and could not do it again. Every time I attempt to make a coal I get a lot of smoke in short order, a lot of heat, but it just doesn't seem to quite get to the combustion point. The materials are dry. My technique seems sound. Is the notch more critical in placement or is half way to the middle and about a quarter inch wide at the outside okay? I've heard the hand drill can be hit or miss, but I don't believe that it should be. Any help would be a blessing.

In the Dirt...

DirttimeDude — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:15:20 GMT

Hey a fast post::: Ive been gone in the dirt for the last few weeks..

Came in today to check a few things...Going back out in a minute

Im in "squat and dot ,between nuthin' and nowhere"...desert, so its sand time not dirt...

Will be gone for another week or more...

will post later...

Hope all are well...

Dude...yer6gang...

natures nectars

shadowtracker — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:13:12 GMT

howdy ya'll,,i mwas a wonderin if'n there was a way to make a multi-purpose oil ,,but before everybody all at once says----animal,fatbrains,etc... ,i mean ,a totally natural,viable oil from nature but not animals,another natural source,yes i know that walnuts and linseeds,but it is a rathewr small amount,ant others?????certain plants,roots,flowers,insects mabey,mosses,,,and any that grow in kansas,,also excluding beeswax! there's . many needs for a good oil/grease,,if you will,esp. in the native life,primitive also,i know that animal fat was rendered and used for torches,candles,,etc...and nuts were gathered,hulled and pressed for their fatty acid rich oils,,but i am curious as to if anyone is aware of a good/reliable natural source of oils,and how its made,collected,etc......

Worldly Skills

prariewolf — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:04:03 GMT

Gonna try something new for me on this post. A friend who showed up here when he was 17 having thoughts of quitting school and heading for the moutains. We sent him home w/instructions to finish school first. He then went on to college, married, joined the U.S. Army and is now on his 2nd tour of flying Blackhawks in Irag. Just this morning got this email and photo from him. Enjoy!

J & G -

Here is a picture from yesterday; I wonder around everyday and look at the trees and wonder "could that make cordage / fire / bow / tools "? So, I finally had some time and picked up a single long dead palm frond off the ground and broke off a long, straight-ish branch from what appears to be a native hard willow of some kind (I am researching it).

Knife in hand, went to work on the items - smoothing, trimming and cutting. Actually broke my "willow" hand drill trying to straighten it out, effectively shortening it by about 30% - DOH!! This didn't stop me from making a test run on it to see if the materials could create a coal.

As you can see, here is the final results: The first attempt on another piece of palm burn right through before a coal could form...so a square piece from higher up on the frond was selected being about 1/2" thick. This was perfect - just as the drill was bottoming out - a large coal was formed (took about 30 seconds). I "improved" the design based on your book and made the thumb loops from the frond-leaf fibers to accommodate the short hand drill and used the remnants of the frond for tinder and kindling.

Not shown in the photo is still more leftovers - a curved piece of the hard center of the frond and many outer strippings that the inner fibers were pulled from. Enough for more fuel and a potential "bow" for a bow-drill fire set. I prefer the hand drill for simplicity, but am curious if the palm cordage, short/square palm stem on the willow fire board would work?? Next project...
What I would like to try also is a heartwood palm bow. I am sure the "willow" trees would be more accommodating for primitive / survival situations however.

Once you learn this stuff you look at everything differently for the rest of your life!

Thanks again -

Andrew

tanning

shadowtracker — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:32:19 GMT

hey john, i have 2 descent deer skins packed away in salt. but as you know its been chilly this week here in ks.so what cont. minimum temp. do you recommend? also eggs,,yucca root,,etc what do you think of these more primitive ways of tanning,and which of them,besides brains,do you recommend?...i will play your video a few times right before i start.i have watched it alredy,, and FOLKS,you are not gonna find a video thats as clear-cut,concise,and just plain efficient!!!
anyway i wanna do them very primitively,and would you recommend doubling the amount i use with the eggs or yucca root or others you would recommend....also smoke ot alot more,since these dont have the oils that the brains have?---robert

It is a new year, do you have???

DirttimeDude — Thur, 17 Jan 2008 22:29:44 GMT

Howdy ....Well it is a new year...

Do any of you have plans to attend an event? ...go out on your own?

Determined to learn a few new skills ...?

Shine up the old ones?

Looks like I will go to Wintercount...Maybe...

Im out every weekend teaching with Christopher Nyerges..

Im out at least 2 to 3 times a week in the bush somewhere..

I am involved in setting up an event in California for June of this year. It will be a mix of abo skills and modern stuff ...I have been setting up the teachers/instructors ...it is looking good.

Ive been going through my gear making "command decisions"...The first thing that came to mind is that I have too much crap..

The other thing that came to mind ,I have some really cool stuff...

so how are you doing gang...

Dude...cover yer six...

hapy hollidays,,newyear

shadowtracker — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:25:16 GMT

john and geri, its been awhile and you folks have been on my mind..i owe nyou a great deal of gratitude!and just wanna wish ya ll a merry christmas and a great new year...also a merry christmas an happy new year to alan halcon,dirttime dude,and every body on the prairie wolf site..all of us here drawn by a common interest,and a lot of work by john....thanks so much folks
robert and family!

Egyptian Method of Bow-Drill

Bodhi — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:13:47 GMT

DirtTimeDude:

I want to let you know that, this week-end, I tried the Egyptian method of tying a hitch type knot on the spindle and it works nicely. Got an ember in about 90 seconds of actually drilling away on the fireboard of ceder. I also tried the hole drilled into the spindle of yucca...I used a heated ice pick to create the hole, and I really like this method of manipulating the spindle drill. Keeps it where it needs to be. Same success as with the Egyptian with a little better illusion of control.

Depending on the situation at hand and what materials are available, these are three good methods to know...regular bow and drill; Egyptian application; hole in spindle for the cordage method.

Thanks one and all...John and Dude.

Art

Miniature fire-starter...

Bodhi — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 15:28:32 GMT

Just to share a little experience this past week-end...

I thought it would be interesting to try using a miniture fire-bow to start a fire. I have read about others doing it with itsy-bitsy fire-bows and thought it rather interesting.

I have a rather large fire-bow set (the spindle is yucca; the fire-board consists of local cedar; the bow is a piece of maple, with a rawhide "string;" and the support for the spindle is form-fitting stone for my big lunch-hooks for a hand with a nice little hole for the spindle). With some concentrative effort, I can usually get a fire started when this large rig when it is dry here, within an hours' time. (I still prefer flint/steel and char-cloth. I can get a fire going pretty easily this way--wet or dry). Guess it depends on what a person is used to.

Well, I took the same above "ingredients" and made it really, really small...and my attempt was really a frustrating failure. I had the hardest time just keeping the spindle in place, keeping it from being pulled out of socket. It was really difficult.

I then questioned my efforts, "WHY?" am I struggling so hard with this miniature? It was a challenge, indeed.

I have always had problems with dexterity and working with small things. I am a small guy (5'6" 155lbs, but fit), however, I have disproportionately large hands that have suffered years of my stupid "manly" abuse. My "paws" struggle desperately, when manipulating any small stuff.

Regardless, I wanted to try, and try I did...and found, I need to stick with a size of tools that fits my overall ability to use them with proficiency.

It was a fun, although frustrating learning experience.

Funny...in my fire-starter kit, I no longer carry water-proof matches. I carry flint/steel/char/cotton/hemp and two bic lighters: all of which fit in a tin that fits in my OD fatigues' leg pocket. On week-end trips, I keep a smoldering-smug going anyway, so I only need to worry about getting that one good fire going--rain or shine.

Learning...

Bodhi — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:12:19 GMT

As a learning animal, I still have the most difficult time reading instructions and then doing what the instructions "say." I get two many possible variations as to what the words are saying to ME. However, give me detailed "pictures" or an "exploded view"...then I can go to town and do it.

I have found that I need a visual demonstration of a specific skill wanting to be learned--often times, repeatedly executed correctly. Then I have to do it, repeatedly, to get the hang of it.

It is never enough for me to simply be shown, or to simply read the directions, in order for me to DO that thing. I must both "monkey see" then "monkey do." I can read a book 'til the cows come home and it makes little sense. But when someone does it and I can watch, it's "Oh, so that is what they meant." Hence the DVD' s along with the books, for me.

During this Christmas season, when I have to assemble stuff, I let my wife read the directions...She can really understand that gobbly-gook, and then I look at the example. She tells me...I ponder...and behold, it's assembled. Usually with a piece left over I have no idea what it is for and where it goes.

Happy Holidays to all...

Art

I would be interested to hear about how others learn skills.

Effective methods for trapping small rodents

outdoor_lover — Thur, 29 Nov 2007 03:14:24 GMT

I appreciate the information that John and Geri provide regarding the various types of deadfalls which are used for capturing small rodents such as pack rats and field mice. Other authors will suggest using copper wire for making game snares, and that makes a whole lot of sense when you consider that the animal is almost certainly going to bite its way through any type of snaring material that's made out of cordage or sinew.

The problem with deadfall traps is that they depend on locating flat rocks and downed logs, which may not be readily obtainable. I believe that it's wise to anticipate the worst possible scenario, and that would mean having the ability to procure food even when there are no flat rocks and there are no decaying logs laying around. My question then, is how are you going to entice a small animal into a primitive trap when you have no copper wire and you cannot locate any flat rocks or downed logs. I am also wondering how you are going to locate bait for small rodents, when you make that initial foray into the wilderness and you have nothing on you except for your bare hands and your desire to stay alive.

LW.

What is the definition of primitive?

Bodhi — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:08:43 GMT

Any culture exists within a specific context, as does human activity. How can we define "primitive" in our modern society? I know John has spoken about how the individual must truly decide what he or she wants to do and "master," and then study and experiment with that.

Looking at the actual word: PRIMITIVE, what we see is that the word comes from the Latin root: primus (primitivus), meaning FIRST. There is nothing inferior about its representation.

Recently, I experimented with making a steel knife...all resources were those that I found, salvaged and bartered. I was able to make a usable steel knife in a make shift forge set up. I got the idea from the primitive forges used in the Philippines.

It was not costly at all to make this set up...I found two old hammer and a few worn files in an outbuilding I helped raze. I went to a near by salvage yard and got a slab of scrap steel for an anvil and some discarded leaf-spring steel. In my back yard, I dug a pit and stacked collected creek stones for a forge pit, digging another trench for airflow (similar to a Dakota Oven) to create a good glow of cools. I rigged a vise-grip type pliers out of two pieces of salvaged leaf steel, cordage and a wedge.

I even salvaged discarded motor oil for the quenching bath. Heated the old file to cherry red and pounded out a steel blade. I used various "grit" sandstone, which is abundant around this area as grinders, sanders and polishers. Several months of work later, I made a decent knife. Actual money exchanged was 27.00 dollars. The steel knife worked.

This isn't Stone-Age technology, but if all utilities collapsed and the modern world went kaput, the amount of "raw steel" out there is endless. Junk yards, salvage yards, etc..are littered with "raw metals," which in some areas may be more available than good flint...but even with knapping in mind, there are panes of glass, slag heaps and toilets for raw knapping materials.

Just a thought. Using all the materials available at hand, left behind, or junked in piles from a modern culture, leaves a primitive mind with bounty and not garbage. I was always amazed at how Victor Charlie and even NVA Regulars in Vietnam, used our "garbage" and discards so effectively against us as redesigned weapons, especially our "metals." Don't kick the cans...

I welcome thoughts about this. Should some of our primitive skills also include how to re-fabricate the waste and left-behinds of a modern, consumer society like the United States?

Thanks.

Art from Ohio