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Aggressive Perfector
09-29-2013, 02:39 AM
I've always heard you're only supposed to eat wild rabbit until after the third frost of the season. I've never really been into rabbit hunting, so I know jack about it. But I was at my buddy's house plinkin' and we wound up shooting rabbits, because they carry fleas and they get in his house and on his pets. I thought it was kind of a waste, so I skinned and cleaned them like a squirrel with intent to eat them, until I found white spots on some of their innards and black spots on the meat. I just didn't trust it. Is this some sort of parasite or virus that they carry?

Full Otto
10-03-2013, 09:07 AM
About the only help I got is from searching on line.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/rabbits/317550-white-spots-domestic-rabbits-liver.html
It's coccidiosis. there is hepatic (liver), or intestinal types.
It will slow the growth of the rabbit and if bad enough will kill it. It is a parasite that is propigated when the rabbit eats its own waste.
it is treated by disenfecting and a course of Sulmet which is a sulfa drug used for chickens.
You can eat the meat, but i would not eat the liver itself.

http://askville.amazon.com/safe-eat-wild-rabbits-catch-shoot-worry-toxins-eaten-disease/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=4175808
It's not all that common (around 1%), and if it's cooked properly it kills the bacteria. Tularemia generally occurs in humans not from eating the rabbit but from skinning and butchering it without gloves.

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/powder-keg/55806-eating-rabbits-summer.html
Yeah, it ain't the bunnies so much as the parasites. Since most insects sleep out the winter (either hibernating or as eggs), the risk is vastly reduced.
Can't add much to what troy2000 posted. Summer's bug season, so anything that's gonna spread via insect vector is more likely to spread then.

Dr. Gonzo GED
10-03-2013, 02:20 PM
They have worms in the warm months.

Keep the pelts.

Use the meat for pig bait?

Aggressive Perfector
10-25-2013, 10:06 PM
Thanks for the info Otto. :)

The fur wasn't in such great shape after I cleaned the rabbits. Most of them tore a time or two, as I just kinda tore them off the carcass by hand rather than cut neatly. I don't know about using the meat for pig bait... Grain and corn usually work well for that... Though I found that out trying to bait deer. I've never seen hogs eating meat. But I've heard quite a few cyotes lately. ;)

Dr. Gonzo GED
10-26-2013, 01:01 AM
I've never seen hogs eating meat.

They're opportunistic and they like strong smelling stuff. Let ol' Buggs liquefy in a bag for a while and all kinds of critters will take an interest in him.

Aggressive Perfector
10-26-2013, 10:35 AM
I'll attempt it and see what comes around. Other than cyotes. Thanks for the tip.