Douglas Harold asked Michael Finkel:

If Knight felt great remorse every time he broke into a cabin, why do you think he did not try to subsist from the land? He was right on a lake and could have spent his nights fishing vice stealing?

Michael Finkel Knight often compared himself with animals. He said that to survive the long, hard winters of Maine, he had to be as efficient with his energy as possible. This is the reason so many animals either hibernate or greatly reduce activity in winter -- as Knight himself did.

I've spent most of my life in Montana. Sometimes, when I put my garbage cans out to be collected, bears come out of the woods, knock them down, and eat the scraps. Why don't they go and collect berries instead? Because raiding my garbage cans is much more efficient.

Knight used similar reasoning -- stealing was just so much more efficient. Yes, he felt remorse, but not so much that he was willing to sacrifice his solitude. Fishing, especially in winter, is very difficult. You need to stay warm. The risk of being spotted, even at night, is large. It wasn't worth it, it terms of energy consumption or risk, for Knight to subsist from the land, when an easier option was available to him. You may not agree with his decision to steal (most people don't), but that's his explanation.

Thank you for the question!

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