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View Full Version : Has anybody ever camped out and fished for food?



DylonHike
12-12-2009, 05:29
Was thinking if i found a nice place on the trail to take a break for a day or 2 if it would be possible to just do some fishing/hunting for food

any input?

white_russian
12-12-2009, 05:51
Hunting: no, not practical for normal people (Eustis Conway did it regularly although that was the seventies i believe)

Fishing: the "hundred mile wilderness" area in Maine looked like it had a bunch of good fishing spots.

DylonHike
12-12-2009, 06:20
im not really a hunter, dont like killing fury animals but if i had a day where i couldnt catch fish and i had no food left i might have to resort to it.

Easy to say now than when im on the trail but since im going to be in the wilderness i dont really feel like staying in a hotel often or everytime i go through a town

Reid
12-12-2009, 09:13
Tenkara!

.....

ianjoe59
12-14-2009, 17:26
My wife and I fished throughout Maine and enjoyed camping next to the ponds (some even have canoes). It was finally nice enough out to enjoy it in Septemeber. We made sure we had a Maine fishing license though.

paradoxb3
12-17-2009, 00:30
im not really a hunter, dont like killing fury animals but if i had a day where i couldnt catch fish and i had no food left i might have to resort to it.


then save the weight of the gun and fishing gear and take a few days more food instead. when theres not a rabbit or squirrel to be found, and no creeks big enough for even a crawdad to survive in, much less trout, for 20 miles in either direction, you'll thank me.

this comes up alot. the quick answer is always "no, its a bad idea."

why? the AT is a busy place in thru-hiker season. oh, you'll see plenty of wild animals, but they'll probably all be the same species as you. i'll be one of them next year -- please do not shoot me.

for fishing, you'll need a license for each state... as far as i can recall in georgia the AT only crosses maybe 1 stream where you could catch trout (Noontootla Creek) without taking you miles and miles away from the trail. and it has strict regulations (artificial lures only, AND a minimum length of 16 inches -- be in posession of live bait or undersized fish, and well... there goes a big chunk of your thru-hike fund). not to mention trout season in georgia doesnt start until March 26th in 2010.

finally, ask yourself this... "do i expect to be able to step off the trail and in 30 minutes have killed/caught/gathered a delicious tasty meal?" probably not. hunting/fishing for edibles takes time. lots of it. HOURS, maybe even all day. so what are you out there to do, thru-hike or hunt/fish?

gravy4601
12-17-2009, 01:14
i cary some fishing line and 2 diffrent sise's of hooks just incase

paradoxb3
12-18-2009, 21:50
i re-read my post... and i hope my comments weren't taken as too harsh. it just seems like this question comes up every month or so, and the answer is always "bad idea." just think about it like this -- you've watched survivorman, right? theres maybe 2 episodes i can think of in which he wasnt basically starved and half dead by the end of the week. and this guy is an expert and does his homework. it just doesnt work...

prain4u
12-19-2009, 22:13
It is probably not a very practical idea to hunt, fish, and gather as your sole means of obtaining food on the Appalachian Trail. It can also be pretty expensive to do it in a legal manner. Thus, I'd say, buy your food and guarantee yourself a proper supply of nutrition for your hike

It takes a great deal of time (and "luck") to hunt, fish, and gather. Then, once you catch it or kill it, you still have to clean it and cook it. When would you find time to hike?

It can be expensive (and add much pack weight) to have the proper lures, bait, poles, traps, snares or weapons needed to hunt and fish. In many places you can only use certain types of bait or lures for fishing--which generally will need to be purchased locally. This adds to the financial cost and the amount of time consumed.

Furthermore, there are places along the trail where hunting, killing animals, picking berries---and sometimes even fishing--are prohibited by Federal or State law.

Many States have strict regulations regarding the kinds of fish, the size of the fish and the number of fish that you can catch. There are also very specific fishing SEASONS for many kinds of fish. You can't just go "catch and cook" any type of fish that just so happens to take your bait and hook (on any ol' day of the year). There are lots of rules to learn--and every State has DIFFERENT rules!

Finally, to do it legally, you would probably need a fishing and/or hunting license in each State in which you hunted or fished. That can be very expensive when you add it up.

Here is what some QUICK research unearthed regarding NON-RESIDENT fishing license fees in each of the States of the Appalachian Trail. In most of these States--if you fish for trout--there is a very expensive "Trout Stamp" fee in addition to the basic fees listed here. NOTE: I do not promise that this is the latest or greatest information regarding NON-RESIDENT fishing license fees for any State--it is just what my QUICK research revealed):

GEORGIA: 3 Day License: $20.00 Annual License: $45.00

NORTH CAROLINA: 10 Day License: $10.00

TENNESSEE: 3 Day License: $16.50 10 Day License: $25.00

VIRGINIA: 5 Day License: $16.00

WEST VIRGINIA: 1 Day License: $3.00 Annual License: $36.00

MARYLAND: 3 Day Non-Resident Fishing License: Maryland will charge you what a comparable Non-Resident fishing license would cost in YOUR State.

PENNSYLVANIA: 3 Day License: $26.70 10 Day License: $34.70

NEW JERSEY: 2 Day License: $9.00 7 Day License: $19.50

NEW YORK: 1 Day License: $15.00 7 Day License: $35.00

CONNECTICUT: 3 Day License: $32.00

MASSACHUSETTS: 3 Day License: $23.50

VERMONT: 1 Day License: $15.00 3 Day License: $20.00 7 Day License: $30.00

NEW HAMPSHIRE: 1 Day License: $ 10.00 Annual License: $35.00

MAINE: 1 Day License: $11.00 3 Day License: $23.00 7 Day License: $43.00

To fish for just roughly 3 days in each of these States would cost about $ 270.00 in license fees. (And that would cover just 42 days of the trip!). So, for a whole thru hike, you would probably be be paying $500-$700 in fishing license fees--WITHOUT PURCHASING ANY TROUT STAMPS. (Plus, you would have to find a way to OBTAIN each of those licenses while hiking!)

If you also hunt and/or trap animals--you would then need to obtain hunting/trapping licenses too. (Those can be even more expensive than fishing licenses!)

Some would say "skip getting the licenses". That is a good plan---until you get caught and fined. Some States have BIG fines for hunting or fishing without a license!

Then, there is no guarantee that you will get any fish or other animals after you spend all of that money and do all of that hard work.

My advice? Buy your food and save yourself the cost and the hassle!

Guy
12-20-2009, 11:25
It seems to me that if someone was taking a planned zero day, doing some fishing is practical as a form of relaxed recreation. Depending on it as a source of food whether while taking a zero or while hiking is another story.

Prain4u did some valuable research for you there. What struck me about that list, is not only would you have to spend all that money if you were to try and fish yourself down the trail, but you'd have to take the time to acquire the proper licensing. It would be a PITA, and slow you down.

Keep in mind the poachers are the one of the lowest forms of life in this country. Especially the ones that that are poaching not for subsistence, but for recreation. It shouldn't even be considered.

Whiskey Ninja
12-20-2009, 11:45
There is great fishing in VA but if you don't know where to go, you'll never find it. There are many many places on Skyline Dr and Blue Ridge Parkway to hike down a few miles to good fishing creeks. I wouldn't count on subsisting on the fish though. Mostly wild Brook trout and avg 6-8inches. Yes, you could take a day or two and do this. I did but I wasn't counting on fish to subsist on, I rarely keep what I catch. If you were to hunt, yes, it would be easy to score some small game. You will be breaking some laws though so keep it in mind.

Lone Wolf
12-20-2009, 11:49
Was thinking if i found a nice place on the trail to take a break for a day or 2 if it would be possible to just do some fishing/hunting for food

any input?
yes. plenty of places to hang out and fish

beakerman
12-20-2009, 12:46
I read the OP as being an option rather than a means of sustenance.

So if you come across a nice area and want to stay for a few days and fish it shouldn't be a problem from a technical stand point. There are plenty of "backpacking" fishing rods out there that telescope down to about a foot long. I used to keep one of these in my car so I could trout fish anytime I wanted. I've also packed many times when I went backpacking on other trails.

The real issue is the legality of it. You gotta pay the man to fish in his state that's all there is to it. That will be the biggest logistical hurdle for you. If you are section hiking and have done your homework you should be able to determine when, and where it would be beneficial to get a license and when it would be a waste of money.

jcb
12-21-2009, 23:31
If its something just to relax, and maybe eat what you catch, there are some stocked ponds that rent fishing equipment. I know there is one in Montebello, VA, about 5 miles off the trail.