How the Wild West was won with Ray Mears

[petrochemicals]

a wierd fact I found out is that the native population of the americas declined by up to 95% shortley after columbus. Either cervantes or migellan documented a huge and advanced culture down the amazon when they sailed down there. Much of the pristine forest is actually reforested land that used to be arrable, with multitudes of people. 50 years later when another spanish explorer returned there was nothing, and ever since Migellan or whoever was assumed to be making up stories. In actual fact the diseases that swept through the continents emptied it of people almost entirely in a short time, probably the greatest pamdemic event in the history of the earth, and only recent exploration of the amazon has shown up the archeology. The multitudes of buffalo where probably just a surplus, if 95% more red indians hunted buffalo the population would be alot thinner on the ground.

They also had no horses, and thus no use for the wheel. No real metal, just a little used alloy of gold.

 

[Imagedude]

Great programme idea, shame that they couldn't find a more suitable presenter.

 

[santaman2000]

You can farm Bison, there's a Bison Farm in Wiltshire, it's where the Wilderness Gathering is held each year.i agree I prefer it to beef as well
http://www.bisonfarm.co.uk

There's a small farm near here as well. Buffalo is indeed healthier meat. But alas, it's also tougher and is easily overcooked. Unless it's been crossed with beef cattle. And if it has been crossed, it has to be sold as "buffalo" or "bison" rather than beef by law here.

The advantages of farming buffalo (over beef) are:
-hardier and require less care
-larger animals and a premium price at market

The disadvantages:
-they're never really domesticated and remain dangerous to work around and more difficult to contain
-they carry brucellosis and can infect beef herds (although they're incredibly resistant to it themselves)

 

[santaman2000]

a wierd fact I found out is that the native population of the americas declined by up to 95% shortley after columbus. Either cervantes or migellan documented a huge and advanced culture down the amazon when they sailed down there. Much of the pristine forest is actually reforested land that used to be arrable, with multitudes of people. 50 years later when another spanish explorer returned there was nothing, and ever since Migellan or whoever was assumed to be making up stories. In actual fact the diseases that swept through the continents emptied it of people almost entirely in a short time, probably the greatest pamdemic event in the history of the earth, and only recent exploration of the amazon has shown up the archeology. The multitudes of buffalo where probably just a surplus, if 95% more red indians hunted buffalo the population would be alot thinner on the ground.

They also had no horses, and thus no use for the wheel. No real metal, just a little used alloy of gold.

And no written language.

 

[boatman]

Beefalo are in the UK. We used to see them near the Cotswolds Rare Breeds Farm. I enjoy the Mears programmes, could use more information content but that is what books are for after watching it.

 

[peaks]

Buffalo meat (water buffalo) is easy available in the UK - not the same I grant you - but a good alternative to beef. Healthier in terms of lower cholesterol + very tasty. Several herds in the uk including one here in Derbyshire.

 

[Laurentius]

And no written language.

The Mayans certainly had writing, hence those dire calendar predictions for 2012

I think the Aztecs and some other tribes had writing too.

 

[knifefan]

This us not a "dig" at uncle ray. But watching him lying down with bino's stalking buffalo made me chuckle!!! Having spent some time in montana & wyoming you soon find that 95% of the buffalo are so used to humans that you can get within touching range quite easily!!! In fact a ranger I met related quite a few horror stories of parents putting their kids on the backs of buffalos!!! Then complaining when the buffalo runs off with said child!!!!!

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

 

[Seadog]

Yes there were. At least there were either Mammoths or Mastodons. Not sure which though. TBH I'm not completely sure what the difference is.

A "carry over from the stone age?" LOL. The native Americans were actually still in the stone age until the Europeans arrived. It seems incredulous considering the level of civilization achieved by the Mayens, Aztecs, and Incas. None-the-less, they were in the stone age; no metal tools at all.

I would be careful about flinging terms like "civilization" around especially re the Maya, Aztecs and Incas - too much repression of underclass groups and sacrifice for my liking - almost as bad as rampant exploitative economics of the 19th century Europeans and non-native Americans

 

[Blaidd]

By those standards no civilisations would stand scrutiny. The Ancient Greek civilisation relied on slaves to allow the "free" people to attend the "democratic" forum. I think we have to allow that "Civilisations" are rarely "civilised" in all aspects.

Edit: just reread my post and it sounded a little abrupt. Should a thrown a smiley or two in there!

 

[santaman2000]

By those standards no civilisations would stand scrutiny. The Ancient Greek civilisation relied on slaves to allow the "free" people to attend the "democratic" forum. I think we have to allow that "Civilisations" are rarely "civilised" in all aspects.

What he said. The Mayans had a level of civilization comparable to the ancient Egyptians (and NO! That comparison is not due to both having pyramids) The Incan Empire stretched the length of the Andes.

 

[santaman2000]

The Mayans certainly had writing, hence those dire calendar predictions for 2012

I think the Aztecs and some other tribes had writing too.

The Mayan calendar didn't make any dire predictions. It didn't make any predictions at all. It was our generation that made all those predictions based on their calendar.

They certainly had a fantastic grasp of mathematics and astronomy. But no, they had no true written language. Just the symbols for the numeric; and the Incas passed info by a system of knotted cords.

 

[MikeLA]

There's a small farm near here as well. Buffalo is indeed healthier meat. But alas, it's also tougher and is easily overcooked. Unless it's been crossed with beef cattle. And if it has been crossed, it has to be sold as "buffalo" or "bison" rather than beef by law here.

The advantages of farming buffalo (over beef) are:
-hardier and require less care
-larger animals and a premium price at market

The disadvantages:
-they're never really domesticated and remain dangerous to work around and more difficult to contain
-they carry brucellosis and can infect beef herds (although they're incredibly resistant to it themselves)

It makes you wonder with 60 million of them, why they were never managed then instead of beef. I can imagine the long horns of the beef cattle being pretty dangerous too. Still too late now.

 

[santaman2000]

Exactly. I've often wished they'd done that as well. Managed the buffalo as a crop instead of supplanting that is. But the reasons they didn't are three-fold:

1) As I said, they are never really domesticated and are more difficult to work, contain (that said, they could have been managed with different techniques)
2) The government wanted to clear them off the land for row crops as well though
3) Eliminating them was a goal in order to deliberately deny a food sourse to the Indians and thus make it easier to control them (the Indians)

 

[CLEM]

I caught up with the the last two programmes in the series last night, watched all three back to back actually. Had a Raymondo Mears fest so to speak Blummin excellent, I really enjoyed the whole series. First rate!

 

[Idleknight]

Watched the 3rd one last night, good stuff
Am assuming there will be a book to go with the series, there normally is

 

[Steve27752]

..............and he had a new knife.......................More of a 'Bowie' style.

 

[MartiniDave]

I'm hoping there will be extended dvd's with a few extras.

Dave