Urban Survival via "Hunting" and Gathering. A Realistic Possibility?

[TrappedinCalifornia]

There's an almost never-ending debate over whether it is better to bug-out or bug-in. Let's set that aside for the moment and strictly look at whether it is 'realistic' that one might be able to survive in urban regions via "Hunting" and Gathering during times when bugging out/in isn't called for; e.g., when money is short or food supply lines are crimped like they were a year or two back or similar. We know that stores will be robbed and warehouses looted. However, what if you didn't want to 'challenge' the law or 'associate' with criminals? Are you even aware of the alternatives and/or could you take advantage of them.

As fodder for your thinking...







The point is that many believe it would be 'easy' or, at least, easier to do this in a rural area. (Uh... ... increased opportunities do not necessarily translate to success if you don't know what you're doing.) But, if it wasn't a major collapse or breakdown of local society, could you 'survive' in an urban area? It looks easy on a television program and, in theory, it could work; but, has anyone actually tried it on an on-going basis over a period of time?

It might not be as easy pickin's as you might think. Simply think about the amount of time it would involve to gather enough for you and your's. Not to mention what would happen if people 'see' you doing it. Would the 'rush' be on and, therefore, the resources become instantly finite? Would you even know how to properly catch and prepare the variety of foods actually available? Might this be more appropriate as an interesting 'hobby' occasionally engaged in rather than as a life-sustaining practice?

Thoughts?

[therealnickb]

Thoughts?

Sorry for being a dick and crapping on your thread. Carry on.


This message is brought to you from my thumbs. As always.

[Jeepergeo]

The Donner Party survived...well at least some of them did.

[bigboarstopper]

If you’re at the point where you have exhausted your food stocks it’s likely 95% of people around you have already been out of food for weeks. Forget urban hunting and gathering. The rest of the neighborhood has already resorted to cannibalism

[NapalmCheese]

I think the people that think they can bug out to a rural area and forage/hunt also believe that rural areas are just littered with easily recognized edible plants and swarming in deer.

On the other hand, I know the location of nearly every fruit tree in my neighborhood, where the raccoons, possums, feral cats, crows, pigeons, and doves live. I know rats are literally everywhere. I know who has chickens, and I know which houses have gardens in their front yard. Not to mention the shear amount of canned food that's likely to exist in this single neighborhood.

Would it be enough to feed us all? Probably not for long, but probably more than we'd have if my entire neighborhood was magically lifted into the Sierras.

[Epaphroditus]

Long pig is a thing.

Even out here in the sticks it will be a tough go. My neighbors cattle herd is going to be highly targeted by the roving riff raff - especially since his pastures have roads on two sides.

[deckhandmike]

Yeah, I can live off the sea. I’m fully self sufficient to survive almost indefinitely doing this.

[cline]

there is a physical limit to how much work you can do past a certain age, and how easily you can fight off infections and sicknesses, etc. anyone over the age of 60 will probably be dead within the first month in a real shtf situation. but i think however bad it gets, it won't come to that. most people will capitulate and surrender so they can go back to netflix and football

[Neuvik]

The first video about transfrancisco...lawl, no way they would eat roadkill, gather pigeon eggs, and with what implements will they hunt living game with. I imagine the transtifa bow hunters amazed when an animal sprints off after struck with an arrow, the movies show them just keel over when touched. And then those snowflakes try and bone out a critter... they would take one mangled steak and the rest would be lost to spoiling.

Luckily transfrancisco will provide the feral orcs of hunters point and Oakland easy prey and keep them localized.

[JohnnyMtn]

The sea is mentioned by deckhandmike. I don?t have much experience with that, but yes, I can very much see that.

But living off the land either rural or urban? I do not know how feasible that is. In principle, yes, many of us know what to do and think it is a good solution. I just wonder how feasible it is in the long term.

[JohnnyMtn]

Have you seen any of those outdoor reality survival shows/contests where people are dropped off and are 99% on their own? Alone comes to mind. Pretty much every person is in terrible health due to starvation within 2-3 or so months. And these are people who have the luxury to focus solely on their survival with no interruptions or competition from other humans. I would think long-term hunting, trapping, foraging just does not produce enough for most people over time. Especially if there are other humans nearby doing the same thing.

[Epaphroditus]

It would be informative to watch documentary about the lifestyles of the various historical tribes that subsisted by hunting and gathering. Turns out it's extremely hard work and requires groups of families working together.

[JohnnyMtn]

Doing all this survival in an urban setting seems like there is more opportunity to obtain resources. But if everyone is doing that in an urban setting, or even if 30% of the original inhabitants are, I do not think you would last very long. Scavenging for resources would be the least of your worries.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

Have you seen any of those outdoor reality survival shows/contests where people are dropped off and are 99% on their own? Alone comes to mind. Pretty much every person is in terrible health due to starvation within 2-3 or so months. And these are people who have the luxury to focus solely on their survival with no interruptions or competition from other humans. I would think long-term hunting, trapping, foraging just does not produce enough for most people over time. Especially if there are other humans nearby doing the same thing.

Some time ago (decades), I caught a piece on a Canadian professor who went with a friend to 'survive off the land' for a month or two. He returned after a month looking emaciated and it didn't appear to have been as fun as he thought it would be. I think (but don't remember with absolute certainty) that it was this guy (the video does work)...



Meet Andr?-Fran?ois Bourbeau: wilderness survival pioneer

...He made headlines in 1984 when he and a friend survived 31 days in the boreal forest without any modern implements, not even knives or matches. Soon he began organizing and leading wilderness camping trips, often paying out-of-pocket for what was then a graded elective course for physical education students...

MEET "DR. SURVIVAL": ANDR?-FRAN?OIS BOURBEAU

...Back in 1984, I conducted a scientific experiment that consisted of being dropped by helicopter in the middle of the northern boreal forest without gear of any kind for 31 days. No matches, no knife or tools, no food, no shelter, and especially no bug net or repellent. Just plain city clothing. The spot was chosen by tossing a dart on a map, which ended up being in a swamp with the most serious black flies I had ever seen. It had just stopped raining, everything was soaking wet, and the temperature was near zero Celsius. I had no idea that adventure would later be inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records!...

Sure, you can go a long time without food, but just watch any of the survival shows on TV and see how people become lazy and nonchalant without food. This is a normal reaction because without food, the body goes into survival mode and no longer wants to work. Just a couple of days without food and you become extremely lethargic, not much gets done, and even brain function is affected. In cold, it?s even worse because without food, it is extremely difficult to fight off hypothermia and this can kill you. So the answer to the question is yes, learning all these food gathering skills will help, but realistically will not change the survival balance much in the short term. Unless you are very lucky, it takes a great deal of skill and very long training to obtain significant calories from nature...

That was in the Boreal Forest, not an urban environment. This is the area where people such as Mors Kochanski and Les Stroud made their bones...





The idea is...

It would be informative to watch documentary about the lifestyles of the various historical tribes that subsisted by hunting and gathering. Turns out it's extremely hard work and requires groups of families working together.

It's why humans didn't 'advance' as a culture/society until agriculture allowed for specialization. Otherwise, simply sustaining yourself was a full-time endeavor with no, appreciable 'extra' time. Most who have not experienced it first-hand don't realize how much effort goes into actually finding and gathering enough food to sustain yourself long-term.

[Big Chudungus]

The Donner Party survived...well at least some of them did.

C.H.U.D.

cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers.

We are all CHUD. Every ancient culture seems to have been cannibalistic, as are most apes. They say after 10 days people either go cannibal or suicide. 95% of people live in vast cities or at least big towns with no hope of living without massive food imports from distant (and complex) factory farming operations.

What is walking around these days could only be called "humanoid" compared to people from even 1000yrs ago.

Except for a few tribes in Africa, everyone today lives in defacto "underground" dwellings, even if the caves are built on top of existing ground level. Basically a termite mound.