Wild rabbits and parasites

[Blowmax10]

We have wild rabbits here in the Sonoran desert but everyone I've talked to locally says you can't eat them because they are filled with parasites

I'm wondering if there are strategies for overcoming this

I can see how some could survive if you roasted the thing on a spit but what if you cut up the meat and added it to a stew?

Can they really survive being boiled for an hour??

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Around here you dont mess with rabbits till after the first hard freeze so the sick ones will die off. I've lost several dogs to rabbit fever. As to your question I really dont have a good answer. I dont mess with rabbits that have worms, just toss them where other animals cant get them. Only thing i've done close to this was mealworms in rice and we survived just fine but thats not really the same. I think that alot of your danger would come from cleaning them where you run the risk of a scratch/cut or not getting your hands clean. I dunno, just dont think it would be worth it unless it was that or starve. I would listen to what the natives say

[eeyore]

I'm with MAtt on this one. I don't take them untill the first really good freeze.

I guess you could that one an have it tested and see if what you are told is true

[sniper69]

Some precautions are to use gloves when handling the rabbit carcass. Also make sure that the rabbit is cooked thoroughly.

To check the rabbits for rabbit fever there are a few things to look for. Check the rabbit for a white spotted liver, a swollen spleen, and also look for any areas that are "raw" looking where the rabbit could have been bit and infected by a tick or deer fly (these raw areas are around 1/8 to 1/4 inch IIRC).

[xdpatriot]

I have killed, cleaned, cooked and eaten rabbits my whole life. There's an old saying that says you can only eat a rabbit in months that have an R in the name. I've neve been sick.(wait, maybe THAT'S what's wrong with me!) all kidding aside, I wait for the freeze as well. Grubs are our problem here. Thanks for the info on the liver sniper.

[Blowmax10]

Thanks guys - the problem here is we don't really get a hard freeze - If its below 32F here for more then 5 hours the radio is declaring an emergency (no joke, they've done it twice this year)

[PerryJeff]

I agree with everyone not to eat tell after a hard frost. As well as Sniper on the white Spotted liver. I know they aften have Tape worms in my area so I try not to feed my dogs the guts and when they catch one and eat it I watch there crap a week or two later for a week or so. The Tape worms are white and you will see them so I worm the dogs then...

[trapper]

Sniper is correct ,it is a good idea to look at the liver on all animals you plan to eat.

[Rmplstlskn]

I'll just throw my 2-cents in... I believe our "Owner's Manual" (Scripture) does not call rabbit a food... Rabbit is an unclean meat. How you interpret Shaul (Paul) will dictate what one does with that info...

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Thanks guys - the problem here is we don't really get a hard freeze - If its below 32F here for more then 5 hours the radio is declaring an emergency (no joke, they've done it twice this year)

Then unless it meant death I would just avoid it brother, just aint worth the risk IMO. If you do, then do what Sniper69 and PerryJeff said on checking them. I'd still get with the locals and tribes and see what they are doing. Man i wish I had taken pictures of them bad ones now. Didnt think about it then

[sniper69]

Well - slightly off topic, but kind of on topic seeing it involves rabbits ;) - - - if anyone gets some rabbits (whether wild or domestic) and wants some recipes to try, here you go :D

Here are some from http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/camp...aste-good.html
Big Guy Hasenpfeffer
2 rabbits cut into sections

[PerryJeff]

Wow Sniper those sound nice....
I have always just used crockpot for rabbit and squirrel. I can of either cream of mushroom, or any cream soup, throw in frozen veggies, then potatoes cut in 1/4s or rice. Let cook tell falls off the bones salt and pepper serve...