Actually allegedly the hunter gatherer Aboriginals practiced "conservation" in terms of not depleting wildlife and presumably edible plants. So ecareas were reserves for harder times. Eg allegedly the desert Aboriginals kept Ayers Rock/Uluru environs for harder times. Good permanent waterholes at the base of the rock. Resultant wildlife. If hunted excessively, no reserve.

Locally the Aboriginals lived here in cooler lands during summer and the Murray plains, warmer inland, during winter.

Hunter and gatherers often practiced restraint. Do not eat all the fruit, not all the grass seeds, yams etc.

Some have speculated hunters and gatherers worked less hours than agarian farmers. More free time. As nomads also less likely to be enslaved by chieftains, kings etc. Tied to the land, with a collar ...

Agarian societies do cope with times of shortage better. IF excess crops are stored and not squandered. In Africa often a good crop means no crop is grown the next year. Eat up the reserves, rather than add to the reserves.

Hunter gatherer existence often had a shorter life expectancy. Old people on a sedentary farm can be looked after. Old people unable to walk, ride, etc in nomadic, and hunter gatherer societies are often abandoned.

Yes in tough times certainly hunter gatherers did whatever was needed to survive.