From the journals historians have been able to tally all the game animals taken, giving an estimate of how much meat they had and consumed on the expedition.
"Each man consumed nine pounds of meat per day, when available, and the designated hunters of the Corps were kept busy throughout the journey. Raymond Darwin Burroughs tallied the quantity of game killed and consumed during the course the expedition:
Deer (all species combined) 1,001
Elk 375
Bison 227
Antelope 62
Bighorned sheep 35
Bears, grizzly 43
Bears, black 23
Beaver (shot or trapped) 113
Otter 16
Geese and Brant 104
Grouse (all species) 46
Turkeys 9
Plovers 48
Wolves (only one eaten) 18
Indian dogs (purchased and consumed) 190
Horses 12
(From "The Natural History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition". Michigan State University Press, 1995)
This list does not include the countless smaller or more exotic animals that were captured and eaten by the Corps, such as hawk, coyote, fox, crow, eagle, gopher, muskrat, seal, whale blubber, turtle, mussels, crab, salmon, and trout. Nor does it enumerate the unfamiliar varieties of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, seeds, and nuts that were found to be edible. However, all are mentioned in the Journals along with detailed and sometimes lively accounts of accompanying adventures."
You can read more about food on the trail from this article where the quote is from.
"Each man consumed nine pounds of meat per day, when available, and the designated hunters of the Corps were kept busy throughout the journey. Raymond Darwin Burroughs tallied the quantity of game killed and consumed during the course the expedition:
Deer (all species combined) 1,001
Elk 375
Bison 227
Antelope 62
Bighorned sheep 35
Bears, grizzly 43
Bears, black 23
Beaver (shot or trapped) 113
Otter 16
Geese and Brant 104
Grouse (all species) 46
Turkeys 9
Plovers 48
Wolves (only one eaten) 18
Indian dogs (purchased and consumed) 190
Horses 12
(From "The Natural History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition". Michigan State University Press, 1995)
This list does not include the countless smaller or more exotic animals that were captured and eaten by the Corps, such as hawk, coyote, fox, crow, eagle, gopher, muskrat, seal, whale blubber, turtle, mussels, crab, salmon, and trout. Nor does it enumerate the unfamiliar varieties of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, seeds, and nuts that were found to be edible. However, all are mentioned in the Journals along with detailed and sometimes lively accounts of accompanying adventures."
You can read more about food on the trail from this article where the quote is from.