How does one live off the land in today's day and age?

[Mesophilic]

This question is based on a thread in the Cave Man subforum.

Back in the late 80's, my stepbrother and I hatched a plan to spend a year living off the land.  Little did we know at the time that neither of us had the knowledge or skills to survive a few weeks let alone a year.  We scoured maps at the library and couldn't find 50 square miles in the lower 48 that wasn't criss crossed by asphalt, or a national monument/preserve that we felt would be a good location.  Needless to say we conveniently never got around to it.

So how does one live off the land in today's day and age?

I don't expect anyone to self incriminate on the internet, so let's just keep it hypothetical.

How does one do this and stay within the laws?

For example,  squatting on state, federal, or private land?  Or does one buy a plot of land?  And if so, wouldn't they need to be sufficiently wealthy to set up escrow for property taxes?

Does one take game when one sees it?  Or stay within hunting regs?  Not much game to feed a person year round in many states that can be taken without state permission.  Depending on the state, the lottery system means you may not even draw tags.  Could you survive on seasonal small game, birds, and fishing? 

How do you get by in the winter when foraging is nill?  Or do you migrate to warmer climates?  Do you plant in the growing season?  If you plant seeds not native to the area, are you still "living off the land"?

Maybe try your hand in Alaska?  But how do you do it there without modern products and supply lines?  All the shows on TV show these people using motorized vehicles of somesort...to check fish traps, snowmobiles for transportation and checking trap lines, modern rifles and ammo (need a supply line for bullets eventually).

Ultimately,  I just don't get how a truly "living off the land" scenario can play out legally and especially without a revenue source...and then is it still living off the land?

[Deerhunter21]

now this is some my side of the mountain stuff! you go find your great, great, great, grandfathers land, and build yourself a house in a tree! 

I know that there is land in Alaska where you dont need to own land but you can be there in a cabin for trapping, hunting and so forth.

[GlisGlis]

In my opinion it is  impossible to live in a primitive way without crossing modern world rules
The more concessions you give to modern technology the more you are keeping apart from the true experience
there are simply too many humans and human artifacts and human influences to pretend to recreate a credible living off the land experience
on top of that there are maybe a handful of people that have all the skills needed to do it in a proper way
So many people underestimate the difficulties.
There are so many reports of true natives struggling and starving (Ishi and nanook to name a few) that should alarm every wannabe.

[dylanholderman]

Honestly I feel the whole “living off the land all by myself” is a myth and always has been.
Yeah there where hunter gatherers (and there still is in some areas) but these where groups of 50-200 people, and even those groups didn’t live without contact from other groups.
How can a single person(or 2-3) have mastered every skill needed to survive long term?
Sure you could be pretty good at hunting/foraging but can you make clothes for every season from scratch?
What about tools that will last long term without breaking down?
How about knowing what plants are safe to eat and in what quantities?
How do you treat an injury alone in the bush with no medical knowledge?

One person living short term(1-2 years) off the land I can believe (there is more than enough examples in recent memory) but doing without any contact with the modern would be near impossible I think.

[DC]

If you haven't watched "Alone" maybe take a look at their site. I think the longest anyone has lasted was about 85 days or so. The big things seems to be loneliness and starvation, in that order. Even in the one year when they had couples competing loneliness was a big factor. Hunting and trapping had poor results, fishing was marginally better. It's a very tough go although "Alone" is weighed against the competitor because they seem to start in the late fall which doesn't give you a chance to stock up on food for the winter. There was a British show where groups of people were sent out to survive and I think they did better but there was a lot of in fighting. That could have been reality show editing though.

[bjrogg]

Even using modern technology it is difficult living off the land but not impossible. Probably not the way your thinking though. More like homesteading. Raising crops and vegetables. Feed for livestock. Taking care of those animals and keeping them safe from predators and healthy. Storing that feed for the winter for both your animals and your family. Selling or trading extra for other things you will require.

I've been living off the land for almost my entire life. Just not the same way as your thinking. I very much love and respect the land. I try my best to take care of it. Protect it from erosion. Keep it healthy and fertile with cover crops and fertilizer. The more I can get from my land the more that can be left as wilderness.

Which could be more the question your really asking. Can a person live off the wilderness. I think it's possible. It would be very difficult though. I do think it would still require raising some crops and livestock. Especially anyplace that had regulations for hunting and trapping.

I'll stick with my farming. It's challenging enough

Bjrogg

[dylanholderman]

This  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[PEARL DRUMS]

I would say its completely impossible anywhere or anytime.

[Hawkdancer]

Got to agree with BJ!  Pearly isn't too far off the mark, though!  Most of the Native American tribes did some sort of " farming" and storing food for winter, and still had a high starvation rate.  Early spring was a rough time. 
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

Yup . There's a reason the life expectancy was half of what it is now.
Bjrogg

Actually the Native Americans taught us a lot about farming.
Bjrogg

[burtonridr]

At one point I had a similar view. After a lot of reading about people I thought lived that type of life(trappers and explorers in my case), I learned that what they were actually doing wasn’t so much “living off the land”, but “earning a living off the land”. Sure they would do a lot of what I think we imagine, but their primary focus was usually pursuing something that had value to be traded for the things they needed. Everything else was purely to survive.

In my view to "live off the land" in this day in age, I would search for areas with lots of resources for basic necessities that you can rightfully use to survive and make a living.

[jimmi the sammi]

Recommended reading on this topic:  Payne Hollow, Life on the fringe of society by Harlan Hubbard.  Copyright 1974.  Obviously printed a long time ago but still very interesting reading and relevant to this conversation.

[JEB]

Easiest way is to sign up for the show Alone, get picked and find out. Otherwise, X2 what Pearl wrote, can't happen legally in the lower 48.

[SLIMBOB]

I consider myself an outdoorsman.  It is something I have been interested in since I was very young, maybe 6 or 7.  Love to hunt, fish, trap, forage.  I have a decent grasp on edible plants, snares, deadfalls yadda yadda.  But I gotta tell ya, being alone is a completely different animal from having a companion along.  Completely different.  I have gone out with a blanket and water, a little dried meat. The first night alone is unsettling.  The next day lasts an eternity and the second night is worse than the first.  Every sound is amplified.  The imagination runs wildly in all directions.  2-3 days is about my limit and that's a stretch.  When my dog is along, no problem.  But completely alone is just....impossible to explain and make sense of it.

[Chief RID]

I think community is where it is at. I love the "modern" lifestyle and would never choose to be different but the romance of the wilderness and living alone is more than compelling. That said, learning all you can about survival and primitive skills is fun and money in the bank. Especially these days. For those who do go out alone on the mountain to hunt, fish, or just experience for days at a time, no matter how well supplied; have my utmost respect. Learning from those folks is a gift but mastering skills is the best.