Rabbit/Squirrel hunt

[baglock1]

do any of you guys eat wild rabbit when its not in winter months? i ate a bunch of them this winter, but i stopped eating them like a month ago when it started warming up. ive read and always been told its safe in the winter because the freeze kills the sick ones, but not so in the summer.

The rule I always heard when I was a kid was if the month had an "r" in it, rabbit was safe for the plate. So based on that, Sept-Apr should be good to go. With that said however, I doubt I'd trust that logic unless I heard it from a more reputable source that as an old wife's tale. As I recall, the only times I ate wild rabbit (it's probably been ~30 years since) were in the Jan-Feb time frame.

I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts as well.

[davsel]

Growing up in Texas, the main reason we shot them in the winter was to lessen the fleas and ticks.
We would wait until after a good hard freeze before starting wabbit-season.

[denverco]

Growing up in Texas, the main reason we shot them in the winter was to lessen the fleas and ticks.
We would wait until after a good hard freeze before starting wabbit-season.

Freezing temperatures will usually kill any sick or infected rabbits. So yes, wait till the freeze.

[GilpinGuy]

Thread revival!

Is it too late to pick off a few rabbits? I mean as far as the fleas, ticks, or other pests. Hasn't been too cold lately. I never hunted them before but would like to try cooking a couple up and maybe end up raising them for meat if the family likes it.

And, ahem, they've been pestering my birds on the property, so they have to go.

[rondog]

Thread revival!

Is it too late to pick off a few rabbits? I mean as far as the fleas, ticks, or other pests. Hasn't been too cold lately. I never hunted them before but would like to try cooking a couple up and maybe end up raising them for meat if the family likes it.

And, ahem, they've been pestering my birds on the property, so they have to go.

There's several markets that sell commercial rabbit meat, Google it. A friend of mine long ago in OK raised his own rabbits just for the meat, he ate tons of 'em. Can't say I've ever tried it myself, not that I can recall.

[Hummer]

I've hunted and enjoyed eating rabbits and hares, mostly roasted over the campfire or fried, which is a bit tough but very tasty. I rarely shoot them around our homes because we enjoy watching them. Just like we don't shoot the home covey of Gambel's Quail. But, we consider them part of the farm pantry--available if the SHTF, or whenever the need might arise. We surely have a few dozen roaming the farm and enjoy watching their antics. We have to fence off the newly planted garden but otherwise they are rarely a problem.

Right now, the cottontails are highly active, in breeding mode and constantly moving, fighting, males jockeying for breeding females, and females excavating nest holes. The rabbits also attract predators here including Bald and Golden Eagle, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, Great Horned Owls, coyote and fox, all of which makes our place rich with wildlife.

In CO we have the Nuttall's or Mountain Cottontail. The subspecies in the mountains is a bit smaller than the race in the eastern plains and lowland areas of the Grand Valley which have longer ears.

We once had a domestic type rabbit show up. Fun to watch but it ate everything we didn't want it to, bulbs, veggies, flowers and seeds I trapped it and gave it to friends who promised to keep it in a pen.


Snapped this photo a few days ago from the front window. We've got bunnies!





Big mama and a newly emerged baby bunny.





Rival males fighting. I call this photo, "Kung Fu Rabbit".







BTW, GilpinGuy, I have never seen these wild rabbits act aggressively toward wild birds that feed right next to them. They are always gentle except between rival male rabbits. FYI, You can identify tularemia in rabbits by the presence of white spots on the liver. Don't eat those. Wear gloves when you clean them.

[buffalobo]

Official season on rabbits is closed.

sent from my electronic ball and chain

[Irving]

Rabbit is delicious! Or at least the one I ate.

[buffalobo]

Rabbit is delicious! Or at least the one I ate.

Rabbit is delicious, at least the hundreds I have eaten have been. Prefer wild to commercially raised.

sent from my electronic ball and chain

[ray1970]

I used to love rabbit gumbo. Been a long time since I've had it.