Customer Reviews

Survival Poaching

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a lifelong (now retired) conservation officer, I can assure you that the author knew precisely how (and when) to poach game better than anyone I ever came across over my 25 years of government service. While I do not agree with much of his venom about the world at large, I cannot deny that Benson's techniques will enable and empower would-be poachers nationwide.

One of his shrewd techniques, for example, is to post "No Hunting" signs on land owned by absentee landowners. Such signs only keep out the good hunters and provide a sort of private preserve for the poacher who posts such signs on land that he doesn't even own. Benson also gets into fish trapping (which works) and how to "blow ponds" with chemical bombs. Probably the most notable facet of this work is the emphasis on WHEN to poach, catching wardens sleeping in bed and away on holiday!

Is this a great book? I can't say, really, except to note that every technique that Benson lists is quite effective for getting around the fish and game laws as well as befuddling the average game warden. "Survival Poaching" was originally only available through Paladin Press (an underground press) and I have owned a copy for many years.

When one considers Benson's anarchist view of the game laws, you come to realize that the "survival aspect" of this book is NOT really for the weekend hiker who gets lost in the woods. It's for the "survivalist" who maintains a bunker mentality about revolution and the downfall of government -- for the guy who wants to make it after our current lifstyle is rendered to dust... should that ever occur. *.*

I also found the work to be darkly humorous, albeit it was never the author's intent that the work be so considered. In fact, it is primarily for casual reading that I recommend this unique work of outdoor lore.

I have had this book in my collection for 5 years. It does help if you have an open mind while reading it. This book is absolutely not about depleting the surrounding area of wildlife of all kinds for years & years. I think the author was trying to get this point across to the reader...modern hunting techniques will not work to your benefit in a "Survival" situation.(period) If you are interested in information & diagrams of: Snares, Traps, Urban survival, And collecting numerous animal foods & protecting yuorself in a "Survival Poaching" manner this book is for you.

This book is an awesome book to have in your survival library, as are the rest of Ragnar's books. Read "A Game Warden's review" if you havent already, his take on this book is spot on. My reason for buying this book, knowing how to get something to eat when this country falls apart. There is a ton of information in this book and if your already into survival / prepardness or just getting started, its worth reading and having on hand if that day ever comes.

I first read this book from Paladin Press about 30 years ago. It still ranks as one of my favorites. Ragnar may spin a few tall tales in the course of this book, but that is part of his charm. I am a life long hunter and fisherman (on two continents incidentally), and while I have generally tried to hew to the rules, game laws seemingly the world over are so convoluted that complete compliance is rarely possible unless you want to dance to the tune of brainless bureaucrats most of the time. When Ragnar writes of how to avoid falling into the clutches of the game warden, he most definitely knows what he is talking about. Incidentally long after the reading this book I studied law, which gave me even deeper appreciation of the wisdom of Ragnar. READ THIS BOOK. Even if you are not an aspiring poacher or survivalist, you will be entertained while learning at the same time.

a Great book. educational too. whether your on one side of the law or the other. great stories, tips, overall well written. this book made me look further into Mr Bensons writings. So far its his best yet. I totally enjoyed this one and have read it 3 different times. outstanding

This is the best book I have found on reducing animals to possession. I have not used many of these traps, none at all in over a decade, but I grew up on a farm and many of these I learned about as a child from relatives and friends. The author also spends some time discussing managing your area to enhance the amount of game available, including discouraging hunters and other poachers, and purposely making game more wary.

This is also a very readable and entertaining book with many, often humorous, anecdotes illustrating various techniques, and their drawbacks.

One reviewer said this book is more for poaching than survival because of its emphasis on not getting caught. Not getting caught is more important in a serious, widespread survival situation than in modern day poaching; the latter will result in a fine, and maybe jail time at the worst, in the former you could end up dead with the person who caught you appropriating your catch.

The title of this book is misleading Mr Benson maybe should have named this Poaching to Feed Your Family instead of Survival Poaching. This is a good companion to Ragnar's Urban Survival book. There is not much information that would help you in a wilderness survival situation. If you want some wilderness survival information A good place to start is the U.S. Air Force Survival Handbook along with Wilderness Survival by Gregory J. Davenport. Professional training would be the best because these books will not teach you everything you need to know but will increase your chances by a very wide margin if you can learn what they teach. The info in this book is worth knowing just in case of hard times. All in all I enjoyed reading Mr Benson's book.

I had thought that this book would focus on "survival methods" for capturing game in emergencies. It does in a way, but it's real focus is purely on illegal taking of game, emergency or not. As such, it has a lot of attention on the "how not to get caught" -- this might be entertaining, but it's not what I had in mind, hence my lower rating. Still, not a bad book.

I almost tossed this one, then continued to read it as "fiction"...making it worth a laugh. If you are interested in hunting/poaching I think you will be greatly disappointed, although there are a few morsels inside.

This book gives good information on how to trap a wide range of animals and while I doubt some of the traps work it is still a very good read. Having said this I beleave most do work and having tried some of them myself I know alot do work.