When you’re really in a survival situation, a very desperate survival situation, desires, likes and preferences exit the window within the service of simply staying alive.
You could have to do plenty of things that you do not need to and even think you’ll be able to do.
This will certainly mean eating wild stuff you do not need to eat, and if you happen to run out of ready-to-eat food or other ingredients to cook with, you’ll need to resort to getting your food the old-fashioned way, from nature.
There are many sorts of animals which are good to eat, but we normally only eat a small portion of them every day.
One of essentially the most common mammals found on the North American continent is the common-or-garden squirrel.
So what about it? Can you eat squirrels in a survival situation if you will need to?
Yes, you’ll be able to eat squirrels in a survival situation. Although difficult to catch, chipmunks are plentiful, quite tasty, and quite nutritious, making them a superb survival option.
Chances are you have never considered eating a squirrel before, especially if you happen to identical to to take a seat and watch them run around your yard and raid bird feeders.
But unfortunately, it is time to get serious, and you do not need the primary consideration of this topic to be whenever you’re ravenous.
Later in this text, we’ll let you know every thing it is advisable to find out about incorporating squirrels into your survival meal plan.
Where are you able to find squirrels?
Squirrels could be found throughout North America and world wide, in just about all places except the very best mountains and deepest deserts. Wherever there are forests, forests or swamps, you will discover squirrels.
These arboreal rats, nevertheless, are highly adaptable and are routinely present in each urban and suburban areas living alongside humans.
There are an amazing lots of them, but they’re very wary and really evasive, which may make them difficult to catch or catch.
However, assuming you’ve a weapon that may reliably knock them down, you’ll need a big supply to attract on in any area.
Squirrel meat dietary information
If you compare the dietary value of squirrel meat with common meals like chicken or beef, you could be pleasantly surprised.
Rodent meat, including squirrel meat, has almost as much protein as chicken and even less fat in the identical sized portion.
It is low in carbohydrates but has an affordable vitamin and mineral profile, including magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, vitamin E and vitamin A.
Even after they’re fattening up for the winter, a wild squirrel is pretty skinny, unless it’s hit a bird’s seed really hard or gotten loads of handouts from humans.
The total yield of meat from one squirrel is critical, even though it takes several to make a big meal or feed many individuals.
What does a squirrel even taste like?
The considered eating a squirrel could also be repugnant or unthinkable to some, but let’s get to the purpose: what do they really taste like?
Squirrels, like many small rodents, have a particular taste, normally described as venison, and maybe a little bit fatty. You can call it wealthy taste if you happen to do charity work.
However, it is just not necessarily unpleasant, and properly prepared from a healthy broth, squirrel meat could be quite tasty, especially fried or grilled and seasoned.
To today, the squirrel is usually sold in some places within the American South and in other parts of the world. With a little bit effort, a squirrel could make a delicious meal, nevertheless you prepare it.
It may take some adaptation, but most individuals quickly turn out to be accustomed to the taste and texture of rodent meat, including squirrels.
Can you eat raw squirrel meat?
NO. Eating raw squirrel meat is an amazing technique to contract various food-borne diseases.
All raw meat is dangerous to eat to at least one degree or one other, but wild squirrels specifically can host a menagerie of viruses and bacteria and a number of other sorts of parasites that may attack humans.
Some of those diseases are really bad news, and wild squirrels have been known to hold hantaviruses and even plague!
You do not have to inform me that you just really prefer to avoid catching any of those bugs if you happen to value your life.
Should you cook squirrel meat before eating?
Yes, absolutely. Cooking your squirrel meat thoroughly will greatly improve the flavour and texture, and more importantly, eliminate any dangerous pathogens lurking inside, including all the ones listed above.
How to organize a squirrel for cooking?
You can cook a squirrel whole, but you actually don’t desire to try this. Taking the time to wash and butcher it, as you’ll with some other animal, will greatly improve the cooking experience and make it easier to organize for launch.
You should start by skinning the squirrel before opening it to remove the insides. Be careful to not rupture your stomach, intestines or bladder.
Remove the top and legs and you’re able to grill, bake or fry.
Can you eat squirrel skin?
You can eat squirrel skin, but their fur will make it distinctly unpleasant. Removing the fur while leaving the skin on the carcass intact is a sophisticated, strenuous and time-consuming job that is best spent on something else.
It’s best to skin the squirrel and go after it.
Can you eat squirrel bones?
You really shouldn’t eat squirrel bones. Yes, squirrel bones are filled with nutritious marrow, even when it’s just a little bit bit, but unless you are going to suck the marrow out of broken bones, it is best to probably leave them alone.
Bones have a nasty tendency to crack, break and get stuck in people’s throats or intestines. Each case can have fatal consequences.
Now, if you happen to miss a small bone somewhere within the squirrel meat and eat it by accident, you most likely don’t have anything to fret about, but you actually don’t desire to gnaw on and eat the larger squirrel bones of a limb or torso.
Is it suitable for eating squirrel organs?
The subject of organs becomes a touchy subject for some people, far beyond the consumption of meat from latest animal species.
Many organs are very nutritious, but there are occasions when the organs of some animals and even some individuals could be dangerous to eat. Many of them are only disgusting.
As for squirrel organs, the guts is usually considered quite good to eat and deliver, if you’ve time to soak it, it may possibly even be a tasty morsel.
The intestines, stomach and kidneys ought to be avoided. If in any doubt, do not feel bad about avoiding squirrel organs.
