Around here, and not talking 'bout any worms, etc, but it's better to shoot them before the winter gets on too late because the meat will start to taste more like the food they eat, like popple bark from the trees. (hearsay-gossip) Don't know personally if it's true.

iSnipe

I did a bit more investigation into this and I think I have found an answer. The culprit is a disease called Tuleremia, or "Rabbit Fever". An easy way to tell if a rabbit has this disease is to look at the liver during cleaning. If there are white spots on the liver, the rabbit is no good to eat, and you should wash your hands very thoroughly ASAP. It can be transmitted from rabbits to people either by eating the meat, or through a cut in your hand during cleaning. From what I have read, temperature has nothing to do with this disease.

i guess i was close. maybe its not just a family story

IF a rabbit has a spotted liver your not supposed to eat it!I check all mine! Our rabbit season in TN doesn't open till NOV 14,so it usually frosts by then.I don't squrriel hunt.

Rabbits and other rodents are subject to tularemia. That is a disease that is harmful or fatal to humans. An infected rabbit will eventually have white spots on its liver. One should always wear rubber gloves and take other precautions when dressing rabbits. Cooking will kill the disease. The assumption is that sick rabbits will die when the weather gets colder, so one should not hunt rabbits until cold weather. This assumption is not necessarily true, but it is the source of the cold weather tradition.

Several precautions can protect individuals from tularemia.

1. Avoid drinking, bathing, swimming or working in untreated water where infection may be common among wild animals.
2. Use impervious gloves when skinning or handling animals, especially rabbits.
3, Cook the meat of wild rabbits and rodents thoroughly.
4. Avoid being bitten by deer flies and ticks. The following suggestions may help:

1. Check your clothing often for ticks climbing toward open skin.
2.Wear white or light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants so the tiny ticks are easier to see. Tuck long pants into your socks and boots. Wear a head covering or hat for added protection.
3. For those who may not tolerate wearing all of these clothes in hot, muggy weather, apply insect repellent containing DEET (30 percent or less) to exposed skin (except the face). Be sure to wash treated skin after coming indoors. If you do cover up, use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) while in locations where ticks may be common. Follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse repellents. Always supervise children in the use of repellents.
3. Walk in the center of trails so weeds do not brush against you.
4. Check yourself, children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks. Most ticks seldom attach quickly and rarely transmit tickborne disease until they have been attached for four or more hours.
5. If you let your pets outdoors, check them often for ticks. Infected ticks also can transmit some tickborne diseases to them. (Check with your veterinarian about preventive measures against tickborne diseases.) You are at risk from ticks that "hitch a ride" on your pets but fall off in your home before they feed.
6. Make sure the property around your home is unattractive to ticks. Keep your grass mowed and keep weeds cut. http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbtulare.htm

I went and asked a good friend of mine who is an avid hunter and also happens to be a veterinarian and he said that it is still ok to harvest rabbits before the first frosat. He said that any of the parasites will be killed during cooking and there will be no problem with eating them. thank god b/c rabbit season opens up in jersey tomorrow and we have had no where near a frost.

Complete bull****. In fact, you can eat rabbit in ANY month of the year, however, there IS some truth to the fact that it is MORE likely for rabbits to be "wormy" in warm months, and the warm months tend to coincide with months with R in them. Clearly, this is not across the board since January, February and March are the typically coldest months of the year, and have R in the.

So, it's really just BS. I would recommend avoiding rabbit in the summer months, which is when this is most likely to be prevalent. June, July, August. The rest of the year, should be safe, but as with any meat you should inspect it and be educated and aware of what you are looking for when it comes to bad or infested meat. There is no replacement for education when it comes to slaughter and eating wild caught meat.