8.7 C
New York
Thursday, March 28, 2024

“We’re All Born Hunters” – Americans Turn To Hunting Game Amid Pandemic Food Shortage Fears

Courtesy of ZeroHedge View original post here.

The slowdown or even the shuttering of meat processing plants due to coronavirus outbreaks has led to meat shortages and soaring food inflation. Supermarket chain Kroger reported Friday that it has put "purchase limits" on ground beef and fresh pork at some of its stores following growing concerns of food supply chain disruptions. We noted last month that meat shortages could be seen at grocery stores across the US in the first half of May. The pandemic and all its chaos have led some Americans to purchase a hunting rifle and venture into the wilderness to hunt big-game to put food on their tables. 

Reuters interviews several Americans and reviews hunting license data on a state level to determine that a growing number of people are hunting food big-game to feed their families during the pandemic.

David Elliot, an emergency manager at Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, said the pandemic had given him the urge to fill his freezer with free-range, super-lean meat that he will obtain through hunting elk. He recently received his elk license and plans to borrow a horse and rifle, and roam the vast plains in Taos, searching for big-game. 

"I understand some people might be driven by like antlers or some sort of glory. I don't want to do that," said Elliot. "I want to make sure it's a clean, humane shot, as much as possible, and get a bunch of food."

Game and fish agencies in Minnesota to New Mexico have noticed a surge in either hunting license sales, permit applications, or both in the last several months. 

Indiana reported a 28% jump in turkey license sales in the first week of the season that started on April 22, said Marty Benson, a spokesman for the state's Department of Natural Resource. 

Firearm sales jumped in March, and the FBI conducted 3.74 million background checks, the most ever for any month. The reason for the jump is not hunting, but rather, as we've noted, people panic hoarded weapons and ammo out of fear the pandemic would lead to social instabilities. 

Hank Forester of Quality Deer Management Association expects a revival of hunting by many Americans who are now witnessing supermarket shelves go bare and meat shortages. 

"People are starting to consider self-reliance and where their food comes from," said Forester. "We're all born hunters."

Brian Van Nevel and Nathaniel Evans, two school teachers in the Taos area, have been waking up very early to hunt wild turkey. Evans said he'd seen a lot more hunters this year, mainly because lockdowns have left many people at home. He said hunting has allowed him to "cleanse my mental card and just go and be present." 

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has spoken with governors and state officials to open land that has been closed because of the lockdowns, as they say, people need to hunt for food. 

Nina Stafford, a building contractor in Fayetteville, Georgia, shot her first deer earlier this year. She said the pandemic has "only made me want to go and do it more so that I don't have that scared feeling of where's my next meal going to come from." 

Stafford also has a garden that makes her less reliant on supermarkets and hedges her food supply if there were disruptions at supermarkets. 

Last month, we noted internet search trends for "buy seeds" erupted, as Americans have become very concerned that their next meal could be disrupted during these unprecedented timed.

Preliminary state data shows turkey hunter numbers in Georgia increased 47% this year over last, while the number of turkeys killed during the first 23 days of the season rose 26%. 

"It's not just because of what's going on in the world right now. Frankly, I don't make that much money, so like this is just a good idea anyway," said Elliot.

Americans aren't just picking up hunting rifles in search of big-game to feed their families as food security becomes a significant issue; folks are also leaving big cities for rural communities during the pandemic

The pandemic is forcing people to become more self-sufficient and return to a state of hunter-gatherers. 

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Stay Connected

157,450FansLike
396,312FollowersFollow
2,280SubscribersSubscribe

Latest Articles

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x