Setting aside the “I am a hunter with a freezer full of meat” thing for a moment, When I left the NY suburbs a month ago, the grocery meat cases were cleaned out. I mean nothing. Bare as the toilet paper aisle. Not sure that is still the case but my hunting buddies have ripped through their game meat in the last few weeks. We are basing out of rural PA and our big box groceries are hit or miss for meat. Local grocer is also a butcher so they have stock but their prices are creeping up and they get cleaned out every now and then by someone, typically from the nearby city, doing a rural meat / supplies run. That rural store foraging has become a thing, where wealthier people are cruising through small towns and clearing out the small groceries and dollar stores.
There is definitely a demand side issue that is causing hoarding. If they can’t reopen these plants in a timely fashion, that is about to converge with a supply side problem and create a legit shortage. It is going to hit less well off people first and the most so it has me concerned for them. Say what your want about your personal stock of game meat, but We all know there isn’t enough wild game for everyone to go get their own so I hope this issue resolved itself soon.
