In a true life-and-death survival situation, there are no holds barred when it comes to staying alive. You'll need every advantage you can get over Mother Nature if you expect to find shelter, build a fire, purify water, and collect enough calories to keep your muscles moving. In these situations, you'll be far better off if you can actively fish and hunt game, instead of relying on foraging alone.

Foraging for wild edibles and hunting small game can only sustain you for so long.

Foraging for wild edibles and trapping small game can only sustain you for so long.

Sport hunters usually enjoy an element of challenge, and may shy away from tools that provide an unfair advantage over their prey. Hunting laws also dictate what tools can be legally used to attract and kill game in a sportsmanlike manner. When you're surviving, all these restrictions are cast aside. Tactics such as large gill nets, steel traps, hunting spotlights, and even the use of chemicals to stun prey are all fair game.

Animal Attack 4

Animal calls are another tool which can provide an advantage while hunting to survive. Manual game calls have long been used to hunt ducks, geese, turkeys, and other birds. They're a great affordable and compact option to include in your survival kit — just be sure to study species in your area, and learn how to use the calls effectively. Here's a clip from Bass Pro Shops that shows a few duck call techniques:

For a more powerful and versatile option, electronic game calls are worth considering. These devices can reproduce a wide variety of animal vocalizations at high volumes, and bring larger prey to you instead of relying on your ability to track it down. The speaker can be placed downrange in an open field, and remotely activated using a handset to play a sound that will attract animals. However, they require batteries, and may be difficult to repair in the field if they break.

Billy Birdzell of RECOILtv discusses an Inferno electronic call from FoxPro in the following video:

So, while you may already have a fishing kit, snares, traps, and a survival rifle in your emergency kit, have you considered game calls as a survival tool? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.


STAY SAFE: Download a Free copy of the OFFGRID Outbreak Issue

In issue 12, Offgrid Magazine took a hard look at what you should be aware of in the event of a viral outbreak. We're now offering a free digital copy of the OffGrid Outbreak issue when you subscribe to the OffGrid email newsletter. Sign up and get your free digital copy

No Comments