How do all these people start a homestead w/o basic essentials?

Forgive my ignorance if I’m missing something. How do all these people obtain / create a homestead without security of water??? Why would you buy land without knowing for 100% certainty that there is water available, accessible, and ready to go? Within a reasonable distance that doesn’t require you hauling water.

The lack of knowledge around gardening I understand.

I also don’t understand how people put their animals in these rinky-dink “shelters” and expect predators not to kill them.