There's more than one way to skin a cat, so they say. While I'm not sure why you would want to skin a cat — it probably wouldn't taste very good, and the fur won't be very warm — the same train of thought applies to acquiring food. While it will require much less energy to gather edible plants, it also won't yield as many calories, and it can be dangerous if you aren't certain of what you're eating.

For that reason, many methods have been developed to hunt game, specifically using traps. While snares are a favorite for many people, they can be difficult to put together if you don't have much for cordage. For that reason, deadfall traps are another very popular way to go.

One deadfall trap, in particular, the Paiute Deadfall Trap, was in use for thousands of years with the Native Americans in the western half of the United States. Learn how to construct this trap on the next page.

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