Residents Should "Limit" Consumption Of Lead-Contamined Squirrel IN N. Jersey, Authorities Advise

[hatrack]

RINGWOOD -- It's the state's first-ever such warning: Don't eat too much squirrel from the woods near Ford's toxic waste dumps in Upper Ringwood. Two months ago, a lead-contaminated squirrel was found there. The advisory was sent this week to neighborhood residents, who maintain a hunting culture.

It said children shouldn't eat squirrel more than once a month; pregnant women more than twice a month and other adults not more than twice a week. Even in small amounts, lead can harm the nervous system, kidneys and red blood cell production and can affect reproduction and development.

"We've known for a long time something was wrong here, we just didn't know what it was," said resident Myrtle Van Dunk, a longtime hunter. "Now we know, but we're concerned about the people outside this area who come here to hunt. They don't know that the small game here is poisoned."

The situation is so unique, the state has yet to set a standard for how much lead a human can safely ingest. This is the first time New Jersey has issued such an advisory.

EDIT

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0NSZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NzA2NDMzNSZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTM=

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I'm wondering how much wild game is really bad for you

Used to be I'd eat the liver of a deer, because I knew the creature wasn't filled with chemicals. But after reading this article, I'm wondering if wild game might be just as contaminated as the animals raised on a farm. Guess I'd better stick to my neighbor's sheep and goats, because I know they are grown organically.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

7. Well, this is game taken from an area on top of a SuperFund toxic dump.

I'm sure most wild game is much less contaminated than stuff raised on a factory farm.

[freethought]

14. Actually on one of my last deer hunting trips a few years ago

the word from the wildlife authorities was "Don't eat the liver." I think they said the heart as well. If I remember correctly the worry was over high levels of aluminum. On its face it made sense, ingesting too much aluminum can do bad things for you.
It's been a few years since I have been deer hunting so I am not sure if there are any worries about eating deer or any other wild game.

It used to be that eating wild game was a plus. It was all natural, no hormones or antibiotics, totally organic, high quality protein with nearly no fat. Having so little fat in cut of venison actually created a problem, the meat would dry out while cooking. Usually the cook would wrap the meat in bacon or pork fat. Do your arteries wonders to say the least.

These days you can be sure in certain areas if eating wild game is safe or not.

[phantom power]

2. Does that mean I should switch to copper beebees in my shells?

[shain from kane]

3. Squirrels shouldn't eat lead more than once per lifetime.

[The Sushi Bandit]

4. Why? nothings wrong with me!

[hatrack]

5. ROFLMAO!!!

Thanks, I needed that! :toast:

[LiberalEsto]

6. Dang! No more squirrel pizza!

My brother and his friends in North Jersey will just have to swallow their disappointment.

:D

[shain from kane]

9. No more squirrel jerky.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

8. Of course, the guy quoted is a Van Dunk.

I was reading the article and thinking there's going to be a Van Dunk in here somewhere.

[jody]

10. Dam, there goes the Brunswick Stew which requires squirrel to be authentic. n/t

[Hoosier Dem]

11. Gee, didn't realize there was such a high level of squirrel consumption

The only difference between a squirrel and a rat is that one is "Cute" because it has a fuzzy tail. :)

[NNadir]

12. That totally ruins my plans for lunch.

I was planning on a squirrel sandwich with 'possum butter.

[jody]

15. "possum butter"! Have you ever tried to milk a possum?

:rofl:

[NNadir]

16. No milking involved. It involves some peanut oil, a little garlic, roadkill and a

food processor or blender.

[eppur_se_muova]

18. Flashback ... the "Super Bass-O-Matic '76"!

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75qbassamatic.phtml

[hatrack]

21. "You have a bass! Take the whole bass - that's right, the whole bass . . .

Brilliant!

[jody]

19. I've churned butter before from cow's milk I got the old fashioned way, by hand. But you might

be right, a road-kill would suffice for city-slickers. :hi:

[Dead_Parrot]

13. At least they were eating local produce.

Now they have to get tinned squirrel shipped in from China.

[eppur_se_muova]

17. Odd, this guy doesn't seem to be from Jersey ...

http://www.netspace.org/~dmacks/pub/squirrel.penis.sandwich

(NB: I have no idea who wrote this, so "my father" does not refer to my father)

When my father told me this story I thought it needed to be shared here.
During his years at school, he had a roomate that had absolutely no
consideration for those he lived with and helped himself to everyone elses
property, especially everyone else's food. Anything my father had in his
fridge, in the room, or hidden would be found and eaten by him. In
frustatration my father concieved a plan to punish his roomate. My
father, an avid hunter, went out and shot 12 squirrels and proceeded to
cut out all genitalia from the game he had bagged that afternoon. Back at
the dorm he fried up the genitalia with a little butter and herbs, and
placed it in a roll with some mayo and lettuce. Wrapped in tinfoil and
placed on his desk inside his dorm room, the trap was set. Pretending to
be asleep in his bunk, he watched his roommate entered the room, take the
bait, and proceed to rip into the squirrel penis sandwich made for him.
Half way through the sandwich my father rolled over and asked his roommate
what he thought of the sandwich. "Well it's kind of rubbery ..." he said.
My father explained the contense causing the roomate to run from the room
vomitting and buying his own lunches from then on!

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

20. Yeah, but these people aren't like regular NJ people.

They're basically hillbillies who don't interact with "regular" people. Everyone calls them the "Jackson Whites," but somehow they got the state to recognize them as an Indian tribe. ALL of them have one of four last names.

That is a funny little story though.