WILDERNESS SCHOOL COURSES
Skills 1: PRIMITIVE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL, AWARENESS, AND TRACKING
Our signature course. An intense week-long experience covering the fundamentals of pure survival. Lectures, demonstrations, and workshops on topics including; debris shelters, friction fires, stone tools, water purification, and natural cordage. Learn the basics of animal tracking, and nature awareness. Identify and gather wild edible plants and enjoy a primitively cooked meal. Become invisible using primitive camouflage. And learn to make your own aboriginal traps, and hunting weapons, for small game. This course is the perfect overview of the skills necessary to become a primitive wilderness survivalist.
Skills 2: ADVANCED PRIMITIVE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
In our skills 1 course, we focus on the basic skills necessary for short term survival situations. In skills 2, we make the transition to the skills necessary for long term primitive survival. Some of the topics covered include; multi-person shelters, bone tools, large game hunting weapons, brain tanning, primitive fishing, pottery, baskets, arrowhead making, and of course, more tracking, and awareness. This course opens the door to any ecosystem. Learn to live lavishly off the land, using only your skills, and what the earth provides.
Primitive Bows: BUILD YOUR OWN PRIMITIVE HUNTING BOW
Over the course of a few days, you will personally turn a natural hardwood stave, into a shooting bow. This course is mostly hands-on workshop, with a few short lectures, at key points in the process. You will learn all of the steps necessary for building, and using primitive bows; gathering, profiling, tillering, string making, and of course, shooting. We build and use many different styles of aboriginal bows, out of the native preferred species of bow woods. Everything from “self-bows” Used for all-purpose hunting weapons, to native culture specific, museum quality replicas. This course can be taken many times, each time building something new, and more challenging.
Primitive Arrows: BUILD YOUR OWN PRIMITIVE HUNTING ARROW
In just a few days, you will personally turn a hardwood sapling, into a shooting arrow. This course is mostly hands-on workshop, with a few short lectures, at key points in the process. You will learn all of the steps necessary for building quality primitive arrows; gathering, straightening, fletching, arrowhead selection, and hafting with natural fibers and glues. We build and use many different styles of aboriginal arrows, out of the native preferred species of arrow woods. Everything from “self arrows” used for all-purpose hunting weapons, to native culture specific, museum quality replicas. This course can be taken many times, each time building something new, and more challenging.
Primitive Fishing: BUILD AND USE YOUR OWN PRIMITIVE FISHING EQUIPMENT
The ability to catch fish is an essential primitive survival skill. Fishable water presents itself in many forms, adaptability is always the key to success. During this course, a wide variety of aboriginal fishing gear, and tactics, will be covered in detail. Learn hook & line, bow fishing, trapping, netting, spearing, and other gathering techniques, as well as cooking and preservation. A valid fishing license is necessary if you wish to use the tackle you create during the class. We have fished primitively, in salt and freshwater worldwide. You never know where we might teach this class next.
Stone Tools: MAKE YOUR OWN PRIMITIVE STONE TOOLS
This course is a “how-to” on the ancient skill of “flintknapping”, or the chipping of stone, into working arrowheads, spearpoints, and knife blades. Gain direct experience with every stage of reduction; spalling, billet percussion, pressure flaking, and notching. Turning dull rocks, into razor sharp stone tools. We have created and used stone tools for hunting and survival worldwide. Replicating artifacts from a wide variety of raw materials, and many different cultural periods. Everything from opal to quartzite, and from Clovis to Cahokia. Whether you are a beginner, or an advanced “knapper’, we can sharpen your skill.
Predator Tracking: TRACK THE MOST ELUSIVE ANIMALS IN NORTH AMERICA
The master list of predators in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem is staggering. There are grizzlies, wolves, mountain lion, lynx, and wolverine to name but a few. Even here, these creatures are elusive. They avoid detection by living in remote and rugged territory. The tracks they leave tell their story. In this workshop, you will learn to read those stories. The majority of this class is spent trailing animals, in the most beautiful classroom on earth, the Northern Rockies. Lots of actual “dirt time”, with a few lectures mixed in, on topics including; track identification, track patterns, gaits, and pressure releases. Come learn the skills necessary for tracking North Americas wildest predators.
Primitive Hunting:
Hunting for nearly four decades, and exclusively with aboriginal equipment for over twenty years, Bill Mcconnell has taken a diverse array of big game using only ancient tools. Bison, elk, caribou, bear, antelope, wild boar, and multiple species of deer and turkey, have all fallen to his museum quality replications of native hunting weapons. In the field hunting experience morning and afternoon, and lectures mid-day and evening, on topics such as communal hunting tactics, solo hunting tactics, ambush, spot and stalk, animal behavior, sign tracking, concealment, shot placement, wounded game recovery, butchering, preservation, and more. Legal hunting licenses and tags required if you choose to hunt during the course. A camera can always be used instead of a bow.
Survival by Hunting:
Very little of the overall amount of knowledge that it takes to survive primitively, is tied up in the skills associated with the procurement of shelter, water, and fire. The obtaining of food is where the bulk of the information lies. Hunting primitively is very difficult, and absolutely essential to long term primitive survival. We have seen this demonstrated on most of these “reality” television shows, with so called survival experts, starving and emaciated, lamenting over their lack of primitive hunting prowess. How did the prehistoric hunters of North America so effectively feed themselves, and their people? “the creator did not make us to work, but to live by hunting” – crazy horse The past skills ‘survival by hunting’ program is a unique 3-month long experience. The focus of the entire program is hunting and trapping from a prehistoric native perspective. You will learn individual and communal aboriginal hunting techniques for large and small game. You will build and use the stone age weapons and traps needed to feed yourself. Multiple species of large and small game will be studied and hunted primitively. Class is taught 3 days a week, for 3 months. Register early to ensure hunting license and tag availability.
Yamabushi: 6-MONTH RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Spend 6 months focusing on the primitive skills of your choice, in a small community of like-minded people. “Yamabushi”, or forest warrior monks, were a loose group of ancient people, from pre-recorded history. They were known for spending extended periods of time alone in the wilderness. They sought enlightenment through a deep understanding of nature, and self. The Yamabushi were masters of survival, known for their arduous lifestyle, extreme feats of endurance, and their skill with the bow, and the lance. The Yamabushi residency program is designed to be experience based, hands-on, and in-depth. Learning a skill, and then going out into wilderness, and using that skill. On the first day of class, the limited number of students collectively decides which skills we will focus on for the 6 months. Each individual in the program, getting to work on the skills of their choice. Primitive wilderness survival, awareness, and tracking, will be focused on, and lived, for 6 straight months. Class is taught three days a week, three weeks a month, plus extended trips, in the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, outside of Bozeman, Montana. With travel periodically to other locations, and ecosystems. Bill Mcconnell is the primary instructor, with visiting experts, for certain skills. If you are a dedicated individual, that wants to live the primal life, then Yamabushi is the program for you.
Atl-atl: MAKE AND USE YOUR OWN ATL-ATL AND DART
This is one of the oldest weapons used by mankind. The spear thrower or Atl-atl is called by many names and has been used globally by many cultures since the paleo era. They are highly effective on a wide variety of game and fish and are easily made and used. Learn multiple styles, from multiple continents, then build a working thrower and dart. Construction, use, and hunting strategy will be covered in detail. Mammoth and ground sloth beware.
Primitive Fire: BUILD AND USE YOUR OWN PRIMITIVE FIRE KIT
The ability to make fire-by-friction is a core primitive wilderness survival skill. In this workshop you will learn to gather the proper materials and make weatherproof fire structures. You will carve a working primitive fire kit out of local materials. You will learn multiple techniques of creating fire-by-friction, for a variety of ecosystems. Giving you the knowledge to manifest fire anywhere, no matter what the weather conditions. Bow drill, hand drill, fire saw, fire plow, fire piston, and more. Learn to literally rub two sticks together and make fire.
Awareness & Nature Observation:
AWARENESS IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIMITIVE SKILL
Increase your powers of perception by learning to use the five physical senses in a heightened state, and at their most effective. Exercises in this program are designed to tap into your primal instincts. Get more out of your time spent in nature, by learning how to observe, and interpret more acutely.
Vision Quest:
The vision quest is an ancient rite that is common in one form or another to many indigenous cultures worldwide. Questing involves an individual sitting alone in the wilderness for four days and nights, fasting from everything but water, seeking clarity of purpose. Free from the distractions of modern society. This profound experience is not for everybody, but those who are called to quest are forever empowered by their “solo” into the wilderness. We provide a wilderness quest, with guidance in preliminary preparation, non-invasive in quest monitoring, and post quest help with techniques to enhance the clarification of personal vision.
Primitive Camouflage:
LEARN TO BECOME INVISIBLE WITH PRIMITIVE CAMOUFLAGE
The ability to conceal your movements and your form is necessary if you wish to observe nature up close and personal. Primitive hunting requires you to be just a few feet from unsuspecting game animals, close enough for your primitive weapons to be effective. Knowing how to blend into the landscape, and how to use clay and mud for camouflage, is an art form that was perfected by prehistoric hunters. Learn their techniques for disappearing in plain sight, using only natural materials. You will also learn to create your own camo clothing. Allowing you to make your own patterns specific to the regions and seasons of your choice.