1st Time Rabbit Questions!

[FRIAR]

I'm looking at trying rabbit hunting for the first time, and have a couple of 'after the kill' questions.

1. Do you 'field dress' dress them, or pull the meat you want from them?

2. What part of a rabbit is the best meat?

3. What is/are the best way(s) to skin them?

4. Do they taste good?

Thanks!

[metaldonnieg]

1. When I think of field dressing I think of just removing the innards in the field immediately after the kill. No, I don't do that. I just thoroughly gut and skin them when I'm back at the house.

2. The hind legs have the most meat and are the best eating in my opinion.

3. What I do is cut a little slit in the center of the back, insert two fingers on each hand, and pull. The skin will tear away cleanly most of the time. Pull it down to the feet and head and then just chop it off there. Once the skin is removed you cut the little stomach covering part and you know what to do from there.

4. Heck. Freakin. Yes.

[FRIAR]

Do you cut along the spine, or perpendicular to it?

[metaldonnieg]

for the skinning slice, perpendicular. that way the ends of the cut give the skin a place to begin tearing once you begin pulling as you will be pulling with the spine. Make sense?

[FRIAR]

Great! Thank you.

[Steve F.in MD]

I like to skin them, using the method described above, in the field. I carry plastic bags to put all the meat in. That way I don't carry the flea laden carcasses home with me and I have minimal clean upafter the hunt.

[buckhunter14]

Here is a different way that I use and involves no gutting to innards (sp?) at all. These are detailed instructions and may look long, but very easy and quick.

1st: Have fun hunting and enjoy what you are doing.

2nd: After the hunt, find a nice place to clean them and be prepared with a bowl for the meat, bag for the carcass and fur.

3rd: Twist each rabbits head off.

4th: Cut every leg at the first joint with a good pair of scissors or axe (on a hard surface.

5th: Make a small cut above the back just peircing theskin of the hair.

6th: Peel the fur from all body parts (should be very easy). Now all you have is a naked rabbit body that is headless and footless.

7th: Cut the meat that you want (or the whole thing)off the front and back legs.

8th: Make two slits down both sides of the spine seperating the tenderloins from the backbone. Cut them out just like you would a deer tenderloin. (In my opinion, the best part of a rabbit.)

9th: Dispose of the meatless carcass and move on.

[metaldonnieg]

so you don't have any bones in your leg meat?

[Savage arms]

To skin them you can just pull on the skin on the hind legs and it just rips right off. Just pull it all the way up the neck and clean him out and get all the meat off.

[vaclav]

yeah my dad has some recipies for them, he says they taste very good