A bird in the hand……..

By “The Coach” (Contributing Editor)

          I remember when I was growing up being told the old cliché;

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

(This picture was drawn by Erika Aoyama on November 16, 2002)

This simply means it is better to have something in your possession than to plan on getting that item at a later date.

I have often used this analogy when I am working on my prepping. I try NOT to plan on a resource that I do not have. What do I mean?

Not having food, water, firearms or ammunition, etc. and planning on obtaining them when a TEOTWAWKI situation occurs is NOT a logical way to prep.

Let’s take food for example.

          You could right now, buy and/or can a lot of food to prepare for whatever disaster you are planning for. However, some people plan on storing just enough food to get through a few of days as F.E.M.A. recommends. Then when a TEOTWAWKI situation happens, then plan to barter, hunt, fishing or farm to supplement their food supply.

Some people think that because they hunt, fish or farm now, they will be able to do the same thing to feed themselves and their family after a TEOTWAWKI situation.

It is my opinion that this idea is fatally flawed. There are a lot of preppers that disagree with my belief. Below is my reasoning for my belief. If anyone disagrees with my belief that is their prerogative. We still live in the United States of America and still have the right to believe and do what we want. However, you are betting with your families and your life that you are right and I am wrong!

So here are my reasons for NOT planning on anything that I do not have in my possession at the time a TEOTWAWKI situation occurs. Let’s go back to the title of this article. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.

Let’s assume that you are currently a good hunter, fisherman or farmer right now. Let’s also assume that you have planned on bugging out to a preplanned location or live in a location where you plan to survive during a TEOTWAWKI situation. This location has good hunting and/or fishing currently. You have hunted and fished this location and have had no problems taking game till now. However, now post TEOTWAWKI the hordes of people from the cities, other preppers, neighbors that have planned on hunting and fishing the same area that you have planned on hunting and fishing are now competing for the same game that you are. Even if this is land that you have a hunting lease for or your property that you purchased, how do you plan on stopping people that you do not want on that land from hunting and fishing on that land. Do you think signs will stop starving people from hunting and fishing on that land? Do you think fences will stop starving fathers from coming on your farm to take your crops to feed their hungry sons and daughters? Would you be willing to kill a mother trying to feed her starving children?

What happens to your plans when the area you were counting on to hunt and fish to feed your family becomes OVER hunted and/or fished and there are no game left to get!

What if the tables were turned and you ran out of food for your family. What would you be willing to do to feed your starving family?

How are you planning on controlling wild animal predators from eating the produce that you have grown or the wild game you are planning on hunting?

Remember that the report (noise) from a firearm draws a lot of unwanted attention to the area that the shot came from. Firing a shot gives your position away. This is one reason a lot of preppers are purchasing and training with cross bows.

Have you figured what you will do if bad weather occurs for any length of time? Let’s say you are planning of farming for food to feed your family. You have stored non-hybrid seeds to plant. You cultivate your field, plant your seed, then flocks of birds start eating your seed, a two month long drought occurs, a strong wind comes up and blows the top soil, which has your seed in it, away. If you are currently a farmer you probably know many other things that adversely affect the growing of your crops. However, here is one not many preppers are planning for. What if everything goes good for you and you have a bountiful crop and harvest. Then the government, probably F.E.M.A., steps in and confiscates your crop, for the greater good, to feed all of the people that have left the cities but have nothing to eat! I would NOT plan on the excess crops for bartering. You may not have enough to feed your family after all of your hard work.

What happens when F.E.M.A. starts handing out food in a post- TEOTWAWKI situation? You decide that in order to have your food supply last longer, you will go to the F.E.M.A. food distributing center to get some of the food they are handing out. When you arrive, you are told by a F.E.M.A. official that you need to fill out a form for records purposes and to apply for the food handouts. You do so and hand the form back to the F.E.M.A. official. The F.E.M.A. official then tells you that you, he and two armed National Guardsman will now go to your home for an inspection, right now. That any food or items they deem needed for the greater good will be confiscated, to be redistributed to other people in need, then you can pick up your share the next day! What are you going to say? If you say no or forget about it, the F.E.M.A. official will assume you have stored food and items that they need. They will still come to your house and take what they want. If you say, ok the F.E.M.A. official comes to your house and still takes what they want. It is a bad situation either way for you!

Let’s say that the TEOTWAWKI situation like a dirty bomb, a nuclear weapon goes off, a biological weapon is released and people are told to evacuate and told they will never go back to their homes. If you think this cannot happen remember the Fukaeshema accident in Japan. Remember the Chernobyl incident in Russia. The citizens of those cities were told to evacuate and they never have been allowed to return to their homes. What if this type of incident occurred in multiple cities in the United States? What if there was a nationwide E.M.P. incident and all of the inner city people evacuated. All of these people go to smaller cities in the country. Do you think all of these small cities will welcome the urbanites with open arms? How would they feed all of the evacuees? If they are turned away from the smaller cities, where do you think all of these people are going to go? They will go the only place they have, the woods and farm fields surrounding those small cities. The only other option they would have is the F.E.M.A. camps.

Do you think that the inner city gangs are just going to go away? Do you think they are going to drive up to your front door during the day and ask you, please Mr. Farmer; may I have some of your food that you have been growing all season? Or do you think they will try to reestablish their gangs using food instead of drugs? How about if they over hunt and fish an area and  sell the game they got instead of drugs?

There are some preppers out there that purchase just firearms, ammunition and tactical gear and plan on taking what they need by force in a TEOTWAWKI situation from people that have what they want.

The last thing is, you are NOT getting any younger. You are getting older! How long will you be able to do all of the things needed to be done on a daily basis in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation and on top of that hunt, fish and farm to feed your family?

You MUST plan on storing all the food and supplies that you need to survive when none is available at the store. Stockpile your supplies in multiple locations. But do it NOW!!!! If you believe that you do not have the money now to purchase what you need, do you really think you will be able afford and get what you need in a post- TEOTWAWKI situation.

DO NOT plan on harvesting wild game or crops in a post- TEOTWAWKI situation.

Do NOT plan of getting food and water from the government.

Do you remember Murphy’s Law? “Whatever can go wrong; will go wrong; at the worst possible moment; creating the maximum amount of damage!”

Another rule to remember is, “One is none; two is one!”

Prepare NOW while you still can!

Quote

“There is no try, only do and do not!”

 Yoda,

Star Wars

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