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
It’s hard to think of an animal that is more charismatic than the grizzly bear. Something about that big, pudgy body, those perfectly fuzzy round ears, inquisitive expression, and all of the antics that we see them get up to in various national parks that makes them undeniably charming. However, something tells me that those … 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
When most people think of a snake, they probably think of a satiny brown, green, or black reptile slithering stealthily through the undergrowth. But as it turns out not all snakes are content with drab camouflage. Some snakes want to draw attention to themselves, usually as a warning to any larger animals to keep well … 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
Among every order of animals on earth, there are always a few individual species that seem to go against the norm of expected behavior, color, and other distinguishing characteristics. Among snakes, you might say that the ringneck is that species. These snakes are wildly colored and exhibit a strange “curly cue” defensive pose, but they … 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
If you live near wetlands, large bodies of water, or any other place that stays moist and damp you have probably encountered a ribbon snake before. These tiny, slender, quick snakes are extremely good swimmers and, if you care to watch the surface of the water, you’ll probably see the rippling wake they leave behind … Read more
For many of us, snakes are scary enough just on their own. A snake could be lying there basking in the sun, and if someone who is frightened of them were to see it, they’d probably run in the opposite direction. But things can get a whole lot worse when you’re dealing with a snake … Read more
Out of all the animals on Earth that slither or crawl, probably none are as subject to as much fundamental fear and revulsion as snakes. Snakes as a category are practically synonyms for evil and treachery, and is no wonder that pretty much everyone avoids them and many people kill them on sight. However, snakes … Read more
The garden snake, more properly called the garter snake, is not a single species but is actually many subspecies, and many of them are quite common throughout the United States, often encountered, as you might guess, in the garden! That is bound to upset some people, but since these snakes are so common we had … Read more
Even if you don’t like snakes, most snakes that you encounter in the wild are nothing to write home about. Most are tiny and furtive, quickly taking cover, and slithering through leaf litter and underbrush to get away from you. However, some snakes are so big, so powerful and so impressive they are genuinely intimidating … Read more
As much as we might hate the sight of a snake slithering around on our property, it is important to know that not all snakes are dangerous…Many of them are very important because they help reduce the populations of rodents and other animals in the wild. How about the corn snake for instance? Is the … Read more
There are all kinds of snake species in North America, and countless more around the globe. In fact, there is so much variety when it comes to snakes (species, subspecies, and even regional variations, and color morphs) that it makes positively identifying any given snake using color alone quite challenging most of the time… Assuming … Read more
Pretty much every single prepper can be expected to have an emergency supply of food for troubled times. Whether it’s a natural disaster or the collapse of society, you’ve got to be able to eat no matter what! Prepping for a weekend power outage, a few weeks of roughing it after a hurricane or even … Read more
Have you ever had a revelation before? Like a real revelation. Like slam on the brakes, gasp in terror, holy smokes sort of revelation? I have. And what’s more, lately I am talking to more and more folks who have woken up in much the same way to the notion that no one is coming … Read more
Drying your veggies is an excellent way to preserve your harvest, as well as a great method for making your own long-lasting and nutritious snacks or meal sides. Dried vegetables are tasty and make for an interesting and sustainable alternative to other methods of preservation. If you’re a prepper, there’s a good chance you’ve already … Read more
We’ve all been there. You’re out and about, enjoying a lovely day, maybe getting ready to light your campfire or a cigarette. You pull out your trusty Bic to suddenly find out that you are out of fuel. Oh, no. What a bummer. You could do what everyone does and toss it, but what if … Read more
If you are a prepper, there’s a high likelihood you’ll be relying on various tools and devices that require liquid fuel to function. It could be a vehicle, a generator, a chainsaw, a lantern, anything- no fuel, no go, it is just that simple. That means that accumulating, properly storing, and rotating your fuel supplies … Read more
When it comes to adapting military procedure, equipment, and terminology to prepping it turns out that some folks usually get riled up. Those who aren’t preppers in their daily lives usually accuse preppers of being posers, wannabes, and other derogatory terms. Many of those preppers feel the need to intricately explain themselves and these choices … Read more