- With the ease of in-game hunting, it just seems like everyone else is terrible at it other than the protagonist, whose amazing deer- and bear-whisperer powers allow them to fill their larders at a moment's notice as long as they still have bullets. -

From what I remember, the amount of large animals around goes way down as you go on, and if you hunt a lot you're less likely to find food.

So yea, running out of food, and/or having to stop to hunt constantly for rabbits/squirrels, is a thing that happened. Especially if you lose some oxen earlier on and thus travel at a slower pace.

-Trying to ford the river always stands out in my mind due to so many past failures. -

Fording really is for ultra-shallow conditions- which don't come up often, but if they do, you don't want to float because you'll crash in the shallowness.