I bet there were a helluva lot of people, before they acquired the use of a horse, that starved to death, especially in winter.
It is tough to think about it... You and me are prolly far less dependent on the supermarket - I know I am... between wild meat, the farm, and the garden, I don't really NEED that much from the system. Even the gear I need to be this way - Seldom new, usually bought used and broken...
But try figgering out how to do it without the garden, and 100% from the hunt, even just for yourself, not to mention draggin a passel of kids, a woman, and a grandma or two around...
I am trying right now to get to something pre-canning - preserving as much as I can without a processing kitchen... It is a tough thing to do.
And no food before winter means you're dead. Not enough through winter means you're dead. And not enough to make it through spring still means you're dead.