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Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

reuters.com

31–40 of 82 posts

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#31
Calling it a "meat shortage" is glossing over the situation. In the US we're killing 160,000 pigs a day just to throw their bodies in the landfill.[1]

So the solution is to go kill more wild animals. Awesome.

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-28/closed-jb...

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#32
post #3

I wish that was an option for me. I dont live near elk. i could eat the rabbits in my yard but that wouldnt go aong way.

Wrong time of the year to eat wild rabbits. Wait until a few weeks after the first hard frost, else you run a risk of contracting tularemia. Unfortunately, I missed the small window to get a hunting license in my state this year, it closed in Feb, before CV-19 was much of a thing. Fortunately, no license is needed here to hunt rabbits. From what I hear, the same is true for feral hogs, which are becoming a bit of a p…

Don't rabbits die if they are infected with tularemia? Is there actually a correlation between temperature and tularemia spreading in rabbits? It seems incredibly rare.

I can see there are more cases in humans during warmer months, but that is probably due to insects that are the most common disease vector, no?

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#33
It's strange that meat processing facilities in the US have been hard-hit by Covid-19.

These are places that have strict hygine standards during normal times, with employees wearing gloves and face masks as a matter of course. So you'd think they wouldn't be somewhere that diseases would spread easily.

This has also not been a significant issue in other countries hit by Covid-19, that I'm aware of. What is it about the USA's meat processors that have made them vunerable?

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#34
post #2

I think a lot of these folks underestimate what it takes to hunt an elk, field dress it, bring it back to their vehicle, and put away 300 lbs of meat. Even if you borrow a gun as one person interviewed here would, you need a truck, knives, a bone saw, camouflage, maybe a tree stand, and a large freezer, among other things. It is reasonable to hunt for food, but it's not reasonable for your typical "hospital manager"…

Deer hunting is still very popular in the midwest, although it's fading fast with the younger generations. Every year I can walk through my neighborhood and see deer hanging in the garages. A deer is much smaller than an elk, you can dress it and then take it to a processor or cut it up on your own. Had this pandemic happened during hunting season, states would have probably banned hunting anyway.

The midwest has too many deer. Pretty much everyone acknowledges it, but what usually happens is that you get an argument about extra deer hunts vs birth control for the deer.

I'm not a hunter, but I think that most places in the midwest limit deer hunting to a bow season and a shotgun season, so at least you don't have the danger of people firing rifles all over the place.

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#35
post #2

I think a lot of these folks underestimate what it takes to hunt an elk, field dress it, bring it back to their vehicle, and put away 300 lbs of meat. Even if you borrow a gun as one person interviewed here would, you need a truck, knives, a bone saw, camouflage, maybe a tree stand, and a large freezer, among other things. It is reasonable to hunt for food, but it's not reasonable for your typical "hospital manager"…

It's also a good excuse to learn to hunt. Every single experienced hunter had their first hunt at some time. My family has hunted for generations and I have hunted for nearly a decade now. You are right, there is an elevated risk of accidents. But the experience of hunting is nothing like raising chickens. Staying out in the woods for days, becoming more and more tuned to the animals and environment around you. Feeli…

I agree! But these aren't people who are going to spend days in the woods. They are people who work in offices, who are nervous about toilet paper shortages and are unprepared for the possibility of food shortages. Good for them for trying to be prepared and I hope many more people do take some steps towards self-sufficiency. Safely. Maybe with an experienced hunter friend.

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#36
This pandemic is really bringing out the folly of concentration at the expense of all other business considerations. Sure, it makes food cheaper but at what cost? We deserve systems that are more resistant to shocks. We've allowed oligopolies to form in many industries, perhaps especially agribusiness. This has brought prices to rock bottom and commoditized living beings, putting pressure to further reduce prices. "Ag-gag" laws and the might of huge consolidated meatpacking firms makes it difficult to do investigative journalism.

Maybe it's time for people to try going meatless instead? People are so disconnected from their meat supply and the horrific conditions (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/25/meat-work...) imposed on the people who provide that meat to them. If we had a different political climate, we could think about sensible reform in meat.

Meat should cost 3-5x as much as it currently does (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/21/the-true...) to allow for a safe and healthy habitat for the animals, and a living wage to the farmers and packers.

Finally - if you, like me, grew up eating meat and never considered what a meatless diet would look like, now's a perfect time to try while you're stuck at home learning new things. There's a large community of former meat-eaters that would be happy to help you start.

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#37
post #2

I think a lot of these folks underestimate what it takes to hunt an elk, field dress it, bring it back to their vehicle, and put away 300 lbs of meat. Even if you borrow a gun as one person interviewed here would, you need a truck, knives, a bone saw, camouflage, maybe a tree stand, and a large freezer, among other things. It is reasonable to hunt for food, but it's not reasonable for your typical "hospital manager"…

That’s what’s always held me back from hunting; there is a huge amount that has to be learned in a really short period of time. It seems to me that you should probably know what to do before you shoot the animal, and not plan to figure it out later. It seems that hunting is a skill best passed down directly from seasoned hunter to new hunter.

If your family doesn't hunt, states often have "learn to hunt" or mentored hunt programs that will help teach you. I did a learn to hunt deer program in Minnesota and it was extremely informative and extensive. Everything from learning about the habits of the whitetail deer, scouting sessions looking for deer sign, rules/regulations, processing a deer in class, then going on a mentored hunt during a special season.

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#38

It's strange that meat processing facilities in the US have been hard-hit by Covid-19. These are places that have strict hygine standards during normal times, with employees wearing gloves and face masks as a matter of course. So you'd think they wouldn't be somewhere that diseases would spread easily. This has also not been a significant issue in other countries hit by Covid-19, that I'm aware of. What is it about t…

Ireland & Canada too, probably elsewhere: https://www.just-food.com/news/coronavirus-live-news-covid-1...

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And at 2000 calories a day, 9 calories/gram, family of four, there you are.

9 kcal/g is pure fat; protein is only 4 kcal/g.

yeah but its not all protein - fats are 9. I guess wild deer are pretty lean though.

Re: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

#40

It's strange that meat processing facilities in the US have been hard-hit by Covid-19. These are places that have strict hygine standards during normal times, with employees wearing gloves and face masks as a matter of course. So you'd think they wouldn't be somewhere that diseases would spread easily. This has also not been a significant issue in other countries hit by Covid-19, that I'm aware of. What is it about t…

> This has also not been a significant issue in other countries hit by Covid-19, that I'm aware of. What is it about the USA's meat processors that have made them vunerable?

We still underestimate how amazingly contagious this disease is.

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