Thread: Ticks in small game

Just joined the forum today and first time posting so forgive me if this has been asked already or if I am in the wrong place.
I shot a hare tonight and it's ears are full of ticks. Maybe a dozen or so. Is the meat still safe to eat? While I am at it is there any other worries surrounding eating small game in new zealand? I usually vac pac them and cook them sous vide at 68 degrees for a couple of hours ( before frying) but this one made me wonder. Any information would be great as I have asked mpi in the past and they didn't seem to know much. Cheers

I have never seen ticks on a hare. I would take the head to your local Vet clinic and leave it with a Vet. If they think it is a concern then they have a hot line to MPI.

Unless the hare is fat and all the other organs look really good I would not eat it. Generally parasites are worse on sickly wild animals than on robust healthy ones and not because the parasites make the animal sickly and unhealthy but because they are already sick (immune compromised) and more susceptible to parasites. Because of the ticks I would stew it - see below

Hares in NZ are infected with Tularemia at a low level. This is a bad news disease and transmissible to Humans. Please study this link and be aware that you may have been exposed https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rc...qeT8P4qVLIuY_E

I've seen quite a few with ticks.

Far out, I had no idea there was tularemia in NZ. Thought that was a Yankee problem. Thanks for the help.

Can you cook tularemia out of the meat in the same way as salmonella in chicken?

Originally Posted by Calbanner

Can you cook tularemia out of the meat in the same way as salmonella in chicken?

It is caused by a bacterium so probably. That is a yes in most cases unless the bacteria forms heat resistant spores. ( not shore with Tula, but check it is not spore forming)

If your hare or any game is slabby or has parasites chuck it out. I have only seen a few hares with Tularemia, it is not common. Google up the symptoms / field diagnosis.
Dont be put off eating hares because you struck one bad one. I eat nice good conditioned ones gladly.
Learn how to field check / inspect all game - windpipe, lungs, liver, diaphragm

Wikipedia article about Tularemia. Some bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, which is a human skin bacterium, produce heat resistant endotoxins that can cause diarrea. So sometimes cooking the food is not enough.

You are lucky you don't have ticks with Lyme disease. At least i was told.

most hares I shoot are riddled with them
I think its a warm area mixed with stock thing, as they are just the same cattle ticks that my cows get

puts me off eating them after seeing the life literally sucked out of them by ticks
rabbits on the otherhand up here seem to be clean, but that may just be that the hare is older and has seen a previous tick season and the rabbits are less than a year old

How far south are hares likely to have ticks?

(Never seen any on hares down here)

never seen any in North Canterbury either

Originally Posted by Bill999

most hares I shoot are riddled with them
I think its a warm area mixed with stock thing, as they are just the same cattle ticks that my cows get

puts me off eating them after seeing the life literally sucked out of them by ticks
rabbits on the otherhand up here seem to be clean, but that may just be that the hare is older and has seen a previous tick season and the rabbits are less than a year old

Makes sense that it is cattle ticks as these are present in top SI

Yeah mate im top of the north island
Frosts are very infrequent and cows/horses always seem to have a few tick but around this time of year that just increases big time
It's probably the main reason I don't like hares. The last one I shot was visibly weak while alive and a bag of bones when dead, threw it somewhere even my dogs wouldn't find it

Shot a few with ticks,dogs didn’t mind.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I have never seen ticks on a hare. I would take the head to your local Vet clinic and leave it with a Vet. If they think it is a concern then they have a hot line to MPI.

Unless the hare is fat and all the other organs look really good I would not eat it. Generally parasites are worse on sickly wild animals than on robust healthy ones and not because the parasites make the animal sickly and unhealthy but because they are already sick (immune compromised) and more susceptible to parasites. Because of the ticks I would stew it - see below

Hares in NZ are infected with Tularemia at a low level. This is a bad news disease and transmissible to Humans. Please study this link and be aware that you may have been exposed https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rc...qeT8P4qVLIuY_E

@Jock115

Your manky hare at the Boyd, that fateful Labour Weekend in 1993/1994?

Reading the link sections on transmission of Tularemia, insect vectors cause more infections than scratches.
With that in mind the areas of the country with Ticks present are likely to see much higher rates of Tularemia than areas free of ticks.

Nasty disease we need to watch for. Bill999's hare might have been skinny from Tula and not from ticks alone ?