Eating Maggots

[RobertRogers]

Today I came upon a dead moose in the forest, probably weighed about 1000 pounds (450 kilo). Stinking, rotting in the heat. But if you could get near enough to it (maybe if you were totally drunk and so desparately starving that you didn't care about the smell) there were millions of fat juicy maggots to be scooped up.

I have read that maggots are edible in an emergency. But my question is, what about the rotten meat they have consumed? Would this make you sick? Or would you gather them, wash them up, and wait for them to eliminate their last meal?

Of course this is a digusting thought in some ways, eating maggots. But when you think about it a clam, being a filter feeder of sewage and similar wastes, is considered a tasty food item.

 

[Northern Giant UK]

Well it depends,
RM eats Wichita (sp?) grubs and other larvae but so far as I've seen they tend to be vegetarian species.
Bear Grills however has been filmed eating maggots raw straight from the rotting gut of an animal killed in an avalanche.

Personally I wouldn't have a problem with grubs from inside wood etc but I would rather not touch the maggots squirming around in rotting guts/flesh. If however it was a situation where there was nothing else available and I needed food (unlikely as you can manage without food for up to 3 weeks) I would ideally allow the collected and washed maggots 24 hours to evacuate their digestive tract, wash again and then cook well (possibly boil well) to destroy any bacteria etc.

I mite be being over the top I don't know but it will be interesting to hear what others would do with maggots.

Kev

 

[rabsyboy]

I don't think you're ever going to find yourself in a situation where maggots are the only food source - if there's a dead animal there that they are in , then theres vegetation or fish or whatever - use the maggots for bait, or eat worms - I would never eat maggots - way too much chance of infection, but I do know that they ARE edible if you can sterilise them.

But - uughhh - and I go fishing, so I'm familiar with them

 

[Ogri the trog]

I seem to remember reading somewhere,
That it is best to purge them for a few days in bran if possible, similar to the way worms & snails are purged to get rid of the soil or poisonous-to-humans vegetation in their gut. In days of old, ship biscuits were said to be crawling with maggots, but seeing as they were to only source of protein.....
I know that I've swallowed a few in days gone by, we used to warm the maggots in the mouth, before putting them on a fishing hook, in the belief that they'd wriggle more when the hit the cold water and catch biger fish!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[madrussian]

 

[fredcraft]

I know that I've swallowed a few in days gone by, we used to warm the maggots in the mouth, before putting them on a fishing hook, in the belief that they'd wriggle more when the hit the cold water and catch biger fish!

Interesting belief Inspires disgust in me, but interesting nontheless

 

[spamel]

There is no doubt they are a source of protein, but as said, I would personally like to purge them somehow! And then disinfect them either by boiling or popping them in a bottle of vodka! Once you've drunk the vodka, maggots wouldn't bother you. Kebabs are worse than maggots, but they get eaten by drunk folk all the time! That's my reasoning anyway!

 

[RobertRogers]

Sure, you can live for 3 weeks or more without eating (see How Long Can You Live Without Food) but this can lead to many physical and mental problems. So if you are in a desparate situation and a large nutritious meal presents itself you had probably better take it.

Also, using them for bait is an expenditure of time and energy with no guarantee of any return. Perhaps you are just passing through with no time to hunt/fish/trap.

And as I mentioned, it has much to do with culture - eating clams (basically a worm in a shell) is OK, but eating earth worms is not.

 

[madrussian]

Earth worms, I can see that, maggots no way. I'd rather chew on a tree. Wouldn't take the chance on getting sick on top of starving to death. Use them for bait.

 

[spamel]

Apparently, earth worms are placed on a hot stone by the fire where they excrete the earth inside them, dry out and then can beused like a bouillon cube by crumbling into your food. I have never tried it, but I reckon I'd be up for it if required!

 

[fredcraft]

Apparently, earth worms are placed on a hot stone by the fire where they excrete the earth inside them, dry out and then can beused like a bouillon cube by crumbling into your food. I have never tried it, but I reckon I'd be up for it if required!

Well, you see, this is not that bad in my book ! And much easier to find than maggots. In any case, they would undoubtfuly be used as baits in the first place (if water is near). I can resist the temptation to eat a wigly worm/maggot, many fishes cannot

 

[Porcupine]

not sure if this is fiction or fact, i was told once maggots excrete ammonia to keep themselves clean.

they sure smell like it though

 

[Tantalus]

They also secrete antibiotics , which makes sense considering where they can be found they need some protection.

No I am not about to try this but ..................

My guess would be to collect them and then starve them for a day or 2 , put them in bran has been mentioned, sawdust is what the fishing shops use.

Remove them from the stinking carcass and all its' unpleasantness and let the maggots own natural protection do its work at cleaning up bacteria.. Any "food" that you accidentally bring with them will be quickly eaten by them too.

How to cook ? Note cooking will also kill bacteria , I would suggest fried would be the easiest option.

If you have an egg make a little omlette and try not to think too much about the crunchy bits

Tant

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

<snip> put them in bran has been mentioned, sawdust is what the fishing shops use.

I used to match fish for a team and we used to store our maggots in ground maize. It was not uncommon for me to have a gallon of the wriggling little beauties and maize keeps them in tip top condition.

Phil.

 

[combatblade1]

I think Bear gryllis is a bit of an ejit if he thinks that he is teaching people to survive by eating maggots which have been feeding on rotten meat is a good idea, if you are that hungry better to by pass trhe middle man and cook the rotten meat and eat it instead, then again you could always wash it down with a canteen of unsterilised brazilian river water!!

 

[spamel]

It is a well known fact that the selous scouts used to boil and eat a week long dead baboon as part of their training. As long as it isn't reheated, it is safe to eat. I never said it was palatable though!

 

[Nagual]

As long as they were clean they should provide some nutrition, and of course hospitals now use specially grown maggots to help clean up wounds, as they only eat dead flesh allowing the newer skin etc to grow faster.. Don't fancy eating one of those after though...

 

[spamel]

This is based on old medicine from years ago. They've took the old method and reintroduced it, but I believe you have to keep an eye on the maggorts as they can eat the healthy flesh. If you remember the film Gladiator, they showed the same medicine in that aswell. The black guy heals Maximus' shouler by using maggots and then some unknown herb of some sort. Maybe Wayland could shed a bit more light on it, I seem to recall he was involved in the armour production and may have some inside knowledge.

 

[tim wakefield]

o.k. i,m not a true bushcrafter more of a forager but maggots are part of my real job as a nurse i work with infected wounds among other things and one of the treatments i use is maggot therapy.
the maggots used are supplied by zoobiotec they are green bottle larvae and sterile for many generations.
we keep a close eye in the sense that after three days the maggots are removed and burned to stop them becoming flies.
maggots remove infection from a wound by devouring dead tissue they eat by vommitting a solution onto dead tissue and disolving it they then suck it up. they have no teeth and can not eat living tissue.
we now usually use them in a biobag (like a teabag) which ensures they stay in the dressing.
we also regually use honey and silver for infected wounds.
as to eating maggots well the reason we burn them after 3 days is any infection from the wound passes through the maggot. you purge and eat the maggot ,i'll eat the birds eating the maggots after they've been dressed and cooked.

 

[JonnyP]

I seem to remember reading somewhere,
That it is best to purge them for a few days in bran if possible, similar to the way worms & snails are purged to get rid of the soil or poisonous-to-humans vegetation in their gut. In days of old, ship biscuits were said to be crawling with maggots, but seeing as they were to only source of protein.....
I know that I've swallowed a few in days gone by, we used to warm the maggots in the mouth, before putting them on a fishing hook, in the belief that they'd wriggle more when the hit the cold water and catch biger fish!

ATB

Ogri the trog

Maggots do wriggle more when warmed up, we used to put them in our mouths to warm them too.....Still couldn't catch any bloody fish though.....

Tim....Interesting post that, welcome to you, would love to hear about your forays....