Rabbit stew with dumplings

[CanuckJim]

Frances,

A friend of mine lives out in the bush in northern Michigan (and no, it's not XJ). He's an avid hunter, unlike me, and there is a hunting season there for squirrels, or "tree rats" as they're called here. He's very adamant about eating anything he shoots, so squirrel pie it is. His only proviso is that the gray variety is okay, but the black squirrels are "kinda skunky."

I'll try anything--once--and I've had my go at tree rats. Skunky about sums it up.

In winter, my yard is overrun with small burrowing bunnies, unlike the larger long eared type. The small ones eat the bark off my shrubs, so I've been eyeing them for the stew pot. We don't have a hunting season for tree rats, so they are everywhere and very bold. In Michigan, they're secretive and timid. Wonder why.

Jim

[gjbingham]

Hmmm....? Gun shy? Bunnies do a heck of a lot of damage to shoots and bark on small plantings. They're great sport with a 20 guage.

[Xabia Jim]

CJ, I was going to post on Tree Rats in Michigan and you beat me to it. Yes, we do hunt squirrels...they taste like chicken. I've cooked up a few, stripped the meat off the bones and made a nice white chili.

Dave, I think you're very right, they're just a rat that lives in the trees. Cuter though than the ground ones in the concrete seas. I'm sure they're eaten somewhere.

And Frances, Jimmy Carter talked about going to his grandmothers house where she cooked possum....said you could smell it a mile away...didn't get the impression he liked it!

I believe you can eat just about anything if you know how to prepare or cook it. Have you ever tired a raw olive? I think people must have just kept trying different ways to prepare things to learn about brining, pickling, salting, smoking....etc

[Xabia Jim]

Oh, and I prefer a 22 to a shotgun for my rabbits and squirrels.....I hate pulling shot out of my mouth when eating!

[Frances]

I was thinking about this thread today, and decided that my basic approach is that I would try anything once, so long as its not someone's pet, its not an edagered species, and it was kept and killed in fair conditions.

See? I don't really ask for much.

Alligator was disgusting, like eating raw gristle - they certainly needed to work on preparing that one!

[Xabia Jim]

....must have been a tough old alligator

[Xabia Jim]

[quote=Frances;25140] and killed in fair conditions.

QUOTE]


yeah, I do prefer to hunt in fair conditions....not so much fun in the rain

...or did you mean you want to arm the rabbits?

[gjbingham]

Bugs Bunny was only armed with wit, and he beat Elmer every time! Funny stuff Jim.

[Frances]

Maybe give them a chance to nibble your legs off!

I asked for that one...

Come to think of it, hunting in good conditions is exactly what I do mean. After all you wouldn't stand in front of a tiny rabbit hatch where they lived all their sorry little lives to shoot them, would you?

[BaconGrease]

Is the coconut fat the sweet kind or is it just oil?