There is a couple of days left to bunny hunt here in Indiana. Haven't had a chance to do any this year. Have never shot one before but cleaned one for the neighbors the other day. Took me forever! Figure there is a qiuck easy way. Would like to be able to keep the fur thought. Does the Tradgang DVD tell how? Being a lady, some might consider me a bit handicapped but I always have enjoyed a challenge!
:biglaugh:
b.glass,
There is a how to section on the Trad Gang DVD on how to skin and clean rabbits. It is very fast and easy to do. I did my first rabbit using that technique shown on the DVD. I was amazed at how simple it was for me. Check out the DVD and try it on a rabbit.
Larry
cut ( or tear with your teeth[or tooth]) a hole in the middle of the back; tear off the skin from there. Takes about a ten seconds; then cut the head off; cut the belly open without cutting the gut. Grab the front end of the bunny and swing it through the air like your batting one out of the stadium. rest is common sense :saywhat:
A quick way to get the guts out so you don't have to carry the weight all day is to start squeezing at the rib cage and keep going down the body until its real tight then press the rabbit against your thigh. Aim the rear end away from you and then mash it. The guts and intestines will shoot out the back end. Now just give it a shake and the guts will break free.
Now you dont have to carry that extra weight. I saw it on a rabbit hunting video a long time ago.
Yep, that technique I show on the DVD has been handed down for generations of rabbit hunters in my family. No kiddin, I can shuck a rabbit bout as fast as most folks can peel a bannana ;)
Yup, I am with JC, ya can also peel the skin off from shoulders back, break the back at the shoulders and pull towards hind end, ya get the back loins and hind legs this way, the only thing worth keeping anyway. Shawn
Thats pretty much how I do it Shawn.I don't even gut them.I have heard of the squeeze idea but havn't tried it
I also just save the back legs and loins, if there warm you don't even need a knife to skin them. I pull their skin off make a small slit in the stomach, grab them by the head, then swing them over head and down towards the ground, centrifugal force will do the gutting. Then i cut them in half behind the ribs, split the pelvis to get the rest of their guts out, cut off the hind feet, then rinse them off. Soak them overnight in saltwater then eat or freeze. I also wear plastic or rubber gloves when cleaning all game, just a good idea.
Bona, what part of IN are you in ? We don't have rabbits down here, only the ones in town. I think I killed the last rabbit in Jennings County 6 years ago. Sure would like to get their populations back enough to hunt 'em before I pass this earth.
I saw this the other day and you all may find this interesting. Have not seen how they do it on the Tradgang DVD but I thought this looked like an easy way to clean a rabbit. Try this link
www.mucc.org/mood/rabbit/index.php (http://www.mucc.org/mood/rabbit/index.php)
Some of you may have already seen this but for those that have not its cool.
Don't hunt wabbits much but a buddy showed me years back a very unique way to clean them. It involves a pressure washer! If you use the local car wash expect to be asked not to come back! But the home variety works well as I watched him do it. Just get the bunnies to swallow tip and hit the water, aim wabbits a$$ in prefered direction and he'll be clean quicker than you can say wholy $chnit! All thats left is to pull of the fur/skin and your done.
The above described metheod probablly would not look good on a Trad Gang DVD! :biglaugh:
If you do try and skin one, be sure you don't leave it out in the wind. >:-( lol
(http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg47/B4NZ41/rabbitskinb4.jpg)
Before
(http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg47/B4NZ41/rabbitskinafter.jpg)
After
Anyone else attempt to keep the bunny skins? I'm not sure what you'd even do with it because it's so flimsy.
Flinttim,
I live in the east/central part of the state. Grant Co. You have a pretty good deer population though don't you? I want to hunt Scott Co. I need to get my butt in gear and get it checked out!
B4NZ41,
I salted the skin I had, folded it skin to skin, wrapped it in newspaper and had to neighbors freeze it until I could find out how to tan it. The primitive gatherings have them for sale all the time so I know someone tans them. I thought I would ask the local 4-H people. Only thing is I guess I shouldn't have used iodized salt. I have an address for some people who can weave them into a blanket...somewhere.
Too much waste in that rabbit skinning method :biglaugh:
QuoteWaste not, want not
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/A_pair_of%20Bunnys.jpg)
Bglass don't salt the hide if your going to freeze it. It you salt the hide, just keep it in a cool place. As a trapper I use this place to tan some hides that I keep.
http://www.usafoxx.com/fur-tan-mfg.htm
I'm like Ron, I use all the rabbit only takes a few minutes to peel the hide off a warm rabbit and gut.
This has been informative and fun. Thanks, to all who have responded!
I'm with Ron LaClair on this one.Seems like a lot of wild game gets wasted due to hunter "expediency".
I don't know. He kept the front legs, the rear leq quarters and the back straps. All he tossed was the ribs and neck. And the beagles should get something!
Dan
QuoteI don't know. He kept the front legs, the rear leq quarters and the back straps. All he tossed was the ribs and neck. And the beagles should get something!
In the video it looks like he gives the front legs to the dogs. Why would he pull them off otherwise? As for the beagles getting something, I'll give my dog a bite or two when it's cooked. I've known guys that would give the guts to their dogs, good way to give them a tape worm or other parasites.
Dang there must be some big bunnies in your neck of the woods if ya get rib meat.While I don't like to waste things and have gone thru the trouble of cooking the entire bunny there just isn,t even a mouth full on the front legs an ribs from the bunnies I get around here.
My beagle doesn't care about dead rabbits only live rabbits and what he gets is the thrill of the chase which is what he wants anyway.I,m glad he doesn't mess with the dead ones much and wants to get to the next chase, it leaves out not only the worms he may get from eating them but possibly the flea's that will jump from the cooling bunny to the warm hound.I try to leave what I,m not using for other critters that will like crows maybe a fox or what ever nothin really gets wasted in the big picture
I pull off the front legs cause 75% of the time they are crushed and bloodshot from a hex head smashing through them. The rest of the time, they are so small on our southern cottontails, they aren't much worth eatin.
Might be semantics...but I sometimes have a problem understanding others' definition of "wasting" game. 1)I've never seen anything in the wild wasted. 2)I certainly wouldn't leave large portions of meat in the field...but the front legs on shot up or small rabbits and squirrels, frogs etc...yep, without a doubt.
One of my grandfathers could care less for the rest of the squirrel, but he'd fight you over the head so he could eat the brains. One grandfather said only head shots, the other said never a head shot....to each his own.
Never Tried eating the brain, but I do use it to brain tan. Once I get my first trad squirrel, I'm planning on making a bracer out of it.
Our northern Cottontails are so big we dress em with a Bowie knife. Hex blunts bounce right off em, have to use broadheads to kill em. :goldtooth:
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Rabbit_B_knife.jpg)
Ron, I can't tell by scale how big that wabbit is...but considerin yer penchant fer big steel, that would be a good sized cat down here.
If the video link I posted offended anyone I apologize. It was not my intention to condone "wasting game meat". Just thought it was a slick way to clean a rabbit.
I don't think anyone was "offended", just good hearted differences of opinion and polite debate.
I bet the northern bunnies are a good bit bigger than their southern cousins and more worth keep'n the whole thing.
Here's a good how to on taning small hides.
http://www.essortment.com/smallhideshow_rioi.htm
I've done several over the years including rabbit, squirrel, deer ,coyote, and coon. Easy and works well.
I relinquish the floor to Miss Glass....I think she is better at splainin than me :clapper:
QuoteRon, I can't tell by scale how big that wabbit is...but considerin yer penchant fer big steel, that would be a good sized cat down here.
You're talkin bobcat right? My "rabbitknife" is a bigg'en :eek: an that rabbit fed 6 people :rolleyes:
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Buffaloknife.jpg)
That's whut I figgerd :saywhat:
Dang---If I go north to hunt wabbit, I will have to get heavier arrows and a bigger bow!
...and take a war club with ya! They sometimes turn and charge ya up here!
Ron
I believe the dog got a smell of the fronts...but I think he put the fronts in the game bag as well.
Don't know about the tape worms as I don't have a hunting dog...but we used to give the dogs the quail's heads and they loved em.
Dan