Jack Rabbit Stew Anyone!

[Toby Bradshaw]

I can't vouch for rabbits or hares in other parts of the country but around here ours seem to be healthy, clean, and pest free.

My hawks have caught several thousand jackrabbits in eastern Oregon over the past decade, and plenty of them are loaded with botfly maggots and tapeworm cysts (see photo).

In any case, careful cleaning and proper cooking will render most anything safe to eat; even hotdogs. jd

True!

 

[CaptainMal]

EUCH!

Reminds me of the worms in sea trout, black drum and red grouper. People catch, cook and eat the things all the time.

 

[M14AMU]

Reminds me of the little Cajun boy walking down the road with a feathered object in his hand....shotgun over his shoulder. Was stopped by an old boy and was asked...."Son...what you got there?" Little boy says....."A chicken hawk!" Next question was "What you gonna do wit him?" Little boy says "Eat him!" Final question being....."How do he taste...my fren?" Little boy says...."Bout like owl!"

 

[sscoyote]

Reminds me of the little Cajun boy walking down the road with a feathered object in his hand....shotgun over his shoulder. Was stopped by an old boy and was asked...."Son...what you got there?" Little boy says....."A chicken hawk!" Next question was "What you gonna do wit him?" Little boy says "Eat him!" Final question being....."How do he taste...my fren?" Little boy says...."Bout like owl!"

Funny! Loves me some jackrabbit! Best game meat I ever had...in a crockpot. Gonna try jerky with mine this year--

 

[YEW PLUCKER]

I grew up in West Texas. I shot hundreds of Jacks and Cottontails. The neat thing about it was that, although it was private land, virtually all of it was oil leased and always open with good roads throughout. Usually as long as you didn't damage anything, leave trash, or cause trouble, you could shoot all the rabbits, coyotes, quail, dove, etc., that you wanted to. I have eaten both Jacks and Cottontails. Look for disease on the skin, spots on the liver, etc...

 

[Sniper338]

Im a texas guy... i shoot cottontails every year and bbq em... i love rabbit! Im getting californians at the end of the month here to breed and raise so i can kill em and eat em...

Skin em out, clean em up good, pepper, season all, half a stick of butter, wrap em in foil, and cook em low and slow until done...

Jack rabbits.... aint nobody eating them around here... bunny rabbits are like veal, and jack rabbits are like a nasty ol boar pig around here... although i aint never tried em.. never know.... i hear coon is like a good roast beef... i aint that hungry though..

 

[1newmexkid]

This thread reminds me of the first jack rabbit I shot. I was 9 years old and using .22 shorts. I believe I shot him it about 5 times before it died!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I used to hunt cottontail, and they are delicious. Have not eaten any jacks. Porcupine is pretty good though.

 

[Riesel]

I used to hunt cottontail, and they are delicious. Have not eaten any jacks. Porcupine is pretty good though.

Was taught edible rabbits were only with months that had an "A" in it. If I shot and cleaned game Mom said she would cook it. Came home with five jackrabbits in FeburAry and after going thru the pressure cooker to debone made dang fine Chili.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Was taught edible rabbits were only with months that had an "A" in it. If I shot and cleaned game Mom said she would cook it. Came home with five jackrabbits in FeburAry and after going thru the pressure cooker to debone made dang fine Chili.

Ya, I waited for a good hard freeze before hunting them.

 

[jds holler]

The thing I like about the Jack meat, is that it stays together even after tenderizing, making for a nice little "meat nugget" for your stew, chili, stroganoff, etc.. Doesn't totally cook to pieces like a commercial chicken or such.

Easiest way to harvest the hind legs is to simply pinch the hide at the lower back and tear it back off the legs, stripping toward the feet. Then simply cut and dis-joint the thigh bone from the pelvis, and if you're careful you won't even disturb the guts.

I don't feel a bit guilty about leaving the rest of the jack for the birds and coyotes. Think I'm gonna go get a few again today. jd

 

[5spd]

7 of the 10 Jackrabbits I took early this morning around the hay bales in a feed lot. Fur is thick, perfect heavy bodies, fur buyer will be happy.

 

[Iowa Fox]

We used to mix a little fresh home butchered pork with the jack meat while grinding when we shot a bunch and made rabbit burgers. I always thought they tasted pretty good.

 

[AckleymanII]

Do you have a good recipe for "armed robber"? ;D

Secret is in the Sause!!! This is a quote from "Fried Green Tomatoes" the movie!

 

[AckleymanII]

Secret is in the Sause!!! This is a quote from "Fried Green Tomatoes" the movie!

Also, I usually check the liver of a rabbit to see if it has spots on it, and only eat them in the Winter. I mentioned this above, and from the responses, I will repeat. Put a Jack rabbit in the pressure cooker for 7 minutes, meat will be falling off the bone. If you like gravy, rabbit gravy is the best there is, bar none! We fried these rabbits after cooking them in a pressure cooker, or made BBque, tacos. Rabbit is delicious.

I had a good friend tell me that he made enough money where he did not have to eat Rabbits anymore. He was over one night and we were playing out in the shop, and the wife had made Fried rabbit, home made biscuits and gravy, black eye peas, and sweet corn. My friend ate till he was about to pop.

 

[M14AMU]

Also, I usually check the liver of a rabbit to see if it has spots on it, and only eat them in the Winter. I mentioned this above, and from the responses, I will repeat. Put a Jack rabbit in the pressure cooker for 7 minutes, meat will be falling off the bone. If you like gravy, rabbit gravy is the best there is, bar none! We fried these rabbits after cooking them in a pressure cooker, or made BBque, tacos. Rabbit is delicious.

I had a good friend tell me that he made enough money where he did not have to eat Rabbits anymore. He was over one night and we were playing out in the shop, and the wife had made Fried rabbit, home made biscuits and gravy, black eye peas, and sweet corn. My friend ate till he was about to pop.

Never have eaten 'Jack' but I've had 'Cane Cutter' a plenty! Meat is solid white and Dad would put them on the grill after application of sauce and it would make you slap yo Mammy to get to the table!!

 

[Changeling]

Maryland and Virginia doesn't have jacks or any other kind I'm aware of, but as a kid I sure shot a lot of the regular bunnies called cotton tails.
I cut them up and my mom would use a flour mixture of salt/pepper/garlic/paprika and fry them up in a big old cast iron pan, then make brown gravy out of some of the drippings for the mashed potatoes and biscuits. Totally awesome!!!

Now a rabbit locally (raised) costs $20.00 and up for a 2 to 2 1/2 pounds. Actually they are very simple to raise!

 

[dennisinaz]

Funny! Loves me some jackrabbit! Best game meat I ever had...in a crockpot. Gonna try jerky with mine this year--

You need to get out more if you think Jackrabbit is the best game meat! Ain't nothing tougher than a buck jackrabbit! I much prefer deer, elk, antelope, moose, Gemsbok, even wild pigs!

 

[jds holler]

You need to get out more if you think Jackrabbit is the best game meat! Ain't nothing tougher than a buck jackrabbit! I much prefer deer, elk, antelope, moose, Gemsbok, even wild pigs!

Now, I'm not sayin that jack is the best game meat, but like most critters, there is ways of making it very tasty. A lot of folks don't know how to make a good meal out of the other species that you listed, and I'd just as soon have well prepared jack rabbit as an elk steak that has been over cooked, dried out and ruined. And of all the antelope (pronghorns) that get killed, it seems that about seven out of ten folks have absolutely no love for the meat.

We were having a discussion like this on another forum one time, and the question of eating coyote came up. It seemed that everybody hated to eat them, but no one had tried them. jd

 

[snert]

JD,

I always liked cottontail. Loved grouse and would die for a good pheasant. Squirrel...eh...ok when slathered in sweet BBQ, but not my favorite. Groundhog? Dump it down the hole, let the worms eat it. Barn pigeon...not bad. Just buggy cleaning sometimes. Antelope? GAG! Nastiest meat i ever ate. Ribeye? Now we are talking!