FYI: The "TRUTH" about No Hunting/Harvesting Game Before The First Frost

[Toledo Kid]

As we all have heard about the old wives tale that we should not take game before the first good frost.
Seems some folks trutly beleive this to be true as the decussions that were taken place in this thread>> http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62771

I am no biologist...
But to set the record straight once and for all I shall continue to support my points in the above thread with a email I received from:

Thomas M. Cooley
Wildlife Biologist
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Disease Lab

My Email to Mr. Cooley:


Question about parasites on game

>>> "Steve" xxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com> 10/03/2009 3:11 AM >>>
Hello Tom,
I have a question about the old saying not to hunt game like rabbits and squirrels before a good frost has taken place because they are not good to eat..

Is it true that once a good frost has taken place the frost kills parasites off of game?? or is it a Old Wives tale???

Thank You

Sincerely
Steve XXXXXXXX
Monroe, Michigan



Mr. Cooley's Response:


Re: Question about parasites on game
Monday, October 5, 2009 7:37 AM


From: "Thomas Cooley" <cooleytm@michigan.gov>


Hi Steve. This is a bit of an Old Wive's Tale... In the past this was said because it was thought that at the 1st killing frost, ectoparasites (external parasites) would drop off the animals and not be available for transmitting disease to humans. The primary disease that was talked about was Tularemia and involved rabbits. While it is true that some ectoparasites may leave their host during cold weather, most will remain on the host in order to survive, as they need the warmth of the host to accomplish this. They are more prevalent during warm weather (fleas, lice, and ticks especially) so they were probably more easily observed on the bodies of animals that were killed during warmer weather conditions. I am sure that the early settlers and native americans ate rabbits whenever the opportunity presented itself, regardless of the time of year. While they did not live as long as we do in this day and age, this was probably not the reason why.

In Michigan, I have not seen Tularemia in rabbits in the state and I have been in the Lab for 30 years. We have seen the disease in beaver--there is a terrestrial and a water-borne form of the disease. If you want to read more about this disease as well as others that affect the wildlife of the state, you can go to our website at www.michigan.gov/wdm (http://www.michigan.gov/wdm) and go to the chapter in our disease manual on Tularemia. Hope this helps. Tom

Thomas M. Cooley
Wildlife Biologist
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Disease Lab
(Office) 517-336-5034
(Necropsy) 517-336-5116
email: cooleytm@michigan.gov




If you have any other questions for Mr. Cooley please contact him at the above email address. He responds ASAP.

Now with this said.
Get out there, hunt and hunt hard!!!
Take your kids before it get too cold!!!

Enjoy Your Day!!! 8)

Steve

[tote'ngranny]

I raised rabbits many years ago when I was a kid and had a doe die of one that was near the nostrils. These are really nasty looking and I would never eat the meat from a rabbit that was infested with one. What you said about the wives tale only makes sense.
Kris

[Ruger]

Old wives tale or not! Your opinion or not! Wildlife Biologist or not!
Its all good! :salute:

I hunted rabbits when my Grandfather said it was time! It was his gig and his time!
Consuming them was secondary to the event itself. The ones I harvested were usually given to someone that would really appreciate it. :lol:

[Toledo Kid]

Old wives tale or not! Your opinion or not! Wildlife Biologist or not!
Its all good! :salute:

I hunted rabbits when my Grandfather said it was time! It was his gig and his time!
Consuming them was secondary to the event itself. The ones I harvested were usually given to someone that would really appreciate it. :lol::whacko: :shake:

[Batman]

Well there you have it, another old tail found to be just that. Thanks, I didn't know it.

[oilburner350]

In the past few year we have gotten Crop Damage permits from the DNR. The first deer season is in July. The only thing I hav efound are the deer are tough when they are harvested early.