Winter Rabbit?

dolooper · Nov 12, 2011

My boy wants to try his hand at hunting. He also says he'd rather start with something small, which I think is a good idea.

So, we're planning to head toward Central or Eastern Oregon the week after Christmas. We'd also like to be near skiing if possible, so I'm looking at maybe Bend or around Anthony Lakes/Wallowa-Whitman. I'm not stuck on a location, though.

Any recommendations on areas to go?

Silverback · Nov 13, 2011

You talking Jack Rabbits or something you can eat ??

dolooper · Nov 13, 2011

Silverback said:
You talking Jack Rabbits or something you can eat ??

Eating.

Mark W. · Nov 14, 2011

Why couldn't you eat Jack Rabbits? I've ate hundreds of them

Head East on 20 when you see rock outcroppings along the hwy to the south. Those areas have produced Cotton tails for me in the past.

dolooper · Nov 15, 2011

Mark W. said:
Why couldn't you eat Jack Rabbits? I've ate hundreds of them

Head East on 20 when you see rock outcroppings along the hwy to the south. Those areas have produced Cotton tails for me in the past.

Many thanks. Lot of BLM land out that way. Good to know.

sprocket3 · Nov 15, 2011

Mark W. said:
Why couldn't you eat Jack Rabbits? I've ate hundreds of them

Head East on 20 when you see rock outcroppings along the hwy to the south. Those areas have produced Cotton tails for me in the past.

Any other folks eat winter Jack Rabbits? I have thought about it, but could never get it done.

Mark W. · Nov 15, 2011

sprocket3 said:
Any other folks eat winter Jack Rabbits? I have thought about it, but could never get it done.

I was not talking specifically Winter Jack Rabbits. Logically the healthiest Rabbits are those around at the end of winter early spring. That said if you pay attention to what you are butchering a Rabbit in Winter is fine. You can do a search on the net for things to look out for. But what has always served me well is:

ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES WHEN PROCESSING ANY WILD GAME. ESPECIALLY RABBITS I like those cute Platex kitchen gloves much thicker then medical or mechanical latex gloves and they go higher up on the arm easier to wash and reuse.

1. No external sores
2. No over run with flea's or especially ticks
3. When you open them up look carefully at the Liver. Tularemia is recognizable by lots of light colored spots on the liver.

The liver Image:Imgp0847_762.jpg - wikiHow

As soon as you kill the rabbit its a good idea to bleed it out. (if hunting you can do this a little later) If the hunting is good I normally kill a few then gather them up (depends on how you are hunting and where) Then slit their throats and hang them on string like a fish stringer head down and let them drip. Let them drip about 15 min before you start the rest of the process.

You can find butchering videos on You tube and suggestons on line.

Make sure you take a big cooler and a block of ice, along with a bunch of plastic bags (depending on how lucky you feel) We have had weekend hunting trips where we filled a 54 quart cooler with cotton tails and jacks. Had to take some of the beer out on the way home to get them all in.

Nothing like a good weekend of Bunny Banging