What's the story behind the old saying, "Only shoot a rabbit in a month with an "R" in it?

Any goood rabbit recipes?

I've only heard that expression in relation to the safe times to eat oysters. Would assume that it refers to the fact that rabbits are safer to eat in cold weather. In my family, we never shot rabbits until we got a freeze or very hard frost. It was supposed to kill parasites on rabbits that cause disease.

In the summer months most rabbits has what we call wolves in them. It is a grub worm looking thing that lives under there skin. They go away when it gets colder outside. So thats probably where it comes from.

I've always heard not to shoot rabbits until after the first frost. Something about them having worms until then.

OK,does this go for squirrels to?My season starts Oct 1,i'll start huntin on Oct.20.I killed the first one on Oct 19 last year,and he did not have a wolf in him.

Here in Arizona that is the general rule: no shooting rabbits in months without an "R." And yes it has something to do with the fact that they have some sort of worm/disease during the summer months.

same goes for squirrels

I have eaten countless squirrels harvested in warm weather without a problem. Although it does make sense that if these parasites are in rabbits they would be in squirrels too.

i thought they were called worbels or warbols....something like that...i was always told to wait after first hard frost

i always heard that it had to do with "spotted liver" or something like that. i dont know it could be a family story to.