Most impressive bushcraft

[steve white]

Old African trackers, camp personnel, and PH's often show off old school methods of dealing with hunting/tracking/cooking/logistics that are simple yet effective. Many I would never have known about if I had not observed them. Case in point--when I shot my warthog, the African personnel immediately went looking for just the right kind of sapling. They cut them off at the ground and then cut HALF WAY through near the first limb. They broke it in such a way as to peel the inner Cambrian layer with the bark from the wood core, THEN peel the fibrous layer from the bark, leaving them with home made fibrous ROPE. Wow. They trussed up the pig to a stout pole and two of them carried it out to the truck. Outstanding, and self sufficient.

Please feel free to share observations about bushcraft from not just an African perspective, but perhaps what you learned from indigenous people from the arctic and other places!

Maybe you have experienced it closer to home....

 

[Delloro]

Old African trackers, camp personnel, and PH's often show off old school methods ...They broke it in such a way as to peel the inner Cambrian layer with the bark from the wood core,...

Wow!!! 500 million years!!!! That was one old sapling!

 

[cwpayton]

Wow!!! 500 million years!!!! That was one old sapling!

cambian , living layer of trunk just under the bark and atop the dead core wood

 

[steve white]

Exactly...pardon my Yogi Bear-ism.

 

[steve white]

Wow!!! 500 million years!!!! That was one old sapling!

Good catch.

 

[Delloro]

Good catch.

I only caught it because I am interested in such things myself.

Great idea for a thread, real bushcraft is invaluable.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Willow bark has analgesic properties. Natives would chew the stuff for pain relief. Sphagnum moss is an excellent wound dressing. In fact, during WWI harvesting the moss here in Canada was very important to war effort. Much more absorbent than cotton and creates an acidic environment that inhibits bacteria

 

[steve white]

Even something as simple as dragging out a deer. My younger brother and his friend cut a smallish sapling and inserted a 2 1/2 foot section into cuts made just behind the Achilles tendon near the tarsal gland. they each grabbed the end of the stout stick exiting each side and walked it out, dragging the deer from the rear. No head or antlers to get in the way. I like simple solutions.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have packed two full size deer out whole on my back. It involves cutting certain holes, slashing certain tendons, tying legs together in a certain way, climbing inside, rolling onto belly, crawling to a tree, and climbing it to get to my feet. I could be more specific but I don't want to be responsible for anyone hurting themself. I was told by the person who imparted this knowledge that it's an old Native American trick. Maybe Native American but not for anyone who was old! Last time I pulled this stunt was 1977 when I was very fit 25 years old and it about did me in. I still have the blown out vein in my right leg to remind me every time I take a shower. Needless to say, the deer on my back wore my hunter orange vest plus ample strands of pink flo survey flagging tied to it and fluttering in the breeze (as I recall I used flagging tape to tie the limbs together). This is one bushcraft skill that should probably go to rest with its inventor. I'll not be passing it on.

 

[Newboomer]

I have packed two full size deer out whole on my back. It involves cutting certain holes, slashing certain tendons, tying legs together in a certain way, climbing inside, rolling onto belly, crawling to a tree, and climbing it to get to my feet. I could be more specific but I don't want to be responsible for anyone hurting themself. I was told by the person who imparted this knowledge that it's an old Native American trick. Maybe Native American but not for anyone who was old! Last time I pulled this stunt was 1977 when I was very fit 25 years old and it about did me in. I still have the blown out vein in my right leg to remind me every time I take a shower. Needless to say, the deer on my back wore my hunter orange vest plus ample strands of pink flo survey flagging tied to it and fluttering in the breeze (as I recall I used flagging tape to tie the limbs together). This is one bushcraft skill that should probably go to rest with its inventor. I'll not be passing it on.

I used to carry 6-8' of half inch rope around my waist when deer hunting. Tie one end around antlers or neck and the other around the middle of a 2' stick and haul away. Tied around antlers kept the head up so it wouldn't catch on stuff.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

In 1984 I dragged two forked horn bucks down a mountain by antlers hooked together with my belt. Cut off a piece of shoelace to make a loop with the other end by connecting two holes for buckle hasp. Slipped the loop over my wrist to drag them out. Adjacent legs of the two deer were tied together with flagging tape. Also used tape to replace my belt in pants.

Interesting story. It was late in the afternoon and I was climbing the mountain where I'd shot several elk. My right knee was still recovering from a horse wreck the month before. Still wearing the brace. I was back in Montana for a weekend of hunting season having just started a teaching job in Idaho and not there long enough to be resident. Stepped over a ridge to see a small buck about sixty yards below me. He's meat that I need. Easy head shot as he's standing looking at me. Bang and down he goes. Then I see this other small buck back behind and to rear of downed buck start staggering and fall. What the ... Then the first buck gets up and staggers around, bumps into a tree, and I drop him with a shot in the chest. I walk over to where the second buck disappeared and there he is laying about a hundred yards down a near cliff face! I set my gun down and carefully made my way down to him. He was right on the edge of a 200' sheer dropoff! Laying on my side I very carefully pulled him up to a tiny tree, tied him to it with my belt, and gutted him on my knees. Then I prepared him as a pack, crawled inside, and crawled back to the top. My brother was down at the truck and he tagged the second buck when I finally made it down well after dark. Lots of snow and straight downhill so the drag wasn't as tough as it sounds. The first slug bounced off the buck's head, deflected, and part of it hit the other buck in the heart. Amazing but true. Even more amazing is I had shot two elk with one shot on that same mountain a few years before. Another weird story

 

[RIGBY]

I learned about a fascinating field repair from a group of PH’s that I believe qualifies as ‘bushcraft.’

One of the PH’s cracked the wrist on his double rifle while tracking a herd of elephant. He repaired it by wrapping it with strips of wet hide and continued on his hunt.

Apparently, elephant tail and impala hide work the best for such repairs.

Another PH mentioned that he had repaired a cracked rifle with glue and impala hide strips years ago and that it was it was still holding firm. That rifle is chambered in .416 Rigby, so it’s not a mildly recoiling gun.

I believe I posted this information several months ago, so apologies for the repetitive information to those that may have read that post.

 

[Hedge774]

You men are tougher than I am. The last buck I killed was 140 lbs walking. After dragging him 200 yards down a ridge, i fell over and just laid beside him in the leaves. I bet i laid there with him for 20 minutes. I regret nothing.

 

[Newboomer]

I learned about a fascinating field repair from a group of PH’s that I believe qualifies as ‘bushcraft.’

One of the PH’s cracked the wrist on his double rifle while tracking a herd of elephant. He repaired it by wrapping it with strips of wet hide and continued on his hunt.

Apparently, elephant tail and impala hide work the best for such repairs.

Another PH mentioned that he had repaired a cracked rifle with glue and impala hide strips years ago and that it was it was still holding firm. That rifle is chambered in .416 Rigby, so it’s not a mildly recoiling gun.

I believe I posted this information several months ago, so apologies for the repetitive information to those that may have read that post.

Wet hide will shrink tight when it dries and becomes almost a solid mass.

 

[Rare Breed]

Old African trackers, camp personnel, and PH's often show off old school methods of dealing with hunting/tracking/cooking/logistics that are simple yet effective. Many I would never have known about if I had not observed them. Case in point--when I shot my warthog, the African personnel immediately went looking for just the right kind of sapling. They cut them off at the ground and then cut HALF WAY through near the first limb. They broke it in such a way as to peel the inner Cambrian layer with the bark from the wood core, THEN peel the fibrous layer from the bark, leaving them with home made fibrous ROPE. Wow. They trussed up the pig to a stout pole and two of them carried it out to the truck. Outstanding, and self sufficient.

Please feel free to share observations about bushcraft from not just an African perspective, but perhaps what you learned from indigenous people from the arctic and other places!

Maybe you have experienced it closer to home....

To me it is tracking during two of my Zim elephant hunts. Lou Hallamore told me his trackers started herding cattle at 4-5 years of age. The cattle were released in the morning to feed in the jess all day. late in the day these 4-5 year old boys had to track and get every animal back to the corals or don’t come home. When they become adults they make the most incredible trackers seeing tracks my eyes could not see and knowing where they would lead with uncanny anticipation. Never ceases to amaze me with their skill!!!

 

[Hedge774]

I swear, my tracker could track a bat. I asked him if he could smell the animals... He just gave that big smile!