064: Awesome News, New Free Webinar and Tracking Animals

c. http://theprepperpodcast.com/creativefirstaid 

News in Two Minutes Segment

By J.Bradbury of PreparePDX.com

• Ultra early stroke care
  • http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/02/04/ultra-early-stroke-care-can-start-with-paramedics-study
• long lived northeast storm
  • http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/news/next-winter-storm-northeast-great-lakes

Product Review:

Ozark Trail Men’s Low Profile Hiking Boot

I bought these shoes because I had soaked through some other shoes I was wearing in the rough.  I tested these shoes out in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina.

Unboxing the Item:

• I felt that it was typical with a Walmart boot.
  • It seemed heavy and rigid.
  • I thought it would stink as a shoe, but needed something dry.
• I liked the rugged sole, it looked like it would work well in outdoor terrain.

Reviews:

• Most People thought it was a good shoe.
• Many 4 star reviews, some five and 1 1-star
• Good Comfort
• Stylish
• Many people said they would buy another pair.

My Review:

• I actually do like the Ozark trail brand for cheap wear.
  • This shoe wasn’t any different.
• Tried shoe in Appalachians
  • Only bought it because I needed something cheap and dry
• My Normalcy Bias: over 50 hours a week I wear steel toe boots
  • The shoes fit well, but just a bit loose.  Not a big deal for me.
  • My feet did not get extremely tired in them.
• A little stiff on the sole, so it make it more difficult to “feel the trail”
  • I like to be one with nature when in nature, so this detracts from that a little
• The insole is also a little thin and too firm, but you can buy a good insole.
  • So for $20, can get these shoes and upgrade with a $20 insole: totaling $40
• Other people made a few comments on these shoes about being round shoelaces.
  • I don’t care, because I ALWAYS double tie my laces, and I generally swap them out with paracord.
• I also wear another Ozark trail hiking shoe and my edc, and keep another pair in my vehicle.  I use these shoes daily.

Final Thought:

This is a great shoe for a great price, even if it is from a store I don’t generally frequent.  If you get this shoe, get some hiking insoles.

Call-In Question

• No Call-in Question Today

Topic: Tracking Animals (Continued from Last Week)

• Last Week I explained the Most basic question in tracking:
  • What Animal is it?
    • To successfully trap, you must learn to observe.
    • Next, you must make the correct deduction from observation.
  • Then I discussed the actual tracks:
    • Bird Tracks
      • How they walk
      • What their digits or toes indicate about the bird
    • Discussed mammal Tracks
      • Discussed the different evolutions of
        • feet
        • Digits or Fingers and toes
        • hoofs
  • Then I talked about Compression tracking
    • for when you cant find actual prints, but you know something is there
  • If you missed last weeks episode, you may want to go back to http://theprepperpodcast.com/063
• Now Let’s Continue to:

Tracking Animals Using Signs Beyond Prints

Poop:

• Learn what the different scat looks like
• Learn where they leave it
• Pellets? Large Clumps?
• Tubular scat:
  • Dog Family, raccoon,
  • skunks, oppossum, wolverines, bears
• Tear Dropped Poop:
  • Cat Family
  • Foxes have Tubular scat that is tapered at both ends
• Flattened Threads:
  • Weasel Family
• Pellets:
  • Rabbits, Hares
  • Deer, but may be oblong shaped
• Pencil Lead Shaped:
  • Rodents
• Larger pellets: not true scat
  • Raptors (eagles, hawks, owls)
  • Regurgitation
    • Undigested bones, hair, feathers

Diet:

• Know what they eat
• Vegetation and carcasses are signs
• How high leaves are clipped can tell size of animal
• How they mark location:
  • Animals hide, so you can’t find them
  • They also WANT you to know that they are near
  • And this is their territory.
  • They want their species to know it is theirs, or that they are there
• Shelters, Dens, Rest Areas:
  • Dens, perches, nests, or laying areas are usually positioned in reference to their other activities.
  • Based on the animal and their habits, will determine how far away their placement
• Trails and Paths:
  • Paths are used over and over
  • If it is a commonly used path, I will likely encounter the animal again
  • Paths under brush are usually straight, and there will be little vegetation
  • Size and location paths and the feces along the path will tell you the type and size
  • Trails are almost ALWAYS available because animals are habitual.

Habits

• Humans are creatures of Habit
• So are animals
  • Animals will take same path to water every day
  • They hunt in same area continually
• Must be driven out:
  • Fire
  • Flood
  • Drought
  • The move will only be temporary though
• These “habits” make it easier to predict animal movements
• The sites and sizes of snares and traps can be selected with low margin of error

Trails

• There is usually lots of trails in the bush
  • They are the “roads of the bush”
  • Animals travel them continually
  • Between bedding, feeding ground, and waterholes
  • The newness and number of tracks and droppings can tell you a lot about how much and time of traffic
• If you put an obstacle in my way, I move
  • Animals do too, coming back to the road
• There is a such thing as “tree trails” that are used for animals like opossums or koalas.
  • Look in the tree, you can tell what it is for
    • Feeding
    • Living-quarters: dead limbs that are hollow and comfortable
• Runs
  • Runs are generally used to get on and off the main trails.
  • Their use is varied, so there is less of a cut path
• Pushdowns
  • Pushdowns are rarely used
  • Maybe only once
  • Running to escape
    • If a pushdown is used repetitively it often leads to a hiding spot