Mature plants stand tall under the "harvest moon" of October Grabbing an ice-cream cone and drivin' the back roads is a thing our family really enjoys. We could be looking for wildlife, looking at old homesteads or just enjoying each others company. Every trip is different and takes us on a new journey. For me, its to share my outdoor passion and to be close the wife … [Read more...] about Tracking wild edibles…
Outdoor Skills
BIG medicine YEAR round
Simmered for 5, 10 and 15 minutes Learn how to incorporate this great tasting wild medicine into your diet! Turkey Tail ( Trametes versicolor) can be found on dead and decaying hardwood nearly world wide.When you find them its usually in a large colony/cluster and they are very easy to identify. When you find one you will find MANY I call this "big medicine" … [Read more...] about BIG medicine YEAR round
September Feast
Michigan is a foragers paradise! In the early autumn you may find these mushrooms under foot and possibly in tree; the Bolete Mushroom, "sulphur shelf,Chicken of the woods or chicken" -Laetiporus, Chanterelle's, Hedgehog, "Hen of the Woods"- Grifola, Lions Mane, Shaggy Mane Mushrooms and the Giant Puffball just to name a few. FACT: Michigan has over 2000 species of wild … [Read more...] about September Feast
Bundle Bow
Simple and effective "bundle bow" A handful of straight shoots and some cord is all you need! The bundle bow pictured is one I made with viburnum. My introduction into making expedient bundle bows started with this green assortment of arrow shaft materials! I cut the longest and straightest shoots that I can, then I wrap the bundle of 8 or 10 tight with … [Read more...] about Bundle Bow
What they did not tell you~
Some real tips and advice you wont get from survival books and manuals! If you had to trap and snare game with the contents of your survival kit, would it feed you? Lets talk snares- specifically. Trapping is a numbers game, so the more snares you can carry the better! A roll or 2 of thin gauge garden wire is a GREAT addition to a survivors kit and carry. The … [Read more...] about What they did not tell you~
front SIGHTS?
...hit more than the broadside of a barn with your slingshot Love the look and feel of a Y-branch, strung taught with a golden band straining under tension waiting to unleash.... Yea ME TO! When I share my enthusiasm with people about sling-shots more often than not I'm greeted with a recurring theme... "its fun, but only if I could hit something with it" and … [Read more...] about front SIGHTS?
Find the grind
It does not take much to get a razors edge on that knife… You just need to find it. The real trick behind this method is to find exactly where the flat sides of the blade stop and the grind angle begins on your blade. To locate this “pivotal point” you must rock the blade forward twords the cutting edge and MAINTAIN contact with that grind … [Read more...] about Find the grind
Wild Mushroom ID
Mushrooms, like the Morel, Puffballs, Sulphurshelf and shaggy mane variety fit into what Clyde M. Christensen calls the "Foolproof Four". If you want to safely identify & forage wild edible mushrooms I highly recommend this book, its a must have for the beginner mushroom hunter. There are some great recipes in the back along with a few easy preservation … [Read more...] about Wild Mushroom ID
Look UP!
"A ring around the sun or moon, means rain or snow coming soon"It usually happens in the colder months of the year- It is a formation of ice “crystals” that we are seeing. If you can see a “break” in the halo/ring...that will be the direction of the bad weather front fast approaching!Understanding and interpreting how the sun and moon affect the earth is a crucial skill, … [Read more...] about Look UP!