More livestock, small game, dogs than elk, moose (good, light, caliber)

[zonest]

the 308 just aint needed for survival in the lower 48 states. not nearly as badly as a silenced .22lr is needed, that much is certain. When you LIVE out there with the critters, you'll get many stationary sub 100 yd shots per year. the 223 auto-carbine can brain big critters at such ranges. Also, it's pretty easy to festoon a lot of game trails with cable-loops, attached to drag logs. A half a dozen such loops, set 2-3" up above the ground, can all be attached to one drag log. Make the log about 10" in OD at the big end and at least 10 ft long. The critter exhausts itself in about half a mile and a blind man can follow such a trail (literally). So don't limit yourself to a .30 caliber rifle for shtf, just over some imaginary "need" to be able to take big critters, cause it aint so. You won't need to take more than a couple of elk per year, or one moose, and actually, if shtf, the game will all be GONE in a month or 2, anyway. A 223, with good softpoint ammo, is a fine manstopper and an ok taker of deer. The latter should be limited to 150 yds of range, as if would also be the case if you had a 30-30, AK, SKS, or .44 magnum lever gun. :-) Quite a bit further, too, than is feasible with 12 ga slugs or the 30 Carbine, or the 44-40 (that Won the West)

[cowdog]

Gunkid?

[Elk Wallow]

All I need is a good recipe for raccoon and a havahart trap.

[zonest]

Why bother to live catch them? However, if you do so want, then leg hold traps don't hurt them, and you can transfer them to any cage from such a trap. if you want to keep them alive for a while. Just pin their neck with a forked stick (long one) cover them with your jacket, or use a snare loop on a pole to grab them around the neck. Conibears, snares, leg hold traps are much, much lighter and more compact than a havahart, so you can have many more sets and much better odss of catching at least something to eat.