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A
natomy of the Paiute Deadfall
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Thin,flat rock,bark or woodchip
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@ Patrick McShane 1993
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Anatomy of the Paiute DeadfallConstruction and Use
General Information
Whenever I hiked through the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains or the vastexpanses of the High Mountain Deserts of the Pacific Northwest, I carried withme a few
PD System Sets
(
P
aiute
D
eadfall
S
ystem) in the off chance that Imight have to rely upon them to kill a few small game animals for food. ThePDS units provided for me several meals of broiled rabbit or squirrel when I wasfacing hunger. Poor planning was the reason for my lack of food, so I had noone but myself to blame for being in such a poor position. Thanks to my Native American friends, who taught me from a very early age, how to survive in anykind of environmental setting. I am convinced, after hundreds of meals providedfor me by the PDS, I am alive today and survived circumstances that might havebeen the destruction for less trained and experienced woodsmen. I also believethat there is no place in the entire North American continent where small gameanimals do not abound and can be obtained within a very short period of time.What follows, then, is an extensive description of the construction and Use of thePaiute Deadfall System (PDS). I have been chided into providing theseinstructions by others who, after reviewing the single illustration ‘Anatomy of thePaiute Deadfall’, insisted that I provide the ‘rest of the story.’ So here it is. This isa compilation of hundreds of sessions with my PDS. I hope that you will not onlyfind it educational but worth knowing and learning how to make and use yourown PDS.
If you follow these instructions to the letter, Results are Guaranteed.
Respect for Nature
Before you consider the need of making and using a PDS you must first makecertain that you have the proper attitude towards the taking of the life of one of Nature’s small creatures. The PDS is an instrument of death and you must becertain that by using the PDS, death should be as swift and painless as possible.Most Native American tribes report that in their oral tradition when someone,even a youth, killed even a small animal, he would ask permission of theintended victim to take it’s life, and only then because by killing the animalhumans would live and prosper. The very Spirit of that animal would come intothe body of the PDS user. The Animal Spirit would become part of the HumanSpirit.Should you find yourself alone, making this decision is not difficult. If there isno other means to obtain food, then you must make and use a PDS.Should you find yourself in a group of people, making this decision will not beeasy. The same rules apply; respect for nature, and a need that can not be metby any other method. There applies the ‘Law of Simple Majority’.Should you find yourself in a group of people containing children, making this
decision will be even more difficult depending upon the age of the children. Myrule is, PG-13. Children under the age of thirteen must be shielded from allaspects of the PDS that deal with seeing the animal killed, prepared, etc. Theymust be encouraged to understand why it is necessary as well as eating some of the broiled meat, but they should never be forced to eat. When they get hungryenough, they will ask for their portion of the meat.If everyone is on the same page then no time should be wasted in making andusing your PDS.
Step 1
You must answer a few questions before you decide to make and use a PDS. Are there signs (tracks, Burroughs, trees, hiding places, mounds, scat, hair, etc.)that tell of recent small animal activity.
Q
: Are my surroundings appropriate living conditions for small game animals?
A
: No, move on.
A
: Yes, stop wasting time and start gathering the items you will need to makethe PDS. Select at least five locations where you believe you have the bestchances to be successful with the PDS. These locations should be about threeminutes apart and placed in such locations that animals have to see and smellthe alluring bait that you are using. Game trails are ideal locations especiallywhere there is a restricted passages that forces the game to pass within a fewcentimeters of the bait. This will give you a fifteen to twenty minute spreadbetween PSD units.
Step 2Be Prepared
. You must know how to construct a PDS before you can…Youshould have taken the time, well in advance of any excursion into thewilderness, to have made several demonstration models of the PDS and havedone so. In fact, if you were thinking ahead, you may even have one of those ‘backup PDS’ with you, just in case you might need one. If not, oh well! Startcollecting the items you must have.
Knife
(Hunting-Whittling-Survival-Personal-Tool) locking blade with acombination serration (3.5mm) and pointed-cutting (5mm) edge of the best andhardest steal. The handle must be of the finest, rot-proof, water proof,indestructible, composite material. The top of the blade must have an angledserrated thumb spot as well as the standard sloping, angled flat, non-cuttingsurface. No expense should be spared when buying this knife. I spent about$150 for my personal knife and it saw me through many tight spots over a fiftyyear period. It never failed me and it never dulled, broke, lost a serration, orotherwise failed me when I had to depend upon that knife. I still have that knifeand will never part with it even though I am living in a nursing home.
Step 3
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