It's not just rabbits and hares, nor is it limited to the Southwest. To be frank, almost all mammals anywhere in North America are full of parasites until cold weather. If I remember correctly plague is spread by the fleas on those mammals?
Processing Small Game Opossum - WARNING GRAPHIC
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When I was heavily in outdoor living, in my 20's, when in the wild, I lived the Chinese way.
If it moves, it can be eaten. I did not touch insects though, except ant eggs, and the odd ant as something acidic/tasty in the mouth.
Mice and lemmings are good, but fiddly. Those I cleaned out the inside, but left the fur and skin. Grilled over fire = hair singed off.
Same with small fish.
Small Salmonids have a delicious skin. Soft ribs too, good source of Calcium.
Pigs are eating everything too, including human poo and toilet paper.
Armadillos must be fun to cook, they come already wrapped. Clean and place on coals, cover with coals.
Expose, peel of outer layer, enjoy!
Taste? When I am hungry I do not care.
Snake poo smells horribly. Vile. Did manage a few times to get it on the meat when I skinned them.
Taints the meat, but when you are hungry.....
I did lose weight though. Every time. I used to spend 2-4 weeks on my own, walking maybe 30 km per day, so limited food I carried.
Future wife stopped that wilderness foolishness!
If it moves, it can be eaten. I did not touch insects though, except ant eggs, and the odd ant as something acidic/tasty in the mouth.
Mice and lemmings are good, but fiddly. Those I cleaned out the inside, but left the fur and skin. Grilled over fire = hair singed off.
Same with small fish.
Small Salmonids have a delicious skin. Soft ribs too, good source of Calcium.
Pigs are eating everything too, including human poo and toilet paper.
Armadillos must be fun to cook, they come already wrapped. Clean and place on coals, cover with coals.
Expose, peel of outer layer, enjoy!
Taste? When I am hungry I do not care.
Snake poo smells horribly. Vile. Did manage a few times to get it on the meat when I skinned them.
Taints the meat, but when you are hungry.....
I did lose weight though. Every time. I used to spend 2-4 weeks on my own, walking maybe 30 km per day, so limited food I carried.
Future wife stopped that wilderness foolishness!
Some of the diseases tend to be more regional than others. The warmer the climate, generally means more parasites.
Plague is initially spread by fleas which then pass it to animals who then pass it to other fleas, or to other animals if they get eaten.
If humans get it, in about 5% of cases it gets into the lungs where it then goes airborne. That is when pandemics start.
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Rule of Thumb in Population Ecology = Eventually you will see either disease or famine, or both, in crowded populations.
As you all know, the famine thing happens non-stop. Just crowding and how sensitive some individuals are to others of their kind.
No, the population does not have to reach 'K', the maximum carrying capacity of the environment.
What's sensible in animal population management is sustained yield =
crop off some annual fraction of all age classes, not simply the trophy individuals.
Trappers aren't stupid. They will never kill off their income sources. Never.
Fortunately, political game management is becoming a thing of the past.
Possums and rabbits? Be happy to eat them if I knew I could bag a few again next week.
As you all know, the famine thing happens non-stop. Just crowding and how sensitive some individuals are to others of their kind.
No, the population does not have to reach 'K', the maximum carrying capacity of the environment.
What's sensible in animal population management is sustained yield =
crop off some annual fraction of all age classes, not simply the trophy individuals.
Trappers aren't stupid. They will never kill off their income sources. Never.
Fortunately, political game management is becoming a thing of the past.
Possums and rabbits? Be happy to eat them if I knew I could bag a few again next week.
