Eating Wild Critters, Safe or a Gamble?

[TOGIE]

How’d they taste?! I’m sort of curious now! (They being small game...not plague )

honestly just fine. marmots are a tad greasy. but i mean, marmots and p dogs fall right in line with everything in the realm of squirrels and rabbits.

marmots have cool fur too. the meateater crew is all hopped up on squirrel buffalo hot legs; i'm trying to get people fired up on marmot buffalo hot legs

the fried chicken route is quite tasty tho

 

[jnd1959]

I'm curious if he got this from feas while cleaning the Marmot or from eating. I'm willing to bet it was the fleas.

 

[VikingsGuy]

No, but I did get some nasty turkey lice on me once from a big old New York State gobbler. Also fleas from early season bunnies.

Remind me not to borrow your sleeping bag

 

[geetar]

Growing up my dad always taught us to wait till after first frost for rabbits and squirrel. I’m actually not too fond of early season deer in the south because of all the ticks on them but it is what it is. As for marmots and wolves y’all can have my share too. I’ll pass.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Livestock meat is fattier and may have had some amount of hormones, vaccines, antibiotics, contaminants, etc pass through it, so there is known, and some not fully known risk from consuming it.

Game meat is leaner, healthier, better cholesterol, less junk passing through it, so better for your arteries and general health.

US has decent standards for stockyards, stock transport, auction, sale, transfer, butchering, prep, packaging, storage, labeling, and handling, so the safety of the final commercial purchased product is generally very high.

Wild animals are killed, die, dressed, butchered, transported, and handled in a manner that can in no way compete with the safety of the commercial process. Plus they have higher rates of disease, parasites, infections and other health conditions that may affect meat safety.

Lots of risks with eating game too, but mostly different kinds of risks.

I make an informed decision to hunt/fish and eat the animals I kill, and that works fine for me. Everybody can arrive at their own conclusion that works best for them.