Have any of you ever eaten a Jack Rabbit or a feral pigeon?
- Thread starter Big Bill
- Start date
banditt007
New member
where i hunt there are no jack rabbits but everything i HEARD (not saying its true) is that the meat is just so tough and stringy that even after long slow cooking it still is terrible. However i've also heard deer is gamey, that searobin's (a "trash" saltwater fish around here) is boney, and there is only a small amount of meat in the tail of it.
well i can tell you the deer i got this year (first one, still excited months later haha) was delicious. and that searobin's taste quite good, not boney, and have flesh throughout just like a regular fish. So hopefully you get some honest answers from someone that actually tried to eat a jack rabbit...and tried to cook it right!
I think many times its the fact that it isnt cooked right. such as squirrels, if you take a regular adult squirrel and bread and fry it, to me at least...its like eating a car tire. has to be slow cooking/low heat. i think that alone may tarnish the reputation of some animals. Its looks ect.
sorry to go off on a rant... continue....
well i can tell you the deer i got this year (first one, still excited months later haha) was delicious. and that searobin's taste quite good, not boney, and have flesh throughout just like a regular fish. So hopefully you get some honest answers from someone that actually tried to eat a jack rabbit...and tried to cook it right!
I think many times its the fact that it isnt cooked right. such as squirrels, if you take a regular adult squirrel and bread and fry it, to me at least...its like eating a car tire. has to be slow cooking/low heat. i think that alone may tarnish the reputation of some animals. Its looks ect.
sorry to go off on a rant... continue....
W. C. Quantrill
New member
Jackrabbits--get the young ones in late spring,,,,almost full grown. They are good eating. Once they mature, they get tough and you run the chance of tuleremia if they are not cooked properly.
Can't you also get tularemia eating cotton-tails?
Cottontails Are Vermin: Support Your Local Raptor
Provided by: Stock.
Contributed by: Amy Fast on 2/15/2007
I know you can see my smiling face in the corner of this screen. I don't look like a bunny hater. I look like the woman up the street who feeds the bunnies, puts out seeds for the birds and thinks her dog and cat really are best friends. Looks can be deceiving.
This principal applies to our fluffy little cottontail friends. Recent visitors to my house commented on the "cute" bunnies romping across the front yard. My only comment resulted in a few puzzled looks of horror as I described how my dogs tag-team the rascals like a pack of hungry wolves, catch them and eat them in a spectacularly primitive manner. It's usually followed by, " if I owned a shotgun I would reduce the population myself."
There is no doubt these animals have a right to exist. My home on the range was their home first however, if you've ever had to rid your pet of parasites, particularly bot flies and roundworms, it doesn't take long to build distain towards these furry prairie critters. Cottontails carry a variety of disease, parasites and protozoa. These are often harmful if not fatal to humans and domestic animals.
Tularemia: Also known as "rabbit fever" or "deerfly fever". Humans and dogs can contract this bacterium when an open sore or wound comes into contact with a rabbit carcass, or, uncooked meat of a rabbit is ingested. Ticks and mosquitoes also carry the disease, however, rabbits are the most common form of transmission. Untreated, Tularemia has a 15 percent mortality rate. http://www.kcom.edu/faculty/chamberlain/bioterror/tularemia.htm
Bot Flies : These are gross little skin burrowing worms appearing in early-midsummer, affectionately called Cuterebra emasculator Fitch. The bot fly lays the eggs around the outside of vermin holes, and when then unsuspecting rabbit passes through the hole, the larvae attach to it's new host. They burrow under the skin and form a warble where the larvae develop and then "exit". Want to vomit ? Try digging those same worms out of your dogs' belly after they brush past a tree or rabbit hole and get those same larvae on their skin. It looks like a mosquito bite at first - but a week later you know it's NOT a mosquito bite. If you can stomach it, visit this link http://botfly.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm . Pets.coloradosrpings.com also had an Ask-A-Vet column concerning bots, you can read it here : http://pets.coloradosprings.com/vet_fullstory.jsp?id=4946 .
Coccidia: This is a common parasite living in the intestines of mice and rabbits. Dogs pick this up by eating mice, rabbits or their leavings. I am sorry if you think your Fido or Princess would never do such a thing. Dogs are dogs, and once upon a time (or now, in the case of my dogs), canines used to eat rabbits and mice to survive. I won't go into the details of what happens when they get infected, but if you've ever heard a human describe having Giardia, it's about the same. There are species of coccidian that can infect people.
Rabies: Ninety-ninepercentof all cases of rabies are fatal. Fortunately rabbits are not the biggest spreaders of this disease. Bats and raccoons are the most common culprits. Some people have phobias about needles, stinging bees or heights. My freak-out switch comes with the word "rabies." If you'd like to learn more about why this used to be one of the top public health threats in the world, visit http://www.rabies.com/
Plague: Rabbits can carry plague infected fleas, like many ground-dwelling rodents. Plague is especially deadly to domesticated cats.
Roundworms: For people whose dogs aren't around any kind of wildlife, they are less likely to pick up these annoying and gross parasites as healthy adult dogs. Dogs like to chase and sometimes catch rabbits, squirrels, mice, voles, and ground squirrels. By ingesting parts or the whole carcass of these creatures, they are at significant risk for picking up larvae that can develop into harmful parasites. Thankfully the solution is simple. If you have dogs who are around wildlife or encounter it in an eat-or-be-eaten situation, ask your vet about an appropriate de-worming schedule. You will be glad you did. Again, if you can stomach it, this is an excellent link .
Fortunately veterinary medicine has come a long way for domesticated rabbits. There are vaccines to help protect them from the most dangerous of illnesses and to protect the people who keep them as pets. Wild rabbits are not the only carriers of disease along the front range. Coyotes, for example, carry parvovirus which is a life-threatening intestinal disease for your dog. Deer, rabbits, domesticated cows along with a whole host of other animals can carry giardia. One of my veterinarians said that the particular protozoa is present in 80 percentof the water sources in this state.
Rabbit infestation is a common problem, even if you live in town. Most of the animals who eat rabbits such as coyotes and raptors are not likely to dwell in heavily urban areas. Out on the plains, we have a few particularly well-fed hawks who unceremoniously leave rabbit leftovers on our fence posts and sometimes on the hood of an unluckily parked vehicle. At nighttime, the owls take over culling the population. It doesn't seem to matter how many predatory birds there are, there are always 12 to 15 rabbits in my front yard when I leave for work in the morning, leaving their pestilent little pebbles all over the place. If it were not for the fact it would deeply disturb my neighbors, I'd be picking them off and leaving them for the coyotes!
http://coloradosprings.yourhub.com/BlackForest/Stories/Pets/General-Pets/Story~184028.aspx
Cottontails Are Vermin: Support Your Local Raptor
Provided by: Stock.
Contributed by: Amy Fast on 2/15/2007
I know you can see my smiling face in the corner of this screen. I don't look like a bunny hater. I look like the woman up the street who feeds the bunnies, puts out seeds for the birds and thinks her dog and cat really are best friends. Looks can be deceiving.
This principal applies to our fluffy little cottontail friends. Recent visitors to my house commented on the "cute" bunnies romping across the front yard. My only comment resulted in a few puzzled looks of horror as I described how my dogs tag-team the rascals like a pack of hungry wolves, catch them and eat them in a spectacularly primitive manner. It's usually followed by, " if I owned a shotgun I would reduce the population myself."
There is no doubt these animals have a right to exist. My home on the range was their home first however, if you've ever had to rid your pet of parasites, particularly bot flies and roundworms, it doesn't take long to build distain towards these furry prairie critters. Cottontails carry a variety of disease, parasites and protozoa. These are often harmful if not fatal to humans and domestic animals.
Tularemia: Also known as "rabbit fever" or "deerfly fever". Humans and dogs can contract this bacterium when an open sore or wound comes into contact with a rabbit carcass, or, uncooked meat of a rabbit is ingested. Ticks and mosquitoes also carry the disease, however, rabbits are the most common form of transmission. Untreated, Tularemia has a 15 percent mortality rate. http://www.kcom.edu/faculty/chamberlain/bioterror/tularemia.htm
Bot Flies : These are gross little skin burrowing worms appearing in early-midsummer, affectionately called Cuterebra emasculator Fitch. The bot fly lays the eggs around the outside of vermin holes, and when then unsuspecting rabbit passes through the hole, the larvae attach to it's new host. They burrow under the skin and form a warble where the larvae develop and then "exit". Want to vomit ? Try digging those same worms out of your dogs' belly after they brush past a tree or rabbit hole and get those same larvae on their skin. It looks like a mosquito bite at first - but a week later you know it's NOT a mosquito bite. If you can stomach it, visit this link http://botfly.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm . Pets.coloradosrpings.com also had an Ask-A-Vet column concerning bots, you can read it here : http://pets.coloradosprings.com/vet_fullstory.jsp?id=4946 .
Coccidia: This is a common parasite living in the intestines of mice and rabbits. Dogs pick this up by eating mice, rabbits or their leavings. I am sorry if you think your Fido or Princess would never do such a thing. Dogs are dogs, and once upon a time (or now, in the case of my dogs), canines used to eat rabbits and mice to survive. I won't go into the details of what happens when they get infected, but if you've ever heard a human describe having Giardia, it's about the same. There are species of coccidian that can infect people.
Rabies: Ninety-ninepercentof all cases of rabies are fatal. Fortunately rabbits are not the biggest spreaders of this disease. Bats and raccoons are the most common culprits. Some people have phobias about needles, stinging bees or heights. My freak-out switch comes with the word "rabies." If you'd like to learn more about why this used to be one of the top public health threats in the world, visit http://www.rabies.com/
Plague: Rabbits can carry plague infected fleas, like many ground-dwelling rodents. Plague is especially deadly to domesticated cats.
Roundworms: For people whose dogs aren't around any kind of wildlife, they are less likely to pick up these annoying and gross parasites as healthy adult dogs. Dogs like to chase and sometimes catch rabbits, squirrels, mice, voles, and ground squirrels. By ingesting parts or the whole carcass of these creatures, they are at significant risk for picking up larvae that can develop into harmful parasites. Thankfully the solution is simple. If you have dogs who are around wildlife or encounter it in an eat-or-be-eaten situation, ask your vet about an appropriate de-worming schedule. You will be glad you did. Again, if you can stomach it, this is an excellent link .
Fortunately veterinary medicine has come a long way for domesticated rabbits. There are vaccines to help protect them from the most dangerous of illnesses and to protect the people who keep them as pets. Wild rabbits are not the only carriers of disease along the front range. Coyotes, for example, carry parvovirus which is a life-threatening intestinal disease for your dog. Deer, rabbits, domesticated cows along with a whole host of other animals can carry giardia. One of my veterinarians said that the particular protozoa is present in 80 percentof the water sources in this state.
Rabbit infestation is a common problem, even if you live in town. Most of the animals who eat rabbits such as coyotes and raptors are not likely to dwell in heavily urban areas. Out on the plains, we have a few particularly well-fed hawks who unceremoniously leave rabbit leftovers on our fence posts and sometimes on the hood of an unluckily parked vehicle. At nighttime, the owls take over culling the population. It doesn't seem to matter how many predatory birds there are, there are always 12 to 15 rabbits in my front yard when I leave for work in the morning, leaving their pestilent little pebbles all over the place. If it were not for the fact it would deeply disturb my neighbors, I'd be picking them off and leaving them for the coyotes!
http://coloradosprings.yourhub.com/BlackForest/Stories/Pets/General-Pets/Story~184028.aspx
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Ever ate a rock cornish game hen? Tastes like pigeon 
Yeah,I have eaten pigeon.Its fine,but I would avoid urban pigeons as I hear they can carry TB.
Some friends had quite a jackrabbit hunt and wasting them seemed wrong.They lived in an old farmhouse.Somehow they got tuned to a green chilie in a big old messhall pot.Another one was full of pinto's.Was a lot of tortillas and a couple of kegs.Word of the party got out downtown,pretty soon the place was overrun with designer jeans,heels,gold lamme miniskirts,etc.All the jackurritos got ate up and those disco folks seemed to like it fine.
Been known to check a roadside deer carcass to see if it was still warm and loose,too.I pass up the stiff ones.
If a piece of hardtack doesn't seem like good groceries,wait a while.
Yeah,I have eaten pigeon.Its fine,but I would avoid urban pigeons as I hear they can carry TB.
Some friends had quite a jackrabbit hunt and wasting them seemed wrong.They lived in an old farmhouse.Somehow they got tuned to a green chilie in a big old messhall pot.Another one was full of pinto's.Was a lot of tortillas and a couple of kegs.Word of the party got out downtown,pretty soon the place was overrun with designer jeans,heels,gold lamme miniskirts,etc.All the jackurritos got ate up and those disco folks seemed to like it fine.
Been known to check a roadside deer carcass to see if it was still warm and loose,too.I pass up the stiff ones.
If a piece of hardtack doesn't seem like good groceries,wait a while.
madmo44mag
New member
And how two weeks past April them little buggers start getting lean muscle and no matter how you kill it, there is the taste of adrenalin. Good eatin when you get them early.
Tree rats are my favorite. (squirrel)
Squirrel ka-bobs marinated in fresh garlic and ginger, a little dash of black soy sauce, crushed black pepper and dab of salt. Man that's good stuff.
Crankylove
New member
Jackrabbits are gooooood eatin I shoot them in the desert here all the time. Take them home, skin and wash them, throw it in a roasting pan with some garlic, oregano, sage, toss in some taters and carrots and put it in the oven for a bit. The meat has a texture like chicken, not tough or stringy at all. Kind of a mild chicken-like flavor, but not the same as chicken.
I shoot them in the desert here all the time. Take them home, skin and wash them, throw it in a roasting pan with some garlic, oregano, sage, toss in some taters and carrots and put it in the oven for a bit. The meat has a texture like chicken, not tough or stringy at all. Kind of a mild chicken-like flavor, but not the same as chicken.HAMMER1DOWN
New member
i have eaten jacks before and as said if you catch them young they are rather good other wise your gonna have to make jerky out of them. Now that is some good stuff
fisherman66
New member
I've had some squab. Just dove in a ticked jacket. Nice pounded thin and wrapped around a jalapeno with a bacon shell. Mmmm
Yep, the pigeon taste like dove. I've shot a lot of Jack Rabbits, but just as targets. I was told when I was little that they weren't fit to eat and the meat was tough and stringy. So I never tried them. Cottontails on the other hand are pretty tasty, squirrel is good too.
If you ask me though none of the above beats Bob White quail. Diamondback rattle snake is close to as good as Quail, but you have to pick around a lot of bones.
If you ask me though none of the above beats Bob White quail. Diamondback rattle snake is close to as good as Quail, but you have to pick around a lot of bones.
Rockchuck+marmot,a varmot.I have shot a few,but not ate them.Likely similar to a woodchuck? A rat bigger than a prairie dog.I heard of an old traditional recipe where you use a noose and line to fish prairie dogs,then roll them around in the hot ashes of a fire till they pop like a bratwurst.Ain't tried it yet.
Came back into camp once and a camprobber(canadian Jay) was eating my cookies so I whacked him.Brother said"You shot it,you eat it"
Couldn't let him win,so I did.
Had some Mountain lion sausage dove season,which is true,but I'm inclined to make a joke that it tasted like....
BUT,this is a family site
Came back into camp once and a camprobber(canadian Jay) was eating my cookies so I whacked him.Brother said"You shot it,you eat it"
Couldn't let him win,so I did.
Had some Mountain lion sausage dove season,which is true,but I'm inclined to make a joke that it tasted like....
BUT,this is a family site
When I lived in Reno, NV, I knew an old guy who had recipes for just about anything (coots, skunks, raccoon, muskrat, beaver, you name it), and he told us the young rockchucks were good to eat. We shot some, skinned them, and cooked them over hot coals like he said. One of them caught fire and burned like a torch, he had so much fat in him. The others cooked OK, but lost about 1/2 their weight from the fat cooking out, and when we ate them they were pretty greasy. Don't know what they tasted like, they were that greasy. Wouldn't do it again.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
Is there such a thing as a non-feral pigeon?