Wild Food: Fishing, Hunting and Foraging for Your Table

By GoldBlock WorkshopPublished Updated

The short answer

This page collects the safety rules for fish, game and wild plants. Fish-eating advisories are issued by “federal, state, territorial or tribal agencies” (EPA). Penn State Extension: cool a deer carcass “quickly” to 35 to 40°F; FoodSafety.gov lists rabbit and venison at 160°F. CDC: “Strongly consider having the deer or elk tested for CWD before you eat the meat.” Utah Poison Control Center: “Only eat a wild plant or mushroom if you are 100% sure you know what it is.”

Key numbers

Fishing for food

EPA’s advisory rules and Clemson Extension’s handling rules apply to fish caught for food.

  • Fish-eating advisories. EPA: “A consumption advisory is a recommendation to limit or avoid eating certain species of fish or shellfish,” and “Advisories can be issued by federal, state, territorial or tribal agencies”; EPA notes mercury’s harm “may include harm to an unborn baby or a young child’s developing nervous system” (EPA: Fish and Shellfish Advisories). EPA: “For current advisories visit each state, territory or tribe fish advisory website.”
  • Keeping the catch cold (Clemson Extension, HGIC 3604, revised 2009): “Exposure to the sun and summertime temperatures can cause quality problems in less than an hour”; “Clean fish as soon as possible after catching them”; “Store fish in the coldest part of the refrigerator at a temperature as close to 32 °F as possible”; “Freezing is the safest method of storing fresh fish.” Freezing and other preservation methods are on Food Preservation.

Hunting for food

Penn State Extension, FoodSafety.gov, the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health set the handling, cooking and disease rules below for game.

  • Field dressing (Penn State Extension): “Dress the carcass as soon as possible,” wear disposable gloves “to reduce the risk of exposure to disease,” clean your knife often, “Avoid cutting the paunch and intestines,” and “quickly cool the carcass to 35-40°F (3–4°C).”
  • Cooking temperatures (two sources differ): FoodSafety.gov lists venison and rabbit at 160°F (FoodSafety.gov); Penn State Extension (2020) gives “whole cuts, steaks, and roasts to 145°F (63°C) (medium rare)” and ground venison 160°F.
  • Trichinella: CDC names undercooked wild game, “in particular, bear, wild boar, wildcat, fox, wolf, seal, or walrus,” and warns: “Freezing wild game meats may not effectively kill all worms because some worms that infect wild game are freeze-resistant.” CDC: “Different kinds of meat have different safe temperatures,” with a link to the FoodSafety.gov chart.
  • Rabbits: CDC on tularemia: “Use gloves when handling animals, especially rabbits, muskrats, prairie dogs, and other rodents,” and “Cook game meat thoroughly before eating.”
  • Ticks (CDC tularemia guidance): “Wear long pants, long sleeves, and long socks to keep ticks and deer flies off your skin,” and “Remove attached ticks promptly.”
  • Rabies: CDC: “Never approach animals who appear to be injured, sick, or dead.”
  • Lead fragments (Minnesota Department of Health, October 2008): “Venison kept by hunters and their families may also contain lead fragments,” and “pregnant women, and children less than six years old should not eat” venison “harvested using ammunition that contains lead.”

Processing rules from Penn State and USDA FSIS are on Raising Animals for Food.

Foraging

The University of Utah Poison Control Center’s guidance (Lambson, August 7, 2023):

  • “Only eat a wild plant or mushroom if you are 100% sure you know what it is.”
  • “Even small amounts of a poisonous plant or mushroom can cause big problems.”
  • “Recognize that plant identification apps are not always accurate.”
  • “Never forage alone. Fellow foragers can double-check your food source and make sure it is safe.”
  • “If new to foraging, always consult a mentor or expert who is more experienced.”
  • Look-alikes: the center names water hemlock as resembling “wild turnip, wild parsnip, and wild parsley.”
  • If someone may have eaten a poisonous wild plant or mushroom, the center advises calling poison control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately. America’s Poison Centers: “If an individual has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened, call 911 immediately.”

Common questions

Is it safe to eat deer from areas with chronic wasting disease?

CDC advises not shooting, handling or eating animals that look sick or act strangely, strongly considering a CWD test before eating the meat, and not eating meat from an animal that tests positive. CDC also notes CWD infections in people have never been reported, and advises checking “state wildlife and health department recommendations before you hunt.”

How quickly do I need to cool a deer after the kill?

Penn State Extension: “Dress the carcass as soon as possible,” and “quickly cool the carcass to 35-40°F (3–4°C).”

Are plant identification apps reliable for foraging?

The University of Utah Poison Control Center: “Recognize that plant identification apps are not always accurate.” It cites a study in which three apps identified poisonous plants correctly “5.8% to 59% of the time.”

What do I do if someone eats a poisonous plant or mushroom?

Utah Poison Control Center: call 1-800-222-1222 immediately. America’s Poison Centers: “If an individual has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened, call 911 immediately.”

Where to go next

Sources