Would you eat something raw in a survival situation?

I'm curious at what you guys would say in the matter. For example, you have been able to find and catch a rabbit while you are lost, wandering in the wilderness. Would you eat it raw? Let's say you have no basic idea on how to start a fire, skinning it, and even cooking it. Would you eat it raw, or just let it go and settle for wild berries and other fruits you might find on the way? What do you do in this scenario?

 

Amid the hunger, I don't think I could eat a raw creature, something that moves. It's okay for me to eat a rabbit or even a snake provided it is cooked. I don't think our taste buds will abandon us in a survival situation, the taste for food would still there and we cannot just eat anything for nourishment. It is our instinct to eat something that will agree with our taste buds.

My father-in-law was a hunter in the boondocks of game and birds when he was young. And he was also a guerrilla fighter in the jungle during the second world war. He said that even hungry soldiers wanted delicious food such that they have salt in their knapsacks to put flavor to their food. There are times that they cannot eat what they can get in the woods like the reptiles that look like small crocodile.

 

I agree, our taste buds would not abandon us, we have built them up the way they are over thousands of years, but it a time came when I needed to eat some meat, that rabbit is going down, I would eat it like a steak. I would also have a little fun with it just to make it not as physically bad as I'm thinking it would be.

I would talk to it, let it know every things going to be OK, and that it will only take about a few seconds for me to kill it. I'd let it know why I'm eating it raw, haha, I would also just rub on it a little to keep it calm, stare it in the eyes and try to connect with it emotionally, then I would just go ham on it.

 

Agreed. I wouldn't mind eating a freshly killed rabbit. Having some vinegar to dip it into and rising would help with any pathogens (so I read). I'm Polynesian, so eating raw seafood is a common practice.

 

It can be quite risky eating raw meat because it can contain salmonella, e coli or parasites which will probably make you sick. If you can find wild berries and other fruits which you know are edible then these would be better. But if you'll be taking a wild guess that the fruits or berries may or may not be poisonous opt for raw meat because at least the meat won't kill you instantly.

 

I would not eat any animal raw. If you do this your asking to get sick and decrease your chance of survival. I think the only thing you should eat raw is certain types of fish, the ones with fins and scales. Eating a animal raw puts you at risk of getting some kind of infection. I think it's best to learn how to make fire.

 

I think I would have to be in a very difficult situation to get that extreme. Surviving is entrenched in our DNA so in a very extreme situation people will do anything to survive. It's very easy to say no now, but knowing that piece of meat can mean the difference between living and dying can change things.

 

Since I have a diet based on veggies and fruits that solution would be the last thing I would do. You can eat roots and even bark. However, it is crucial that you know what you are eating when it comes to berries and other stuff from flora menu. If I was not sure I would surely try to find some other source of food. Eating raw flash can be dangerous so this is a very tricky question since the point is not to die while trying to survive.

 

Nah, I don't eat meat. I would have to be holes deep down into the starvation before it became an option, which implies I didn't do my job properly ahead of time

 

I would eat bugs raw for protein. I would eat stuff like meal worms and crickets or grasshoppers. Things that have a crunch to them and provide a lot of protein. I just don't think I would eat something like raw fish or raw rats. Who knows. When you are fighting for your life you will try anything once.

 

I could definitely eat things raw if it came to that situation. I am aware of which berries are poisonous and which ones are okay to eat. I eat raw fruits and vegetables all the time. When it comes to meat, I think I could manage. The texture would be the hardest thing for me. A thought though, if you can't cook it with a fire think about maybe lemon juice if you have it available. The acidity actually cooks it. That is how a lot of "raw fish" is cooked.

 

It's really not safe to eat raw animals meat, you'll most likely end up sick. If i'm faced with this situation, I'll most likely put off dealing with raw rabbit meat situation and will look for fruits such as berries, or anything that i could find to ease my grumbling stomach.

 

People have been slow to realize that raw food can be healthy. In a survival situation, one would eat it or perish due to pressure from the prevailing circumstances. Most meats can be eaten raw. White ants and myriads of insects in the forest don't require to be cooked. Most mushrooms which grow wild are also edible when eaten raw. A hungry digestive system has a way of adjusting itself to adverse situations.

 

Habits die hard! Once habituated to eating cooked meat, it's very difficult to eat raw flesh. If plant food is available I would happily settle for it and set the rabbit free. However, if no food is available around, a survival situation may force me to eat the rabbit. I must say I'll be ruled by my instincts in a survival situation.

 

I would not eat raw meat no matter how hungry I am.
Most likely, I would try everything possible to make a fire and cook it first.
If that does not work then I will rather eat plants and insects.

 

If it is not vegetation of some sort, then no there is no way that I am eating anything that needs a digestive system, raw. If you do, then you have better have some miracle method or the most potent source of immunity ever in order to avoid falling victim to diseases from the various parasites that will still be present in the flesh that you are eating.

 

I have eaten raw items at times, such as sushi, steak tartare, and eggs swallowed whole. But those were consumed within a fairly sterile environment. In the chaos of a disaster, that isn't likely the case. So short answer, yes, if the only alternative with death by starvation. Longer answer, probably not as the odds of getting sick from said is pretty high, and there has got to be some other option (e.g., crudely cooked, stashed items, etc.).

 

I don't know if I will eat it raw. I may opt for the berries... But you never know how you will react if you find yourself in a situation like that

 

Well, you can eat raw fruits and some vegetables without any issues. But surely you mean eating raw meat, and well, raw meat definitely comes with risk. For example, the most problematic microbe is E. coli infection risk if you are going to eat raw beef, and It will be indeed get infected given the intestines are nicked during butchering and the animal is carrying it. For fish, it is essential that the product be as fresh as possible. Fish sometimes host parasitic worms. But 5 days in a freezer (-10 degrees F) will kill any parasites there, and sushi grade fish from a store like Whole Foods often comes already frozen.

 

I would eat raw nuts and fruit if I was able to forage any. Even if raw animals were edible, I don't think that I can go any further medium rare field rat.

There is absolutely no need to go that far. I would just take it back to the cave man era and start hitting two stones together for a spark.

 

Generally, yes. However, remember after some disasters, they may be contaminated. Radioactive fallout, for example, cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, but it can end your life in a most unpleasant fashion.

 

It would depend on how hungry I was. I would hope I would have what I need to cook it, but if I didn't, and I was starving, then of course I would eat it. People eat raw oysters, sushi, extremely rare beef,...

 

Only if I won't get anything around to eat. I can remember my grandmother who used to eat raw goat liver. She used to add some salt and then consume it. Maybe you'll will start with the liver because it is soft. But I am sure you must experience some stomach upsets. You'll have to collect some herbs and eat to help your digestion.

 

I would do my best to avoid such a situation, I'm certainly not a fan of eating raw things. If it really came to it and I couldn't figure out another solution... then yeah I'd give it a try but this would be the worst case scenario.

 

If I had no idea how to start a fire or cook it, honestly, I would probably let it go. The idea of eating an animal raw makes me cringe. I can eat fish raw in the form of sushi or sashimi and I would even be willing to try steak tartare as long as I know it's prepared properly but to just take a wild animal and eat it without cooking it ... no. It seems like it would be so gory and I would rather find something else around.

 

I'd eat raw fish and that's it. I can't risk eating red meats for the fear of bacteria if there is no fish available then I'll stick to fruits. Being in the tropical area is good because there is a high possibility that a guava tree is just nearby and ripe with fruits.

 

Eating raw meat (especially chicken) can be really dangerous for your body so I don't know if that would be the smartest thing to do, but I guess you need to take risks if you're in a survival situation and you can't cook something raw. I would eat vegetables and fruits raw as long as they're edible.

 

Could you even eat something like a rabbit raw? I think most wild rabbits have worms and other parasites that could make you very sick if you ate them fully cooked, let alone raw. So, no raw meat for me. I know there's some fish that's okay to eat raw--sushi--but I can't tell on my own if a particular fish is in that category. So, I'm afraid if I had no way of cooking--it would be veggies, fruit, seeds and nuts for me.

I guess I'm just not as much of a risk-taker as others. I thought the whole point of survival was to.......well.....Survive.

 

I would eat raw vegetables. Eat raw meat? Maybe fish meat, but nothing else. I think it would be dangerous to eat other types of meat raw due to worms and harmful organisms.

 

If I had to try my hand at anything that was raw it would be fish. I just don't think that doing this makes much sense, if you had the tools to kill something to eat then you most definitely have whatever is required ti build a fire t cook your meat.

 

I can provide numerous examples of where you could catch food but it would be very difficult to start a fire. The Aleutian islands or any Northern Pacific island in winter tends to be very damp if not outright soaked. The outer banks of North Carolina are very flat, sandy with little available fuel although fishing is excellent there. North Dakota in the winter has very sparse fuel, lots of snow cover and wind.

 

In a survival situation, I will not let the food that is in my hand slip and start looking for other foods. I mean I will not let the rabbit go and begin looking for berries. I have eaten raw meat, in fact raw meat from certain parts are tasty, liver for instance. I will eat rabbit meat raw when I am in survival situation. However, in normal situation I will never eat rabbit. These animals are better as pets.

 

Yes, if I were in a bad malnutrition scenario then I would most likely eat something raw. Having protein and nutrient in the body is a good thing for survivalists and also it will keep me alive for a few more days depending on how large the serving size is. However, I am also risking the chances of being infected my vicious diseases that may possibly be inside the uncooked meat or item. I rather try to find a way to at least cook the raw meat or item so that it can remove any infectious bacteria that may want to harm me and risk my chances of survival. If I don't find any resources to somehow cook the raw meat or item then I will consume it raw without any moments hesitation, but also be wary at the same time and eat the parts I know are less likely to kill me.

 

No raw meat for me! I would make a bug pattie or eat the fruits and veggies around me. I can't risk getting sick and dying. Rabbit is a definite no. I would eat fish raw, maybe. It comes down to, again, being prepared. I would have a way to cook food. I love to eat and there is no way I'm going hungry or eating something raw. No way.

 

Thank God you said a rabbit and not a rat. Yea, i can eat a rabbit raw though i have never done it before. This is a matter of life and death. Come to think of it, animals are a quick source of proteins when you find yourself in such situations.

 

I should first hypnotize myself to get convinced that it is a delicious and normal food

 

That's for sure and would do it without thinking twice.

My life will always come first and I'll always do everything in my power to survive. The conditions may be as precarious as possible, but I'll always look for a way out because I believe there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

It would entirely depend on the type of animal. I wouldn't want to risk trying to eat berries either if you have no knowledge which ones are good and which ones are not. But knowing how to start a fire in the wilderness would be a great thing that would benefit you more than you know. As for the raw meat eating, I don't really know which kind of animals would be the safest bet. Certain birds perhaps, or a squirrel. Maybe fishes as well.

 

Raw deer back strap cut thin is very good also if you have any type of citrus fruits you can cook fish shrimp thin red meat with the fruit juices

 

Possibly not meat but raw fruits and vegetables. Raw seafood maybe.

 

How hungry am I in that situation? Are we talking missed a meal hungry or not having found anything else edible in days and getting desperate? I think if the options in the situation were to eat raw meat or die very soon, I might eat it. Otherwise, I'd do my very best to find other options. Missing a meal or two won't kill me and the wrong raw meat might make me very sick or kill me. I think the risks are too high in all but the most dire of situations. I'd prefer to stick to plant sources that are known safe to eat raw and wait for meat until I could cook it well-done.

It might be hypocritical of me, of course. I will eat a good steak anywhere from blue-rare to medium-rare. I'm cool with sushi and steak tartare and eating cookie dough with raw eggs in it. I just see a survival situation as very different. Right now, I have a good idea that the items I'm eating uncooked or barely cooked are sourced from healthy animals and stored properly. I'm also a healthy adult with access to quality health care that has a good chance of making a food borne illness not much more than an inconvenience. In a survival situation, I might already be weak. There's no way to be sure how healthy the game animal was before I killed it. And illness that would be minor with proper and prompt medical intervention could be very dangerous.

 

There are many variables to help in by decision, rabbit can have worms in the warm weather months so if it's cold out probably yes as long as there is water to digest.

 

Oysters clams fish deer meat shrimp or if you don't have any heat but lemon or lime any citrus fruits you can use the juices to cook the meat