Capturing creatures for food during camping in the wild requires a combination of environmental observation, tool making, trap setting skills, and ecological safety considerations. Here are some practical tips and precautions to help you improve your capture success rate： --- ###**1. Environmental assessment and target selection** 1. **Observe habitat** -**Near water sources**: Fish, frogs, and small mammals (such as rabbits and rodents) often move by the water. - **Forest or thicket**: Look for bird nests, caves for small animals, or insect gathering places (such as beetle larvae under rotting wood). -**Open land**: Pay attention to the trajectory of birds, lizards, or insects (such as grasshoppers). 2. **Give priority to easy-to-capture targets** -Fish, amphibians (frogs), crustaceans (freshwater shrimp and crabs), insects (larvae, ants, grasshoppers) are usually easier to catch than mammals. - Avoid high-risk targets (such as poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, or protected species). --- ###**2. Making simple tools and traps** #### **1. Trap class** -**Rope trap (for small mammals)** -Use tough vines, tinsel or shoelaces to make slipknots and set them in paths that animals often walk (such as animal paths near caves or water sources). -The end of the trap is fixed to a large tree or heavy object, and the height of the slipknot is flush with the head of the target animal. -**Rockfall trap (crush trap)** -Use branches and stones to build a trigger device, place bait (berries, nuts), and trigger heavy objects to fall when the animal touches it. -**Fishing trap** -Use branches to form a funnel-shaped fence, with the opening facing the direction of the water flow, making it difficult for the fish to escape after swimming in. -Or use plastic bottles to make “bottle traps”: cut off the mouth of the bottle, insert it upside down, and put bait (such as earthworms) inside. #### **2. Fishing skills** -**Simple harpoon**: Sharpen the wooden stick, fork the front end to increase the hit rate, suitable for clear and shallow water areas. -**Catch fish with your bare hands**: Grope slowly in shallow water and stone crevices, avoid the fish's sight, and quickly press on the gill area. -**Alternatives to fishing tackle**: Use sewing needles, thorns or sharpened bones as hooks, bark fibers or shoelaces as fishing lines, and insects or worms as bait. #### **3. Catching insects and invertebrates** -**Turn over rotten wood or stones**: Look for beetle larvae, earthworms, snails, etc. -**Woven insect nets**: Use T-shirts and branches to make net pockets to catch flying insects (such as dragonflies and moths). -**Night trapping**: Use a light source (fire or headlight) to attract phototactic insects. --- ###**Three, the key skills to improve efficiency** 1. **Identify biological traces** -**Footprints**: Paw prints and hoof prints on mud or sand. -**Feces**: The feces of herbivores are granular, and the feces of carnivores have hair or bone residue. -**Bite marks**: The bark is peeled off (deer), the nut shell is bitten open (squirrel). 2. **Set bait** -Fruits, nuts, carrion (for carnivores) or sour foods (attracting insects). -Imitate natural sounds: tapping on hollow wood to attract woodpeckers, or rubbing leaves to imitate courtship sounds. 3. **Concealment and patience** -Avoid leaving human odors (such as covering up hand odors with soil or herbs). -Check the traps regularly (every 3-4 hours), but reduce frequent approach so as not to disturb the target. --- ###**Fourth, safety and legal precautions** 1. **Avoid dangerous creatures** - Stay away from poisonous snakes (such as triangular heads, bright patterns), poisonous spiders (such as black widows), scorpions, etc. -Do not eat unknown mushrooms, brightly colored insects or decayed corpses. 2. **Legality and ethics** -Comply with local conservation regulations (such as prohibiting the capture of birds or endangered species). - Give priority to species that reproduce quickly (such as fish and insects) to avoid overhunting. 3. **hygienic treatment** -Cook food thoroughly (to kill parasites), especially fish and amphibians. -Remove internal organs and head (some fish internal organs contain toxins). --- ###**5. Alternatives: reduce dependence on hunting** -**Collection of plant foods**: Priority is given to identifying edible wild fruits (such as blackberries and raspberries), nuts (acorns need to be soaked to remove astringency), and wild vegetables (dandelion, nettle). -**Bring spare food**: Even if you plan to hunt, you need to prepare emergency energy bars or compressed biscuits. --- ###**Final reminder** When surviving in the wild, hunting may consume more physical energy than food. It is recommended to use capture as a supplementary means to give priority to ensuring safe drinking water and avoiding cold/cold.