How would you survive?

Question

Hypothetical scenario: You are stranded due to some major catastrophe. Blizzard, earthquake, plane crash, war, or something along those lines. You have shelter, and access to clean water. You don’t have any food, and haven’t eaten in 3 days. Below is a list of potential sources of food. How would you order them from what you would be most likely to least likely to eat to save your own life? Where would you draw the line?

Varmints; rats, squirrels, lizards, birds or other small animals
Insects; grubs, ants, termites, crickets and other bugs
Stray animals; cats, dogs, horses, or other former pets
Your own pet; self explanatory
Forage; wild berries, mushrooms, or roots that may or may not be safe to eat
Larger game; deer, mountain goats, elk, etc.
Mud; stave off hunger, might be some nutrients in it.
Feces; koalas do it, it works pretty well for them.
Another person; worked for the Donner party
Yourself; you don’t need both arms to survive
Theft; you don’t have food, but those guys over there do
Nothing; It's over anyways, no point in fighting the inevitable

Effably · Accepted Answer

Hypothetical scenario: You are stranded due to some major catastrophe. Blizzard, earthquake, plane crash, war, or something along those lines. You have shelter, and access to clean water. You don’t have any food, and haven’t eaten in 3 days. Below is a list of potential sources of food. How would you order them from what you would be most likely to least likely to eat to save your own life? Where would you draw the line?
• Varmints; rats, squirrels, lizards, birds or other small animals
• Insects; grubs, ants, termites, crickets and other bugs
• Stray animals; cats, dogs, horses, or other former pets
• Your own pet; self explanatory
• Forage; wild berries, mushrooms, or roots that may or may not be safe to eat
• Larger game; deer, mountain goats, elk, etc.
• Mud; stave off hunger, might be some nutrients in it.
• Feces; koalas do it, it works pretty well for them.
• Another person; worked for the Donner party
• Yourself; you don’t need both arms to survive
• Theft; you don’t have food, but those guys over there do
• Nothing; It's over anyways, no point in fighting the inevitable

Looking at it I'd probably in order resort to, mostly due to ease of acces:
Foraging.
Insects.
Varmints.
Large game.

None of those have any real issues more than obtaining it to me.

After that the things that would trouble me:
Theft (No major issue, but it is wrong)

Mud (Its just to stop the pain, doesn't do much else right?)

Stray animals (Some I would not eat. Would have to be pretty much half dead before considering dog, but a horse is fine to me)

Feces (It might work but would again have to be rather desperate, delirious. Probably would.)

Other people (Again, probably would if its in some way a rational choice. So not kill a newborn but if there's meat and its eat it or waste it.. sure.)

And then I simply would not eat myself or my pet. At that point I'd rather starve. Now I have only ever gone a week without food, during my experimental phases, and realize full well I might think differently when it becomes too much. But we have to draw the line somewhere.

NamerOfStars · Accepted Answer

It depends on where I am; I know the plant life of my area decently well; enough to have a decent idea of what's safe to eat and what isn't (I know Chicago's better; it's where I grew up, but it's a lot less generous than Florida's), so I'd probably start with that. Insects would probably be next; there are relatively few of them poisonous enough to affect a human, much less one my size- but that does NOT apply to mushrooms (which are biologically closer to insects than plants, which is why I put them in this category) and toadstools; avoid those unless you know what you're doing, which I don't. Bugs are also fairly easy to trap.

Then comes the animals: big ones first, since 1. they're more abundant up here, and 2. they'd be so freaked out by the blizzard, they'd be easy prey. Hell, many of the gators would probably be dead already. Next are the varmints. Armadillos are all over the place here, but they also frequently carry leprosy; I do NOT like my odds with that disease if I'm cut off from medical help. Diseases and parasites are rampant down here, and while I know SOME stuff about purifying meat, it's pretty basic.

Next come the real nasty things: I don't think I could bring myself to eat a family member, human or otherwise- I'd likely not resort to thieving from other people who had food, though I WOULD probably offer/ask to join them; people working together have historically had better luck getting food than individuals, and if we've got some extra calories to work with in getting in, the odds are even better (lacking food slows you down faster than you'd believe). Eating other people? Only if they're already dead; I've gone THIS far in life without killing anyone, and I don't want to break that record. And myself? Well, that flat-out wouldn't work; you'd lose more energy than you'd gain by eating it.

Agape93 · Accepted Answer

• Varmints; rats, squirrels, lizards, birds or other small animals

Oh I have 0 issues doing this

• Insects; grubs, ants, termites, crickets and other bugs
Done it before, I can do it again

• Stray animals; cats, dogs, horses, or other former pets
Oh I would, no doubt. Give me that protein

• Your own pet; self explanatory
I'd be depressed and feel like shit, but I would.

• Forage; wild berries, mushrooms, or roots that may or may not be safe to eat
Not likely, as we have mushrooms up here that look like benign ones that can kill me rapidly

• Larger game; deer, mountain goats, elk, etc.
Oh easily. Deer is my dietary staple

• Mud; stave off hunger, might be some nutrients in it.
Disgusting, I might but I'm more likely to eat grass lol

• Feces; koalas do it, it works pretty well for them.
Not a god damn chance

• Another person; worked for the Donner party
No issues with it. They're protein. Long as I avoid the brain and spine, I'll eat it.

• Yourself; you don’t need both arms to survive
I'd have to be delirious but it's possible

• Theft; you don’t have food, but those guys over there do
Oh without issue. I'll kill then and eat them and their supplies.

• Nothing; It's over anyways, no point in fighting the inevitable
Hey if all else fails, I can always swallow a bullet.

WowwGirl · Accepted Answer

I would follow you or @agape93  Honestly, I have no better plan

Anpu23 · Answer

I can hunt, trap and know the basics of foraging and can identify most edible plants in this area (thanks Boy Scouts). I know how to make improvised hunting tools, start a fire without matches, purify water and have a good understanding of electronics and communication tools and techniques I wouldn't starve assuming that there is some food available. I also have a go bag with tools, gear and information stored in a digital format (first aid /medical books, survival guides, plant guides and topographical maps of the entire North American continent) with a solar charger so assuming I am home I have a serious leg up (this bag is not stored in the house but in a separate structure to hopefully avoid fire or other house issues).

Redstang88 · Answer

Well kinda depends what resources o have around me and how familiar I am with the terrain. I have a decent working knowledge of hunting, trapping and fishing - primitive methods included - and some foraging experience around where I’m from.

dreamstar72 · Answer

Berries and other wild stuff
Get the the weapons from the guard (s) on plane
Wild animals
Become friends with (if not kill) the neighbors who have
You touch my dog you die
After that say f it and give up

NostalgiaSenpi · Answer

Foraging. Insects. Varmints. Large game. Why does it have to be theft? What if they don't have access to clean water and you can barter or work together to live?

Dinosaursandanime65 · Answer

Imma read me some STORies, eat me some LOBster, let the government pay for all my sh-

LemiaOfThunder · Answer

Not sure

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