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Spitting a Rabbit and Historic Bushcraft Cooking Systems

Here's how to make some old world, bushcraft cooking systems from woodland resources. Plus you get to see how to cook a rabbit on a spit over an open fire.

Bushcraft expert Dan Wowak joins Jon Townsend in this episode of Townsends - The American Frontier. Wowak instructs on how early Americans would have installed efficient cooking systems in their campsites.

He shows how to set up various pot hanging systems, such as a tripod and forked stick suspension, by utilizing natural materials found in the surrounding woods. Of course these kinds of systems are of interest to modern day campers and bushcrafters as well.

Of particular interest is Wowak's method of spitting a rabbit and cooking it over the open fire. He uses two slender sticks to keep the carcass from spinning on the spit, and employs a forked stick spit to ensure that the rabbit cooks evenly as it is turned over the fire.

Admittedly, some of this is basic Boy Scout knowledge, but there's a lot to be gained from adhering to the old Boy Scout handbook. And Wowak adds a couple of ingenious little twists to make the job even easier.

Townsend's channel is broadening its subject matter to include much more than early American cooking and recipes. It's a natural and wonderful progression for the company, and provides a great learning tool for anyone interested in early American life in general.

Wowak also has a very informative bushcraft YouTube channel. I'd encourage you to give it a look, as he covers a great many outdoor subjects.

Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.

NEXT: Planked Fish Over an Open Fire at Mount Vernon

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