Once you have taken care of the meat you can start using the other parts of
the animal. Nothing should go to waste.
Fat - Fat is rich in calories and should be included in survival
meals. The rendered fat can also be used as a lubricant, a fuel, and to make
torches.
Feathers - These can be used as insulation, fletching for arrows, and
for dangling from a string above a trap to attract predators.
Hide - Brain-tanned hides can be made into clothing, bags, moccasins,
hats, mittens and gloves. Rawhide can be used for laces, straps, parfletches,
pouches, containers, shields, and drum heads. The hair that was removed from the
hide can be used as insulation, baskets, fletching for arrows, weaving, and
cordage. The ears, tails, and scrotum make good pouches.
Hooves - These can be crushed and boiled into glue and neatsfoot oil.
Head - The tongue can be eaten. The brains can also be eaten or used
to tan hides, and the skinned out head could be thrown into a stew pot.
Internal organs - These spoil quickly so use them soon. The wind pipe
can be used as a blow tube. In areas that are not heavily polluted, eat the
heart, liver and kidneys. Intestines can be cleaned out and dried, then used as
sausage skins for food storage or twisted and pulled, making cordage for bow
strings or thongs. The bladder and stomach make storage and cooking vessels.
What little is left can be used as bait for carnivores.
Sinew - This is the strongest natural material and when dried and
pounded can be made into excellent thread, fishline, bowstrings, lashing and
snare line.
Bones - The fresh marrow can be eaten and the bones made into fish
hooks, awls, needles, blow tubes, scrapers, arrowheads, knives, chisels, spear
points, and barbs for fish spears. They can also be ground into bone meal.
Antler can be used about the same as bone and can also be used for knapping
tools.
