The History Channel’s Alone season 12 began with 10 participants, and as episode four opens, six survivalists remain in South Africa’s Great Karoo Desert. Five of the six are featured in episode four, and fortunately all six are still in the hunt for the $500,000 grand prize as the episode ends.

“Finding Your Foothold” takes the action from day six through day nine. The following is a detailed recap and there are spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned!

Douglas Meyer: Age 57, Kannapolis, NC
Day 6, 8:17am – It’s 47 degrees and Douglas admits the night before was the coldest night yet. He’s realized he needs to beef up his shelter because it’s only going to get worse. Since there’s not much grass in his area, he uses bulrush to insulate his shelter. The History Channel reminds us that participants can’t bring sleeping bags but can bring bivy sacks.

10:22am – He talks about growing up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky as he works, saying it’s been a lifelong dream to make it to Africa. By 11:51am, he’s done with his shelter for the day.

Dug North: Age 53, Nashua, NH
Day 6, 12:07pm – Dug makes tea using buffalo thorn leaves, and while waiting for it to cool, he takes the decorative stitching off his belt. He hopes the resulting lure, which also has a feather and a tag from his underwear, will attract fish. Dug heads to the water while explaining that he grew up taking things apart. His dad was an avid fisherman and hunter, and it was always difficult to tell what his dad thought of him. That relationship still drives him, making him believe he needs to prove he’s worthy.

12:53pm – Dug comes across an impala carcass that isn’t very old and then continues to the water’s edge. It’s not long before a fish bites. Unfortunately, it gets away before he can grab it. He’s disappointed, but at least he knows the fish are biting in this area. On his way back to camp, he turns over a rock and finds a scorpion. He cuts off the stinger and decides to roast it. Up to this point he’s been eating purslane, sorrel, khaki bush, buffalo thorn leaves, and prickly pear. Dug’s never eaten a scorpion before, so he decides to overcook it, just to be safe.

3:18pm – The scorpion is super crunchy and has a seafood aftertaste. He gives it a thumbs up.

Baha Mahmutov: Age 50, Wharncliff, Ontario, Canada
Day 6, 3:37pm – The riverbank is creeping up, so Baha’s going to move his shelter back a few feet. He built his shelter to be light and mobile, and it’s super easy to move. He doesn’t have a ferro rod, so keeping the fire alive is a big priority. Baha’s determined to drink four or five liters of water a day.

He heads out to find food and admits hunting isn’t going well. It’s possible the smoke from his fire is keeping animals away. Baha didn’t bring a fishing kit, so he uses a rod, line, and hooks he built. He’s a good fisherman, and today he’s got a beetle and centipede for bait.

8:19pm – Back at camp by his fire, Baha confesses he doesn’t feel like he accomplished much today. A sound by the water gets his attention, and the line he left out catches a 30” catfish amounting to about 1,700 calories. It’s a lot of meat (and fat), and he cooks the head first since it’s the hardest to preserve.

Katie Rydge: Age 45, Emerald Beach, AUS
Day 7, 11:05am – Katie spots nine waterbuck on the side of the hill. She thinks it’s possible she can ambush them if she can figure out their movements. But that’s for later. Now, she heads to her fishing spot, hoping to supplement her diet of sweet thorn, acacia seeds, prickly pear, and buffalo thorn leaves. She caught an Orange River mudfish on the first day and hopes to land another today.

1:07pm – Today’s her son’s 12th birthday. She describes motherhood as a foundational part of her life. Her long-term relationship has ended, and she wants to make sure her kids are okay.

2:41pm – If she wins, she wants to buy a house for her two kids. Her attention’s drawn to an ibis further down the riverbank. She quietly heads toward it and takes a shot but misses because she aimed too low.

Back at camp, she thinks her son would tell her to just keep going with the fishing. She’ll throw in two lines tonight.

5:05pm – Katie returns to the riverbank and sets out her lines. Her life is in a transitional phase now, and she knows she’ll be different when she leaves Africa. “This is a journey of finding my independence and standing on my own two feet,” says Katie.

Day 9, 10:06pm – Katie quietly tracks the waterbuck’s path to the water and finds a great spot to wait for them in the morning. She believes she needs to set up her shelter first, after finding the perfect spot. Last night was cold, and she knows she needs a protected area. She plans on making a half-dome structure by sticking saplings in the ground and bending them over. Katie already wove acacia bark string and now uses it to keep the saplings in place. She packs large rocks around the saplings in the ground to keep them in place.

Katie cuts down a few more saplings just as rain clouds move in. She hopes it will hold off until she gets her shelter in place. Katie thinks in three days the area could see a lot of rain.

Nathan Olsen: Age 52, Buhl, Idaho
Day 8, 8:41am – Nathan looks under rocks and finally locates a scorpion to add to his bait storage. There may come a point where he cooks the scorpion, but he’s not there yet. He spends time making a stronger line because the giant catfish are breaking his 30-pound line. He’s already lost five of his 25 hooks.

Nathan’s fishing line is now rated 120 pounds, and he sets that out with his largest hook.

3:37pm – Nathan spotted a mouse and sets to work building a figure four deadfall trap. He hopes to use the mouse as catfish bait, but for now he uses dried fish. THC confirms the participants were given rubber gloves, and Nathan will use those in the morning to set the trap again, just to keep his scent off it.

4:58pm – He lands a 35” catfish with a big scorpion as bait. This should be enough for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. He plans on using some of it as bait to catch more fish. Nathan cracks open the head while THC notes that catfish heads are 25% of the fish’s weight. He places a piece of the head on his largest hook and sets it out on his 120-pound line.

6:27pm – The fish is boiling in the pot, and Nathan adds more of the Himalayan salt he brought to the mix. He’s got the liver, heart, and brain boiling and explains that roasting it over the fire would have let oils drip into the fire, which means he would have lost those calories. Plus, fish broth will keep him hydrated.

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