food sources for when the SHTF

Wild GameAs the human population continues to decline, look for a huge increase in the number of wild and semi-wild animals. Mostly small game such as rabbit and squirrel but what most people fail to realize is that the outskirts of most urban centers harbor a good number of whitetail deer.Small game can be taken with traps, air rifles, slingshots or ever killed with a club or rock. When I lived on a lot in a small city I shoot squirrels that found their way into my back lot with a .22 caliber single rifle loaded with CB caps, (down-loaded .22 rimfire ammo) the little rounds are very quiet and can take most small animals out to about ten yards. Deer can easily be snared or shot.Look for huge numbers of semi-domestic dogs and cats to populate urban areas after a collapse. If you can get past the thought and your own limitations these can be good sources of meat. Dogs can be caught in snares and cats are easy to trap using homemade box traps.Most cities have an abundant pigeon population. It is a simple matter to follow the flock to their roost at dusk. Shinning a light into their eyes they tend to set still where they can be caught or killed with little trouble. Air guns and sling shots work well.Without a doubt the most abundant source of meat in any urban environment is the common rat. They have thrived under even the most challenging circumstances. It is almost a certainty if there are human survivors after any catastrophe rats will be in abundance. Like most small animals they can be trapped in homemade box traps or shot.GardeningDon’t expect to support yourself entirely from a city garden, at least not at first. I have raised tomatoes in a window box and hanging baskets on the terrace. Perhaps in time large community gardens would spring up that could be worked by groups of survivors.During the first months preceding a collapse gardens will need to be hidden and out of site. A lot of vegetables are easily mistaken for weeds and are not all that difficult to keep hidden from passers-by.The first rule of avoiding detection is to never plant your crops using the traditional roll method. The three sisters gardening method comes to mind, the some North American Indian tribes used this technique to grow corn, beans and squash to great effect and it acts as a natural camouflage.When it comes to survival gardening, obviously we must start with seed; therefore it becomes a necessity to have a source of viable seed on hand. Look for non-hybrid ("heirloom") varieties, you want to be sure the seed saved from year to year will breed true and continue to do so. Hybrid varieties for the most part are unpredictable and seem to only do well during the first year of planting.Most garden varieties should be included in your stock. Include such vegetables as: artichoke, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, gourds, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard green, onions, parsley, parsnips, peanuts, peas, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, soybeans, spinach, squash, sunflowers, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip, watermelon, zucchini etc; In general put back seeds that grow well in your area and of foods you like to eat.