Prairie Wolf Community Board

Yucca wood

dixieangler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:20:24 GMT

Glory be and praise the Lord! I finally got a coal with a Yucca spindle on an old dead and dry Willow baseboard on the firebow today. First time getting a coal using Yucca wood. Just the two materials that I collected earlier this afternoon from an old dead Willow tree and a dead and dry Yucca stalk (stem). I used my Oak socket and firebow with a nylon string (no natural doubled cord today). So I did not collect all my materials straight from the woods this time. Burned down to the bottom of the board and saw the dust pile change colors top to bottom from tan to brown to black. I had smoke coming from the board. At first I thought I had failed again after I tapped the board so the dust pile fell on the leaf and no smoke coming from the dust pile. Then I saw smoke coming from the board laying nearby (LOL) and there was a small coal trapped in the notch so I poked it out with an old pine needle into a tinder bundle (this time I had a tinder bundle even though I was practicing). It blew right into flame. The coal was small so I didn't wait on this one very long to get it into the tinder bundle. Whole thing from start to finish on the board took about a half of a minute.

Teeth

budfreshour — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:08:17 GMT

I just had a broke tooth recently and yes I'm OK now thanks for all your concern but it took a dentist and nurse and some really cool drugs and o ya lots and lots of my money so if i lived during primitive times how would i taken care of my tooth, and would the be a pretty nurse telling everything would be OK at the end of it all.

Bud Freshour

St. Paul MN

Utimate Guide To Wilderness Living

dixieangler — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:30:10 GMT

Hi John & Geri,

I just picked up a copy of UGTWL as a birthday gift for my sister. I also ordered a copy for myself. The copy that was on the shelf was the only one the bookstore had. I thought that I would find it in the nature section if it was in the store at all and did not find it there so I ordered two copies at the clerk desk. The clerk told me that he did have a copy on hand in the sports section. Sure enough it was in the sports section. LOL So I bought that copy and the clerk told me that I could just buy one of the two that were on order when they came in. I did get to thumb through the book before I gave it to my sister and it is basically the same as PWL&SS or Book 1 with some things like containers from PWS, A&A or Book 2. Just smaller print and smaller photos with different editing. I did notice that some things from Book 1 were left out, not major things but some things (photo plates, etc.) like the Quickie Bow (Juniper Bow) in the Chapter 9 Primitive Tools section at the back of Book 1. At least I don't think I saw it in UGTWL if it is in there. I really did not get a good look at the UGTWL Tool chapter to see if it was there.

Anyway, it seems to be a good condensed version of Book 1 at a lower cost. I hope this UGTWL is doing well for you on sales. My sister was thrilled by all the skills covered when she leafed through it. She said it would be an Ultimate, Ultimate if water, edible and medicinal plants were added at the end. I tried to explain to her that this was a skills book rather than a total human needs book and that there were other books that covered those particular areas. I also explained to her that no one can live a wilderness life completely and hope to survive indefinitely due to medical needs that go far beyond first aid and natural medicinal or holistic remedies. Internal problems such as internal bleeding and so on that require a medical doctor and modern tools. Most folks just died prematurely before the advent of modern medicine. Now folks are living to a ripe old age. I told her, "You work in medical records at the hospital and you ought to know that." LOL

The Plant Identity Crisis

dixieangler — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:32:44 GMT

Hi John,

After reading your trials and tribulations of plant identities, I can sympathize. I have been raised around Florida plants (domestic, foreign, and wild) since very young and there are some that I know by heart no matter the season but there are many more I do not know and am not familiar with. Most I know by heart are staples here, Saw Palmetto, Prickly Pear Cactus, Pines (various types), Grape Vine, Cattail, Greenbriar, Sandspur (grass type), Blackberry Briar (Bramble), Acorns, and add Yucca Filamentosa to the the list. The only one on the list where there may be toxic look-a-likes is Cattail in which younger Cattails can be confused with three toxic look-a-likes such as Iris so I always use adult Cattails. The only other one that I think could be confused with other possible look-a-likes is Grape Vine but if you know what characteristics (leaf shape, seed shape, tendrils, etc.) to look for or what may be lacking, you can stay out of trouble (not end up with a poisonous Canada Moonseed or Poison Oak, Ivy). Also just make sure you pick all green colored Sandspurs, no purple colored ones (a bad bacteria). The spines can be burned off and the chaff removed for the grass seeds, just don't get them too close to the flame or the seed oil will burn them up. While plants are easier to catch than animals (as long as you are familiar with the plants), I agree with your line of thinking that knowing ten or so easy to ID plants with little or no look-a-likes is a good way to put some carbs (fast energy) and vitamins food in the stomach while waiting for the traps or fishing lines to do their work for some fat and protein. LOL I don't want to overlook insects like grasshoppers either should the opportunity arise. No, I don't mess with rodents either except tree rats (aka gray or cat squirrels). I am enjoying another good book in Book 2. Thanks.

dogbane for bowdrill string

sam — Thur, 01 Oct 2009 01:56:49 GMT

Anyone have any experience with using dogbane as a bowdrill string? Good choice, or would yucca do better? I have some dogbane I brought back with me from KS but as there isn't any to be had (that I know of) here in the NW, Im hesitant to use it up and yucca is fairly plentiful. Thanks.

acorn uses

Coon4492 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:44:46 GMT

Are these useful for anything? just wondering because theres millions of them around the property

Retting fibers

dixieangler — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:34:00 GMT

Hi John,

I retted some Yucca Filamentosa leaf fibers for about two weeks and to be honest I can see very little difference in the ones I normally scrape, rinse, and clean from the retted ones. I saw the nice white, soft, and clean Yucca fibers you did in the DVD video so I am wondering if they are from a different variety of Yucca? Thanks.

Spear question

Coon4492 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:41:53 GMT

I've made some makeshift survival spears for practice purposes like one I made out of an old kitchen knife and electric tape. Looked terrible but worked really well. I want to make a good primitive spear but I have one problem I haven't perfected my flintknapping skills just yet. I can't flintknapp a spear head so what other options do I have? I figured I could carve the tip into a spear head and keep it pointed and as sharp as wood will get. But if I do that will I need to harden the tip of it in a fire or anything like that? Could seashell be an option as a spearhead?

Cattail basket question

dixieangler — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:39:14 GMT

John,

I was looking at page 267(in PWL&SS) and the steps of Warps, Wefts, and Woofs involved in the twining basket made from Cattail but I was wondering how the bottom of the basket was tied in? Also, are the Cattail leaves green, dead, or somewhere in between for the basket? Or should I be asking Geri? LOL Thanks.

Pop Ash (Carolina Ash) for bow wood?

dixieangler — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:30:15 GMT

John,

Would Pop Ash (Carolina Ash) be good wood for a bow? I read somewhere that it was the weakest of all the Ash trees but not sure if that translates into weak wood for a bow. I ask because Ash is a preferred wood and Pop Ash can be found here in swampy water filled areas. Thanks.

Knapping videos--youtube

old_heli_logger — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:32:48 GMT

Lots of great videos on youtube on how to Knapp. Check this one out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smt6NvMjZ9Q

This guy shows what he calls "horizontal antler punch platform"

animal used for bowdrill

Coon4492 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:21:44 GMT

can I make an entire bowdrill set using animal bone as the fireboard, spindle and bearing block? (the bow would be wood and natural cordage)

Types of fat

dixieangler — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:14:01 GMT

John,

Hypothetically if I wanted to make pemmican, is the nutritional value of fat that comes from hogs, bears, and gators for example the same as the fat that comes from deer and cattle or not? Are they the same or different? I have been hearing and reading two different sides to this topic on fat. Thanks.

American Beech uses

Coon4492 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:54:50 GMT

I have alot of American Beech trees in my area and I was wondering if anyone could tell me all of its uses that they knew. I've experimented with the tree and so far all I know is that you can make a bow out of it. I was wondering what else can I do with this tree?

Q for J

Smyle — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:11:44 GMT

John, what in your opinion is the hardest part to building a 2 story log cabin? Secondly, is it best to use fir's/pine's(conifers) or can I use deciduous tree's as well? Anyone wanna see pic's of my latest projects? ^_^