Preserving Meat in the Wilderness

[@SaddleTrail55]

Every child should grow up living in the woods like this,my two did and now as adults they will tell you it was the best time of their lives! Great video!

[@DrSizbang]

That would kill off all of the animals in the woods.

[@jcarmack0946]

I grew up on a farm and slaughtered pigs and other animals when it got cold and stayed that way when the winter set in. When you slaughter any animal you want to make sure that you slice the jugular veins and drain the animal of as much blood as you can. My grandmother would have us knead the meat and out the blood out of the hams when we killed a pig. The next step was to have large boxes and plenty of salt or sugar depending upon what you want ( salt or sugar cured pork). Line the boxes with the salt/sugar and then place your meat and completely cover. Have a lid that is smaller than the inside and place it on the salt/sugar and then place weights. The salt/sugar will dehydrate the meat. You may have to repack to complete the process. Next you want to create a smokehouse/smokeroom to use hickory or other wood to smoke the meat. (NO HEAT, YOU JUST WANT THE SMOKE) Then my grandmother would mix up a plaster of spices and coat the hams to keep off parasites and other things and cover them with burlap and hang in a dry place. Whenever she wanted some salt cured ham she would just go cut some slices, let them soak for a bit in water where it wasn't so salty and then fried it up. That and country buttermilk biscuits and grits with red eye gravy and all the other stuff and you had an awesome breakfast.

[@dcarso41]

JCAR Oh Man!!, you just brought back some great old memories of the family farm here in South Carolina. Every Fall season family members and friends from far and wide came together for the one day hog butchering event(4 or 5 hogs each 400+ lbs. ). It was quite the production and everyone, young and old, manned a work station or two or three. Always a cool fall day with a half dozen cast iron cauldrons boiling over hickory. The killing was quick, a 22 shot to the brain and a butchers knife to the heart. After hanging up headless and draining they were dipped and dipped again in 50 gallon drums of boiling water till the hair and dirt could be wiped away clean and body shaved. Every part of the hog was used and cooked from skin kracklins to intestine casing sausages. One of my jobs as a six year old was to clean and shave down the hogs cut off heads in a wash bucket of boiling water, we kids did a lot of playing with them too. Tongues, ears, and eye balls saved for favorite dishes as were all the major organs. The heads went into 50 gallon cast iron hash pots to boil off the meat, a part of what made up the family secret recipe. It was quite the busy day. The smoke house was full, and canning station running non stop. Everyone went home that day with a large share for their help and expertise. Coincidentally around that same time for weeks afterwards my Grandmother would make some of the best farm fresh scrabbled eggs I hade ever tasted. I thought they were mixed with specially flavored grits at the time. But I came to find out after years of craving that flavor that she had mixed in a little hog brain. Another old recipe that I will probably never taste again. An example of days gone by and skills lost and how important it is to surround your selves with like minded people with skills like yours or better,... today. Never stop learning and rediscover your roots.

[@micjam1986]

@MrMan--your ancestors have done the same thing for thousands of years. get your head out of your vegan ass

[@joeroganofficial5433]

Mr.ManMakesLotsOfCan No, he’s just hungry.

[@zes3813]

no such thiing as have or not

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Absolutely. you hit the nail on the head. I jerky possum all the time and they are nasty but taste great as jerky. But you should definitely cook it first. I like to just roast the jerky in the fire or on a rock, tastes amazing hot. Its great in stew also.

[@SignedSign]

tip of the day.. don't make jerky in bear country

[@caponeal837]

bear jerky is excellent

[@lukeboswell7743]

It's even worse where I live with lions and leopards everywhere

[@gmsyaiqab144batonrouge5]

We the top apex predators,let them come, they will become prey...

[@TheCoolwhipped]

Something to keep in mind for both the rack and the fuel, DO NOT USE PINE. It just gives the meat a horrible taste.

[@Juulnvm]

putting the meat on coals is a way better idea

[@JacobMObrien]

Little Hawk no. they mean pine wood gives off an unedible dangerous tar. never use pine anything to smoke with..that includes coals

[@Juulnvm]

Jake michaels do you mean the rack or the fire wood because I start my fire and keep them going sometimes with pine never noticed anything

[@JacobMObrien]

Little Hawk you don't always notice it but if you use pine smoke then the tar from the pine resin will build up and make you sick. I made that mistake about 5 summers ago. oak is a good wood to use. safe non toxic wood

[@JacobMObrien]

Little Hawk always avoid wood that has alot of sap or resin. pine. Birch etc

[@hawaii5point0]

Wonderful video. Thank you for taking the time to put it together. You used bamboo as the rack. Any other type of wood will work as long as the smoke can get to the meet, right? No salting of the meat needed?

[@brotherbear000]

"How to Attract Bears"

[@DESIBOY-fe7nm]

Eat something spicy, put it somewhere. WAIT FOR AN AMBUSH.

[@edward.doctor1892]

Urine bear extract during the mating season. Or use of specific pheromones to attract future dinners. Very interesting science.

[@sigma3survivalschool]

correct, sun drying is for more susceptible to bacteria. salt and smoke help tremendously. all animals that are jerkied that are suspect of disease should be cooked before consuming.

[@DonWilsondigginTimeUSA]

Although Bamboo may not be native to North America, we see plenty of it here in New Jersey. Most people think of bamboo as being a tropical plant, but there are variations that grow well North as well. The Panda bears in north Asia survive mostly off of the bamboo shoots in their area.

[@sigma3survivalschool]

yes that is what I was referring to when I said to improve results to wrap the outside with something to catch smoke.

[@lazarusblackwell6988]

THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!! YOUR KNOWLEDGE IS PRICELESS!!!

[@ksumrz]

I just watched Into The Wild yesterday for the first time. Saw it just in time for you not to ruin it for me. hehe

[@nafeesaa5882]

Same here..lol

[@oOoDRAGOONoOo]

Awesome, thx for clearing that up, I look forward to watching all ur vids and learning more :)

[@KrisSays]

Merry Christmas! Have a Blessed year to come! Thanks for all you do for the survival community!

[@BucketListBadass]

Elena you're in the same category as me, in a city without woods to do this. Most likely your town's Fire Dept will not allow you to have anything burning cause the smell would have people thinking there's a fire somewhere. Sucks, but this type of knowledge is useful for camping or in a SHTF situation.

[@bellerophon9116]

Sound Hound raised a very nice point that has sadly gone unanswered. The point was about issues of parasites and the seemingly apparent fact that smoking the meat doesn't kill parasites. Generally depending of course on the meat you are consuming, cooking raises the temperatures high enough to kill any such parasites. I know that smoking does provide some antimicrobial effects. There's also a point to consider about an over consumption of smoked meats raising the likelihood of cancer due to higher levels of carcinogens being present due to the smoke itself.

[@laxdrew9]

Do you ever teach funneling the smoke ? I worked with my dad when I was a kid on a reservation in Montana, and one of the women there taught me to funnel the smoke upwards towards the meat on a very similar rack, using mostly sage up the sides (sometimes water soaked).

[@catchagrip1322]

I see people asking about the bamboo and can you use other woods, my guess is that if you don't have bamboo you could hang the meat from other wood by thread etc. Thanks for the video, going hunting/camping soon and will give this a blast.

[@dcarso41]

+JCAR Oh Man!!, you just brought back some great old memories of the family farm here in South Carolina. Every Fall season family members and friends from far and wide came together for the one day hog butchering event(4 or 5 hogs each 400+ lbs. ). It was quite the production and everyone, young and old, manned a work station or two or three. Always a cool fall day with a half dozen cast iron cauldrons boiling over hickory. The killing was quick, a 22 shot to the brain and a butchers knife to the heart. After hanging up headless and draining they were dipped and dipped again in 50 gallon drums of boiling water till the hair and dirt could be wiped away clean and body shaved. Every part of the hog was used and cooked from skin kracklins to intestine casing sausages. One of my jobs as a six year old was to clean and shave down the hogs cut off heads in a wash bucket of boiling water, we kids did a lot of playing with them too. Tongues, ears, and eye balls saved for favorite dishes as were all the major organs. The heads went into 50 gallon cast iron hash pots to boil off the meat, a part of what made up the family secret recipe. It was quite the busy day. The smoke house was full, and canning station running non stop. Everyone went home that day with a large share for their help and expertise. Coincidentally around that same time for weeks afterwards my Grandmother would make some of the best farm fresh scrabbled eggs I hade ever tasted. I thought they were mixed with specially flavored grits at the time. But I came to find out after years of craving that flavor that she had mixed in a little hog brain. Another old recipe that I will probably never taste again. An example of days gone by and skills lost and how important it is to surround your selves with like minded people with skills like yours or better,... today. Never stop learning and rediscover your roots.

[@LeighPogue]

Loved this video. Thanks guys

[@Verradonairun]

What if it'd rained that night? Did you do anything to protect the meat from rain? Also a quick (humble) tip: if you cover the the tripod on the outside with green leaves then that'll trap the smoke and give the meat more flavor.

[@floridahuntsman7915]

That sounds really good . I should smoke whole deer and turkey and ad them to my homemade MREs. That is a great video !

[@TransgenderBowyer]

hickory is a good smoking wood, another thing with hickory twigs is if ya boil them you get a black sticky substance that is edible and taste like salt :) nice video by the way, thank you

[@zebulonofzion]

have you guys ever thought of using a small "smokehouse"?...take your idea of the frame a little further and enclose the walls somewhat......leaving enough space for the smoke to escape and still avoid botulism...also as a chef I can attest to brining ....(soaking in a salt solution...at outdoor temps, a few hours will suffice..it adds flavor and aids in the preserving process by introducing salt to the interior of the meat.....) ...great job, sigma3

[@PangWindyingDarklilacThao2014]

Thank you for the vids~! I been looking for ones like this one that teach me how to make meat jerky for a long time now. So, really, Thanks,

[@knives-gear-n-camping2637]

This video is very helpfull, I am happy I learned a good way to preserve my wild meat in the bush, awesome videos!

[@mainehomesteaders3583]

I like the idea for the rack. Any suggestions for storing the meat for an extended period of time if you were in the wild without modern storage options?

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Maine Homesteaders make jerky or pemmican. pemmican lasts forever. you can dry veggies and herbs. anything can be kept with the proper techniques.

[@dodgerbrian1375]

Thanks for the video. How do you suggest storing the meat? How long do you think it should stay good for in the summer vs the winter?

[@itchiray]

I would want to be sure to have a good quality sea salt, not just for flavor but to provide essential minerals. Great work y'all!

[@AriTheBerryFaerie]

Perfect story research. Though I feel weird watching that meat being chopped up as a vegetarian. But oh well, food is food.

[@sigma3survivalschool]

I prefer to jerky the animals that I catch and kill from the wild to store bought meat. Rack distance depends on how large/hot a fire you plan on making.

[@Matthewzmbslayer]

Thank you I never heard of diving sparrow before but I'll give them a try finel got my daughter out of the hospital so I'm going to the woods asap and love all your videos and like ever one keep up the great work my friends

[@dn2ze]

enclose your rack..enclose all the time. never open because your smoking it.

[@AdrianJNyaoi]

Just about to said that, and where the hell did they get the bamboo from. Those bamboo should be split into 4 so you use less and aeration is better

[@badmonkey2468]

dante bigguy Why?

[@sigma3survivalschool]

yes cook the meat that is jerkied when you are ready to use it. parasites are always an issue so cook the jerky if it is taken from an animal that is suspect.

[@pLaIrVaIdNoGx]

I just found your channel and I gotta say that opening is hilarious. I don't know if that's what you were going for, but the surprise of it cracked me up.

[@pLaIrVaIdNoGx]

Thanks for the vid though.

[@hunter08ization]

How long will that meat/last, be good? The shelf life? Especially in warmer months? How do you store it? In zip lock bags, or something like cheese cloth so it can get air?

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Peter Hunt several months for jerky. Several years if you make pemmican.

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Correct. The fresher the better.

[@Red0660]

I'm interested in the virus / bacteria aspect as well. The native told you to use sage because it has antibacterial properties. Bacteria need moisture to survive and propogate so preventing bacteria while drying is important. The sun drying process is more vulnerable I imagine. Smoke and wood vapors also contain their own antibacterial. Salt will also help. As far as virus in infected game I'm pretty sure the odds go up if not exclusively with rodent relatives like rabbit.

[@marcussolomon2122]

Excellent! Do you have a video on how to build that smoker? Also, how do you keep the fire going for 48-72 hours? The second question seems like a no-brainer to an experienced survivalist, but I'm a beginner.

[@XThexReaperX]

Thanks for the video. I am a fan of the TV series Alone, where ten contestants are dropped miles apart from each other with a limit on items(from a list of approved items) they can bring with them. The contestants film themselves and only interact with the Alone staff when they send in medical teams to check their overall health(fall below a certain threshold of food loss and your pulled). I have seen some of the most idiotic and the most intriguing ideas put forward by contestants as they attempt to survive alone for 100 days in places like the Arctic(this current season's location) or Bear Island. I see videos like the ones you make and compare and contrast them to what I see the contestants do in those situations. It always provides me with ideas to ponder

[@sigma3survivalschool]

The point was that smoke kills bacteria and such, so smoked jerky is safer than just sun n wind dried jerky.

[@outdoorlife5396]

I like your smoker, I thought you might ad sides to it. The other question is about how long did it take to smoke all the meat? I know the smaller pieces were done in about 24 hrs. Thanks, I enjoy you videos

[@HAIRHOLIC_1]

What about the fire? You have to keep it on for the whole duration? Not planning on doing it but I’m just very curious

[@nialljamesbuckley]

dude - spoiler alert on into the wild! ;-p awesome video

[@DDuncanLima]

Guys, i'm from Brazil, thanks for the upload!

[@MysticKnight38]

you don't need a tarp. You can go with leaved branches, but if you are covering you need to use a much lower for almost a smolder.

[@SurvivalDon1]

great video brother Thank You.

[@Soundhound101]

You began talking about how smoking doesn't kill parasites and worms in the meat, then went on to talk about possums and never adressed possible parasites. Any after thoughts on that?

[@Binjh76]

Sound Hound Boil it.

[@AO-pn2uo]

Sound Hound Go vegan

[@Soundhound101]

I hunt and eat meat. Not sure what your comment has to do with my question. :D

[@Juulnvm]

you cant boil meat really just stick a rabbit in a cooking pot with boiling water?? doesn't work

[@yearginclarke]

If you had to live off the land, going vegan would not be an option. There is not enough calories in wild foraged plants.

[@Bleepstick]

Love your vids ... I have a question as to what kind of store bought beef is good to jerky ? I want to try this out and was wondering what would be good to learn with .and how far of a distance between fire and first rack is most common ?? Thanks for all your vids ... I have learned allot from them and want to get outdoors and try some of the things out !

[@christopherellis2663]

not in the direct sunlight, but in the shade, with a breeze. Cut into thin strips and it will dry stiff within three days. Also, the meat seals on contact with air, so no need for dmoke. I do add spices, tumeric and chilli for example. One might then go on to make pemmican. Good video, but I like to keep my primitive as simple as possible.

[@anglerjon4444]

wondering if you could use pine bows to help concentrate the smoke / eliminate insects

[@zephaniahmarion8578]

thank you...blessings

[@fatalbert640]

Possum by itself take like shit. LOL. Love this guy

[@metusbatmanv3951]

One of the best videos with the best lines, "Possum by itself tastes like total shit."

[@seanprier77]

Quick question, could you use any sticks as racks from the woods I noticed it looks like you have something from home? Also you said if we had a tarp to put around it could you just have it surrounded with logs to keep the smoke in but to where they wouldn't catch fire? Thanks loved the video

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Sean Prier you can use any sticks from non poisonous woods. just debark them. That is bamboo we used. we have some locally on our property and it works best.

[@1seriousgamer59]

He mentioned the possibility of parasites in the finished product. How would one eliminate that possibility or cure it in a survival situation?

[@masennakonieczny2377]

I would guess cut it up and boil it in stew but I'm just some guy so don't take my word for it

[@thealonestargazer]

fish145,beef155,chicken and ground meats165 degrees

[@sigma3survivalschool]

no you can jerky both. just cook them in stew or cook them when your ready to use them.

[@mike042465]

so, tell us how you really feel about unjerkied possum. love your videos. just getting started watching them. great job guys. thanks.

[@holland1904]

How do you keep the critters away from the drying meat? Thanks for sharing and God bless.

[@911ambulancegirl]

+Debbie Holland You make it a "no critter zone". Put up little sign and the critters know that they aren't allowed. Same principle as gun free zones that are so popular now. Only with critters.

[@holland1904]

+911ambulancegirl lol

[@DrPastah]

How would you cook the jerky? And do flies still land on your food? I don't see too much flame or smoke, so I believe there could be some flies landing on the meat.

[@a.n.p.a.livetherightlife3585]

Great video, I think hanging the meat from skiers tarped in may be a little better for time completion and would be easier to rotate the meat so none will be more done than the other. On that note could you please tell us or me how once the jerky is finish how to keep its freshness over a period of time so it doesn't go to waste or do you have to just have an appetite ?

[@brandonx19]

Damn! This upload just made me realize how disconnected from nature I am *sobs quietly*

[@kc5zpd]

u mentioned botch in hanging meat to close to the fire, isnt that what happens when you cook raw meat on a grill, or is so close to the fire that the temp cooks it before botch sets in? thanks for your time

[@NancySmalls41]

Love your channels

[@Arty0588]

My question would be how you avoid wildlife (Eg. Bears) from being attracted to something smoking over such a long period of time? Especially in the open wilderness like that.

[@EldritchAnanke]

What height would you recommend for the smoking rack?

[@analraider69]

Based on the guys height I'd say anywhere from 4-6 ft in the air

[@Magician12345]

what do you do at night? keep it out and do you have to keep the smoke going?

[@snitsky9219]

What is your recommendation on how high you should have a food above the fire?

[@curtisfleming1304]

I call it not being lazy and cutting wood before you start smokin. the type of wood you use adds flavor as well

[@tomjohnson7850]

very interesting. Would be good if you could do a little more in depth about your build and what meats are best, how long they last and so on.

[@tomhickman1006]

You should have included what woods they can use for smoking meat, deciduous trees for example Hickory or Alder. Also, trees to avoid fir and pines for example.

[@AotearoaChef]

How long does meat last like this? I read that smoked meat can keep indefinitely but the quality with diminish over time.

[@barbaramoran7356]

If you are in a survival situation and manage to get a hog....can you smoke it, (making hams,bacon, etc...)without any cure? In a survival situation salt and sugar may not be available... If you are preserving pork for hams and such.... how many days should you smoke the meat for? what is the best storage method for larger pieces of meat so it won't go off?or smaller pieces for that matter.... I read that pine will make your meat taste awful... what is the best wood? chipped or solid pieces? Wood soaked in water or dried for producing the best smoke? if you are staying in a cabin with a chimney, can you hang the hams in the flu for smoking...people did this sometimes in the middle ages....so many question...Thank you for the video...and your time if you are reading this....

[@livstalklinga6804]

late answer but no one seemed to answer before; you can smoke a hog but it will not become bacon and ham without salt, sugar and other spices and preservatives (such as nitrate -a form of salt) and for bacon you need a domesticated pig, I believe the term "hog" refers to wild boar that does not have the same kind of fat that the pig does (not my language I could be wrong) the only way to dry meat is in thin strips - otherwise it goes bad. The only other way I know of keeping big pieces is freezing it for the winter. Salt would be perfect but as you say may not be available. As long as you keep the meet dry it should be ok, a little salt will do much for flavor so if possible try to store some. Hanging hams in the flu (after curing them) and experimenting with diffrent wood and woodchips -you are talking gourmet cooking witch is fun but on a different video I think, In a survival situation you take what is easily available (but avoid pine and posionus wood) Good luck!

[@Matthewzmbslayer]

Great video umm question I been looking for a better knive I have ka bar , crkt gerber but I can't find one that I like that holds up to me thought u ment know a knive that holds up to a survivalest

[@sigma3survivalschool]

You have to rotate the meat just like you would a commercial, electric dehydrator.

[@MrZayne8]

So with a completely open rack there is enough heat to thoroughly cook the meat over two feet pf distance between the top rack and the fire?

[@ravon1982]

nice video man will give it a try.

[@davidrobins1298]

Probably be good to cook the possum jerky before eating. Here in Thailand pork jerky is sold on the street booths toasted over coals, tough but tasty.

[@peterrent657]

Is it necessary to maintain the fire the whole 1 or 2 days? Or can you restart the fire in the morning if it went out over night?

[@mrlongcrunch5626]

So is there any possible way to kill said parasites you discussed? And would it be more efficient if the sides of the smoke rack were covered? I was thinking pine branches might be okay to use to cover the smoke rack

[@joshuapollard1]

so in terms of not too much heat/cooking, is there any easy way to ensure its not getting too much heat?

[@thesimpleusername2237]

the guy smiling in the background while he was cutting meat 😂

[@BucketListBadass]

Nice video. Very informative. Liked & subscribed.

[@zebulonofzion]

also I am very interested in collaborating on a series of bushcraft chef vids....I know some really cool little ovens that work very well and tons of other cool techniques for all kinds of different foods

[@Elena15441]

I have a question: where are you allowed to have a bonfire? In MA I don't know any such places except some beaches where you need to have a permit to do that. I can not have an open fire even in my backyard. Did you need to get permission for your fire before camping?

[@stevewhoknowswhomisreallyw4282]

Excuse me but where exactly did you find the bamboo in the wild in North America?

[@charronfamilyconnect]

***Looks great, thanks for sharing. How do you store the jerky when you are in the wild to keep it out of reach from predators?***

[@mimikay5421]

love your videos !!

[@dogballs43]

hey, have you ever thought of putting a garbage bag over top? their cheap, light weight and multipurpose. p.s thanks for the vids keep it up

[@mrSkandalpolisen]

May I ask, where do I find bamboo in the wilderness in the USA?

[@husky500cr]

Nice to know thanks

[@davisgreene1368]

What do you do with the meat in the night? Do you leave outside on the rack over the smoking fire or do you take it off a store it someplace dry till the following morning?

[@tinfoilhatter]

if i had to guess, no, you don't take it out of the heat or mess with it, haha

[@Cogzed]

I like Elk better. But deer is great! Great vid man! Keep em coming!!!

[@raywalter3992]

best I've seen !!

[@theoriginalkeepercreek]

Very good video but you mentioned about parasites will still be in meat from scavenager type animals. What do you do to prevent sickness when you eat it? Bare with me - I am trying to learn this skill. Thanks in advance.

[@Kingtheropodking]

Pre-cooking the meat will fix that. You just don't want to cook the meat in the smoking process I think, that is what causes botulism. Smoking is just to dry out the meat which prevent bacteria growth.

[@MrShooter54]

I like possom and love armidelo,better than rabbit or squirl. Great videos.

[@sigma3survivalschool]

TOPS field craft knife or anything from Diving Sparrow knives

[@Frozenmemory1]

Hey make somevid bout how to use natural spices

[@julielabrouste6344]

After properly smoking meat, like say, a opossum, how long will it keep? And if, as you stated, it isn't cooked, do you have to cook it before you eat it? O.o

[@paulpuccio1139]

do you have to rehidrate and cook it or can you eat it like that