Make sure to get a good mechanic and some stone if you can, it's important for traps.



If you want to capture animals that kill things, a cool trick is to setup a small narrow zone. like a 1-4. Put a baby male grazer in it. I surrounded it with cage traps and normal traps early.. I was using an alpaca that I was going to butcher later, so if it died no loss and they don't each much.



I trapped 2 coyotes and killed a few more. It didn't cost my dwarves any chasing time since coyotes and some other animals run away. (I had this fairly far away from the base).



I wouldn't even use fishing. You will have plenty of meat and if you have anyone with plant gathering you can get seeds for above ground farming or even just mixing in with food.



You died of dehydration because your lacking ale. the dwarven booze are grown under in farms. Dorfs will drink water but eventually need ale and they usually drink it over water.

