Checks Before Eating a Kill

dartanyon

dartanyon

Joined
May 10, 2002
Messages
705
I'm looking for some information regarding all the things we need to check before we eat an animal?
 
Well, I like to know if it's actually dead...we have grizzly bears up here you know!

Anyway what sort of animal? Rabbits and I'd be looking for signs of tularemia...marmots and I would look for pneumonic plague...there are plenty of zoonoses to worry about but they all depend on the species, and other than black hemorrhagic koala fever I don't know anything about what you might be facing down there.
 
G'day Dartanyon

dartanyon said:
I'm looking for some information regarding all the things we need to check before we eat an animal?
Click to expand...

Look for discolouration on the Liver, kidneys, lungs. Look for swollen lymp nodes located on intestines and the cheek of the animal.

Hope this helps.



Kind regards
Mick
 
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hehe ... yep i'm thinking dead :) ummmm ... rabbits, pigs, goats, deer. Basically all the introduced species over here. I'm out of touch with the checks and want to update.
I thought koalas just had the clap :)
 
Dunno how wide-spread it is, as yet, but there seems to be a movement to eliminate lead for hunting, because it is alledged that disintegrated bullets made of lead may poison consumers.

Now...I live in Wisconsin...and, even listening very carefully to every printed and anecdotal bit of hunting information, I've never heard of such. That doesn't mean it has or has not happened, but sure seems like one of those trends, you know...raise a hue and cry and non-hunting politicians, who have no clue, pass a restrictive regulation, thus showing how responsive they are.

Other than that...mostly what has been said, with the addition: don't eat green meat.



Kis
 
The 'lead in the meat ' was supposed to be a scientific study. Yet in one case the one who submitted the venison just happened to to be an active member of a group that wants to ban all lead in the world !
The first thing is to look at the animal before you shoot.Acting and walking normally ? When you get the animal , large number of ticks etc in the hide ? Liver is a good indicator of general health .
 
once again I might be wrong..but I think cooking most things thoroughly might reduce the risks of contracting any ailment via consumption.
 
Kismet said:
Dunno how wide-spread it is, as yet, but there seems to be a movement to eliminate lead for hunting, because it is alledged that disintegrated bullets made of lead may poison consumers.

Now...I live in Wisconsin...and, even listening very carefully to every printed and anecdotal bit of hunting information, I've never heard of such. That doesn't mean it has or has not happened, but sure seems like one of those trends, you know...raise a hue and cry and non-hunting politicians, who have no clue, pass a restrictive regulation, thus showing how responsive they are.
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Kismet - the lead poisoning being referred to above is not humans who somehow can't find the shot pellets in the meat. It is referring to other wildlife, particularly those that forage on soils and sediments that pick up lead shot. For pheasants and waterfowl, the accidental ingestion of a few pellets will lead to their demise. Overtime, wetland areas that see a lot of hunting pressure will accumulate enough shot in the sediments where the exposure to animals increases dramatically. In fact it is well documented in several different areas. Similar case studies have mounted with terrestrial birds. We are all familiar with those trails where the shotgun casings are almost as common as the trees (pet peeve of mine - guys please pick up your casings, its not that hard to do). Just think about the pellets that have been fired from them hanging around.

I believe this is one of those sustainability exercises that you have to think about. I think it is far better to ban lead shot and mandate replacement shot as opposed to promote a ban on hunting which is on the minds of the more extremists!
 
kgd said:
Kismet - the lead poisoning being referred to above is not humans who somehow can't find the shot pellets in the meat. It is referring to other wildlife, particularly those that forage on soils and sediments that pick up lead shot. For pheasants and waterfowl, the accidental ingestion of a few pellets will lead to their demise. Overtime, wetland areas that see a lot of hunting pressure will accumulate enough shot in the sediments where the exposure to animals increases dramatically. In fact it is well documented in several different areas. Similar case studies have mounted with terrestrial birds. We are all familiar with those trails where the shotgun casings are almost as common as the trees (pet peeve of mine - guys please pick up your casings, its not that hard to do). Just think about the pellets that have been fired from them hanging around.

I believe this is one of those sustainability exercises that you have to think about. I think it is far better to ban lead shot and mandate replacement shot as opposed to promote a ban on hunting which is on the minds of the more extremists!
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Hi,

Lead shot is already banned for all waterfowling by federal law, (for over 30 years now), and in most public hunting areas by state and federal law for upland hunting too.

I do believe that kismit is talking about a recent study done that purports to find excessive contamination in the wound channel due to lead particulates in big game hunting. This study was done, (along with CWD studies), in response to some people being concerned about the health risks to primarily, food shelf recipients. There are a number of hunter sponsored donation programs for game meat. Up-shot is, trim wider around the wound channel.

That some PETA types may try to use it for anti-hunting purposes is a given. Will it be used to ban lead bullets any time soon? I don't know, but I doubt it.

And as a fellow hunter, please pick up your empties, it makes the world a prettier place for all of us.:)

dalee
 
dalee100 said:
Lead shot is already banned for all waterfowling by federal law, (for over 30 years now), and in most public hunting areas by state and federal law for upland hunting too.

I do believe that kismit is talking about a recent study done that purports to find excessive contamination in the wound channel due to lead particulates in big game hunting. This study was done, (along with CWD studies), in response to some people being concerned about the health risks to primarily, food shelf recipients. There are a number of hunter sponsored donation programs for game meat. Up-shot is, trim wider around the wound channel.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification Dalee. Do you or anyone else have a link or citation for the report. I'd be interested in reading this one myself. As somebody with a bit of expertise in this area I have a hard time seeing this as a legitimate exposure source to humans. Albeit, I've spit out a pellet or two in my lifetime ;)
 
Good God what a pathetic lot we have become!

Are we actually discussing the small particles of lead around a wound channel?

My father, his father and HIS father all ate game from shotguns and rifles. With all the crap out there poisoning us, this is the LAST thing I am going to worry about.

First they outlaw lead shot for waterfowl because it kills too many from poisoning, now they are opening up seasons in most states because there are too many of the rats with wings. Whats next, they start poisoning them?

I think the waterfowl steel shot law is a good thing, but I am hardly concerned about the trace lead around a wound channel.

Of course maybe I'm just insane from lead poisoning from holding all those .177 cal pellets in my mouth while hunting rabbits and squirrels as a kid.
 
PrimitiveMan said:
Of course maybe I'm just insane from lead poisoning from holding all those .177 cal pellets in my mouth while hunting rabbits and squirrels as a kid.
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Mercury leads to insanity. Pb poisoning leads to dim-wittedness ;)
I think you suffer from neither, you are just crotchety :D
 
An article on ESPN had the following information :

• The following guidelines and suggestions can eliminate or reduce and minimize the potential risk of consuming lead fragments, depending on the risk tolerance of the hunter.

• Consider alternatives to ammunition that is prone to fragment — these alternatives could include non-lead (copper) or other high-weight retention ammunition.

• Lead particles found in hunter-harvested venison have not been linked to any illnesses.

• Lead particles in venison will likely be too small to detect by sight, feel, or when chewing the meat.

• If you process your own meat, do not use deer with excessive shot damage. Trim a generous distance away from the wound channel and discard any meat that is bruised, discolored or contains hair, dirt, bone fragments or grass.

• Practice clean field handling techniques. Dress, thoroughly rinse, and keep the carcass cool.

• Practice marksmanship and outdoors skills to get cleaner, closer shots and better shots. For example, additional shots may be needed if shooting at a moving target.

• Lead is a neurotoxin but toxicity depends on the level and frequency of exposure. It is particularly harmful to children 6 and younger and pregnant women.

• Lead can have physiological effects on human bodies and brains at levels below that which would cause any noticeable signs of sickness.
 
I would guess if you are shooting regularly, the lead you take in in bullet fragments will pale in comparison to the lead you inhale from burning primers anyway!

After all that's in a much more accessible form just on account of the atomization from the powder burn.
 
I've seen worms in rabbits. Mostly in warm weather. I'm not sure if they are OK to eat or not... but I don't eat those rabbits. Much wild pork has trichinosis. It is fine to eat... just cook it well.
 
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