Hunting Rabbits for food?

[manakiah]

I was wondering if rabbits could be a source of food in SHTF. This would be mostly in eastern Wa in a bug out plan. Some one said that they are poor in protien?. I have thought about raising rabbits aswell has hunting them in the wild. Any Suggestions?

Read More

 

[Trlsmn]

 

[FlyGuy]

yea, rabbits would make great food in a SHTF situation. Heck, people even eat em now, so why wouldn't you eat them when food is scarce?

 

[Member 5605]

Rabbits are a good source of protein. They lack fat.

You can die of rabbit starvation if that were the only thing you ate.

They would be a good source if that was your protein and had other sources to supplement the remainder of your diet. Long as they were cooked well.

 

[manakiah]

Rabbits are a good source of protein. They lack fat.

You can die of rabbit starvation if that were the only thing you ate.

They would be a good source if that was your protein and had other sources to supplement the remainder of your diet. Long as they were cooked well.

I will have to keep that in mind. Thanks

 

[ak56]

They're delicious.

 

[Stomper]

Tastes like... chicken.

 

[fab_LS]

They are tasty! I've never cleaned and cooked them personally however. I may be wrong but I have heard that they are prone to have worms or some sort of problems that make them either poor or unsuitable eating at certain times of the year. At least in my locality. I'm remembering they're not good to eat in the late summer. But again I may be wrong.

 

[RVTECH]

Rabbits are "where you find them" and as such they can be few and far between. Tularemia can wipe out rabbit populations in a hurry and they may not recover for many years but my suggestion is to go out and give it a try and report back on your success. Shoot any slow, sluggish acting rabbits and do not touch them.

 

[manakiah]

This is starting to sound like a bad Idea

 

[Silver Fox]

Trismn- I was expecting that cartoon from you.

I butchered rabbits in high school and you can dress 'em out in under two minutes.

SF-

 

[fab_LS]

This is starting to sound like a bad Idea

Not necessarily. I've just heard from some old timer that you need to take some care in eating them. (As with any meat really) I need to do some research myself on this because they make a good snack and I'm sure I'll start seeing them all over this spring! I imagine if they're cooked well even if they aren't perfect tasting they won't kill you.

 

[Stomper]

Trismn- I was expecting that cartoon from you.

I butchered rabbits in high school and you can dress 'em out in under two minutes.

SF-

Yes... about 2 mins. I've butchered a few bunnies as well. In my brief 1-1/2 years as a logger out near Clatskanie/Westport, we used to keep a live hutch with rabbits for food. When you are going to slaughter a live rabbit the most humane way is to hold the rabbit by it's ears and use the heavy pommel of a knife (I used a M9 bayonette) to whack it at the base of its skull which would knock the rabbit out, then you quickly cut the head off while its unconscious. The hide peels off rather easily after you cut it from around the feet, then you gut it and off you go to wash it down.

One time a rabbit woke up as it was getting decapitated... screamed like a small child... almost lost my legs on that one.

 

[NWOutdoors]

1 Cholesterol level in rabbit meat is much lower than chicken, turkey, beef, pork. (Alabama A & M University 1989)

2 Rabbit is lower in % of fat than chicken, turkey, beef, and pork. (U S D A circular # 549)

3 Rabbit is highest in protein%. (U S D A circular # 549)

4 A doe rabbit that weighs 10 pounds can produce 320 pounds of meat in a year. !!! WOW !!!. This is more than a cow and it takes 2 acres of land to raise a cow

5 Rabbits are among the most productive of domestic livestock

-------------------------------------

It dosn't take much room to raise them on your own. I do. I personally like the rex breed but californians, new zealands, satins and several other breeds make for a very good meat rabbit.

It makes more sense to HAVE the meat source than to hope you may find a wild one to shoot in a shtf sceneario. How many people will be vying for that one wild animal? How long until hunting pressure completely depleats the supply of wild game?

 

[BrianL]

One time a rabbit woke up as it was getting decapitated... screamed like a small child... almost lost my legs on that one. [/QUOTE]

I would scream like a small child to if I found myself being decapitated!

 

[RVTECH]

About 30 years ago I knew some "old time" coyote hunters that described to me in detail how they used domestic rabbits as "authentic" coyote calls. I will not outline the procedure......

I butchered rabbits in high school and you can dress 'em out in under two minutes.

Used to do the same - did you learn the "sling" method of gutting them out? (real fast)

 

[Redcap]

Tastes like... chicken.

Apparently, you have never actually eaten rabbit or your tastebuds do not function correctly.

I have been raising rabbits for butcher for over fifteen years and they definitely don't taste like chicken.

 

[Stomper]

Yes... I've eaten rabbit in the form of hossenfeffer, oven roasted, open fire roasted, pan fried, etc. Apparently your sense of "internet humor" does not function correctly... EVERYTHING that is not beef, pork, liver, emu, kangaroo, crocodile, escarcot, shark, snake (OK, that is similar to chicken), various fishes, bear, venison, earth worms, ants, grubs, various crustations and seafood animals (these are just a few of the things I've eaten so far) TASTE LIKE... CHICKEN!!! I like mine with dry white toast, and a Coke! (also another joke)


PEACE!

 

[SOTC]

Used to do the same - did you learn the "sling" method of gutting them out? (real fast)

Yes, I learned that in Kodiak, you don't need to cut around the paws either. No knife needed to clean rabbits.

What a great forum!

 

[BigNickShooting]

They are wonderful to eat. Of course it's a good idea to have some pork fat and fry them in pork fat (hence you get the fat you need) ... or just make them in the oven after you marinade them for a couple of days in the fridge.

See photos attached ... a couple of clean rabbits that are going to become rabbit roast in the oven ... they were caught while hunting for coyote in Eastern Oregon ... They are absolutely delicious and BTW they taste like chicken

And if you cook them very well you kill any worms or bugs ... Just don't eat them raw