What animals can be eaten in the Summer?

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Wildone39

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Dec 17, 2007
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I live in MS. and all of my life I have heard that you cannot eat squirrls or Rabbits in the summer cause of wolves (worms) in their backs. I have only hunted in the winter after the frost and never in the summer. In a survival situation can a man eat and hunt these animals and be safe? I know that sounds dumd to ask but its somthing i have wonderd all of my life. Any southern boys like myself out there know the ansewers? Thanks.
 
I'veheard of some aninmals in the summer having tulermia...But safe precautions and over cooking should handle that... Also keep your local game laws in mind...Fish are good in the summer as well as reptiles insects and the summer is a great time to forage for wild plants....
 
Thanks RescueRiley, but what is tulermia? Is that like wolves in squirlls and Rabbits backs? I understand the game laws and stuff but im talking specifically for survival not just hunting purposes. Thanks again RescueRiley for your feedback.
 
That depends on where you are. I mean, over here we don't have tularemia, or worms in the rabbits or squirrels and it is both legal and safe to shoot and eat them all year.

I have seen footage of people eating monkey in Africa and finding half a Guinea worm in their portion. Revolting, but safe since the meat had been cooked a good long time. The dangers are more in the handling and dressing than in the eating.

"Primitive" people will take small game if they happen on it, or set up trap lines, but typically don't hunt for small game as their main source of calories, it is too hit or miss, takes too long for too little return. How long you planning on having to survive on rabbits and squirrels? The figures I have read reckon that a person doesn't need food for three weeks or so and that most survival situations only last about 72 hours.
 
I have also heard the stories about wolves and how you"re supposed to wait til after a good frost to avoid them. I've been hunting them for over twenty years now and I've never seen wolves. If I was in a survival situation and was able to get a squirrel or rabbit and found it had wolves, I would just consider it a bonus of extra protien:thumbup: and just make sure to cook it and them thoroughly.
 
I catch critters year around here and yes I've been known to eat them in the hot months.Just use the usual precautions which means check rabbit liver for white spots,which would mean rabbit fever.The advantage to my line of work is most animals are caught in live traps so I get to observe them and I can see if they are acting "weird":eek:,you can tell if an animal is sick sometimes that way.Got a call 2 days ago from a guy that said there was a coon walking in circles in his driveway..in the day light!! :eek: Not only would I NOT eat that one..I wouldn't touch it with bare skin.As far as worms go,we have warbles around here and I've seen a finger size one crawl out of a live rabbits neck one time..:eek:(lots of eeks in this one huh?)these do not harm the meat,just cut that part out and cook away.:thumbup:There are reasons for seasons but if I was needing meat in a survival arena you better believe me or my family isn't going hungry...:D
 
Both Cephenomyia and Hypoderma don't penetrate into flash,and have no affect on meat.For other parasitosis ,especially Trichinela spiralis thoroughly cook meat,for it may inot be recognizable. But as mentioned before ,there is a lot of food resources in summer.
 
I used to hunt rabbit quite lot as a kid with my Granpa on our family farm. We ate most of what we shot but were particularly careful in the summer months. I can't remember all the details (gettin' old sucks) but I remember talk of worms. I can also remember him pointing out to me a milky substance under the skin (or was int in the body cavity?) that he said was a sign that the animal was infected and not suitable table fare. Those animals were fed to my uncle's dogs as it apparently didn't affect them. Boy, those German Shepards sure loved us. lol
 
in a survival situation I would just worry about eating and surviving now and the parasites later when medical assistance can be attained.
 
I, too, have heard the warning about not eating rabbits until after the first frost, for the same "worms" reason. My uncle--a professional hunter and hunting journalist with many decades of experience--was the source of the advice. We both live in Arizona, if that helps with a sense of the climate we're talking about.
 
not sure how true it is but I heard you can eat porcupine raw without any ill effects. not sure if it's bull$%!t but I thought I'd throw it out there anyways
 
advanced wilderness survival course with Ron Hood some years back and we basically ate nothing for 8 days :cool:and survived without much problem.The little calories we did take in were burned afterwords by climbing mountains.Water is MUCH more important than food :),and I've ate just about every type of critter I could,but I'd have to be REAL HUNGRY to eat any animal raw:eek:I guess that's why fire starting is so good to know....;)
 
spyderguy said:
not sure how true it is but I heard you can eat porcupine raw without any ill effects. not sure if it's bull$%!t but I thought I'd throw it out there anyways
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I ate it cooked in USAF Survival School. I don't recommend it.... maybe raw would have been better. It wasn't as bad as the tree anteater and parrot in Jungle Survival School.
The North American Indians did not kill the porcupine, reasoning that it was slow and stupid and put there only to keep from starving.
 
Down here in Savannah some years early in the season I've seen squirrels with "wolves".
I did a little research with the dnr, and they said that they were botfly larve. They lay there eggs in the skin of the critters and when the larve are the correct age they leave the host. Also they said that they did not affect the meat because the larve are in the skin only. I still don't eat the animals with the "woves" in them, and during those years just wait untill later in the season.
 
junoir said:
Down here in Savannah some years early in the season I've seen squirrels with "wolves".
I did a little research with the dnr, and they said that they were botfly larve. They lay there eggs in the skin of the critters and when the larve are the correct age they leave the host. Also they said that they did not affect the meat because the larve are in the skin only. I still don't eat the animals with the "woves" in them, and during those years just wait untill later in the season.
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I've killed squirrels early in the season that had them to, I've read the same, that there not dangerous, but unless It was a survival situation, I'll pass as well, wormy squirrel just isn't appetizingly :barf:
 
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