Thunder Bay

Look at that....same number as before. Just me...:D

I do know alot of folks who live like preppers in my area but wouldn't know what a prepper was if asked. Many local trappers, tourist camp outfitters, bush workers and miners do such daily as most country folk do without considering a name be applied for living such a way. Just passing folks daily, I hear the talk given the time of year it is, how the freezer needs cleaning out to make room for the new moose meat, how the dogs are eating like kings as they eat last years remains of the last moose, women pickling everything and men with their new guns, boats and 4 wheelers for this hunting season. How much wood they stockpiled for winter, how much better prepared they are for this winter than last...

Then I smile as I remember how hard others are always looking to maybe find such neighbours nearby ...

So I have even reflected further on the above and realize there is still even more to say on the subject.

Halloween comes early to this region as everyone dresses up like a tree or such as camouflage clothing becomes the norm till Christmas here. Even the women and kids get in on this one as all finally agree when buying clothes that are all matching sets without any complaint. Seems to be the new fad nowadays!. Some ask why I paint my guns camouflage too while others ask how much! Armed citizens go on daily patrol here and do so loyally with every spare moment they can muster, looking for that "taliban" moose which is known to be lurking out there somewhere.

I finally sat in front of the wife's TV yesterday for short spell as my back was out and the 90 mile drive to the chiropractor wasn't a pleasant thought. I scanned the channels and was reminded immediately why I don't do this in my daily routine. I spotted a show called "Live Free or Die" (or something close to that) and the show followed the antics of a few Americans who were supposedly living off the land. 2 of these guys were out hunting squirrel for lunch....sheesh! Here where I live, you can't get the squirrels to shut up as once they've spotted you their telling all the other creatures "hide your furry butts cause another tree dressed stinky human is looking to invite you to dinner as the main course"!

Seeing that these folks are so desperate that they'd consider squirrel as a diet show how little their forests hold in wild game nowadays. They showed absolutely no undergrowth between the trees. No wroughting vegetation from the previous cycle of growth, no ferns, shrubbery, berries and birds. Everything had that landscaped look to it compared to the heavy forests growing wild in Canada's wilderness. I lasted about 15-20 minutes and saw so much crap I could point out in that time frame. I don't even have half the knowledge that many here do that spend most of their lives tramping around in these woods. Most would shutter at the thought that a forest could bear so little wildlife while here the creatures often wander into our town just to avoid being stalked by the wolves.

Yup, I think that there are many attractions to not having that 7-11 or Tim Horton's so handy. Maybe to some here, the entertainment involves town gossip at times but overall, there are aspects that many likely overlook because they are basically an instinctual built in reflex to help their fellow man. I don't want to give that up just yet to become the paranoid prepper that many proclaim is the logical route to follow. The path that line of thinking follows seems a short one with little hope for the future. I'd like to think small communities would stand together and help each other to weather the storm ahead instead....

There are a few other locals around here that use this forum time to time. Not many though. Your comments about that American TV show made me laugh. No wonder I don't watch television...lots of channels and nothing on worth watching. YouTube and Netflix are both far more useful.
And yes, there are many folks in rural areas that are cutting firewood and getting ready for winter as you mention. These folks have been doing this forever and it is just normal for them. In the urban areas though, I'm seeing and hearing of more and more folks that are starting to try and learn the old skills....food preservation and canning. People just starting out with home gardens and trying to learn to grow their own food. We had a 5 day series of clinics here in august of "Food foraging and wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants". There was a very good turnout for these events, folks aging from under 10 to into their late 60's and more. It was very encouraging.
Just a couple days ago I was having a conversation with a local person in their 20's who is just starting to try and learn what she can.
In this city of roughly 100,000, I wonder how many would get by somewhat comfortable if there was a power outage of 2 or 3 weeks or more in the winter time? Stores empty and not re-opening...no fuel supplies...ABM machines down... I wonder how many would quickly run out of food? How many would have ways of cooking what food they do have?
Just stuff to think about...

I tried to watch that show too, I found it strange that when "Thorn" went hunting for squirrels he didn't take a bow and arrows so when he found some he then had to go and make them and then come back for the squirrel. I just kept thinking, "why wouldn't you make some first, he burned twice the calories that he should have. I was also imagining the conversation I would have with my wife if I lived I a brush hut, ate squirrels, and wanted my kids to come stay with me for a while, snowballs chance in hell and I have sons! I'm sick of "staged" reality shows, I don't need a story line just educate me.

So my point (when I remember to make one) 😕 is that alot of country folk are already preppers anyhow. But when we start telling them about how they should stockpile and hoard for some unforeseen event, they usually aren't going to consider themselves a part of any such thing even though they are a decent way along the same road anyways. This is what they have been doing much of their lives and likely because the parents taught them these habits. And these same folks are usually skilled in many of the fields prepper's wish to learn like gardening, hunting and foraging. But the dumb thing is that if a major crisis did occur, many city folk would attempt to just rob and kill them without considering they should maybe try to work and learn from those willing to teach instead... and maybe they might even then also learn how many country folk try to work together and build trust to survive a crisis instead.

And once a small community got wind of folks resorting to the killing country folk, those skills they used to hunt and trap animals would soon be revamped to teach city dwellers they are barking up the wrong tree as they have years of practice on you in this regard. But I figure many would learn this lesson the hard way as their city instincts for self preservation would mislead them into believing country folks are too trusting and simple!

Okay, ya'all can go back to your TV sets now! 😆

I am a couple of hours east of T-Bay. I frequent on here when I can. More so in the winter than the other months.
I also saw that episode, well parts of it as I thought it was too dumb to be worth my time. I am in a small town where over 60 percent hunt, fish forage and for the most part get along. I know that if there ever was a shtf situation it would take little action to turn our open town into a hard to access self sustained community to live in. Since I moved here 7 years ago with my family I have learned to garden and fish and other things as well. I am glad we moved here from the Toronto area and enjoy each day that I am alive.

Often people just will not say where they are from or read but not post.

true

Well I'm about 5 hours the other side of TB, but likely the country here is much the same there. Isn't it nice to think the critters outnumber us by 100's to 1. 😉 I grew up here and then ran to a city for 23 years. Couldn't see growing old there though... Nabbed me a wife before I returned to the bush as they are sorta hard to find here 😕 She is part native but I called her an "urbanite Indian" for alot of years until she could finally clean a fish faster than I could...then I figured I'd best hush up or she'd tell others. 😡

All our kids ran back to the city but I figure they too will finally decide some day that the country life is just easier and I guess I'll just save them a spot until then...

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but I'm from Thunder Bay.
I have a wide range of hobbies, some of which include exercising bushcraft skills.
I also help organize Z.A.S.T.A., the Zombie And Survival Training Association here in town that teaches survival skills in an approachable way. Check us out on facebook. We recently had a BOB show and tell meet and will be having some group overnight excursions in the coming months.
I can't say how often I'll check these boards, but reply here or PM me if you'd like to get in touch.
Cheers.

Carl

thunder bay, born and raised... i made it out once, came back because its too crazy out there 😉

there are quite a few prepared people in thunder bay. most dont understand the importance of community and are just happy with surviving instead of being able to thrive like our pioneer great grand fathers.

i hear you aboout the 'style' of dress here. only place in canada where youll see jogging pants, high heals and an up-do. camo is really the new black and walmart shoppers in late august are already in blaze orange 🙂 (even the non hunters)

does anyone from NWO want to meet? go for coffee, maybe

put a face to the name 🙂

does anyone from NWO want to meet? go for coffee, maybe

put a face to the name 🙂

Coffee sounds good. I've not been on here for several months so missed the last round of posts until just now. I'm the fellow who started this thread by the way...just not been on as often as I should be.
The rest of August is super busy for me but maybe September for a causual low key meetup?
Seattle Coffee House on Arthur Street (free Wifi and close by)... let's chat and set a date for next month.

Looking some like minded people here in Thunder Bay.
Meet up for coffee or ?
Cheers