Chapter VIII

FOOD

1. Food Procurement

a. Sources and location.

(1) Mammals can be found where—

(a) Trails lead to watering, feeding, and bedding areas.

(b) Droppings or tracks look fresh.

(2) Birds can be found by—

(a) Observing the direction of flight in the early morning and late afternoon (leads to feeding, watering, and roosting areas).

(b) Listening for bird noises (indication of nesting areas

(3) Fish and other marine life locations (Figure VIII-1).

Figure VIII-1. Fishing Locations

(4) Reptiles and amphibians are found almost worldwide.

(5) Insects are found—

(a) In dead logs and stumps.

(b) At ant and termite mounds.

(c) On ponds, lakes, and slow moving streams.

b. Procurement techniques.

(1) Snares—

(a) Work while unattended.

(b) Location:

● Trails leading to water, feeding, and bedding areas.

● Mouth of dens (Figure VIII-2).

Figure VIII-2. Snare Placement

(c) Construction of simple loop snare.

● Use materials that will not break under the strain of holding an animal.

● Use a figure 8 (locking loop) if wire is used (Figure VIII-3).

●●Once tightened, the wire locks in place, preventing reopening, and the animal’s escape.

●To construct a squirrel pole (Figure VIII-4) use simple loop snares.

●Make noose opening slightly larger than the animal’s head (3-finger width for squirrels, fist-sized for rabbits).

(d) Placement of snares (set as many as possible).

• Avoid disturbing the area.
• Use funneling (natural or improvised) (Figure VIII-5).

Figure VIII-3. Locking Loop

Figure VIII-4. Squirrel Pole

Figure VIII-5. Funneling

(2) Noose stick (easier and safer to use than the hands).

(3) Twist stick (Figure VIII-6).

(a) Insert forked stick into a den until something soft is met.

(b) Twist the stick, binding the animal’s hide in the fork.

(c) Remove the animal from the den.

(d) Be ready to kill the animal; it may be dangerous.

Figure VIII-6. Procurement Devices

(4) Hunting and fishing devices. (See Figure VIII-7 for fishing procurement methods.)

(a) Club or rock.

(b) Spear.

(c) Slingshot.

(d) Pole, line, and hook.

(e) Net.

(f) Trap.

Figure VIII-7. Procurement Methods

(5) Precautions:

(a) Wear shoes to protect the feet when wading in water.

(b) Avoid reaching into dark holes.

(c) Kill animals before handling. Animals in distress may attract the enemy.

(d) DO NOT secure fishing lines to yourself or the raft.

(e) Kill fish before bringing them into the raft.

(f) DO NOT eat fish with—

• Spines.
• Unpleasant odor.
• Pale, slimy gills.
• Sunken eyes.
• Flabby skin.
• Flesh that remains dented when pressed.

(g) DO NOT eat fish eggs or liver (entrails).

(h) Avoid all crustaceans above the high tide mark.

(i) Avoid cone-shaped shells (Figure VIII-8).

Figure VIII-8. Cone-Shaped Shells of Venomous Snails

(j) Avoid hairy insects; the hairs could cause irritation or infection.

(k) Avoid poisonous insects, for example:

• Centipedes.
• Scorpions.
• Poisonous spiders.

(1) Avoid disease carrying insects, such as—

• Flies.
• Mosquitoes.
• Ticks.

c. Plant Foods. Before using the following guide use your evasion chart to identify edible plants:

Note: If you cannot positively identify an edible plant and choose to try an unknown plant, these guidelines may help determine edibility.

(1) Selection criteria.

(a) Before testing for edibility, ensure there are enough plants to make testing worth your time and effort. Each part of a plant (roots, leaves, stems, bark, etc.) requires more than 24 hours to test. DO NOT waste time testing a plant that is not abundant.

(b) Test only 1 part of 1 plant at a time.

(c) Remember that eating large portions of plant food on an empty stomach may cause diarrhea, nausea, or cramps. Two good examples are green apples and wild onions. Even after testing food and finding it safe, eat in moderation.

(2) Avoid plants with the following characteristics:

Note: Using these guidelines in selecting plants for food may eliminate some edible plants; however, these guidelines will help prevent choosing potentially toxic plants.

(a) Milky sap (dandelion has milky sap but is safe to eat and easily recognizable).

(b) Spines, fine hairs, and thorns (skin irritants/contact dermatitis). Prickly pear and thistles are exceptions. Bracken fern fiddleheads also violate this guideline.

(c) Mushrooms and fungus.

(d) Umbrella shaped flowers (hemlock is eliminated).

(e) Bulbs (only onions smell like onions).

(f) Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs.

(g) Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods.

(h) Old or wilted leaves.

(i) Plants with shiny leaves.

(j) White and yellow berries. (Aggregate berries such as black and dewberries are always edible, test all others before eating.)

(k) Almond scent in woody parts and leaves.

d. Test procedures.

CAUTION: Test all parts of the plant for edibility. Some plants have both edible and inedible parts. NEVER ASSUME a part that proved edible when cooked is edible raw, test the part raw before eating. The same part or plant may produce varying reactions in different individuals.

(1) Test only 1 part of a plant at a time.

(2) Separate the plant into its basic components (stems, roots, buds, and flowers).

(3) Smell the food for strong acid odors. Remember, smell alone does not indicate a plant is edible or inedible.

(4) DO NOT eat 8 hours before the test and drink only purified water.

(5) During the 8 hours you abstain from eating, test for contact poisoning by placing a piece of the plant on the inside of your elbow or wrist. The sap or juice should contact the skin. Usually 15 minutes is enough time to allow for a reaction.

(6) During testing, take NOTHING by mouth EXCEPT purified water and the plant you are testing.

(7) Select a small portion of a single part and prepare it the way you plan to eat it.

(8) Before placing the prepared plant in your mouth, touch a small portion (a pinch) to the outer surface of your lip to test for burning or itching.

(9) If after 3 minutes there is no reaction on your lip, place the plant on your tongue and hold it for 15 minutes.

(10) If there is no reaction, thoroughly chew a pinch and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes (DO NOT SWALLOW.) If any ill effects occur, rinse out your mouth with water.

(11) If nothing abnormal occurs, swallow the food and wait 8 hours. If any ill effects occur during this period, induce vomiting and drink a water and charcoal mixture.

(12) If no ill effects occur, eat ¼ cup of the same plant prepared the same way. Wait another 8 hours. If no ill effects occur, the plant part as prepared is safe for eating.

CAUTION:

1. Ripe tropical fruits should be peeled and eaten raw. Softness, rather than color, is the best indicator of ripeness. Cook unripe fruits and discard seeds and skin.

2. Cook underground portions when possible to reduce bacterial contamination and ease digestion of their generally high starch content.

3. During evasion, you may not be able to cook. Concentrate your efforts on leafy green plants, ripe fruits, and above ground ripe vegetables not requiring significant preparation.

2. Food Preparation

Animal food gives the greatest food value per pound.

a. Butchering and skinning.

(1) Mammals.

(a) Remove the skin and save for other uses.

(a) One cut skinning of small game (Figure VIII-9).

• Open the abdominal cavity.
• Avoid rupturing the intestines.
• Remove the intestines.
• Save inner organs (heart, liver, and kidneys) and all meaty parts of the skull, brain, tongue, and eyes.

(b) Wash when ready to use.

(c) If preserving the meat, remove it from the bones.

(d) Unused or inedible organs and entrails may be used as bait for other game.

Figure VIII-9. Small Game Skinning

(2) Frogs and snakes.

(a) Skin.

(b) Discard skin, head with 2 inches of body, and internal organs.

(3) Fish.

(a) Scale (if necessary) and gut fish soon after it is caught.

(b) Insert knifepoint into anus of fish and cut open the belly.

(c) Remove entrails.

(d) Remove gills to prevent spoilage.

(4) Birds.

(a) Gut soon after killing.

(b) Protect from flies.

(c) Skin or pluck them.

(d) Skin scavengers and sea birds.

(5) Insects.

(a) Remove all hard portions such as the legs of grasshoppers or crickets. (The rest is edible.)

(b) Recommend cooking grasshopper-size insects.

CAUTION: Dead insects spoil rapidly, DO NOT save.

(6) Fruits, berries, and most nuts can be eaten raw.

b. Cooking.

CAUTION: To kill parasites, thoroughly cook all wild game, freshwater fish, clams, mussels, snails, crawfish, and scavenger birds. Saltwater fish may be eaten raw.

(1) Boiling (most nutritious method of cooking—drink the broth).

(a) Make metal cooking containers from ration cans.

(b) Drop heated rocks into containers to boil water or cook food.

(2) Baking.

(a) Wrap in leaves or pack in mud.

(b) Bury food in dirt under coals of fire.

(3) Leaching. Some nuts (acorns) must be leached to remove the bitter taste of tannin. Use one of the following leaching methods:

(a) First method:

•Soaking and pouring the water off.

•Crushing and pouring water through. Cold water should be tried first; however, boiling water is sometimes best.

•Discarding water.

(b) Second method:

•Boil, pour off water, and taste the plant.

•If bitter, repeat process until palatable.

(4) Roasting.

(a) Shake shelled nuts in a container with hot coals.

(b) Roast thinly sliced meat and insects over a candle.

3. Food Preservation

b. Keeping an animal alive.

c. Refrigerating.

(1) Long term.

(a) Food buried in snow maintains a temperature of approximately 32 degrees F.

(b) Frozen food will not decompose (freeze in meal-size portions).

(2) Short term.

(a) Food wrapped in waterproof material and placed in a stream remains cool in summer months.

(b) Earth below the surface, particularly in shady areas or along streams, is cooler than the surface.

(c) Wrap food in absorbent material such as cotton and re-wet as the water evaporates.

c. Drying and smoking removes moisture and preserves food.

(1) Use salt to improve flavor and promote drying.

(2) Cut or pound meat into thin strips.

(3) Remove fat.

(4) DO NOT use pitch woods such as fir or pine; they produce soot giving the meat an undesirable taste.

d. Protecting meat from animals and insects.

(1) Wrapping food.

(a) Use clean material.

(b) Wrap pieces individually.

(c) Ensure all corners of the wrapping are insect proof.

(d) Wrap soft fruits and berries in leaves or moss.

(2) Hanging meat.

(a) Hang meat in the shade.

(b) Cover during daylight hours to protect from insects.

(3) Packing meat on the trail.

(a) Wrap before flies appear in the morning.

(b) Place meat in fabric or clothing for insulation.

(c) Place meat inside the pack for carrying. Soft material acts as insulation helping keep the meat cool.

(d) Carry shellfish, crabs, and shrimp in wet seaweed.

e. DO NOT store food in the shelter; it attracts unwanted animals.