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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General > Hunting Gate

eating rabbit

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JxMAN25:
is it ok to eat rabbit that have been shot during summer months?

Progun:
If it's legal to shoot them in the summer months where you live then it's OK. But seriously I guess you are wondering about the parasites and such in the warm months?? Yes rabbits have their share of parasites year round and even more so during the warm months, Some people are put off by unsightly bot worm larve or wolves as some call them and the other maladies the ground huggers have in the warm months and recommend therefore waiting until after the first frosts of fall to eat rabbit when presumably they have a clean bill of health. That old tradition is the reason many states set the Rabbit hunting seasons in the fall. From a biological standpoint, Rabbit populations are at their peak at least in N.America in August and are on a steady decline in numbers until the peak of the breeding season the following summer.By the time opening day of the Hunting season opens 80% of that years population of rabbits is already gone. Hunters only harvest the surplus survivors. As far as the quality of the meat during the warm months is concerned, they taste the same all year.Just be sure to wear rubber gloves when you dress them to protect YOU from some of the nasties like tuleremia.

Mebits:
Yup. Practice good kitchen safety. And latex gloves are a huge help when dressing rabbit. I also use them when boning them, which can get a bit intricate, as you might guess.

longislandhunter:
I've eaten my share of summer time rabbits,,,, the meat is the same in taste and texture and there's no problems eating it.  There is a chance you may run into one of the "botfly" larvae when skinning a warm weather rabbit but if you simply cut out the chunk of meat it's embedded in the rest of the meat is fine to eat.  Those botlfy larvae are one ugly critter though and it is not uncommon for people to see one and wind up just throwing away the entire carcass even though it's not necessary.  In all my years of skinning rabbits I've only found a couple with the larvae in it so you may not find any at all.   Like the others have said,,, the gloves are a good idea during cleaning just for sanitary reasons...

Eat hardy my friend   ;D

Jeff

JxMAN25:
ok thanks guys. im going hunting in a week or so in desert country. i have never shot a rabbit and never hunted in the desert. does anyone have any advice?

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