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Preparation of Fish and Game in a Survival Situation Part 2
Snakes
To skin a snake, first cut off its head and bury it.
Then cut the skin down the body 15 to 20 centimeters
Peel the skin back, then grasp the skin in one hand and the body in the other and pull apart.
On large, bulky snakes it may be necessary to slit the belly skin.
Cook snakes in the same manner as small game.
Remove the entrails and discard. Cut the snake into small sections and boil or roast it.
Birds
After killing the bird, remove its feathers by either plucking or skinning.
Remember, skinning removes some of the food value.
Open up the body cavity and remove its entrails, saving the craw (in seed-eating birds), heart, and liver.
Cut off the feet. Cook by boiling or roasting over a spit.
Before cooking scavenger birds, boil them at least 20 minutes to kill parasites.
Preparation of Fish and Game in a Survival Situation Part 1
You must know how to prepare fish and game for cooking and storage in a survival situation.
Improper cleaning or storage can result in inedible or potentially dangerous (food poisoning is a risk) fish or game.
Fish
Do not eat fish that appears spoiled. Cooking does not ensure that spoiled fish will be edible.
Signs of spoilage are–
· Sunken eyes.
· Peculiar odor.
· Suspicious color. (Gills should be red to pink. Scales should be a pronounced shade of gray, not faded.)
· Dents stay in the fish’s flesh after pressing it with your thumb.
· Slimy, rather than moist or wet body.
· Sharp or peppery taste.
Eating spoiled or rotten fish may cause diarrhea, nausea, cramps, vomiting, itching, paralysis, or a metallic taste in the mouth.
These symptoms appear suddenly, one to six hours after eating.
Induce vomiting if symptoms appear.
Fish spoils quickly after death, especially on a hot day.
Prepare fish for eating as soon as possible after catching it.
Cut out the gills and large blood vessels that lie near the spine.
Gut fish that is more than 10 centimeters long.
Scale or skin the fish.
You can impale a whole fish on a stick and cook it over an open fire.
However, boiling the fish with the skin on is the best way to get the most food value.
The fats and oil are under the skin and, by boiling, you can save the juices for broth.
You can use any of the methods used to cook plant food to cook fish.
Pack fish into a ball of clay and bury it in the coals of a fire until the clay hardens.
Break open the clay ball to get to the cooked fish.
Fish is done when the meat flakes off.
If you plan to keep the fish for later, smoke or fry it.
To prepare fish for smoking, cut off the head and remove the backbone.