Lion’s mane is the common name given to a number of mushrooms in the Hercium genus, namely H. erinaceus, H. americanum and H. coralloides. All three species are edible and taste slightly similar to shellfish. They also grow in similar habitats around the world. So, from a cultivation and culinary perspective, they can almost be considered as interchangeable. However many mycologists consider H. erinaceus to be the true lion’s mane mushroom, so this article will mostly focus mostly on this species.

What is Lion’s Mane Mushroom?

H. erinaceus was first documented in 1797 by French physician and botanist, Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard, who named the fungus after the Latin name for hedgehog. In most languages, the common name usually makes some reference to the many beautiful long white spines that dangle below the fruiting body and release the mushroom’s spores. The Japanese name Yamabushitake (mountain priest mushroom) refers to the pom poms found on the clothing of solitary Buddist mountain priests. In Chinese, the mushroom is often referred to as Shishigashira, which translates to lion’s head.

Lion’s mane is found mostly in the northern hemisphere, most commonly in North America, Europe, Japan, and China. The mycelium grows on both dead and living hardwood trees, mostly on old oak or beech, where it produces mushrooms from late summer to early fall (though this may extend into winter and spring in warmer regions). Wherever it grows, lion’s mane may not fruit reliably every year, and its rarity in some countries has led to it becoming legally protected from harvesting, to encourage its growth.

As well as being delicious, lion’s mane also contains a biochemical cocktail of compounds that are attracting emerging interest from the medical community. These include β-glucans, hericenones, and erinacines, which are compounds of therapeutic interest for diseases like dementia, diabetes, and cancer, as well as conditions like inflammation and skin aging.

Read: Why You Should Grow Your Own Mushrooms

How to Grow Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Like many other fungi, lion’s mane mycelium easily grows on cereal grains like rye, wheat, and millet. Though lion’s mane mushrooms rapidly emerge from colonized grain, it’s predominantly a wood-loving fungus, so a bulk substrate with a high proportion of wood can really improve yields. Supplementing woody bulk substrate bags with extra nutrients, like bran or soybean hulls, can also help boost your crop.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Growth Stages

Despite its unusual appearance, Lion’s Mane follows a similar growth cycle to most commonly cultivated mushrooms. Spores released from mature mushrooms germinate into mycelium, which spreads out through the substrate in its search for nutrients. Once the available substrate runs out and environmental conditions are suitable, the mycelium bunches up in small clumps to form hyphal knots, followed by denser clumps of fungal tissue called primordia, which then go on to turn into the fruiting body—or what most people call mushrooms. As these mushrooms mature, they release the spores and the cycle begins again.Lion’s mane can be white, pink, yellow, or brown depending on different growth and environmental factors. While a white color is most common, pink lion’s mane tends to grow at lower temperatures or when the mushrooms are exposed to direct sunlight. Mushrooms can turn brown or yellow as they become overripe, or if the humidity drops over the fruiting period.

Read: The 5 Best Mushroom Grow Kits for Growing Easily at Home

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Grow Kit

Cultivators face unique challenges when growing lion’s mane mushrooms. Lion’s mane has high moisture content and is a very delicate mushroom, particularly compared to other gourmet species like oysters, shiitake, or hen of the woods. As such, lion’s mane is much harder to find at your local grocers or farmers’ market; they are easily damaged in transit from farm to table. So, growing lion’s mane yourself may be the best way to access high-quality, delicious mushrooms for home cooking or do-it-yourself herbal supplements.

Basic Materials:

• Lion’s mane spore- or liquid culture syringe
• Sterile grain jars
• Sterile bulk substrate bags of hardwood sawdust, up to 50% supplemented by dry weight with bran or soybean hulls
• Still air box
• Fruiting chamber

Unlike other homegrown mushroom species such as oysters or Psilocybe cubensis, lion’s mane prefers wood-based bulk substrates such as hardwood sawdust, which can be supplemented with additional nutrients like wheat bran or soya hulls. This supplemented substrate has a high nutrient content and lacks the beneficial bacteria found in coir or manure, so must be sterilized to prevent contamination.

Lion’s mane is easily grown indoors, using the standard equipment you’d use for any home mushroom grow. If you live in an area that’s suitable for outdoor mushroom growing, lion’s mane can also be grown in a damp, shady spot in your garden.

Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Indoors

Growing lion’s mane indoors follows many of the same steps of any typical mushroom grow. Yet, prior to starting, there is one important factor to note: Cleanliness is paramount when growing lion’s mane mushrooms indoors. Sterilizing your equipment and your workspace prior to spawning and fruiting mushrooms will help keep you and your mushrooms healthy as you cultivate. We cover sterilization in more detail in our How to Grow Mushrooms Course. Nevertheless, here are the basic steps to growing lion’s mane indoors:

Step 1 – Inoculation: Sterile grain jars are inoculated with spores or liquid culture, inside a still air box to minimize the risk of contamination.

Step 2 – Incubation: The grain jars are then incubated until filled with wispy white lion’s mane mycelium. Using a still air box, a small amount of colonized grain is then added to each sterile bulk substrate bag, before sealing and incubating once more.

Step 3 – Fruiting: Once your bags are colonized you can punch a few small holes in each one, then put them in your fruiting chamber (such as a shotgun fruiting chamber or Martha closet).

If you get your temperature, humidity, and fresh air exchange right, you can expect to be harvesting tasty fresh lion’s mane about a month after inoculation.

Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Outdoors

If you live in an area where lion’s mane grows naturally, then an outdoor grow might be a good choice, especially if you have limited space indoors. When choosing a species to grow, do some research into which species grow most abundantly in your local area. If H. erinaceus doesn’t grow near where you live, check for similar edible species such as H. americanum or H. coralloides instead.

It is worth noting that due to its rarity, lion’s mane is a protected species in some regions of the world, with specific laws that may prevent harvesting. While it’s normally recommended that you source mycelial cultures from locally abundant species, legal restrictions on picking may make cloning wild specimens difficult. Such restrictions may not extend to spore collection, however, so you may be able to collect spores from wild specimens and purify cultures on agar (or buy from a trusted vendor who has done the same).

To grow lion’s mane outside, simply follow the same indoor growing process above, but place your bulk substrates outdoors when it’s ready to fruit. A humid and shady spot in your garden is perfect, though a bit of extra misting from a spray bottle will help encourage mushroom growth during dry spells.

Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms on Logs

As a wood-loving edible species, lion’s mane can also be grown on hardwood logs from trees like beech, maple, or oak. Growing on logs can take a little extra time and effort, but the results can be very rewarding. It’s best to use freshly cut logs, no older than about three months, to ensure they’re not too dry. If you live in an area where lion’s mane grows natively, it’s best to inoculate your logs during the wetter seasons of autumn and winter to give your logs plenty of moisture to help out the growing mycelium.

You’ll need:

• A selection of hardwood logs, cut to manageable sizes
• Hardwood dowels colonized with lion’s mane mycelium, or colonized sawdust spawn and log inoculation tool
• A drill and drill bit the same size as your dowels or inoculation tool
• Food grade wax, such as beeswax or soya wax
• Paintbrush or cotton dauber

Step 1 – Inoculation: Drill a series of holes arounda few inches apart, evenly across each log. Hammer in your colonized hardwood dowels, or fill each hole with sawdust spawn using your inoculation tool. Melt your wax (in an old tin can or crock pot), then paint each hole to seal it from bugs. Paint each cut end of the log with wax to keep in the moisture.

Step 2 – Incubation: Stack your logs somewhere shady, cool and damp to allow the mycelium to run through the wood. This can take up to a year or two, and it’s important to keep your logs hydrated throughout dry spells.

Step 3 – Fruiting: It can take a year or two for logs to start fruiting, depending on a range of environmental factors. Logs can either be left in place to begin fruiting, or stacked in ways to increase airflow and make harvesting easier. If you have a few logs you can try different configurations to see what works best, but keep them out of direct sunlight and well-watered to increase the chances of a bumper crop.

When to Pick Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Most growers like to pick lion’s mane while it’s still white and the teeth have become visible; they look like tight little pom-poms or clouds from a distance. If you leave lion’s mane mushrooms too long, they can start to turn golden brown and take on a shaggy appearance. This change in color and appearance indicates a lower quality, in terms of both taste and texture.

How to Harvest Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Lion’s mane can be easily harvested with a sharp knife, by cutting the mushroom off at the base, where it first emerged from the substrate. After harvesting, handle them carefully as they can bruise and begin to look less appealing to eat. However, if you do knock these mushrooms around a bit, don’t worry—they’re still perfectly safe to eat.

Quick Answers – Are These The Best Survival Backpacks?

#1 Best For Alpine Adventures – Black Diamond Jet Force Pro Avalanche Pack

#2 Best Army Style Survival Pack – 5.11 Tactical Rush Military Pack

#3 Best Big Survival Pack – WintMing 70L Camping Pack

#4 Best Hiking & Survival Pack – Osprey Stratos 36

#5 Survival Backpack For Long Weekends – Condor 3 Day Assault Pack

#6 Best Survival Backpacking Pack – Gregory Zulu 40

#7 Coolest Survival Bag – Kodiak Sitka Leather Messenger

Unfortunately, surviving in the wilderness is not just about a backpack. Bags can cart in plenty of dehydrated meals, but no pack can catch dinner for you. While these bags provide the customisable storage and carrying options to help you get out there, you need to have some survival skills to make it through the night.

Ordering a survival backpack and setting off on mad adventures without due preparation is likely to be a one-way ticket to giardia rather than paradise. Ease your way into the backcountry by making several quick-strike missions that allow you to gauge your readiness and prepare a list of essentials.

Packing up your backpack with the right gear is just as important as getting the correct nylon container. The longer you need to survive off of just the equipment on your shoulders, the more essential it is to get it right.

Stick around after our in-depth look at the best survival backpacks and come along for the ride as we explore some of the best gadgets and lightweight survival gear to fill up your bag with.

Backcountry, behind enemy lines, or on the Bangkok skyline, these powerhouses are in too deep to turn back now. Take your adventure to the next level or prep for anything with the best survival backpacks in the industry.

Each of these bags brings thoughtful design and reinforced materials to every corner and excels in one particular niche better than the competition. Choose your own adventure with the perfect bag for your particular wilderness style.

#1 Best For Alpine Adventures – Black Diamond Jet Force Pro Avalanche Pack

It is highly unlikely the apocalypse is right around the corner, but there are over 100,000 avalanches in the U.S. alone, every single winter. If you plan on spending serious time on snow-covered mountains or anywhere the weather can turn south fast, you need to prep with the mentality that it’s only a matter of time before rocks or snowfall will start tumbling down.

Spending less time in the lift line furthers your need for fundamental avalanche protections. Featuring a battery-powered electric fan that expands in one pull across your body, this beast can supply four airbags before it needs a recharge. The battery system means no unwieldy Co2 cartridges or single-use waste. The only thing this Alpine survivalist is missing is a jet pack.

This high tech backpack can save your life and stow it all, with models that fit between 10-35 litres of lifesaving equipment and a few yummy snacks. A modular booster system allows you to have access to all three different sizes depending on how long you plan on getting out there today.

#2 Best Army Style Survival Pack – 5.11 Tactical Rush24 Military Pack

The most iconic military style day pack on the market has pages full of copycats for many great reasons. The Rush24 means this pack can fit everything you need for 24 hours of survival rain, sleet, snow or shine in a muted exterior that’s tough as nails. Inside, the bag uses a half-zip to open up 37 litres of storage with great organisational mesh and full-on pockets.

When it ships to your front doorstep, the rough rider’s backpack will have about 14 different small orange flags that point out where this bag goes above and beyond the call of duty. Pouches and quick-access points are hidden across the exterior, and comfy shoulder straps help carry a heavy load.

The straps running across the outside of this survivalist are a carabiner away from hauling oversized sleeping pads, ropes, or anything else you want to bring without cramming.

#3 Best Big Survival Pack – WintMing 70L Camping Pack

At an incredibly affordable price, you can get your hands on 70 litres of camouflage storage by tomorrow and get into the woods before the end of the week. All this storage space brings more than enough room for staying deep into the woods for a week, or practically infinitely, if you find a water source.

You can collapse the bottom section to bring the storage down to 50 litres from 70, but this will be a heavy pack no matter what you fill it with. I wouldn’t recommend walking serious mileage with this thing fully kitted up, but whenever you do get to camp for the night, you’ll have all you need on your shoulders.

#4 Best Hiking & Survival Pack – Osprey Stratos 36

If we had to pick one pack to rule them all, it might be this lightweight Osprey option. For everything from weekend hikes to carry-on travel, this bag sits at a unique juncture that will help you fly through obstacles like a fast train.

At a mere 36 Liters, it may be slightly smaller than what you had in mind for surviving the apocalypse. Still, this ingenious bag can hold well above its weight. A hydration reservoir and rain cover give the pack protections usually reserved for more extensive hiking options, and a comfortable hip belt finished off the job.

Unlike other slim hiking backpacks, the awesome backpack makers at Osprey wasn’t afraid of a few extra grams and kept plenty of weight distributing comforts in this bag’s back. You should always plan for a bit of adaptability, so what better place to start than the most versatile bag in the business.

#5 Survival Backpack For Long Weekends – Condor 3 Day Assault Pack

Many backpacks can make backcountry survival more manageable, but few are built with surviving in mind more than this impressive kit. Condor has been on the frontlines of hardcore camping and survival equipment of all sorts, and no other product on their line is more recognisable than this epic assault pack.

Condor optimised the survival backpack for three-day trips. With upwards of 50 litres of storage spread across seven compartments, you can stretch out your stay if you pack smart. Once the main compartments are filled up, or for any oversized gear that still needs hauling, take advantage of the nylon straps that wrap around the pack’s exterior to lug some extras.

As long as you find shelter before the showers, this stable bag will bring everything you need to stay out in the woods a while longer.

#6 Best Survival Backpacking Pack – Gregory Zulu 40

Right on the edge of glory sits this 40 litre legend. 40 litres is an incredibly happy medium in the backpack spectrum, bringing more than enough storage for a day or weekend trip without going overboard.

The Zulu series has storage capacities on all sides of the scale. Unless you plan to get out deep into the woods and stay in one place for a long time, anything more significant than this bag will start weighing you down.

Couple that perfect size bag with loads of high-quality build materials and a solid weatherproofing system, et voila; you’ve got a survival bag that can handle serious mileage.

#7 Coolest Survival Bag – Kodiak Sitka Leather Messenger

Hollywood has taken plenty of stabs at survival looks and post-apocalyptic gear hauling. This leather messenger would fit nicely on Jones’ shoulder in the temple of doom or wandering the streets of zombie-infested New York to bring your next survival mission a signature style.

No, this is not a severe survival option. Anyone planning on walking serious mileage or wandering far out of cell service with a home in the bag should probably bring more than this top-grain leather sidebag option. That doesn’t mean this well-built satchel is a slouch. Every inch of this bag is reinforced and built out of some of the most durable brass and natural materials.

As part of a complete arsenal or flung over your shoulder on your next two-wheeled adventure, this bag has a real place in your arsenal without providing high tech storage some other survival bags bring to the table.

Now that you’ve found a great survival partner, it’s time to fill ‘er up. Your bag will only get you as far as the gear inside of it, so let’s look at a few absolutely critical aspects of any prepper’s checklist.

This gear, plus the right survival backpack, will elevate you from surviving to thriving.

For each piece of gear, just a short write up about what it is, why you need it, and why this is the best one you can buy

Black Diamond Twilight Bivy

This bivvy bag may just be the best lightweight shelter on the planet. Whether you plan on packing the farm or keeping the weight down, the Twilight has earned a place on your packing list. Every trip into the woods can wind up an overnighter. At way less than a pound, this bivvy provides excellent protection and should be taken along on every walk into the woods.

Thanks to its four seasons of weather protection, heavy flooring reinforcements, and breathable mesh panel, this bivvy can be employed in a hurry and offers an excellent place for shut-eye no matter where you wind up for the night.

Leatherman P4 Multi-Tool

The closest thing to hauling along your toolshed, this multi-tool can set up camp, help fix ripped tarpaulin, gut a fish, and gather firewood, all while fitting in the palm of your hands. 21 tools are easily accessible thanks to the magnetic technology that lifts this multi-tool above the competition.

Grayl Geopress

Wilderness survival is all fun and games until you run out of water. Luckily, filters like this Geopress means as long as you can get to a water source, you can whet your lips around 24 ounces of purified water in eight seconds.

That speed makes the Geopress the fastest in the industry at cleaning up dirty taps and flowing rivers. The press goes above and beyond by filtering out heavy metals, microplastics, and usually uncovered water pollutants.

Medical Kit

Whether heading out of the house for an hour or never coming back, please find room for a first aid kit. While bringing along any combination of Neosporin and bandaids is better than nothing, this all-encompassing medkit has 82 different pieces to address injuries and nasty surprises while on the road.

The kit comes stacked with an impressive assortment of medical equipment and found space for other survival essentials. Beyond first aid, this medkit provides an emergency blanket, tactical knife, and fire starter tools that will get you through a bad night in the woods.

I wouldn’t want to come across any of these survival backpacks in a dark alley. Built to last and full of scrappy features, every bag on our list will give you a fighting chance. All you have to do is pair up the particular blend of characteristics that best pushes you forward, sharpen up your cartography skills, and get out there.

The survival backpacks we looked at today are only part of the puzzle. When surviving without a roof over your head, the only thing you can expect is the unexpected. Over-prepping yourself for whatever you’re getting into and a foolproof list of emergency plans if shit hits the fan are other essential ingredients in wilderness survival.

Prepping begins with your Nylon knapsack. These survival backpacks all pack the necessary space and intelligent upgrades to set you on a path toward success.

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

This post has been carried over from our forum which has since been removed from the site. We’ve pulled over the top 10 forum conversations that were not specific to future content areas which we will be posting.

piedipers Hi,

I recently received an email from my wifes’ work regarding a supposed grizzly bear attack in Alaska. Where upon a 14 foot grizzly bear was shot to death by a ranger out deer hunting. It came with three photographs, 1] displaying overall size of grizzly and hunter together, 2] displaying size of paw and 3] graphic portrayal of hiker practically eaten.

forgive my morbidity on this, but can anyone verify this story, which l have pasted below:

Many regards piedipers The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting last week when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The guy unloaded his 7mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear and it dropped a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot it several times in the head. The bear was just over one thousand six hundred pounds. It stood 12′ 6″ high at the shoulder, 14′ to the top of his head. It’s the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world. Of course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did not let him keep it as a trophy, but the bear will be stuffed and mounted, and placed on display at the Anchorage airport (to remind tourist’s of the risks involved when in the wild).

Based on the contents of the bears stomach, the Fish and Wildlife Commission established the bear had killed at least two humans in the past 72 hours. His last meal was the unlucky nature buff in the third picture below. The US Forest Service, backtracking from where the bear had originated, found the hiker’s 38-caliber pistol emptied.

Not far from the pistol was the remains of the hiker. Although the hiker fired six shots and managed to hit the grizzly with four shots (they ultimately found four 38 caliber slugs along with twelve 7mm slugs inside the bear’s dead body) it only wounded the bear – and probably angered it. The other body has not been found. The bear killed the hiker an estimated two days prior to the bear’s own death by the gun of the Forest Service worker.

Think about this – If you are an average size man; You would be level with the bear’s belly button when he stood upright, the bear would look you in the eye when it walked on all fours! To give additional perspective, consider that this particular bear, standing on its hind legs, could walk up to an average single story house and look over the roof, or walk up to a two story house and look in the bedroom windows.

Fitter I’ll dig up the info for you but the story has been quite twisted as its been around for quite some time.

MamaEagle I remember that one too. I think there was a little truth and a little tale to that one.

Here are some info and photos but as I mentioned take it for what its worth.

The first two photos are legitimate images of a giant grizzly brought down by a hunter in Alaska. However, the accompanying story is about another hunter and another bear.

On October 14, 2001, U.S. Air Force Airman Theodore Winnen was deer-hunting on Hinchinbrook Island, Prince William Sound when he and his hunting buddy, Staff Sgt. James Urban. spotted the bear. Effectively cloaked by their camouflage hunting gear, the pair had plenty of time to take their shot. The first bullet from Winnen’s 338 Winchester pierced the brain, but it took five more in the chest to bring him down. The first two photos above were taken by Urban and were posted on several hunting boards and shared among hunting enthusiasts. The bear was 10 1/2 feet long and weighed more than half a ton – Big, but not a record.

Six months later, Sigfredo Casiano, was hiking in Alaska and had a similar experience with a large bear. Casiano claims he found himself about 10 feet from the animal when the beast started moving toward him. His first shot brought the bear down, but he fired several more shots, probably to make sure. In this case, the bear was a brown bear, not a grizzly, and between eight and nine feet tall.

Because of the temporal closeness of these two accounts, the two stories became confused. Eventually, the picture of Winnen became associated with the story of Casiano. The confusion was frustrated by National Forest Service officials who mistakenly identified the photos to be from Casiano’s story.

If that weren’t bad enough, some joker along the line decided to embellish the story with a gruesome prologue, complete with photographic evidence. While the origins of the third picture remain unknown, we do know that it has nothing to do with either Winnen’s or Casiano’s bear encounters. It was added nearly a year after the most popular version of this story began circulating. In fact, there is no evidence in either case that the bears had ever attacked humans.

MamaEagle For what it is worth, I remember that third photo was circulated on a website and that the site claimed it to be the result of a dog attack.

piedipers Hi again,

Thanks for this and the reply. Admittedly l have to be honest l thought that there might be a hint of truth in some portion somewhere, but thought that in another area it wasn’t quite right.

I looked into the animal attacks archives here on this site and came up with the Alaskan Hiker Killed by Bear

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man on a day hike in a rural area was killed when a bear bit his head, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.

Kenneth Cates, 53, was found Wednesday morning on a horse trail in a heavily wooded area of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge near his hometown of Soldotna.

Seeing as this stated a ‘hiker’ being killed and thought, here we go this is something.

Out of curiousity, what is the record for the biggest grizzly, and how big is the actual grizzly bear in the two legit photos?

Fitter The bear in the picture is supposedly as you mentioned: The bear was over one thousand six hundred pounds. It stood 12′ 6″ high at the shoulder, 14′ to the top of his head. It’s the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world.

MamaEagle I had to go check this out at the truth or fiction site goto when wondering about some emails i recieve. This is what I found attached to this same story and pictures.

******** THE TRUTH Thanks to our readers, the truth about these pictures has been found. The facts are a little different from the original eRumor, but the pictures do record the results of a true hunt and are real.

The original pictures lacked the label linking them with hunting-pictures, but that is where the pictures reside. They were posted by a hunter who used the nickname Dalliwacker but who is, according to published articles, Jim Urban. He says that the bear was actually ten feet high and weighed between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds. He says the bear did not stand up then drop down and charge. It showed no aggression at all. He also says the bear was not shot on Hitchenbrook Island but, like all good hunters, he won’t be specific about where he got it .*************

The version of the eRumor that claims the bear was a killer and was shot by a forest service employee are false.

Fitter Heres an update on the Worlds Largest Bear for all who continue to follow and seek the truth behind this story.

I recently watched a special on National Geographic and a portion of the show was dedicated to this very same bear and the actual hunter. The hunter himself, pictured above, appeared on the show and offered some insight from his home. And yes, the famed bear he shot was mounted on the wall in the interview. Here are some transcipts from the show in exact format.

Narrator: In October 2001, a hunter legally shot a bear on Hinchinbrook Island off Alaska’s southern coast. He emailed photos of himself posing with the bear to friends. The photos became an internet sensation and soon, stories appeared along with the images. Blogs and websites claimed the Hinchinbrook Island bear stood 12 1/2 feet tall on it’s hind legs. A super bear as big as any ever seen.

Ray Massey – Forest Service Spokesman Alaska Region: If the bear sat down in a room with you, and was flat on his behind on the floor, and tipped it’s nose up, his head would be through a normal ceiling by about a foot or two. If this bear stood up, as reported in the web, it could be watching you take a shower on the second floor of your home.

Narrator: And there was more. A photograph of gnawed human remains. According to the internet, the last man eaten by the giant bear, shot on Hinchinbrook Island. This story of a monster man-eating bear astonished web surfers around the world. Especially the hunter who shot the bear. He doesnt know how the bear he killed got to be the worlds biggest bear in cyberspace. It was big. But not that big.

Actual Hunter: In relation to the world record he wound up only being short by 2 inches and uh 2/16ths of an inch which put him at the rank of 145 out of the 347 of the largest, worlds largest bears ever taken. Ya know I got to get that straight. He’s still a record he’s just not the world record.

Narrator: But what about that other photo claiming to show the Hinchinbrook bears last meal?

Actual Hunter: Thats another picture that gets associated with my bear. That has nothing to do with my bear. As far as I know this bear didnt, ya know, kill nobody or maul nobody.

Narrator: So where did the photo come from? Bear experts took a closer look and discovered that, wherever this man died, it probably wasn’t anywhere near Alaska.

Dr. Tom Smith – Research Wildlife Biologist USGS Alaska Science Center: If you look at the vegetation in there it’s not quite tropical but it certainly is not Alaskan. It appeared to be the victim of a tiger attack from the Indian sub-continent.

Narrator: The super-size Hinchinbrook bear is a myth from cyberspace.

Need to catch dinner in the wilderness? Go set a deadfall trap.

Trapping is one of the oldest ways to get food in the wild. People have been using traps to catch small to medium-sized game in between major hunts. Learning how to set a few good traps in ideal locations can cut your chances of starving significantly.

Primitive traps like the deadfall are especially popular among survivalists and bushcraft enthusiasts because they’re straightforward and relatively easy to construct. They also come in different variations that can fit your individual situation and skill level.

Need to brush up on your primitive trapping skills? Read on for easy-to-follow tutorials and tips:

Primitive Trapping Basics

Any prepper or bushcrafter worth his salt should know how to trap animals for food, fur, and other purposes. Actively hunting for game is always best for fresh meat, but trapping can save you a lot of time and energy, especially if you find yourself in a survival situation with little to no modern tools.

Before we look into the ins and outs of making deadfall trap configurations, here’s a quick refresher on the basics of trapping:

What are you trapping?

Your trap depends on the size and species of animal. As a trapper, you have to know what type of animals frequent the area. Watch out for tracks and pawprints, disturbed vegetation, and droppings to identify the critters.

Deadfall traps, in particular, are great for catching small to medium animals like rodents, squirrels, and prairie dogs.

Finding the perfect location to set your trap

Location is crucial when setting traps. Once you’ve identified the kind of animal you want to capture, you can now zero in on where to put your trap. Construct it near the animal’s habitat (outside its burrow or hiding place), or in places where it usually gets food and water.

Set the trap to make it look as natural as possible by covering it with soil or leaves. Unlike humans, animals have a very keen sense of smell, so remove or mask any human trace by wearing gloves and handling the trap as little as possible.

Skills needed in trapping

As mentioned earlier, you have to know what type of animals live in the area, so a sharp set of tracking skills will come in handy when making traps. Trapping requires other bushcraft basics like whittling, making cordage, and tying effective knots, as in the case of most deadfall traps. And, of course, field dressing and bushcraft cooking skills will ultimately come in handy when it’s time to eat.

What’s the best type of bait to use in trapping?

Not all baits are created equal. Use one that will attract your target animal. Most small mammals like rats and squirrels love to munch on nuts, seeds, and fruit, so use those when baiting your deadfall trap.

Safety precautions to follow

Constructing deadfall traps can seriously hurt you if you’re not careful. When setting one up, put a temporary support rock to hold up the deadfall weight. This way, you don’t accidentally activate the trap and crush your fingers.

Local trapping regulations

Some areas regulate or prohibit trapping animals for food or other purposes, so check local regulations before setting out traps.

A Closer Look at the Deadfall Trap

People have been using the deadfall trap since the dawn of civilization to catch a meal—and it remains one of the best primitive traps to this day.

The reason?

Deadfall traps simply work.

This primitive trapping mechanism uses a heavy rock or logs propped up by sticks to capture prey. Once the animal takes the bait, the sticks collapse, and the animal gets instantly crushed beneath the weight. It’s an effective and straightforward way to catch a meal, especially if you don’t have modern supplies at your disposal.

Types of Deadfall Traps

There are three main types of deadfall traps, namely the Paiute, Figure 4, and Split Stick. You’ll find detailed tutorials of these variations below:

Paiute Deadfall Trap

The Paiute deadfall trap is believed to have been invented by the Native American tribe of the same name. It’s also arguably the most popular among the deadfall trap varieties since it’s easy to set up and has a very sensitive trigger that allows you to catch prey in a snap.

The Paiute deadfall trap uses a total of 4 wood components:

• One long diagonal stick to support the deadfall weight
• One shorter vertical stick that holds up the diagonal portion
• One small twig that serves as a trigger stick
• A small piece of wood that will act as a toggle

What sets it apart from other configurations is that it uses cordage to hold these components together. You can use any available cordage, including dry fibers from plants like milkweed or stinging nettle.

In the video above, you’ll see a detailed tutorial on how to build an effective Paiute deadfall trap using primitive materials and methods.

Traps like these usually take a bit of trial and error before you get it right. Consider vital factors like the angle of the rock, the height of the trap, or the placement of the bait. Adjusting any of these can significantly improve your chances of catching the target animal.

Figure 4 Deadfall Trap

It’s pretty safe to say that the Figure 4 deadfall trap is the Paiute’s less trigger-sensitive cousin. Many find the Figure 4 quite challenging since it needs a sharp set of carving and whittling skills. It also needs some time to master and doesn’t deploy as quickly as the Paiute.

Still, when made correctly, it does a decent enough job, so knowing how to make an effective Figure 4 should still be part of your skills arsenal.

To construct a Figure 4 deadfall trap, you need three sticks:

• 1 long diagonal stick that holds up the deadfall weight
• 1 horizontal stick that goes near the base
• 1 shorter vertical stick that holds everything together and acts as the trigger

All three sticks should be straight and of roughly the same diameter.

Notice that instead of cordage, the Figure 4 deadfall trap uses notches carved into the sticks to hold the entire structure together.

This is the tricky part: each notch should be carved just right and must fit well with each other to support the trap. It’s like making your own puzzle pieces. Carving notches takes considerable skill, so if it’s your first time making this trap, be patient.

The Figure also needs a balance between strength and sensitivity. The trigger, located at the base of the trap, should be strong enough to support the trap’s weight but sensitive enough to deploy quickly.

Because the Figure 4 deadfall trap doesn’t deploy as easily as the Paiute, it’s important to create as many traps as possible to increase your chances of catching food.

Split Stick Deadfall Trap

The split-stick deadfall trap is basically a cross between the Paiute and the Figure 4. It’s got a very sensitive trigger like the Paiute but, similar to the Figure 4, it doesn’t use any cordage.

The principle behind this trap is quite simple.

Take a long stick and cut it roughly in half. Next, carve notches on their meeting points so they loosely fit together. Make a larger notch in one of the sticks to make the trap more sensitive. Then put a small, thin stick in between these two components. This will serve as your trigger mechanism. Once the target animal takes the bait, the entire structure collapses, and the animal gets crushed beneath the deadfall weight.

It’s as easy as that.

Perhaps the only disadvantage to the split stick deadfall trap is that it could easily collapse due to other factors, like the wind. Nonetheless, it’s a good way to practice your bushcraft trapping skills and also catch an animal in the process.

Quick Facts About Deadfall Traps

To sum things up, here are the things you should know about deadfall traps:

• Deadfall traps are ideal for small- to medium-sized animals such as rabbits and squirrels.
• The three main types of deadfall traps are the Paiute, Figure 4, and Split Stick traps.
• Depending on where you live, rigging up a deadfall trap may be illegal, so check local regulations first.
• Be careful when you’re setting up a deadfall trap. It can seriously harm your hands if you accidentally trigger it.

Final Thoughts

People have been trapping since the beginning of civilization. Although most modern traps are now manufactured, nothing beats knowing how to make primitive traps for prepping and survival.

These traps will be indispensable when you find yourself in a survival situation with little to no modern tools at your disposal.

Deadfall traps require no more than some sticks and a flat slab of rock to make. The Paiute, Figure 4, and Bait Stick deadfall traps are relatively easy to construct and are effective in catching small to medium-sized animals. They’re a good fail-safe in case you can’t catch a meal when hunting or fishing.

Continue practicing your deadfall trap-making skills and you’ll be able to catch small game for dinner in no time.

When it comes to geese and duck hunting, the gun gets a lot of attention. Many people believe that having a successful season depends on whether or not you have the right gun. But surprisingly what affects the success of your shot is the choke. As a result, it is critical to choose the best choke for duck hunting. Use these guidelines to help you choose an appropriate choke for your firearm.

Understanding the Functioning of a Choke Tube

Credit: Outdoor Life

A shotgun choke is a narrowing or constriction that is present in the barrel that is usually a few inches from the muzzle. Every shotgun barrel has a choke or constriction that is either manufactured into the barrel, screwed in, or detachable.

When a shell is fired, it goes down the barrel, and the choke’s duty is to compress or constrict it before it leaves. This compression plays an important role in the patterning of the shot.

There are three types of choke tubes:

• Full Choke

• Modified Choke

• Improved Cylinder Choke

Full Chokes

The constriction of a full choke is very tight. This choke is useful for rodents, turkeys, and other wildlife shot at 50-yard and longer distances since the shot holds together further.

Modified Chokes

The constriction in the modified choke is moderate. The bullets stay together for longer, resulting in a fuller shot string that is more helpful at longer distances. This choke is frequently utilized for duck hunting and geese hunting. Improved modified chokes are a significantly tighter version of the modified choke.

Improved Cylinder Chokes

A minor constriction exists in the improved cylinder choke. This choke helps gunshots spread rapidly. It is usually used for shooting at close ranges. It is a great option for small birds, rabbits, and other highland animals.

Whether you’re a waterfowler or a duck hunter, your goal is twofold: first, you must determine how far away the bird is when you’re firing and then choose the choke tube that produces the best pattern at that range. The only way of knowing what your choke will do while outdoors is to test it with your firearm and ammunition.

Notches on Choke Tubes

Credit: The Yorkshire Gent

Most choke tubes have notches on them. These are not accidental. The number of notches reflects how much constraint the choke provides; the more notches, the more constraint, and the more constraint the choke provides, the greater the distance of your shot pattern. However, not all chokes are made equal, and various ammunition will react differently, so it’s always a good idea to pattern your shotgun before going out hunting with it.

List of Best Chokes for Duck and Goose Hunting

Here are the best chokes for duck and goose hunting:

1) Fatal Shot Choke Tube by MOJO Outdoors

The MOJO Outdoors Fatal Shot Choke Tube is suitable for a wide range of shotguns and was developed after years of data and testing of shot patterns. It even runs different ammunition and cartridge varieties. This makes it the ideal choke tube for target sports and duck hunting. The choke is available in three lengths and has a screwless setup, allowing you to change it out as required in the field.

2) CARLSON’S 12 Gauge Choke Tube

The Carlson’s 12 Gauge Choke Tube is made for goose hunting at long-range distances and gives results similar to a full choke. The internal rings present slow the bullet down, allowing the shot to divide as it leaves the muzzle. If you’re looking for a complete package, this is the choke tube to have.

3) CARLSON’S Choke Tubes 12 Gauge for Remington

Another one from Carlson’s, this choke tube is typically recognized as one of the best and most precise designs available for turkeys. Turkeys and other birds don’t always fly in regular patterns, and they don’t always remain close, so this waterfowl choke tube comes in handy when you’re out in the woods. This can survive even the harshest weather during hunting season, thanks to its stainless steel metal body.

4) Primos TSS Turkey Choke Tube

The Primos TSS Choke Tube is a great choke for turkey hunting. The unique design offers a lengthier, more progressive taper, resulting in thick shot patterns that constrict more consistently. As a result, you get more shots. The choke is compatible with all Benneli, Remington, and Invector shotguns.

How do You Clean a Choke Tube?

Credit: Rifleshooter

A rusted-in tube is costly to remove, and it’s frequently impossible to do so without damaging the choke and maybe the chamber. Take out the choke tube at the end of each season and whenever the gun gets wet, dry it, scrub the threading on the barrel and tube, apply a dab of grease to the threads, and reinstall the choke tube in the gun. A fresh or rethreaded cylinder costs a lot more than a little grease and sweat.

What Kind of Shots Should You Shoot With Your Choke Tube?

Credit: Richard Faulks

This is entirely reliant on the choke tube’s capacity. Some choke tubes can be used with almost any shot. Other choke tubes will only allow to shoot with a lead or steel shot. Before patterning your shotgun with a certain type of shot, read the instructions on your choke tube carefully.

Summary

Because the most acceptable contact range for ducks or geese is 40 yards or less, the ideal choke for duck or goose hunting is an improved cylinder choke. If you’re going to shoot ducks or geese from a greater distance, a modified choke is the way to go.

Do you want to improve your shooting skills during hunting season? Practicing on shooting targets is the greatest way to do it. Introducing EasyShot: your best bet to improving your shot. Check us out today.

The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .30 M1 Carbine vs .308 Winchester ammo rounds. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, or jacketing type. As such, the following is for comparative information purposes only and should not be used to make precise predictions of the trajectory, performance, or true ballistics of any particular .30 M1 Carbine or .308 Winchester rounds for hunting, target shooting, plinking, or any other usage. The decision for which round is better for a given application should be made with complete information, and this article simply serves as a comparative guide, not the final say. For more detailed ballistics information please refer to the exact round in question or contact the manufacturer for the pertinent information. True .30 M1 Carbine and .308 Winchester ballistics information can vary widely from the displayed information, and it is important to understand that the particular characteristics of a given round can make a substantive difference in its true performance.

Caliber Type Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) .30 M1 Carbine Rifle 1990 960 .308 Winchester Rifle 2680 2620

Velocity

As illustrated in the chart, .30 M1 Carbine rounds – on average – achieve a velocity of about 1990 feet per second (fps) while .308 Winchester rounds travel at a velocity of 2680 fps. To put this into perspective, a Boeing 737 commercial airliner travels at a cruising speed of 600 mph, or 880 fps. That is to say, .30 M1 Carbine bullets travel 2.3 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .308 Winchester bullets travel 3 times that same speed.

Various calibers

Energy

Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .30 M1 Carbine round averages out to 960 ft-lb, while a .308 Winchester round averages out to about 2620 ft-lb. One way to think about this is as such: a foot-pound is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy required to raise a weight of one pound a distance of one foot. So a .30 M1 Carbine round exits the barrel with kinetic energy equal to the energy required for linear vertical displacement of 960 pounds through a one foot distance, while a .308 Winchester round exiting the barrel has energy equal to the amount required to displace 2620 pounds over the same one foot distance. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to hunting, muzzle energy is what many hunters look at when deciding on what caliber of firearm / ammunition to select. Generally speaking, the higher the muzzle energy, the higher the stopping power. Again, the above is for comparative information purposes only, and you should consult the exact ballistics for the particular .30 M1 Carbine or .308 Winchester cartridge you’re looking at purchasing.

Please click the above links to take a look at all of the .30 M1 Carbine and .308 Winchester ammo we have in stock and ready to ship, and let us know any parting thoughts in the comment section below.

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We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.

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When we tested the Mantis Blackbeard Trigger Reset System, it was a high-performing item for anyone looking to get more rifle practice without spending a ton of money. A system that replaces the bolt carrier group and magazine of most AR-15 rifles, the Blackbeard allows the user to not alter the trigger pull of their weapon, and have visual feedback of where the “round” goes. The system consists of the bolt carrier replacement, which can house an adjustable laser and which also contains a motor that resets your trigger, as well as a battery pack that fits into the magazine well of the rifle like a normal magazine. To complement this, the Blackbeard can be used with the Mantis Laser Academy app, which allows for virtual target scoring for drills and games. Overall, for rifle training, it’s hard to outdo the Mantis Blackbeard, especially for indoor close-quarter training situations.

The Mantis Blackbeard excels in close-quarters rifle training, operating as a simple drop-in kit to give you realistic trigger reset. The biggest advantage to this is that it’s totally safe, due to making your rifle completely inoperable when properly installed, which means that you can theoretically use this for force-on-force or live hostage rescue. It’s also totally platform agnostic as long as you use an AR platform rifle, meaning you can use it with a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 or a military issue M4 with no extra steps. The biggest advantage, however, is that it lets you keep your trigger pull, meaning that if you’re like my friend, you can drop this into your super-expensive Radian Model 1 or LMT MARS (he has both) and appreciate the improved trigger pull that both bring with dry fire and with live fire. In my own testing, the Blackbeard greatly assisted with trigger control training, getting into a good rhythm of pressing and releasing the trigger, preventing short stroking.

The Blackbeard has no recoil or force feedback, and basically just functions as a trigger reset device and laser projector. This isn’t like the CoolFire on our list that actually provides force feedback, or the SIRT pistol, so you won’t get that simulated recoil impulse. Another thing is that even if you do use the app, it doesn’t track things like weapon or trigger control, so you won’t get the same input that you get with the Mantis X on this list. Finally, the app that you need to get training metrics from, Mantis Laser Academy, is extremely temperamental. It costs a fair chunk of money, doesn’t work in daylight, requires a tripod to use, and needs extensive setup to work properly, making this a decidedly indoor dry fire training system.

The Mantis Blackbeard is a laser trainer and trigger reset system that converts any rifle into a training rifle, and for those purposes, it’s nearly perfect. Allowing shooters to conduct dry fire training with their actual trigger pull, and without requiring them to manually reset the hammer, is extremely helpful, and the issues with not tracking motion and trigger control can be solved by adding a Mantis X device to the rifle to work in conjunction, although that lowers the value proposition significantly.