7 Forgotten Survival Skills That Kept Frontiersmen Alive

In the wilderness, survival is all about life or death. Over the years, trappers, hunters, and pioneers mastered the wild. They built shelter in minutes, set traps that fed them through brutal winters, and traveled hundreds of miles through uncharted wilderness with nothing but instinct and experience to guide them.

Today, most of these techniques have faded into history, lost in a world of modern convenience. But out here, in the untamed wild, those skills meant everything.

In this episode, we’re bringing them back. Seven forgotten survival techniques that kept mountain men alive. If you ever find yourself out in the wilderness, some of these could save your life. As for the others? You’ll wonder how anyone ever pulled them off.

My name is Sam, and this is Wild America.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:58 1 - Trapping with Primitive Lures
3:09 2 - Crafting Buckskin Clothing
7:10 3 - Building Bull Boats
9:42 4 - Navigating Rivers Without Modern Maps
12:36 5 - Fire Starting with Flint and Steel
15:08 6 - Making and Using Pemmican
18:27 7 - Tracking and Deciphering Animal Signs for Hunting

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All materials in these videos are used for educational purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended. If you are or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video and have a problem with the use of said material, please contact me via my email in the "about" page on my channel.

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As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Wild America sometimes utilizes similar historical images, AI representations and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Wild America is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are American history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.
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[chapiit]

Back then you were successful if you trapped many beaver, nowadays if you are successful beaver traps you.

[wapitiwallow]

I can proudly say that I have mastered the skills listed. I first hunted with my father at age 7 and I remain an outdoorsy at age 68.

[SW-huqw]

I am very grateful I found this content I really enjoyed the vid and subscribed. If the other vids are close to this I just struck gold. Thanks for your awesome work brother. One Love

[IMBrute-irgz]

What on earth is that firearm in the beginning? It looks like a cross between a flintlock and an AK-47! It even has a gas tube! Where do these images even come from?

[thebadboo]

Nice video. One thing I would add is building a shelter in all kinds of conditions. Temporary or semi permanent . In many cases, a fire without a shelter is useless. In others you can survive without a fire. Formula for survival when stopping is (in order): water; shelter; fire; food. When avalilable, foraging is far more energy efficient than hunting, but you have to know your plants. Keep 'em coming!

[thomasdenoyelles]

I don’t know where you got your information from. There are many of us still out there trapping Beaver and there are a number of organizations teaching many of our youths today.

[QuantumKat_]

My ancestors and family never forgot survival skills . They were passed down from generation to generation. Put your cellphone down and read our books.

[albertocutcha]

Hey, new to channel, and thank you for the video,

[dennisleighton]

12:37 Fire-starting. This section shows how things developed in similar ways even half a world away!
Several hundred years ago in South Africa, intrepid pioneers (called Voortrekkers) set out from the coastal regions into the hinterland to develop communities there. Invariably they used large ox wagons (called ossewaens) and always had numerous horses and other animals, like sheep and chickens.
What they also ALWAYS had was the means to make fire, just like the American mountain men/pioneers. Flint & steel was also the basic tool. However they also had a "tonteldoos" - a tinder "box".
This apparatus was basically a metal tube of around 1 - 1.5 inches diameter and 5-6 inches long, blocked off at one end. This was sometimes simply one end hammered flat, but others were well made by tinkers and more refined. The other end was a removable cap of some sort. Into this they would insert strips of fabric (cotton, jute, or linen). A full box would be laid at the side of the fire (not in it) and left there till later. Once cool it was ready for use. The charred fabric inside made wonderful char cloth with which to catch a spark, exactly as you described in the video.
However, they also had candles (and the expertise to make candles for themselves, from animal fat/tallow and other ingredients). This would be used to quickly light from the small flame on the char cloth. As soon as the candle is lit the char cloth is doused, and saved for future use. The candle provided a strong hot flame for igniting kindling. This crucial use of the candle as a flame extender is very often neglected in the fire-making stories. Indeed, the use of candles goes back many centuries earlier than even the Voortrekker days.
They also had kindling bags, often quite a few, which were carefully stored in the driest part of the wagon, or in their saddle bags, if they were on horseback. These would be restocked regularly - they would always dry out wet/green twigs/sticks if necessary at the fire for the Next fire. This was NOT negotiable, and young boys learned this and were often given the responsibility for this important job.
A man's "tonteldoos" was a prized possession and at attaining "manhood" was often presented with a brand new "tonteldoos" to represent his change of status.
I hope that this little piece from my family's history will be of interest to some of your viewers.
Please feel free to make comments or ask questions.
Cheers mate!

[waynederby]

There are many of us that still make a living off the land by the hunter gather life style. While in this modern age not as completely as 170 +- yrs ago but enough to enjoy doing and teaching it for our lives &

[Louis-eq]

I'm 61 years old and at 13 years old My FRIEND and I trapped a raccoon , and I felt sorry for it and let it go, my friend was mad at me but not long we are still best friends still too day ❤😂

[chasdart]

Bull-boat = Welsh Coracle? Thousands of years old, and still in use today!

[davidmartin]

It just goes to show how clever wildlife is to survive all seasons and prosper. We're meant to be the most intelligent but I sometimes wonder.

[johndoe]

Previous fur trapper here. Enjoyed the video.

[raccoonlittlebear]

Thank you. This was a reminder, to me, of my buckskining days. Nicely done & many good images. Keep yer powder dry.

[fredflintstone]

Been practicing survival skills for 70 years been living off grid in small farm 35 years no utilities wood stove drinking from stream 😊

[jimjames]

Lived in an isolated self built cabin in Alaska and ran a trapline for 10 plus years. What is said here is part truth, part modern fantasy.

[BillCheshire_Jr]

That was a very informative video.Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I watch a lot of these type of videos but I have to be honest with myself I watch a lot of these type of videos, but I have to be honest with myself.
I've never been good about killing anything. That
Probably would hamper me in the wild

[JustinDOehlke]

3:28 except buckskin does NOT repel or shed water. Buckskin is no different than any other leather in this regard--it soaks up water like a sponge. Hides and fleeces on the other hand will repel and shed water due to the hair being left on it. Slip on a pair of butter-soft moccasins and walk one mile in the rain and you'll find out real quick. Moreover, after buckskin becomes sodden, it becomes terribly hard and rough when it dries. One then has to rework the buckskin to loosen and soften it. But, each time this process is repeated the buckskin becomes weaker until finally it disenigrates.

[tonyduran]

So many badass looking characters in this video.