Hunting Prepping a rabbit

[glenn1978]

Don't know if this is best place to ask or if allowed if not please delete my post .
Been offered a few rabbits from a mate but very unsure if I could even prep one, without gagging is there an easy way to like de sensatize myself lol.

 

[Brooksy]

Not really. You could wear rubber gloves, like Marigold so they don't tear. Otherwise, as long as you don't puncture the gut in any way, it isn't too bad.

 

[Shoto1]

Moved to H3 - ‘Hunt it, shoot it, eat it’

 

[chouchin66]

Don't know if this is best place to ask or if allowed if not please delete my post .
Been offered a few rabbits from a mate but very unsure if I could even prep one, without gagging is there an easy way to like de sensatize myself lol.

No need to gralloch, hide sliced @ rear hocks & pulled ' till
pulled up over head & remove loins( 1 cut down backbone 1 cut up the top of ribcage) , cut the quarters @ the joints - done. All else for Mr.Badger or Mr. Fox.

 

[Meal Dot]

Try Utube 'gut a rabbit' if you get them complete. Used to find it hard when I was a teenager and haven't had to do it since then but it seems there are better and easier ways now. Good luck!

 

[Bighit]

There is a number of videos on YouTube . One I watched years ago despite it saying it's only a year old, Its a re upload . My Mate uses the push gutting method also. I found it hard to do at first . some take a good squeezing.

 

[Devonair]

Make sure you remove the glands from between the back legs near the anus. They are slightly larger than a tictac and greyer than the rest of the meat. They smell bad and will taint your cooking terribly.

 

[Perlogalism]

Hopefully your mate would have field dressed them. I certainly do as it's best to get the guts out asap as well as being lighter to carry. The best way to de-sensitise yourself is to just do it a few times and like @chouchin66 says, just take the bits worth having.
Definitely worth doing though as Rabbit is lovely meat and even better, free

 

[sb1]

If you play games like elder scrolls and age of empires and the like hunting is quite easy.

 

[2506sendero]

There is a number of videos on YouTube . One I watched years ago despite it saying it's only a year old, Its a re upload . My Mate uses the push gutting method also. I found it hard to do at first . some take a good squeezing.

That's a great video

 

[2506sendero]

The smell of wild rabbit when it is being skinned & gutted ready for cooking is not my favourite smell in the world either, which means i've probably done too many.
You can get rid of a lot of the pong by soaking them in a mild salt water solution overnight, once you have done the necessary with the skin & guts.

 

[2506sendero]

Definitely worth doing though as Rabbit is lovely meat and even better, free

Can take it or leave it now personally, but my 2 Greyhounds were always happy to oblige

 

[Bighit]

That's a great video

Only ever gutted a few despite shooting loads of them . I used the push the guts out the bottom method.

I need to learn to gut them . I normally leave them where they fall but I have been tempted to try one eating wise.

 

[Perlogalism]

I normally leave them where they fall but I have been tempted to try one eating wise.

I won't pull the trigger unless they're going to be used by someone, even if only for the dogs.

Bunny Burgers are a good way to start if you're unsure about eating them. Personally I love a Rabbit stew especially this time of the year. Just ditch the ribcage though as spitting out rabbit ribs isn't particularly enjoyable...

 

[2506sendero]

Only ever gutted a few despite shooting loads of them . I used the push the guts out the bottom method.

I need to learn to gut them . I normally leave them where they fall but I have been tempted to try one eating wise.

I'm sure you won't have any issues, it's not difficult once you've done a couple, it just becomes a bit of a ball ache when you've got a dozen or more to do

 

[Bighit]

I won't pull the trigger unless they're going to be used by someone, even if only for the dogs.

Bunny Burgers are a good way to start if you're unsure about eating them. Personally I love a Rabbit stew especially this time of the year. Just ditch the ribcage though as spitting out rabbit ribs isn't particularly enjoyable...

I used to give them to a mate but not anymore as he does not have a dog now.

I do pest control so they get shot whether they get used or not.

 

[chouchin66]

I used to give them to a mate but not anymore as he does not have a dog now.

I do pest control so they get shot whether they get used or not.

Here's the thing, while I realize pest control is what it is...however, wasting a viable/ edible resource is , in my opinion , just bad form , if you have avenues to see it can be used by someone or eaten yourself. Minor problem for me personally, not eating a " game animal" you've shot - varmints are a different story.

 

[keithy]

I used to do the john darling method, I have a smallish knife with a razer sharp gut hook. pinch the skin near the neck, hook the skin and unzip the rabbit down to the bum, pick it up holding the neck and back legs stomach down and give it a sharp jerk towards the floor the guts fly out, watch your feet! I tried rabbit a few times but not for me! Bird of prey centre used to take all I shot, Dont shoot enough now to make the trip to the centre worth while! I used to have a fox that used to follow me around at night one year!

 

[Perlogalism]

Here's the thing, while I realize pest control is what it is...however, wasting a viable/ edible resource is , in my opinion , just bad form , if you have avenues to see it can be used by someone or eaten yourself. Minor problem for me personally, not eating a " game animal" you've shot - varmints are a different story.

I'm with you there. Whenever I've been asked to shoot rabbits I've made it clear that I won't take more than can be taken or given away. Oddly enough, that's never caused a problem and farmers seem to appreciate the ethics.

Mind you, we're hardly inundated with them around here

 

[bill57]

Unless they show signs of ill health, all of mine get eaten, by me, friends and family, and dogs. Quite often I strip most of the meat from the bones, then the bones with remaining meat get chopped with an axe and put through a mincer. It looks pretty much like shop mince and makes my daughter's dogs my best friends.