On the Importance of Scouting

So, before I start this latest entry, let me start off by saying I apologize for the length of time between my posts. I am going to do my best to make things a bit more regular around here. There's a lot I want to talk about, even if I'm still learning a lot of it as I go along. Now, with that out of the way, let's get to what I want to talk about today...Scouting out locations for the gathering of wild edible foods.

First thing's first, this applies not only to foraging wild plant for food, but also to hunting of wild game.

So what is scouting? Many, might envision something akin to the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts if you're here in the US, arts and crafts, selling popcorn, cookies or something else as a fund raiser, maybe the occasional camping trip and singing songs around a fire or telling stories. The modern Scouts have lost much of what they were made for, so while you might not be entirely wrong if this is your first thought, you definitely wouldn't be entirely correct either.

The dictionary defines "scout" as such, " v. To spy on or explore carefully in order to obtain information; reconnoiter."
This is more of what I mean when I say scout. When you are looking to feed yourself, and perhaps others, from what appears in nature, scouting becomes immensely important. What is the terrain like? How easily can you bring the tools in that you'll need to do whatever it is you're doing? How plentiful is whatever it is you're gathering? How close to where you live is it even?

These are all important questions that need to be answered before effective gathering can be accomplished. For example, there is a Wildlife Refuge near where I lived(yes, past tense...more in a bit). Beautiful location, a small lake with readily accessible boat ramps...but the wild flora is, mostly, carefully manicured by humans. So, while the lake would make for an excellent location to fish, the wild plant life that is edible to you and I is, mostly lacking...until you wander a little farther afield. Once I left the trails meant for people looking for a stroll through "nature" is when I found what I had been looking for, in part anyway. By the sides of dirt access roads and in small gullies out away from where the people tread, large numbers of large patches of milkweed. Patches of thistle and smaller patches of what looked a great deal like primrose(though I admit to not being completely certain of that last one). These are all edible plants, found in considerable numbers, not more than a 10 minute drive from where I was living. So I marked their locations, mentally and on a crude, hand drawn map. Even though I had missed most of the times to harvest some of the parts that would be edible of these plants, they'd return next year and I could get them then. Though I did, admittedly, harvest a small number of immature milkweed seed pods. These were, by the way, utterly delicious. They tasted very much like a cross between fresh sweet corn and broccoli(to me anyway). A bit farther on from these fields of delightful plants, I saw several pheasant. Some hiding, some foraging themselves. So additionally I know that a plentiful source of protein at least comes to the area from time to time.

This is what scouting looks like in this regard. You find an area that looks promising and wander all over it. Through fields, thick brush, forest floor, whatever is there. Get a feel for the land, what's coming, what's going, what may or may not live there. You learn what you can find and how to find your way blindfolded, over time. Building skills of plant identification, tracking, marksmanship(as you actually hunt the fauna present) and others. I know, that if I had to, I could probably live off the land in that area for some time, just from the brief excursions I made to the area.

To go back a few paragraphs, as I mentioned that has been in the past. My life has experienced a bit of an upheaval and I'll no longer be in that area, so I will be rescouting a new location so I can begin my gathering processes in earnest. I hope, soon, I'll have some things so I can begin to share some recipes and cooking processes for some new, unique and exciting foods. Though, that may be stalled a bit given I live in the great, snowy North and winter will be here soon. In the meantime however...I will be starting some indoor gardening soon and will share tips, tricks, etc, as I go along. Can't wait to share more.

Go green, say no to cronyism...grow your own!
Michael