POB Report post Posted October 18, 2012 Just a quick question... When do you start eating bunnies? Do you ever eat jacks, or just cottontails? Have to wait six weeks before my deer hunt and I'm going nuts. Time to break out the 10-22. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted October 18, 2012 I've always heard not until after the first hard freeze to kill all the parasites etc, but I think if you cook them long enough (like in a stew) then everything is ok. I have eaten jacks and cotton tails and I like them both. Jacks, if I recall correctly are a little tough and chewy but had good flavor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ready2hunt Report post Posted October 18, 2012 I prefer to connect with nature. I don't cook them at all, just eat everything raw. Everybodys doing it these days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest akaspecials Report post Posted October 18, 2012 The short answer is after the first hard freeze. Read through this thread though: http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/34312-confirmed-rabbit-fever-in-az/page__hl__rabbit Cotton tails are better than jacks. If from the desert neither are palatable in my opinion. If I were you I'd pull out the shotgun and chase quail instead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted October 18, 2012 If I were you I'd pull out the shotgun and chase quail instead. +1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted October 19, 2012 Coming from Ohio our family grew up on rabbits. I've ate it every way you can think of. These rabbits here in az are a bit tougher than the eastern rabbits but still not bad. Jacks are tougher yet. Each there own. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
olmos1010 Report post Posted October 19, 2012 Funny that this came up. A couple buddies and me were out quail hunting this past weekend and though the quail were hard to come by the Jacks were plentiful. We took all the backstraps (which were surprisingly decent size) and did them in a crock pot with some veggies and potatos and they came out goooood.. First time for Jacks but they better look out from here on out. "The key is Preparation" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
POB Report post Posted October 19, 2012 Thanks guys; thats what I remembered. Never eat rabbits killed in a month without an R, and only after the first hard freeze. The only problem with that is down here some years we don't get a hard freeze. I haven't hunted quail in 35 years, not since my shorthair was poisoned. I get mad all over again if I think about. Dammit, now I'm mad again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Antmo23 Report post Posted October 19, 2012 I've been told that's a old wives tail. I've eaten rabbits that I took during the summer with no ill effects. After a freeze, before a freeze, makes no difference to me. (some years it doesn't even freeze in the desert...) I see a rabbit, BANG! Into the stew pot he goes. Look for parasites when you gut them and cook them properly and i dont think you've got anything to worry about. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLW Report post Posted October 19, 2012 yeah that's bs... it's how you handle them and fully cook them. crock pot till the meat falls off the bones! my kids thought it was beef stew! LOL! Chicken fried rabbit backstrap is awesome! James 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
olmos1010 Report post Posted October 20, 2012 yeah that's bs... it's how you handle them and fully cook them. crock pot till the meat falls off the bones! my kids thought it was beef stew! LOL! Chicken fried rabbit backstrap is awesome! James Thats funny, mine did too. (Kids) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted October 20, 2012 The jackrabbit i have eaten were outstanding, very much like beef. They were antelope jack rabbits from unit 36....not sure if blacktail jackrabbits taste different. Ours wasnt tough at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crotalus Report post Posted October 20, 2012 +1 for Antmo23's and JLW's advice. Can't stress enough that a through cleaning and prep is your best friend. During your cleaning check out the internal organs and basic appearance of your game. If it looks or acted sick don't eat it, period. Here's a really nice link for basic internal pathology of sick rabbit organs: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/DiseaseInfo/disease-images.php?name=rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease&lang=en A healthy liver is clean, glass like shine no spots and not one ounce of paleness or scaring. Any animal with internal organ that appears like the pictures on the linked page I would not even consider eating. Also, wear gloves when cleaning wild game it's your best beat to remain disease free secondary to proper hygiene of course. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted October 20, 2012 I lived out in Superior for a few years & hunted rabbits quite often. Probably drilled 30 or so cottontails with the bow, but never connected on a jack. The cotton bunnys, while a little tough, are pretty tasty. I ate a bunck of them & never got sick. I've read that the trick is to get them cleaned & on ice immediately, other wise rigomortis starts to set in in a matter of minutes, due to their small body size. I found that it did make a difference to clean & ice them immediately, although that's a problem if you're too far from the car. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted October 20, 2012 I hear the squirrel hunting is great up on the rim this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
