I need some help from y'all to get myself out of trouble.
My ex-wife is mad at me for letting the kids eat a squirrel I shot in our backyard. Before eating it, I read enough to convince me that it's okay, but I was reading hunting forums. She's not the type to believe what hunters say, but she would believe the DNR or EPA or FDA or some such "authoritative" entity. I know... I rolled my eyes too.
Can anyone provide me with a link to some authoritative website showing that even the squirrels in suburbia are safe to eat as long as they don't have mange or worms or some kind of discoloration in the meat? I'm actually certified by the state of MN in food safety so I assure you I used safe food handling practices while skiing and gutting the animal. Washed it and cooked it very thoroughly as well. And no, we didn't eat the brains.
Here's her email that I need to respond to:
"squirel would be a VERY bad choice esp. living in a populated area where they feed on polluted vegetation and probably also eat ROAD KILL that fester after death and feed on polluted vegetation before they die. Seriously, it's no joke. If you are actually feeding them squirel, you may think it is novel, but actually you are feeding them carcinogeous toxins in concentrated amounts and you need to stop immediately."
I really appreciate any help y'all can provide. The kids and I thought the squirrel was quite delicious! In fact, I thought it really did taste a lot like chicken!
My ex-wife is mad at me for letting the kids eat a squirrel I shot in our backyard. Before eating it, I read enough to convince me that it's okay, but I was reading hunting forums. She's not the type to believe what hunters say, but she would believe the DNR or EPA or FDA or some such "authoritative" entity. I know... I rolled my eyes too.
Can anyone provide me with a link to some authoritative website showing that even the squirrels in suburbia are safe to eat as long as they don't have mange or worms or some kind of discoloration in the meat? I'm actually certified by the state of MN in food safety so I assure you I used safe food handling practices while skiing and gutting the animal. Washed it and cooked it very thoroughly as well. And no, we didn't eat the brains.
Here's her email that I need to respond to:
"squirel would be a VERY bad choice esp. living in a populated area where they feed on polluted vegetation and probably also eat ROAD KILL that fester after death and feed on polluted vegetation before they die. Seriously, it's no joke. If you are actually feeding them squirel, you may think it is novel, but actually you are feeding them carcinogeous toxins in concentrated amounts and you need to stop immediately."
I really appreciate any help y'all can provide. The kids and I thought the squirrel was quite delicious! In fact, I thought it really did taste a lot like chicken!