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In Hatchet, how does Brian know how many days he has been in the Canadian wilderness?

Brian marks the passage of time by making marks on a stone by his shelter each day. 


Brian ends up being in the wilderness for a long time.  He wants to mark the days, but that is all they are to him at that point—just days. 



The days had folded one into another and mixed so that after two or three weeks he only knew time had passed in days because he made a mark for each day in the stone near the door to his shelter. (Ch. 15) 



To Brian, events are more important.  Most days just pass with the sun going up and coming down, but there are some special occasions.  The day of “First Meat” is the day he finally figured out how to get meat.  He had been frustrated because the birds, which he called foolbirds, seemed so dumb, yet he could not get them. 



But in the end he found that if he saw the bird sitting and moved sideways toward it—not directly toward it but at an angle, back and forth—he could get close enough to put the spear point out ahead almost to the bird and thrust-lunge with it. (Ch. 15) 



Naturally getting meat was a milestone for Brian.  He did not have the survival kit yet. He was surviving on berries.  At home he could go to the store and buy a chicken.  It was not so easy on his own in the wilderness.  He was really proud of himself. 


Other milestones include First Arrow Day and First Rabbit Day.  The rabbits gave him variety in his diet.  He also learned to fish with a spear.  He definitely was healthier after that.  For a boy living on his own in the wild, Brian was doing a pretty good job.  It kept him alive until he was found by searchers.

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