Going into the Wild for Food

Number of Wild Animals Available at a Given Point

1. Lack of a Clear Indication from the Sources Examined on how many Wild Animals were Available at a Given Time
2. General Trend of Wild Animals Examined: Gradual Decrease in the Number of Wild Animals from the 17th to the 19th Century
1. One exception: Squirrels

Productivity of Wild Animals

1. Lack of a Clear Indication from the Sources Examined on the Productivity of Wild Animals
2. Need for Consistent Food Sources
3. Collision of Interests

External Forces

1. Weather
1. Inconclusive Results based on the Literature Examined on the Impact of Weather on Wild Animals
2. Survivability of Wild Animals in Winter Weather?
3. Influence of Natural Disasters: August 11, 1765: Flooding Destroying Cellers (Elizabeth Drinker Diary p121)
2. Other Wild Animals
1. Meat Eating Animals (Bears, Wolves, Panthers, Foxes, Wildcats) Using other Animals as a Means of Sustenance
2. Decreasing of Food Options
3. Hunters/Fishers
1. Hunters and Fishers using Wild Animals as a Source of Meat for Own Families
2. Means of Self Preservation of Domestic Animals
1. Protecting Calves and Sheep from Wolves
2. Protecting Swine from Bear
4. War Losses
1. Lack of Definitive Count of Wild Animals Lost at the Battle of Brandywine
2. Factors to Keep in Mind
1. Nature of the Source: Results based on Individual Claims (Damages not Mentioned or Only Covering the Scope of Domestic Animals)
2. Using Wild Animals as a Means of Sustenance to Supplement Food from Domestic Animals

Time of the Year

1. Climate Influencing the Comfort Level of Wild Animals
2. Migratory Patterns of Animals throughout the Year
3. Available Resources for Wild Animals at Different Points in the Year

Other Uses for Wild Animals

1. Use of Skins of Wild Animals for Clothing (Example: Buffalo Skins Used)
2. Primary versus Secondary Uses of Animals (Example: Bear Skins, Meat and Fat Used)
3. How the Food Resources are Allocated (Example: Venison Meat Used as a Staple for the Frontier Diet and Also Dried to Take on Expeditions)

Sources: The Diary of Elizabeth Drinker p121; Chadds Ford Historical Society's Guide Training Manual "p72-75, A-32-A-34; Anadromous Fish and the Lenape" p28-40; and Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life: 1640-1840 67-76 (See Bibliography)