MILITARY SURVIVAL MANUAL:VOL 5

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Mountain Warfare Training Center
Bridgeport, California 93517-5001
WSVX.02.09
02/06/05
STUDENT HANDOUT
SURVIVAL USES OF GAME
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE In a summer mountainous environment, prepare
game, in accordance with the references. (WSVX.02.09)
ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES
(1) Without the aid of references and given an animal, dress and skin game, in
accordance with the references. (WSVX.02.09a)
(2) Without the aid of references and given a green hide, construct a suitable product, in
accordance with the references. (WSVX.02.09b)
(3) Without the aid of references and given a piece of meat, preserve meat, in accordance
with the references. (WSVX.02.09c)
(4) Without the aid of references, list in writing the acronym “TOM”, in accordance with
the references. (WSVX.02.09d)
(5) Without the aid of references, list in writing the parts of game that can be used for
human consumption, in accordance with the references. (WSVX.02.09e)
OUTLINE:
1. K ILLING GAME.
A. B leeding. Slicing the animal’s throat or piercing the chest cavity accomplishes this method.
B. B ludgeoning. Simply beat the animal until it stops moving.
C. B reaking the Neck. The first step is the same as the nose tap. Laying the club across the
neck, pull on the rear legs until a “snap” is heard and release. Once the animal straightens its
hind legs, it is dead.
2. P REPARING GAME (WSVX.02.09a)
A. D ressing. Once the animal is dead, dressing should occur immediately. This allows the chest
cavity to cool, thus slowing the decay and bacteria rate. Use of chest cavity propping sticks
will aid in this process.
WSVX.02.09 09-
1
1 ) G ame
a) Using a well-sharpened pocket knife, cut around anus. Be careful not to
puncture intestines or kidneys.
b) Cut the hide from the anus towards the chest cavity. This is performed by
first placing two fingers under the skin. Next, place the blade of the pocket
knife in between your fingers. This prevents rupturing the intestines and
contaminating the meat.
c) Reach in and pull out the heart, lungs, and liver, keeping them separate from
the guts. These organs are edible. Check the liver for white spots. If white
spots appear on the liver, the animal may have tularemia.
2 ) B irds
a) Pluck feathers while body is warm or the bid can be dipped into hot water.
b) A bird can also be skinned. However, this process removes the birds fat
layer and is wasteful in a survival situation.
c) Make incision from vent to tail and draw out intestines.
3 ) R eptiles/Amphibians
(a) Cut off head well down behind poison sacs.
(b) Cut open skin from anus to neck. Pull out internal organs and discard.
Note: Box turtles, brightly colored frogs, frogs with "X" mark on their backs, and
toads should be avoided.
B. S kinning. Although, the hide acts as a protective layer it should be removed as soon as
possible. This will allow the meat to cool and develop a glaze. Since blood is a food source
it should be collected when possible.
( 1) L arge Game - Caping
(a) Find the Achilles tendon just above the feet and cut a small hole between
the bone and the tendon. Now you can thread a rope, string, etc., through
the hole in order to hang the animal upside down from a tree branch or a
make shift rack.
(b) Cut completely around the hind legs, just below where the animal is
suspended. Then cut towards the anus on the inside of the hind legs.
(c) Pull hide straight down towards the head. The procedure used on the hind
legs will be repeated for the fore legs. Continue pulling the hide until it is
free of the head. The hide will have to be cut if the animal has antlers.
2
( 2) S mall Game - Casing
(a) Small game can be skinned like large game or it can be cased. Casing a
hide means to pull the entire skin off the carcass from rear forward, with
cuts made only around the feet of the animal and from the back legs to the
tail. This method allows the skin to be made into mittens, bags, and other
holding devices.
HIDE CASING
( 3) F ish
(a) The skin of fish is usually left on.
( 4) B irds
(a) The skin of birds should be left on. There is a heavy layer of fatty tissue
between skin and meat.
( 5) R eptiles/Amphibians
(a) The skin of reptiles is left on.
C. B utchering. Is simply cutting the meat into manageable portions. Smaller animals are
generally best left whole.
BUTCHERING
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Note: Animals that were killed by the use of poisons should have a 2" cubic size square of
meat removed at the point of contamination.
D. W ashing. Meat should be rinsed to remove dirt and especially if any bladder or fecal organs
were ruptured during the skinning process.
3 . C OOKING OF MEATS
A. Cooking meat will kill bacteria and parasites. All game will be cooked until it is thoroughly
well done. There are no leftovers in survival. Cook only what you can immediately consume.
Ideally, you should eat the heart and liver first to avoid spoiling. There are two methods of
cooking.
1) B oiling. This is the best method for cooking. Boiling enables the survivor to
consume the animal fat and nutrients, which collect in the broth.
2) R oasting. This method is wasteful and will not be utilized in a survival situation.
4. T ANNING HIDES (WSVX.02.09b)
A. F leshing. Fleshing is the actual removal of meat, tissue, and fat from the hide. Fleshing is
easier when done as soon as possible, preferably before the hide starts to dry.
1) Soak or wet the hide if dry.
2) Lay the hide on a solid, smooth, round object (i.e., log or canteen).
3) Holding a bayonet, blunt knife, sharp stone or bone tool scrapper at a 10 degree angle
away from the body, push the fat and membrane off the leather. Be careful not to
make holes in the more tender parts of the belly. For beaver and badger the fat must
be cut off the hide.
4) Continue this until all the fat is completely removed.
B. S tretching. A fresh green or soaked hide must be stretched. Either making a frame or using
the ground accomplishes stretching.
1) Frame stretching involves lacing the hide to a frame with cordage and pulling it tight.
2) Ground stretching involves staking the hide tight to the ground.
3) A Frame can also be created by bending a stick back on it’s self.
4) The less a hide shrinks and hardens the softer it will be at the end of the process.
C. H air.
4
1) Using a sharp stone tool scrapper scrape off the hair. Soaking the hide in water will make
this process easier.
D. B raining. The brain acts as a lubricant and provides a temporary water repellant.
1) Soak the hide on the stretcher.
2) Extract the brain from the animal.
3) Mix the brains with water to create a pasty solution.
4) Once the brains are warm and thoroughly mixed rub into the hide. Firmly rub the mixture
into hide with your hand on only the hairless side.
E. G raining. This step forces the brains thoroughly into the leather.
1) Sponge on water to further dampen hide.
2) Using a blunt end of a pole, apply pressure over every inch, scrapping and stretching the
fibers until most of the water is gone from the skin.
3) Tighten the hide on the stretcher and allow it to dry.
F. R ubbing. The next critical step is the high friction rubbing needed to create a little heat and
finish the drying, stretching, and breaking of the grain. Either method can be used.
1) Cut the skin from the frame around the perimeter, leaving only the lacing holes and hair
that could not be removed.
2) Use a one half-inch rope attached between two trees. Grasp the skin at different points all
around its perimeter and pull, pull, pull.
3) If rope is not available, rub the skin by sitting on the ground and hooking the skin over
your feet and pulling.
G. S moking. Smoking the hide will help make the hide water repellant.
1) Add wet or green wood chips to the fire. Sage or willow are good woods. The object is to
get the chips to smoke, not burn.
2) It only takes a few minutes to smoke, but be careful to prevent flame from ruining the
hide.
H. A nimal Hide Uses. Animal hide uses are limited only by the imagination. Listed below are a
few ideas:
5. P RESERVING MEATS (WSVX.02.09c)
WSVX.02.09 09-
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A. B otulism. (WSVX.02.09d) Botulism is an often-fatal food poisoning caused by improperly
preserved meats. Botulism grows in a controlled environment. The acronym "TOM" is useful
in defeating botulism. If any one of the three elements is removed from the preserving
process, botulism cannot live.
1) T - Temperature, botulism thrives between 40-140 degrees F.
2) O- Oxygen, botulism needs an airtight environment to live.
3) M- Moisture, botulism needs a moist environment to live.
B. F reezing.
1) Before freezing, cut the meat into pieces of a size that can be used one at a time.
2) Keep it frozen until ready to use. Remember, meat will spoil if thawed and refrozen.
C. Cooling.
1) Place meat in a metal or wooden container with a lid. The container should be ventilated.
2) Set it in water or bury it in damp earth, preferably in a shaded location.
3) Do not throw moldy meat away; cut or scrape off the mold and cook as usual.
D. Jerky. Jerky allows the meat to last a couple of weeks while reducing the weight of meat by
dehydrating it. Jerky is made from the meat only.
1) Cut meat into thin strips about 1/4 inch thick. Remove all thick portions of fat.
2) Place meat by a fire to lightly smoke it. You are attempting to develop a thin crust layer on
the meat. This serves to deter the bugs and insects. Remember to use hard woods and not
conifer type wood. You want to smoke it, not cook the meat.
3) Once the meat has a crust layer, remove the meat and place strips on a hanger for the air to
dry it for approximately 24 hours. Once dry, break down fibers by slightly pulling apart the
meat and allow it to dry another 24 hours.
4) When it becomes hard and brittle, it is taken down and stored in breathable bags or cloth. It
is used in stews, soups, or roasted lightly on coals and eaten.
5) Small animals, fish, and birds are dried whole. After they are skinned, the back is cracked
between the legs, a stick is inserted to hold the body cavity open. The animal is lightly
smoked and laid out in the sun to dry. When thoroughly dried, they are pounded until the
bones are crushed. Another day in the air will dry the marrow and ensure preservation.
E. P emmican. Pemmican allows meat to last for several months.
6
1) Dry berries and pound into a paste.
2) Dried jerky is added to the paste.
3) Melted suet (the hard fatty tissues around the kidneys) is mixed with the berries and jerky.
4) Roll the mixture into small balls and place in the cleaned intestines of a large animal or
some type of container. This food can be stored for a long time. However, if you believe
it is beginning to spoil the meat can be boiled prior to eating.
6 . S PECIFIC PARTS
A. Other than the actual meat on game there are other parts of it that can be eaten. They are
the: (WSVX.02.09e)
1) Brain.
2) Eyes.
3) Tongue.
4) Liver.
5) Heart.
6) Lungs.
7) Kidneys.
8) Gizzards.
REFERENCE:
1. Paul Auerbach, Wilderness Medicine, 3rd Edition, 1995.
2. Larry Dean Olson, Outdoor Survival Guide, 5th Edition, 1990.
3. B-GA-217-001/PT-001, Down but not Out, Canadian Survival Guide.
4. Wilderness Way, Volume 2, Issue 1.
5. John Wiseman, SAS Survival Guide, 1993.
6. Chris Janowski, A Manual that could save your life, 1989.
7. William R. Davidson, Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases in the Southeastern United States,
2nd Edition, 1997.
WSVX.02.09 09-
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UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Mountain Warfare Training Center
Bridgeport, California 93517-5001
WSVX.02.10
2/6/05
STUDENT HANDOUT
SURVIVAL FISHING
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE. In a cold weather mountainous environment, take
fish, in accordance with the references. (WSVX.02.10)
ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES.
(1) Without the aid of references, list in writing where bait can be located during winter
months, in accordance with the references. (WSVX.02.10a)
(2) Without the aid of references, list in writing the fishing locations, in accordance with
the references. (WSVX.02.10b)
(3) Without the aid of references, list in writing the ice fishing tools, in accordance with
the references. (MSVX.02.10c)
(4) Without the aid of references, construct ice-fishing tools, in accordance with the
references. (WSVX.02.10d)
(5) Without the aid of references, conduct ice fishing, in accordance with the references.
(WSVX.02.10e)
(6) Without the aid of references, list in writing the set lines, in accordance with the
references. (WSVX.02.10f)
(7) Without the aid of references, consume a prepared fish, in accordance with the
references. (WSVX.02.10g)
OUTLINE
1. F ISH. In a mountainous region, fish are normally an abundant resource. Not only are they a
food source, the "left overs" provide an excellent lure for traps and snares.
a. W inter Fishing Challenges. In cold weather mountainous regions, fishing has some
unique challenges.
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WSVX 2.10
(1) Decreased water temperatures and lack of oxygen supply in frozen lakes
will
decrease the activity of fish.
(2) Access to water sources for fishing can be dangerous due to snow depth
and
ice.
(3) Modified fishing techniques must be applied when winter fishing.
(4) Bait is difficult to find during winter months. The following may aid in
procurement of bait. (WSVX.02.10a)
(a) Look for galls in plants. A gall is the abnormal swelling of plant
tissue
caused by insects.
(b) If birds are pecking at trees, insects may be located there.
(c) After the first fish is caught, an eye or the first dorsal fin makes
exceptional bait.
b. F ishing locations. (WSVX.02.10b) Fishing in mountain streams is generally best
done with a hand line. When fishing mountainous streams, always look for these
places to fish as snow and ice allows.
WSVX 2.12
46-2
FISHING LOCATIONS
2. F ISHING TOOLS. Not in every instance may the survivor have everything needed to fish
with. At times it may be necessary to build certain equipment.
a. E xpedient hooks. Although hooks should be carried in a survival kit, the survivor
should be able to construct additional hooks if the situation requires. One-piece hooks
generally work better than two-piece hooks. Expedient hooks are made to become
lodged in the throat of the fish. Below are a few examples.
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WSVX 2.10
b. I ce fishing tools. (WSVX.02.10c) Many fish are alive and active under the ice. The
ability to chip away ice to gain access is the key.
(1) I ce spud. An ice spud is used to chip a hole into the ice. This should be the
only time a fixed blade knife is attached to a pole. Extreme care should be
taken in the construction to avoid accidental lose of the knife into the water.
(a) Cut a sturdy pole approximately 4-5 feet in length.
(b) Cut a notch into the heavy end of the pole for the fixed blade knife to
fit into.
(c) Fire harden if using green wood.
(d) Lash the fixed blade knife into the notched end of the pole. Dummy
cord the knife to the top 1/3 portion of the pole.
(e) Attach a dummy wrist loop into the top 1/3 portion of the pole.
WSVX 2.12
46-4
(f) To use, place your wrist into the dummy wrist loop. Begin to chip
away at the ice until water is reached. The dummy cord from the knife
serves to keep the knife attached to you in case lashing comes off or
pole is broken. The dummy wrist loop serves to prevent loss of pole
when finally through the ice.
(2) I ce skimmer. The ice skimmer is use to keep ice cleared from the fishing hole.
(a) Cut a small sapling approximately 2 feet in length. Shave all notches
and smooth out shaft.
(b) Cut a thin flat piece of wood: approximately 1-2 inches thick, 4-5
inches wide, and 4-5 inches long.
(c) Coal burn the flat piece of wood until approximately a 1/2 inch of
wood is remaining on the bottom.
(d) Awl out several holes through this coal-burned piece of wood. This
will allow water to flow through.
(e) Bore a hole through one end of the wood. Slide the small shaft through
the hole.
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WSVX 2.10
ICE SKIMMER
3. I CE FISHING. (WSVX.02.10e) Ice fishing is an excellent method to procure fish from a
frozen lake or river. Extreme care must be taken to ensure the stability of the ice prior
moving onto the ice.
a. Use an ice spud to chip a hole in the ice until water is reached. Ensure all components of
the spud are securely fastened. The hole should be approximately 12-14 inches in
diameter.
b. Use an ice skimmer to remove floating ice in the hole.
c. If employing a hand line, use two sticks to reel in line. This prevents hands and mittens
from prolonged contact with ice, thus preventing possible frostbite.
WSVX 2.12
46-6
4. F ISHING SET LINES. (WSVX.02.10f) In a survival situation, fishing sets are means to
catch fish while working on other tasks or weathering out a storm. Set lines are an effective
method of fishing while conserving energy. Put them out over night with several baited hooks
attached. Place them with the hooks either on the bottom or suspended off the bottom, until
you have determined where the fish are feeding.
a. T ippet. Multiple holes can be made to increase chances of fish procurement. Place a
tippet at each hole. A tippet is made from pine bough and placed in a small loose
snow mound.
(1) Cut a green bough large enough so it cannot be pulled through the hole by a
fish.
(2) All lines should be double hooked.
(3) Bottom hook should be about 12 inches off the bottom.
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WSVX 2.10
TIPPET
b. F rozen river set lines. For snow and ice covered rivers, set lines will have to
modified.
(1) Ensure the stability of the snow/ice covering of the river.
(2) Cut a hole through the snow/ice with the ice spud.
(3) Cut and sharpen one end of a long sturdy pole.
(4) Attach a line with several baited hooks to the pole.
(5) Submerge the line through the hole and force the pointed end of the pole into
the riverbed.
FROZEN RIVER SET LINE
WSVX 2.12
46-8
c. Standard Set Lines.
STANDARD SET LINE
5. P REPARING FISH FOR CONSUMPTION. (WSVX.02.10g) Preparing fish to eat is a
simple task.
a. Cleaning Fish.
(1) With a pocket knife, scrape the scales off the fish, going back and forth from
tail to head if the fish has scales.
(2) With your knife, cut the fish open starting at the anus and work towards the
gills.
(3) With your finger or thumb, push all the guts out and wash thoroughly. Look
throughout the intestines to find out what the fish has been eating. You may be
able to use undigested food as bait for additional fish.
(4) The skin and head are usually left on.
c. C ooking Fish. Fish contain many parasites within the meat. Fortunately they are
destroyed by heat.
(1) Cut the fish in pieces to fit in a canteen cup.
(2) Boil the fish in water until thoroughly done.
(3) Roasting can be done, but valuable fat is lost in the fire.
REFERENCE:
1. Larry Dean Olson, Outdoor Survival Guide, 5th Edition, 1990.
2. Chris Janowski, A manual that could save your life, 1989.
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WSVX 2.10
3. AF 64-4, Search and Rescue Survival Training, 1985.
WSVX 2.12
46-10