Are You Wood Wise
 

Here's a new thread for ya.
I would like to know what would you consider a woodsman or lady for the girls in here.
What do you know about the great outdoors and the animals that live in it.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

do not wipe with leaves of 3

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

All the things you could know, or should know, would make a book.
(And there are serveral out there already)

But my definitions would be:
Woodwise - You could spend 3+ days in the woods with nothing but what you carry in your pockets/pack and come out none the worse for wear.

Woodsman/woman - You could spend weeks, months with the same and be none the worse for wear.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

:D
(you'll only do that once!)

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Iknow enough to live in the woods for eternity and be able to survive the elements. No worries. HCH

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

I am in process of becoming a woodsgirl. The longest I have been in the woods is for 2 weeks elk hunting. I loved it and did well, no complaints. I would say for me the most important thing I had with me was my husband. He was and is a great teacher.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Thank you Hardcore and Hoytgirl
I value your opinoins very much.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Come live in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan from Decemeber till APril, You'lll be a woodsman/woodswoman

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

A few years back there was a commercial (beer, i think) that had a guy driving his truck thru some high mountian forrest. When he came to a washed out bridge, he took a bunch of tools out of the back and built a new bridge right then and thereso he could continue on.
My friends all used to say, "If that was Jim, he'd have built a covered bridge instead, along with astone fireplace, roasted a deer he shot while building it, before driving on". Those kind of statements always gave me a little boost in my pride.

So I guess I would do allright myself.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

good enough to get by ,but not as wise assurvivorman or the other show????good to watch tv.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

I know that if you get half way through.... you're halfway out of the woods. I know I am the baddest predator in my woods so the buggers probably won't get me. If things get tough, think it threw and plan a way to survive or get out. The best plan is preparation before you go. I know I need water, shelter and food. Would I come out as pretty as I went in, probably not, but that's because I need my daily shower, toilet paper and soft bed to be fresh. Rocks and rain don't make for great sleeping, but I'd get buy. YUP, I know enough to live, even if I had to I eat the first non survivor.[8D]

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Hey Mathewsboy

I live down state in Ypsilanti, do you know where thats at.
I hunted up in kalkaska and by Boyen Falls.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

If I was dropped in the middle of some wilderness for a spell and had to go through some inclement weather conditions, I really couldn't say. Lots of things that could happen and Lord willing I would come out. I would do my best. It's a learning experience. Someone who lives there may have just as hard a time here. Could be a great deal better at knowing what is and what is not edible. Many of the first settlers here in Ohio (a wilderness) perished.

I know a brilliant man who as a kid decide to find a certain plant. On his way to school he ate 14 different ones. At school he dropped dead, literally no sign of life. He came around obviously, but his words have stuck with me.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

I wouldnt have a problem surviving.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Being a woodsman/woman is about knowledge, sure. But it's even more about attitude - even spirit, if you will. It's like a dance, and the mountain always leads.

The opposite of being a woodsman is being "city", which isn't about where you live at all.A real woodsman avoids trouble. City folk either don't see it coming or they arrogantly refuse to acknowledge its potential.

Again, being "city" isn't about where you live. Most of us live in the city these days. I live in the city. But there are a few tell-tale city symptoms brought on by over exposure to city life and city culture.

1. Afraid of the dark
2. Uncomfortable withsilence
3. Uncomfortable being with oneself
4. Non-observant
5. Hyperactive/ easily bored

I've noticed that after a coupledays out in the wilds, my own headset makes a noticeable shift. I slow down and become focused,calm and centered. When I return home, friends and loved ones often ask, "What's wrong?":D

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Are You Wood Wise....

I am afraid I wouldn't consider myself "wise" in any department....:D


Years ago I spent about three weeks hunting solo in Idaho about 1500 miles from home. There would belong stretches of days in a rowthat would go by without having any contact with another human being. It was my one "Hunt from Hell".

The first day up the mountain, after being out all day, and having depleted my water, I took awrong turn coming back to my camp and found myself coming down a very steep slope in the dark. It would be a long exhaustingdescentback to camp. In that descent Ideveloped blisters the size of fifty cent pieces on the heel of each foot (yes my boots were broke in :)). They would stay with me for the rest of the trip. Every step, every day, wouldbe a painful one.

About a week into the adventure I developed an abscess in one of my teeth and my face swelled up to the point that it affected my speech; the pain became intolerable. I came down the mountain and searched for a dentist in a small town. I was told the infection was so bad all they could do was to prescribe pain killers and antibiotics. As it normally is for me the pain killers had no effect. I would have to endure the raging pressure and hope the antibodies could overcome the infection.I went back to camp and about three in the morning I couldn't stand it anymore. I grabbed a knife, a light, and a mirror and performed surgery on myself. Cutting out the infection gave me instant relief and I was able to sleep the rest of the night.

I eventually got chased off the mountain by a blizzard after having to stay up all night keeping snow from collapsing my tent. There wasn't really any place I could go to keep dry, I had to evacuate.

Coming home while crossing the great State ofWyoming at nightI hit another bad blizzard. There were miles and miles of cars and semis nearly bumper to bumper stopped on the interstate. I was afraid I was going to run out of gas in these brutal elementsso I put it in four wheel drive and drove on the shoulder for miles until I hit Rawlins. Everything but a gas station was shut down, all the motels were full, not another room to be found so I napped in my truck. When I woke up I decided to push on because I knew if I got further east there wouldn't be any snow it was justSeptember after all. It was the only time in my life I drove 100 miles on the interstate and never saw another vehicle on my side of the interstate (turns out they shut down I-80). When I hit Laramie the snow ended and shortly thereafter it was like a desert again. Two days later I made it home.....

The irony of it all was that I didn't suffer from altitude sickness on that trip. As I have gotten older, every year I deal with some form of it.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

I guess everyones definition of woodsmenship is different. When I think of woodsmenship I think of it as being able to outsmart the game your hunting because you know the area or terrain just as well as the game does.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

everyone is woodswise to an extent. but just remember no matter how wise you might be or how much you have hunted every trip isa learning experience and no matter what you might know good old Gods earth seems to beat you up at one point or another and you realize how much really isnt in your hands.
JOE

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

I grew up in northern Utah. I spent all the time I could in the mountains. I spent weeks at a time on my own, and the most important thing you can take with you is your common sense.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

That pretty much chalks it up, in my book.

Whether you could survive in the wilderness isn't so much about what you know, but how you act and react to the situations that present themselves. Granted you do need to know some basic survival skills to last any real length of time, but I believe that with the right attitude and mind-set anyone can survive 48 - 72 hours.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

Woodwise....
by whos standards? Virtually all of us, probably all, couldnt hold a candle to the natives who existed for centuries here. I take a differest aproach, woodwise to me is not a quantity of knowledge but a openness of mind and admitance that while maybe one can survive a blizzard in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a sheath knife I do NOT know it all and am always learning...moving on, how many have actually existed in such primitive situations in all conditions??... cold, heat, rain? Without guns matches purchased food?I havent so you will not see me claiming I can no matter how much I think I know.

RE: Are You Wood Wise
 

I would like to thank everybody for their view and opinoins on this subject.
I my self don't clam to be a Yule Gibbins ( you know the old Grape Nuts Guy on tv ) but Iknowenough to get by.
I also learned some emergency first aid in the field ( just in case ) something happened to my hunting buddies.
We do learn something new every time we go out, everyday is a learing experence no matter what we do.
Thanks again and keep the opinoins coming.