As I am canning the leftover soup I made for dinner, and taking pictures so I can post directions for pressure canning tomorrow, I had to spare a moment to laugh at the number of times I've heard people say that "not having food stored is no problem since [they] know how to hunt." I think its worth the bandwidth to say a few things about this myth.
Hunting is a great prepper skill to have! I recommend that everyone, men AND women, learn how to procure their own food. Learning now that you can look at a beautiful wild animal and pull a trigger will alleviate any fears you may have when the trucks stop bringing food to the stores. Knowing that dinner can be bought on the way home if necessary takes the pressure off and lets you concentrate on your task. Being able to properly clean that animal without tainting the meat is a huge bonus! Sadly, hunting is not yet a skill I have. But I can (and have) cleaned and cooked both chickens and rabbits, so squirrels and doves should be easy enough since those basic skills will translate over from one small mammal (bird) to another.
So why do we prep for when TSHTF (The Stuff Hits The Fan)?
We have plenty of wild game in the woods all around my condo, but we also have trucks bringing food to the grocery stores on a very predictable schedule. When those trucks stop rolling in on a reliable basis, or just stop forever, you can be assured that everyone with a gun will head to the woods to "shoot me a deer." Hunger will cause acts of desperation, and you hopefully can see where any normal civility to other hunters would be abandoned rather quickly. A very dangerous position to be in.
The unshakable optimism of hunters is refreshing however. Having the ability to put food on the table is really great. But ask yourself or your hunter how many deer he or she brought home last season. Be realistic about this. Most hunters will bring down a scarce few all season, and some will not even be that lucky. The majority of those deer go out for processing, and the conveniently packaged meat goes into the freezer next to the TV dinners. Now complicate this happy little vision with the knowledge that there may not be electricity anymore; and you may as well forget the convenience of processing.
IF, big if, you are able to bring down a deer, and get it home without being mugged for your kill, what are you going to do with the meat after everyone in your family has eaten their fill? The unfortunate thing is that most sheepole (sheep-people) will eat what they can and the rest will rot where it lays. Preppers will preserve every scrap they can using methods like salt or sugar curing, dehydration, and canning.
So why am I a prepper? I choose to stock my many shelves before TSHTF, so I will not have to risk my life going out in search of food immediately after a disaster. All forms of meat, fish, shrimp, vegetables, and fruit can be canned or dehydrated and will last for a few years in jars in a low-light environment. Salt, which is extremely cheap now, will once again become worth its weight in gold just like sugar. In essence, it is easier to give up space in my small condo now than it will be to find food after a major disaster. My family will eat.
Please send in any comments, I'd love to hear from you! I hope to have a pressure canning post with directions and a link to tonights soup posted up and live tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and happy prepping!!
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