Survival Tips Day 16--Medical Uses for Maalox and Olive Oil, Crop Rotation, Squirrel Hunting
Joe Blow
Maalox" submitted by Dr. David A. Williams.
One of the safest and best all around medicines to carry in the field is
liquid Maalox, either regular or extra strength. A few of the many illnesses
and discomforts it can relieve...
1. Poison Ivy--rub a small amount of Maalox on the affected areas and it
will neutralize the poison, dry it, and stop the itching within minutes.
2. Jock Rash or "Great Balls of Fire"--rub some Maalox on the affected area
and you'll soon be relieved of the burning, itching, and discomfort.
3. Athlete's foot or "Swamp Foot"-- rub a small amount of Maalox on the
foot, including in between the toes, and the itching, irritation, and odor
will soon be neutralized.
4. Blisters, Scalds, Abrasions, and Cuts--will heal quicker if treated daily
with a little bit of Maalox, just rub on a small amount and let dry.
5. Sunburns and Windburn-- rub Maalox on like a lotion and it will quickly
relieve the pain, discomfort, and irritation.
6. Hemmoroids and Rectal Irritation (Due to Diarrhea)-- pour a small amount
of Maalox on a small piece of toilet paper, wipe or rub on the effected area
and the bleeding, itching, and irritation should subside within minutes.
7. Feeling Constipated?-- take several (3-5) teaspoons of Maalox and your
stomach should settle down in no time, also works as a laxative too.
8. Got a cut that won't Stop Bleeding?-- put a few drops of Maalox on it and
cover with a bandaid or bandage.
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I've also included this tip called "Emergency Protection" submitted by
David. A. Williams.
Always carry in your rucksack a small bottle of olive oil, the type that
comes with an eye or nose dropper, because it can always be used...
a) To prevent foreign matter from entering the eyes and ears should you need
to dive or swim in slaty of filthy water and you don't have a mask or a
paitr of earplugs for protection.
Just place a few drops in the eyes and ears before entering the water and
the salt and foreign matter won't stick to the surface of the eyes or enter
the sensitive areas of the inner ear.
b) works great for relieving earaches. Simply warm up the bottle of olive
oil with a match or lighter, just slightly above body temperature, and place
a drop or two in the effected ear. To keep it in place, use a piece of
cotton, tissue, and even a gun cleaning patch. Should it become infected and
very painful, just add 1x drop of iodine to 5x drops of olive oil and you
have an excellent field remedy.
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This next article is on crop rotation, which is often overlooked in the
small garden, where the same crops are planted year after year. I've let my
own garden lie fallow for the last two years, although I did dig it up and
plow it under with a shovel and a Tiller. I've got a new tiller this year,
so I'm anticipating much use with it when the spring thaw finally kicks in.
http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/rotate.htm
Crop Rotation
Since ancient times, Man has farmed the land. First came the
Hunter-Gatherers who roamed the land picking wild berries and vegetables.
Somewhere along the way, Man used his noggin and began planting seeds in
small plots near his cave. A short while later another brainstorm caused man
to weed the field and provide water during droughts. It wasn't until
thousands of years later that Man finally wised up and figured out the value
of crop rotation.
Just think, you get the benefit of thousands of years of learning just by
reading this article!!!
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What is Crop Rotation?
Crop Rotation is a farming practice where different crops are planted in a
certain section of the farm or garden each year.
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The value of Crop Rotation:
Why rotate crop you ask? Good question. Here are three answers to the value
of crop rotation.
Soil Depletion: Each crop uses different types and amounts of minerals from
the soil. If the same crop is planted each and every year, over time the
soil is depleted of the minerals essential for plant growth and health. In
reverse, a different crop will sometimes return missing minerals to the soil
as the plant dies and composts or is turned into the soil. By now you are
wondering if today's fertilizers return these lost chemicals and minerals.
The answer is yes, but it is not free and often not as good as a sound crop
rotation program.
Insect Control: Insects can overwinter in your soil. They enter the leaves
and vines of your plants. As you till, plow, or turn your garden over some
of those insects find a very cozy home for the winter inside decaying plant
matter under your soil. Those greatful insects re-awaken in the spring
hungry to re-infest your crop.
Disease Prevention: Just like insects, plant diseases can also overwinter in
plant leaves and vines under your soil. You can help to guard against this
by removing and destroying any diseased plants, but not all of the plant
matter.
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How to Rotate crops:
Here comes the easy part. Crops should be rotated on a three to four year
cycle. They should be rotated every year. So a crop of corn planted this
year is not planted in the same field for the next two or three years.
Ideally, altogether different crops should be used each year as insects and
disease that affects one crop will also likely affect similar crops.
Did you know? Purdue Agricultural Department recommends some plants, such as
pumpkins, should not be planted in the same field for up to seven years!
Okay, so you have a home garden and only a small space. You can still rotate
your crops. In whatever space you have, rotate them in a three year cycle.
But also, be more diligent in discarding any insect infested or diseased
plant tissue.
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I've been concentrating on small game hunting for the last few weeks because
I believe foraging skills and food procurement and production are the most
essential set of skills a survivalist should have. I've continued with that
theme this week with a couple of articles on squirrel hunting. As the
articles state, Squirrels a fairly easy to hunt, and alot of fun also.
(Although "fun" is not an important factor in a serious situation)
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag/1997/10/7.html
Squirrel Hunting made Easy
by Ned N. Rice
photography by Jim Rathert
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Being stingy with ammo will make you a better shot.
I've hunted squirrels for over 50 years and during that time, by hit or
miss, I've gathered a lot of information on the subject.
At first you must select a good woods to hunt. Look for large mature trees.
Look for pecan or hickory trees. Learn the woods you hunt like the back of
your hand.
You will find one, two or three areas that contain most of the squirrels.
Forget the rest of the woods and go to these hot spots. You can then go to
another woods and repeat the same process, building up your knowledge of
good hunting spots.
Unless your eyes are a lot better than mine, forget about looking for a
squirrel in a tree nearby. If you move around, the squirrel will see you and
it becomes a game of hide and seek. Most of the time you will be the loser
with a sore neck.
The best method, if you are moving slowly through the woods, is to scan the
trees about 100 yards ahead. If a squirrel moves or jumps on a limb you will
see it.
Actually, your ears are better for finding a squirrel. When it barks, jumps
on a limb or cuts a hickory nut, you can pick up the noise from far away.
If you have a squirrel high in a tree that you can't see, just sit down and
wait. Many times you can take another squirrel coming to the same tree and
get them both.
If you are hunting under a nut tree where a squirrel is cutting and can't
locate the bushy tail, slip under the tree and follow the hulls to the
source. Once you locate the squirrel, you can step back and take your shot.
Never make any quick moves and when walking over leaves go as slow as
possible. Put your feet down gently, avoiding sticks.
If you are in an opening and see a squirrel in the distance, try to circle
until you get a large tree between you and the quarry.
I use a shotgun for squirrels and I never shoot one facing away from me. It
will put all the shot in the hind legs and back.
Much of my hunting was done along the river where vegetation was thick. Many
squirrels coming toward me would be too close by the time I could see them.
Frustrated, I finally came up with the idea of aiming in front of their nose
a few inches (depending on the distance) and putting most of the shot in the
head. It makes for a clean kill with none or little shot in the meat.
Little hunting is done before the nuts are ripe. Squirrels are more spread
out and difficult to find. If you have a park with hickory trees close by,
check under them periodically to see if the squirrels have begun cutting.
If you approach a nut tree that has several squirrels on it, don't move when
you kill the first one. Mark where it falls and the others will resume
cutting.
I use a light or medium load and find them adequate for squirrels. Maximum
load puts too many shot in the squirrel. If a squirrel is out a little far,
have patience; it may come your way or you might slip a little closer.
Remember, two steps is two yards closer.
Before any beginner starts to hunt, they need to see how their shotgun or
rifle shoots. For a shotgunner, it is important to gauge distances. A gray
squirrel is out of range at 40 yards. If a squirrel is in gun range, don't
get in a hurry to shoot. It may present itself for a better shot in a minute
or two.
Many hunters don't seem to care how many times they shoot. I grew up in the
'30s and '40s and we tried to conserve ammunition. Not only will this save
your money, it will make you a better shot.
Many people do not like to eat squirrel but I've found they are delicious
barbecued or fixed with teriyaki sauce.
I once invited a friend to go hunting with me along the river. I knew the
woods well and he didn't. When we left the car at dawn, we walked in a
narrow field with woods on both sides.
I stopped and pointed to the woods to our left and gave him directions to
the best tree in the woods. I left him there, thinking I would go in the
woods on the right, where there were some hickories at a considerable
distance. I only walked about 200 feet and even before I stepped in the
woods, I spied nine squirrels on an oak tree. I quickly emptied my gun twice
and had six squirrels.
To this day, I get a guilty feeling when I meet my friend. I'm not sure he
believes what I say!
Ned Rice lives in Campbell, Mo.
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http://www.owlhollowgunclub.org/stories/latesquirrel.html
Late Season Squirrels
by
George M. Carney
The wind blew coldly through the silver gray trees stretching their skeleton
fingers towards the sky as a cold dawn progressed towards full light. It was
a gray world of muted blacks and whites; hoarfrost covered the stems of the
vegetation along the creek below my stand. Wind, blowing through my stand,
vainly tugged at the few remaining beech leaves clinging to the trees. I
shivered as it permeated the layers of clothing meant to keep me warm. It
seemed a mystic time of ghosts and gargoyles, and I strained to
differentiate sounds of the wind and a full running creek from animals
ghosting through the woods.
Suddenly, behind my back came the sound of something shuffling the leaves.
Slowly I turned my head as far as I could and strained by eyes to pick up
the movement. Nothing. Again, the sound. An animal moved through the leaves
downhill from where I sat. I double checked the priming in my .54 caliber
flintlock rifle and strained my eyes and ears trying to pinpoint the source
of the disturbance.
Still nothing materialized. Was I hearing things; making up sounds where
nothing existed? Again, the sound; an animal moved off to the edge of my
vision. I focused on the spot and kept straining for that first glimpse of a
towering rack or large brownish gray body moving parallel on the bench below
my stand.
The tension left and I drew a long breath as I spotted a small gray form
near the base of a fallen log. It was not the expected deer, but a gray
squirrel. As dawn lightened the woods and warmed with the sun, three others
joined the lone individual. For the next hour the squirrels treated me to a
calliope of noise, acrobatics, and antics as they chased each other in and
out of the fallen log and downed tops from last year's logging and feasted
on acorns scattered on the ground. One even climbed the beech tree in front
of my stand and scolded me as an interloper. I flicked my hand at him; he
did a back flip, ran out on the limb, and jumped to another tree with the
deftness of a bushy-tailed aerialist. There another squirrel joined him and
their branch bending daredeviltry grabbed my attention.
As I sat in the stand and waited for the second muzzle-loading season to
come to an end I thought how good a mess of squirrels would taste. I'd
hunted squirrels earlier in the fall as they targeted an abundant mast crop.
I found myself thinking "late season squirrel hunting would be productive
and there would be little competition from other hunters."
Hunters who ignore late-season squirrels are missing a great hunting
opportunity. Squirrel populations are flourishing at all time record levels
and late-season hunting is easier than early season. Fighting rolling sweat,
ticks, chiggers, snakes, no-see-ums, and battling leaves to pinpoint
squirrels takes a lot of fun from the hunting experience. During the
late-season insects are dead, leaves are down, snakes are gone, and the
weather has cooled to a reasonable level.
Squirrels live everywhere and trace their history back some 50,000 years. As
a member of the rodent family they are related to rats and mice.not a very
pleasant thought. In the South two species predominate-the fox squirrel and
the eastern gray. The gray is the most sought after by Tennessee hunters.
This is a huge, largely untapped hunting resource.
Reflect for a moment about your first hunting experiences. Did your father,
grandfather, uncle, or other relative take you squirrel hunting? I shot my
first squirrel at age 10 with my greatuncle. He and my dad had an Irish
Setter who not only was a good bird dog, but would tree squirrels, kill
groundhogs, and point rabbits One morning we went out hunting and Sam, the
dog, treed a squirrel in the wood lot behind the corn crib. I shot the
squirrel with a .410 shotgun and felt pretty good about defending the corn
and providing something for supper. We took several more squirrels that
morning, but what I remember most was just sitting and talking to my
greatuncle about the many things a ten-year-old can come up with. He had
lived a remarkable life as a farmer, World War I veteran, and one of the
best makers of moonshine whiskey in that part of the county.
Squirrels are an animal of the hardwood forest, preferring stands with
mature nut trees that produce mast-acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, and other
nuts. Although they will eat other foods, mast becomes critical to late
season survival. Oak mast is "winter storable food", in other words, food
that can be stored either above or below ground and retrieved as much as six
months later.
In addition to nut production potential look for forest stands containing
cavity trees; old mature or dead trees with cavities in the limbs and
trunks. Squirrels prefer living and nesting in cavities and use cavity trees
as focal points of their home range. Cavities provide shelter at night and
during harsh weather, and protection from predators.
Female squirrels usually come into estrus twice a year, from lane November
to February and again from April through August. Young are born from
February through May and again from August through October. Because of the
two estrus and pregnancy cycles, young and adult squirrels are at their most
abundant in the late fall and early winter.
Squirrels have a predictable daily activity cycle, depending on the season.
In spring and fall, squirrels are most active early in the day from about
6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and again late in the day from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. In winter they forage from about 8:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m.; activity
decreases rapidly after 11:00 a.m. to almost nothing by 2:00 p.m. The best
late season hunting is from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Squirrel hunting is a laid back activity, and they are one of the easiest
sport animals to hunt. It requires inexpensive equipment with a high success
rate for beginners and experienced hunters. All it takes is a suitable
hunting site, a rifle or shotgun, the minimum of camouflage, and the
willingness to spend time in the woods.
Though I shot my first squirrel with a .410 shotgun, my first squirrel rifle
was a single-shot, open- sighted, bolt action .22. A .22 is inexpensive and
uncomplicated to own, maintain, and shoot. .22 rifles are made in every
action, style, and price range imaginable-bolt-action, lever-action,
slide-action, break-action, rolling block, and semi-automatic. When loaded
with Long Rifle Hollow Points it is the perfect cartridge rifle for squirrel
hunting. Though open sights are adequate for the short range shots typical
to squirrel hunting many rifles mount scopes. Traditional, low powered small
bore optics are giving way to compact variables with high magnification to
improve accuracy and sighting under low light conditions.
Although I prefer a rifle, more squirrels are harvested by hunters using
shotguns than any other firearm. The reason is obvious; the shot pattern
increases the likelihood of hitting a moving or sitting squirrel. All
shotgun gauges work, but if you hunt squirrels with a shotgun, select a 12,
16, or 20 gauge.
All shotgun gauges shoot the same distance (provided comparable powder
loading) and have the same penetration potential. The only difference
between the gauges is the number of shot delivered to the target. Shotgun
shells from 12 gauge through 16 gauge hold enough shot to make clean
squirrel kills. Because of the reduced number of shot in each shell, the
smaller gauges (.410 & 28 gauge) have the potential to wound more game. The
larger gauges (10 gauge) throw enough shot, but it is too heavy and
punishing to use. Also it is not necessary to use "magnum loads" or high
velocity loads, regular "field loads" will get the job done. Squirrels have
a tough hide and thick fur. Use #4, #5, or #6 shot for quick kills and
reduced wounding.
Many of my hunting friends use a muzzle-loading rifle in .32, .36, or .45
caliber. My preference is a Tennessee style, .45 caliber, flintlock with
open sights made by John Anderson of Tullahoma, Tennessee. The rifle shoots
a .445 patched round ball backed by 40 grains of FFFg. It is light, has
little recoil, and shoots better than I can hold. I miss as many as I take,
but the smell of blackpowder and the challenge of knowing I've got only one
shot is enjoyable.
During late season set up near productive hardwood forests with obvious
cavity trees. Hunt early, from about 7:00 a.m. until about 11:00 a.m. and
again late in the afternoon. Sit in a comfortable position and wait for the
telltale movement of a squirrel on the ground or in a tree. If you pick the
right spot, you can harvest a limit without relocating. If squirrels fail to
show relocate using your eyes and ears to find active squirrels. Squirrels
are noisy animals and can be easily located.
The squirrels I'd watched from my stand were still there when I came back
the following week. As I slipped into position one scampered along a limb in
the beech tree next to the stand. I primed the flintlock and eased the
hammer back to the full cock firing position .and carefully "set" the rear
trigger". Bracing the barrel against a tree I waited for a lull in the
action. The squirrel on the limb stopped and looked at another on the
ground.
I made a last sight alignment and applied gentle pressure to the front
trigger. The gun fired and a cloud of smoke momentarily obscured my sight.
It cleared to show an empty limb with the squirrel lying at the base of the
tree. A good head shot and clean kill. I reloaded, moved to another
position, took a seat and waited out the silence. Two more squirrels
reappeared about 30 minutes later. At the end of the hunt I had missed two
and taken three-enough for a meal.
A squirrel hunting pilgrimage brings many of us full circle. Here is where
we started our hunting life. Give this late-season untapped resource a try.
Whether you use a .22 rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader late season bushytails
provide a challenging target and enjoyable day afield for hunters in the
know.
Author's Biography: George Carney lives in Nashville and works for the
Tennessee Military Department. He is a life member of the National Rifle
Association and the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. Carney has
won several state muzzle loading matches and championships.
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And that's it for this week's Survival Tips.
Joe Blow
To go directly to the group, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/21stCenturySurvival
jdel...@cybertrails.com
anyway.
--
Big John Delavan
When you truly need me call - turn around, I'll be there.
www.bigjohncountry.com
"Joe Blow" <joe...@xmission.com> wrote in message
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Joe Blow
<jdel...@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
news:Bm6p8.157533$2q2.12...@bin4.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
> Good post. Congrats - not that you want to hear that from me, but you get
it
> anyway.
>
> --
> Big John Delavan
Thanks, John. Now's as good of a time as any to bury the hatchet. Looking
forward to your posts.
Joe Blow
jdel...@cybertrails.com
--
Big John Delavan
When you truly need me call - turn around, I'll be there.
www.bigjohncountry.com
"Joe Blow" <joe...@xmission.com> wrote in message
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