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When it comes to survival, it is a dog-eat-dog world. You need to ensure you are looking after yourself and that you have a good amount of food available. While it is great to stockpile, in an emergency situation, if you need to be on the move, it is not plausible to carry around a lot of dried food and tins with you.
This will only make your backpack heavier to carry and will inevitably slow you down in the long run. This is why it is important to have a good understanding of the things you can and cannot eat in nature.
While you may know what types of nuts and berries are safe, these will not provide that much-needed protein, this will typically need to come from consuming meat. This may lead you to wonder what types of animals you can eat that are popular in your area.
Crows are popular across the United States, and they are also in abundance. As a result of this, you may have wondered whether or not they are safe, and legal to eat. In this article, we will be discussing this in more detail from if they are safe to eat, and how to correctly prepare them.
Is It Possible To Eat Crow?
Yes, it is entirely possible to eat crow. They are a popular medium-sized bird that can also be referred to as ravens. They are a surprisingly intelligent species of bird, and they are found in most states.
While they may not necessarily be your first, go-to choice when you need protein, crows are a useful option to consider if you have some hunting abilities, and are in a survival situation.
Is It Safe To Eat Crow?
While you can eat something, this does not always mean that you should. However, when cooked and prepared correctly, it is perfectly safe to eat crow. When you are in a survival situation, you cannot be picky when it comes to the food you eat, and crows are a perfectly edible choice to consider.
There tends to be the assumption that crows are unsafe to eat because they are a bird that scavenges food and will eat anything. However, this is not necessarily true. Interestingly, there are some places around the world that will regularly eat crow, which further emphasizes this.
The most important thing to remember when eating crow is to prepare and cook it correctly. As with any type of meat, if it is not cooked thoroughly, this can easily lead to food poisoning.
How Does Crow Taste?
There are some differences in opinions when it comes to what crows taste like. However, the general consensus is that they taste like game meat. This is understandable when you take into consideration that they are a darker meat.
If you think about game meat such as duck, and goose, this is what crow can be most likened to. However, it does have a slightly different aftertaste. It is not unpleasant by any means, but it may be an acquired taste. But, in a survival situation, you have to eat what you can find, and cannot afford to be too fussy about things.
When you take into consideration that crows are a scavenging bird, many people assume that they taste like decaying flesh (carrion), but this is not the case, especially when they are caught and cooked correctly.
Is It Legal To Eat Crow?
Whether or not it is legal to eat and hunt crow will depend on the state you are currently in. While some states allow this, others will not. This is due to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was put in place in 1918.
This act protects crows and prevents them from being hunted. However, not all states abide by this law, and other states will allow them to be hunted and eaten. This is why it is important to double-check this before hunting, and you will want to only do this within the law.
How To Safely Prepare Crow
When you are preparing crow, you will want to ensure you are doing this correctly. As they are a fairly small bird, there will not be much meat to remove from the carcass. The breast of the bird will be the best place to take the meat from. The rest of the crow will have very little in the way of meat.
There are a few ways in which you can prepare and cook crow, depending on what you have available to you and your personal preferences. For example, once the crow has been plucked, it can be roasted whole, and served with vegetables. Alternatively, you can fry or boil the meat. It can also be used in stews and soups, which is a great option to consider.
You will want to ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly before serving to ensure that it is free of any harmful bacteria. The cooking times will vary, but if you are grilling the crow, it will take around 20 minutes.
Potential Diseases To Be Aware Of
While it is safe to eat crow in general, as with any type of meat, there are always potential diseases that you will need to be aware of. This is particularly true for crows, considering that they are not bred to be eaten, and they will scavenge whatever food they can find.
If they eat something that is diseased, this can potentially cause you to become ill. This is why care should always be taken, and why you always need to cook meat thoroughly.
Some of the diseases you will need to be aware of are Histoplasmosis, Salmonellosis, E. Coli, and Cryptococcosis. These can all cause humans to become severely ill. In addition to this, crows can also be susceptible to West Nile Virus and mites, which is worth keeping in mind when hunting and preparing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Bad Luck To Eat A Crow?
Crows are often seen as a symbol of bad luck and death in some places around the world. As a result of this, many people are led to believe that seeing or eating a crow will lead to bad luck. However, this is not necessarily true, and there is no scientific proof to back up this. This is merely just superstitions that have been passed down through generations.
Which Country Eats Crow?
As we have already covered, there are many countries around the world that will eat crow. However, it is commonly eaten in Lithuania.
Summary
We hope you have found this article useful. As you can see, it is entirely possible to eat crow. The most important thing to remember is to check the individual state you are currently living in before hunting them, to ensure that this is legal to do. In addition to this, you will need to ensure that you are cooking the crow thoroughly and correctly.
