Ike and Fred are two beavers that have been homesteading in the same area for three years now. One day they come home after a day of playing in the woods. Ike looks at Fred and says "There's another dam hole".
Ike and Fred are two beavers that have been homesteading in the same area for three years now. One day they come home after a day of playing in the woods. Ike looks at Fred and says "There's another dam hole".
by far my choice would be beaver (if you can get one). We eat a lot of beaver, trapping in the spring and early summer when the hunting season is open. It's one of our favorite meats. One beaver can last many days (and that's 2 good meals a day)! It is actually one of the most nutritious meats out there, and the fat is really good too. I'm not much of a "liver" person, but I eat and enjoy beaver liver and the heart.
Never had coon, but I've had some tasty porkies. Singe the quills off in a hot flaming fire before skinning (unless you want to save them for projects, they are fun to use with beadwork). Squirrels are ok, but a small meal and rather gamy. birds are good, but again, only one meal for your kill.
just my .02
Grandma Lori
Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit
~Ed Abbey
Down here in Louisiana most of the beavers have been ousted by nutria. They are like giant rats - tasty, giant rats! If I had my choice of what to shoot (like they are all lined up in a row or something) it would be a coon. The coons down here are many times the size of the others. Have any of you been hunting and seen several possums running out the dead carcass of a cow? They love to eat the rotting guts out of them, avoiding the meat. I won't touch a possum - foul critters. Gator is good too, with plenty of meat, but the fat is nasty and the meat must be trimmed clean or it will be tainted - sort of like a snake. Don't ignore the alligator snapping turtle, cause they're easy to catch, with lots of tasty meat, but they're not so plentiful any more, unless you know where to look. ; )
Back in the day, I took a survival, evasion and escape course given by good ol Uncle sam. They stressed not to worry with rabbits or squirrels - too much effort for too little calories gained.
The most important thing about cleaning a coon is getting all the musk glands. The large musk glands are located on the back of the forelegs and along the spine in the small of the back. They look like little inch long footballs and are very smelly. There are numerous smaller football shaped musk glands about the size of your little fingernail (a bout 14 total) that usually come off when the coon is skinned. Iv'e only been able to find 12 in the smaller coons - the tender ones. Also make sure you bleed it good and trim off the fat (if it's not life and death) as the fat is very gamey. I like to boil the cut up meat first in salt water, just like a snake, to get rid of the gamyness. If you've got some seasoning spices now is the time to use them. The big ones need to be stewed for a while (preferably in an acidy, tomato based sauce picante for several hours, until done.) Add your taters, onions, or whatever veggie you have during the last 30-45 minutes. If you have the time, brown it off and make a nice medium roux (if you've got a little flower and oil) if you really want to enjoy it. Remember, in a survival situation, save the bones. Roast them over an open fire and break em for the marrow and throw the remains in a pot or dutch oven full of water and allow to simmer all day for a great, rich stock. There's plenty of nutrition in the bones still. There's basic survival and then there's survival in style like a cajun!
There's lots of yummy critters and plants in the swamps and woods around here. There's a few that think you're a yummy critter too. You just need to persuade them differently.
Bon appetit, mon cher! Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Chip
aww gee whiz, now every beaver is going to blame me for those dam holes.Originally Posted by crashdive123
We have most of those critters here but the porkysticker, the quickest meal would be a possum done right ya have a good meal and lots of fat to use as light, lube, even boot water proofing. Treerat is one of my favorite gravy hot biscuits, lord thats some tongue slapping stuff. Coon and groundhog are very good the only thing is a lot of first time wild game cooker's try and treat it like it came from the store, every critter has its thang some fat lean and in between lol. O and the bone marrow, thats some of the best stuff ya ever et. In a pinch don't forget about Kentucky flying possum our little friend the crow. Not bad if roasted up and don't even need a gun bird snares work great. I,d say they are a few of them up north. I just love wild game over store meat any day. If it's dumber and slower than me, the hides off and the fire's on.
Chip - I'm with you on the marrow. Cooked marrow is just about the best stuff there is. Raw marrow makes me heave. I have no idea why but the difference in taste between raw and cooked is really bad.
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The title of the OP is "Questions about animal meat"
Um, is there another kind of meat?
1. If it's in your kit and you don't know how to use it....It's useless.
2. If you can't reach your kit when you need it....Its useless.
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Tell them Kevin sent you!!
Human meat? MMM, and tasty too!
Chip
Don't eat the brains, nuttin worse than mad squirrel or mad beaver sickness........ I wonder just what makes the dang beaver just so darn mad in the first place.......
Was gonna say the same thing for coon. Lots of rabid coons up this way. Possums too. And an occasional skunk. The other thing is you might want to know is how to spot a diseased rabbit or squirrel, before or after killing.
With every question asked by the OP I got the impression he was either heading off into the wilderness with his breechclout and knife, or he's playing.
They are all edible. Obviously, the larger animals, beaver and racoon will have much more meat for the calories you spend to catch them making them more worthwhile. The badger will have some good meat, but you'll have your hands full when you catch one, they are tough and tenacious fighters. The squirrel and chipmunk are easy to catch with snares, but have little meat on them compared to the larger ones.
All in all, I'd try for the racoon and squirrels first, easiest to catch/trap and deal with. Then the beaver, harder to catch and need a strong trap, but lots more meat that is delicious, if somewhat greasy.
Wherefore, let us be thankful that there are still thousands of cool, green nooks beside crystal springs, where the weary soul may hide for a time, away from debts, duns and deviltries, and a while commune with nature in her undress. ~ George W. “Nessmuk” Sears ~
Yeah some beavers bite back.A good quality beaver is good any time, however....if you mess with the wrong beaver, you could end up in a survival situation! LOL
THERE AIN'T NO EDGE OF THE PRESERVE
And it's true Beaver tastes like fish.
THERE AIN'T NO EDGE OF THE PRESERVE
No question about it,,,, "save a tree, eat a beaver" LOL
Some certainly smell like fish.
Chip
I asked my broker where to put my money. He said canned food and ammo.
I think I'll just invest in ammo. Roasted zombies are mighty tasty you know.
Especially the young and tender ones. Napalm sticks to kids!
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