black tailed jackrabbit - edible?

sngehl01 · 11-30-2008, 03:03 PM

I just came back from New Mexico, I was on western side close to the arizona border. I was there to quail hunt, but saw TONS of jackrabbits. I was told by the locals there you can't eat them, that they carry to many diseases or what-not.

Anyone eat these critters? I love rabbit and I couldn't imagine them being much different. Can you only eat them at certain times of the year (like... do they have worms during the summer or anything?).

Thanks.

sngehl01 · 12-01-2008, 04:59 PM

i'll guess that's a no??

so you mean to tell me no one has ever eaten one of these critters and lived to tell about it?

jeepdude1987 · 12-03-2008, 03:45 PM

You don't want to eat a Jack, but you can. Make sure not to shoot any White sided or tailed or whatever the endangered ones are that would get you in a whole mess of trouble. From what my uncle has said if you kill any small mammals around these parts that they have nasty worm like things before the first big frost comes. As I understand it the Jacks could be eaten, but they are really tough or stringy and don't taste too great. If you do want to eat them just wait till after the frost and I would soak them in COFFEE GROUNDS for a long while to get the game taste out(IT WORKS BETTER THAN SALT WATER). Then I would make a stew or something else with more flavors in it than just the Jack. They are really coyote food to anyone I know, and I wouldn't really consider bringing them home cause I have talked to people who have wasted their time on them.

sean665 · 12-07-2008, 01:14 PM

Yeah we have a bunch of Jacks here in AZ, leave them for the coyotes.