Survival & Preparedness

Even in the world of survival, there are celebrities and legends. From legendary adventures and soldiers who overcame frankly unbelievable odds, to everyday people who found themselves embroiled in a fight for their very lives, the people on this list run the gamut when it comes to experience and expertise. Many are professionals who have … Read more

Everyone understands instinctively how precious water is to survival. Going even a single day without a drink of water can leave you crippled or dead when the chips are down. Precious few people can survive outside in the elements for more than a few days, at most, without it. And that’s the paradox of the … Read more

Badgers are virtually synonymous with tenacity, but are they dangerous? Most folks don’t know too much about badgers. These are interesting animals that are noteworthy for their intricate social and family units that form in the wild, and they’re also important game and fur animals that are harvested for their hair and for their meat. … Read more

For most folks who live anywhere in the United States, the blue jay is a common sight in your yard. From the loud, screeching calls to their bully-like behavior at the bird feeder, these corvids are definitely unique and ubiquitous in their typical range. But these birds are also known to cause quite a commotion, … Read more

It is hard to imagine any animal being less dangerous than a chipmunk. From their beautiful, striped fur to those adorably chubby cheeks that carry food back to their burrows, chipmunks are among the most charismatic rodents on Earth. Arguably it is only squirrels that have better publicity. They are so tiny and delicate, it’s … Read more

If you’ve ever gotten a good look at those needle-sharp teeth, I don’t blame you for thinking possums are dangerous. I think everybody, especially people living in the South, have been surprised by them in the night: hanging out near the deck or popping out of the trash can. Those beady black eyes, the loud … Read more

Many domestic animals have diverged quite radically from their wild or ancestral counterparts. Let’s look at sheep, for instance. While it’s true that sheep can grow to be quite large and sometimes physically powerful, they don’t hold a candle to their wild cousins. In the United States and elsewhere in North America, bighorn sheep are … Read more

There is no shortage of amazing animals out in the wild. Some look magnificent, some are physically impressive and others are ferociously vicious or incredibly venomous. But there are a few animals, only a few, capable of fundamentally changing the environment around them. Beavers are that animal. Even a single beaver is capable of turning … Read more

There are all kinds of different deer species to be found around the globe, and many of them right here in North America. But standing over, literally and figuratively, the whitetails and elk on the continent we have the moose. Moose are the largest deer species in the world, and though they tend to keep … Read more

There is hardly an animal out there that is more entertaining, and more charming, then the raccoon. Or rather, there are plenty charming as long as you aren’t the one enduring their attention! Raccoons are notorious for breaking into garbage cans, outbuildings and sometimes even homes in their never-ending quest for food and nesting areas. … Read more

All birds of prey are majestic. Whether it is a hawk, a falcon, an eagle or some other species there is just something about the image of a predator taking prey on the wing that stirs the spirit. However, as capable as these birds are all of them play a distant second fiddle to the … Read more

The fox is regarded as a trickster, a livestock predator and a symbol of cleverness and cunning in virtually every culture around the world where these animals are found. That’s for good reason, and there are few wild animals that are as evasive as foxes. But as human settlements expand, foxes are seen in increasing … Read more

Out of all the bears that you might encounter in North America, it is the black bear, the smallest of the North American bears, that you are likely to run into. Black bears are crafty, curious, and commonly encountered in and around towns and homes when searching for food. Although their antics can be amusing, … Read more

Every once in a while, you’ll hear someone talking about how they caught a glimpse of one of the United States’ most elusive inhabitants. Preternaturally quiet, stealthy and extraordinary hunters, the mountain lion is the largest wild feline on the continent, and rarely encountered even in its natural range. They are magnificent animals, no doubt … Read more

Most people instinctively understand which wild animals are dangerous. Precious few people need to be told that a moose, bear, lion or snake can hurt you, and most folks only need to learn their lesson with bees or wasps once! But not all animals are dangerous, and to make things even trickier some animals that … Read more

I don’t think it is any great assertion to say already that pretty much every single adult alive, at least in North America, knows what a skunk is and what it can do to you. I also don’t think it’s any great stretch to say that there is no person on Earth who wants to … Read more

A growing concern in the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the world, wild boars are a known menace on farms and other agricultural installations. They cause untold damage, and have resulted in the collapse of a local ecosystems. They eat a ton, root up all kinds of plants, reproduce quickly and have basically no … Read more

You are wise to be cautious when dealing with any snake out in the wilderness, but the similarities between various species, including venomous and non-venomous ones, make the matter of positive identification anything but easy. Confusing a harmless snake for a dangerous one can lead to panic and fear for nothing, and the opposite might … Read more

For most of us, suddenly coming upon an unknown snake at close range out in the world is certainly enough to get our heart rate going just a little bit quicker. But what is sure to get your heart beating double time is seeing a jet-black snake, tearing through the grass or out of the … Read more

If there is one thing you generally don’t want to encounter when out and about in the wilderness, it is a huge and menacing snake. Be it a monstrous 6-foot rattlesnake or an even more colossal python, these primordial serpents are the stuff of nightmares for many people. However, most snakes simply don’t get that … Read more

Most people typically think of earth tones, camouflage patterns, and similar colors when they imagine snakes, but many snakes can have striking or even beautiful coloration. One of the most striking colors that adorn the scales of snakes, and arguably the most sinister, is black. From the matte black of the cottonmouth or certain rattlesnake … Read more