Rabbit How to!

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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Nice tutorial, if I can make one suggestion?

At one point you say

, you will need to kill it.
You will want to do this as quickly and as painlessly as possible, showing the utmost respect to the animal. You are aiming for a human dispatch

I hope you are aiming for a humane kill. If you are aiming for a human kill, you will need a bigger knife.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
a really quick way to skin a rabbit is to take a pinch of skin on the rabbits back between the fingers and make a small cut through it with a knife, then place your fingers in the cut and pull in opposite directions with each hand, the skin will be torn in half though so it depends what you want to do with the skin afterwards but it is a very quick skinning method used by many game dealers/butchers, particulary on young rabbits.
 

Hibrion

Maker
Jan 11, 2012
1,230
7
Ireland
I tend to push gut rabbits as I shoot them. It's quick, clean so you can pop them in a game pouch and continue shooting.

As for skinning: a small nick between the back legs, then peel the skin down to the head, twist and pull the head off with the skin all together. After that there are many different ways to prep the animal depending on how you want to cook it.
 

widu13

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 9, 2008
2,334
19
Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
Scent glands?................

Many, many people haven't even heard of them never mind where they are or what they look like. Most people that have had Rabbit and report that it is disgusting have eaten rabbit cooked with the glands on. I've done 100s and just last week I forgot the glands and started to cook it and the smell was immediately noticeable. I was stewing so changed the water out and it was salvageable.

Why people don't know about it is beyond me.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Nice tutorial, if I can make one suggestion?

At one point you say



I hope you are aiming for a humane kill. If you are aiming for a human kill, you will need a bigger knife.


10364002_636297396485925_3654817068080565794_n.jpg
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
Many, many people haven't even heard of them never mind where they are or what they look like. Most people that have had Rabbit and report that it is disgusting have eaten rabbit cooked with the glands on. I've done 100s and just last week I forgot the glands and started to cook it and the smell was immediately noticeable. I was stewing so changed the water out and it was salvageable.

Why people don't know about it is beyond me.

Too true mate, it's the difference between Gourmet and KFC to me, I just couldn't even consider eating one which hasn't had them removed, and it's why most people new to rabbit say "yughhhh! Too strong!"

Still, all the more for us, eh? :)
 

johnboe522

Full Member
Feb 20, 2012
353
0
lulworth
I have now added it to the blog, I cut the anus, unspent droppings and the glands out with a V cut just before removing the rear legs. Sorry for the omission if it confused anyone. Thats what comes with typing at midnight!

At least people are more aware of them now!!
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
one small thing, particulary if you want to present someone with a couple of rabbits in the skin for eating. After they are killed and their bladder has been emptied its best to allow the rabbit to cool before gutting, in the winter months this will only take a short while but longer in warmer weather. Inspect the rabbits at any market or butchers and you will immediately see the difference between rabbits that have been allowed to cool before gutting and those that have not, the cooled ones will be lovely and clean inside their cavity with pink flesh and the fat around the kidneys will be clean and white, those that have been gutted without allowing for cooling will be bloody inside their cavity and the fat around their kidneys will look scruffy and discolured. I am not talking about hanging but 'cooling' which only takes half an hour or so. Many years ago i did a lot of rabbit catching and in those days it was important to present the rabbit well, though that seems to have gone out of fashion with the rabbit catchers of today.
 
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