Sources of food for survival in the Wilderness

On the following pages Brad and Sean list things that can be used for food when forced to survive in the Wilderness of Manitoba

Baking powder

A crude form of baking powder can be made in the bush. If you can find a white Quaking Aspen cut a few branches off of the tree and burn them.

Beaver

A sure sign a beaver is living in the area is a beaver dam. As shown in the picture.

Black Birch

Black Birch is a great source of emergency food. Use the small twigs, inner bark, or the larger roots. The bark can be eaten fresh or cut into strips and boiled like noodles.

Bull Thistle

With the spines removed, the young leaves of the Bull Thistle can be added to salads or cooked as greens. The pithy young stems are excellent peeled and eaten raw or cooked.

Cattails

The cattails will be one of the things we will require to survive. It has many uses. The top part that is brown can be broken open in fall and the fluff or pollen is great tinder for starting fires.

Duck

The duck is a tasty food source. It is a little more difficult to catch without the use of firearms.

Goose

Your best is is to shoot one. If you do not have a firearm, an Atlatl, or slingshot or sling are your best bet for catching one. I would not recommend trying to drown one like I explained in the duck page.

Grouse

The grouse can be shot with a firearm, slingshot, Atlatl, or a sling. You can also trap them using the trigger trap.

Pig Weed

Pig Weed seeds are high in nutrients and have many uses. The seeds can be boiled for 20 minutes to create a breakfast cereal.

Porcupine

Procupines are not that fast and can be caught for food. Just beware of the quills

Rosehips

Rosehips grow on any sort of rose shrub. The best time to gather them is in fall after the first frost.

Squirrel

The squirrel can be a great food source. It can be trapped, snared or shot. You need a few to get full but they can be plentiful and fairly easy to catch.

Skunk

The skunk is not the first thing on my list when I look for a food source but it is eatable. But as wilderness survival food they can be eaten. Catching them is a little tricky, seeing as they will most likely spray you if you approach them.

Stinging Nettle

The stinging nettle is a great source of vitamin A and C; it also contains manganese and potassium. You can collect the young shoots as well as the leaves.