best eating small game or unprotected species?

[mainbutter]

Title asks it all. Share your favs and recipes!

I'm finally giving rabbit a try, friend's uncle is adding some to a potato soup for tonight.

[thatoneguy]

Rabbit is delicious! I've never tried squirrel, but my grandparents ate it a lot growing up, and they said it's pretty good too.

[mainbutter]

Anyone have any good guides for cleaning small mammals? I'm a fair hand at filleting fish, but small game hunting is a brand new thing I'm getting intrigued by.

[creepworm]

You Tube has a lot of good how to videos for cleaning animals.

[Musky hunter 82]

Growing up we ate alot of Rabbits, Squirrels, Grouse, Snapping Turtles. We event tried Porkiepine once, not too bad really. The best was Squirrel though.

[Wensel]

Beaver

always been my fav!

[mixxedbagg]

Pigeon!

[Juneau4]

Pigeon!

Plus it improves wing shooting.

[JimmyJames]

Beaver

always been my fav!

Nice

[Lunker]

Grouse!

[reinhard1]

snowshoe rabbits. good luck.

[lovebigbluegills]

Ruffed grouse...Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[lovebigbluegills]

Here's some recipes from the pheasant/grouse forum

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...pes#Post2351975

[fishfearme]

Grouse! Rabbit is discusting, at least the times I have had it. I would rather eat bear meat.

[reinhard1]

anything can taste bad if not cooked right. we ate a lot of snowshoes when i was a kid and my mom would brown the meat and then simmer it in some gravey. but i agree with you that grouse is excelent also. good luck.

[fishfearme]

So you say, but I have yet to have a poor tasting Grouse.

[lovebigbluegills]

anything can taste bad if not cooked right. we ate a lot of snowshoes when i was a kid and my mom would brown the meat and then simmer it in some gravey. but i agree with you that grouse is excelent also. good luck.

Snowshoes/cottontails are darn good eating too. I used to shoot a bunch of them when I was a kid and my dad would cook them just like you described--Yummy.

I might have to get the 22 out and go find a few this week.

[reinhard1]

realy miss those days. good way to stay in shape also. next year i plan to do a lot of things i used to do a lot [trout streams and small game hunting]. good luck.

[Juneau4]

So you say, but I have yet to have a poor tasting Grouse. [/quote

Grouse shouldn't even been listed- just small game and unprotected species

[ozzie]

grouse is under the small game hunting lic.....

[highlife4me]

Browned snowshoe and grouse with some potatoes and gravy with a few cold beers sounds real good right now. Too bad I have to settle for fresh crappies and hashbrowns tonight!

[Crm7290]

I understand that a lot of people eat squirrel but I dont think I would ever try it. Its the city kid in me, but they are too ratlike for me to want to eat. Kudos to you for eating em.

I've had bear meat, I know its not small game, but someone brought it up saying they would rather eat bear meat. I thought it was delicious!

[BARNEZ]

I'll eat anything if i'm hungry enough.

[LightningBG]

How about raccoon? Anyone ever eaten that? (I haven't) (Maybe raccoon isn't considered unprotected, I have no idea)

[FishLocker]

I also like squirrel...good stir fry.

And Snapping Turtle soup, and frog legs.

[reinhard1]

i've eaten turtle. i'm waiting for andrew zimmerman to respond. good luck.

[Abndoc]

I've had racoon...it was shredded and soaked in bbq sauce...it was great...not sure if we missed anything because of the sauce.

[mainbutter]

realy miss those days. good way to stay in shape also. next year i plan to do a lot of things i used to do a lot [trout streams and small game hunting]. good luck.

Exactly what I was thinking! I've been trying to do more outdoor stuff over the past two years and keep in better shape. Paddling, rowing, and hiking have worked great in the warmer months, but I was thinking I wish I'd taken up hunting this year, I think I would be more motivated to get out the snowshoes and tromp around in the woods for hours at a time.

Great stuff guys. I personally really want to try grouse now.

[floridaboy]

And Snapping Turtle soup, and frog legs.

Throw in some gator tale and fried catfish Now were talking my kind of eat'n now.............:-)

[lovebigbluegills]

I've had racoon...it was shredded and soaked in bbq sauce...it was great...not sure if we missed anything because of the sauce.

That's the way I had porcupine, the one and only time I had it. It was edible, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat it again.