ORIGINAL: johnnyHunts
I've always heard that you can't eat game you kill when it is warm or hotbecause they may have "bugs." I know that sounds funny. It does to me too, but is it true? Is it true there are small insects that Rabbits and Squirrels (and deer) that can hurt you if you eat the animal.
Thank you.
The bugs are called warbles.
They usely come out after the first frost.
Description and Distribution
Warbles are the larval stage of the botfly, which characteristically infect rodents and rabbits. They are found under the skin, usually around the legs and neck. They have also been reported from deer, cattle, cats, dogs, hogs, mules, mink, foxes and man. The adult botflies are large (20 mm or more in length) and dark blue or black with fine, dense hairs on the face, genae and thorax.
Only one genus,
Cuterebra, is currently recognized from North America. Twenty-six species are known to occur in the U.S. and Canada. They are also found in Mexico and the neotropical regions. The taxonomy is poorly defined, and existing keys are for the most part inadequate for separation of the species.
In Michigan, warbles have been found in cottontail rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, house mice and white-footed mice. Undoubtedly, other mammals are infected as well. The parasites are usually not seen by the rabbit hunter since most of the warbles have dropped off before hunting season.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...6354--,00.html