Old school hunting.

Got done with work early today and we had a fresh skift of snow so I grabbed my old faithfull O/U and went out stomping brush piles and briars for rabbits. They weren't out and I couldn't find tracks to know where to kick and jump up and down on deadfalls and such, but managed to jump 3 and killed 2.

I don't have the time or inclination anymore to keep a good beagle and jump hunting by yourself is way more work, but I was happy that I still have the coordination and reflexes to roll a darting rabbit in heavy brush.

Congrats. Good job! This had to be fun and another memorable experience. Good eating too.
Duane

Haven't done that in years.
I didn't know there was any other way to hunt them till I read an Outdoor Life Mag and never owned a beagle trained to run them. Heck my dad used me and my brothers for beagles telling us to get in that brush pile and run them out for him to shoot at. got pretty good at tossing a big rock into the middle of a brush pile and recover in time to pop the bunny trying to make his escape.

Ahh, TD, we must be of similar vintage...ditto the rock or whatever into the brush pile.

Alas and alack, as much as I love hunting bunnies, the critters got their revenge on me. Having killed literally thousands during doctoral studies (harvesting hearts and/or livers), I developed a serious allergy to the wee beasties. Rodents of any sort are a threat to my life. Rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits and hares--all alike will leave me debilitated. Ask Blkram about how well I tolerate snowshoe hare!

Gun nut":3l6g2wie said:

Congrats. Good job! This had to be fun and another memorable experience. Good eating too.
Duane

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Yep, late season cottontail's are some fine dining. They are in the fridge soaking in saltwater and will be boiled in onion water and seasoning until fork tender then patted dry and rolled in seasoned flour and browned crisp on all sides in a cast iron skillet.

Sorry you can't enjoy Dr. Mike...but Shade Tree has my mouth watering. Got me thinking this old fart needs to get off his duff and collect some good grub. Sounds like a recipe that needs to be tried/enjoyed.

Well, I'll just have to stir my grandson to get out there and take a few. Just 'cause I'm allergic to those critters doesn't mean I can't eat them! Noah might as well cook them as well as shoot them.

Good shooting
Wow,
That sounds yummie!

I used to keep some decent beagles and killed enough rabbits that I would look for new ways to make them......smoked some, etc, all good. But one of my favorite things to do was to take the cooked meat off the back which on a rabbit is a white and a little drier meat, and mix pieces of it with left over mashed potatoes out of the fridge and a chopped up green and red pepper or 2, and a little chopped onion. Make either flat cakes about the size of a hamburger and fry in oil in a skillet till golden brown on both sides, or make them similar in size and shape to a meatball and drop them in a deep fryer until browned. Man O man that's some good eating.

Glad to hear that, Dr. Mike? Nothing like Grandpa sharing a special treat with his grandson - memories!! I probably would not have ever tried Limburger cheese if my Grandpa hadn't bought it for "just the two" of us to enjoy. Grandma said we had to eat all of it because it wasn't going into "her" refrigerator. (The Limburger Cheese, sardines in mustard sauce, and saltine crackers were actually pretty good.) Was only about eight years old but remember like it was yesterday - memories.

Man 'o live, limburger cheese, sardines in mustard sauce and saltines! Couldn't get much better than that.

During doctoral studies, we didn't have much money. I had to kill a couple of rabbits each day and make a mitochondrial prep with the hearts. It didn't take me long to figure out that there was some good protein being sent to the biohazard disposal. After a couple of days, I would cut out the hearts, prepare a supernatant before quickly skinning out the bunnies and hanging their carcases in the cooler. Each evening, I'd have a plastic bag with rabbits to take home for a meal for our family. For three months, until that particular phase of study was completed, we had rabbit as a daily meal. I wasn't doing a lot of cooking in those days, but I do believe my wife could write a cookbook--"1001 Ways to Cook Rabbit." I still recall a potluck meal at church when my wife prepared some rabbit salad sandwiches. The pastor was on his third sandwich, bragging how good my lady's "chicken salad" was. I casually asked, "Brother Ed, did you ever eat rabbit?" He responded, "No, I'd never eat something like that." I believe he hopped down the aisle that afternoon. "Hop to it" took on a different perspective after that.

LOL Dr Mike. A person can get pretty inventive when you have a lot of the same thing. There was a time I ate enough rabbit I didn't care when the next time I ate it was. But last yr I went out and got a couple and my wife and I wished there were more when I cooked them. She requested I go get some today so I promptly quit working this afternoon and tried to oblige her. :grin:

Might have to get the old Crossman .22 pellet gun (1958-60 vintage) out and harvest a few (quietly) from our backyard. Shhh!! Have to try those recipes!!

Haven't hunted rabbits in years! So fun!

When I was a teenager, our beagle would chase 'em and I'd try to nail the bunny with my recurve bow. That was a hoot. Now and again I'd actually get one.

Guy

Shade Tree - which model shotgun is that? Looks nice.

Guy

Guy Miner":1lwrqw2m said:

Shade Tree - which model shotgun is that? Looks nice.

Guy

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Guy, far as I know it's not a high dollar gun, but it's a Fias that's made in Italy. 20 ga. It immediately caught my eye and I bought it used 31 yrs ago now for I think $125.00. It's too short and light for a good wing shooting gun but for a snap shooting gun it fits me well and points quick and true. It came modified/full. I had a local smith bore it out some on both barrels many yrs ago and it's always been a killer on flushed grouse and jumped rabbits. Killed some woodcocks with it as well when we used to have some. I've sold some guns I regret, some I don't miss, and a few I have now I could be persuaded. That one right there will never leave. I used to be a hunting machine and there's a lot of worn out boots and memories with that gun.

Lots of memories hunting rabbits. When I was growing up we had rabbit dogs and Deer dogs. Have not hunted either one with dogs in a few years. Man I do miss it though. Four to six little beagles just howling away makes beautiful music. We ended using browning buck mark 22’s with red dots on them. That was fun!


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