Shooting Birds/Rabbits with Shotgun, safe to eat?

[Billy1]

Hi, I have never hunted before but my step-dad will be teaching me how to use his shotgun soon and we'll be going after pheasants or rabbits. He assures me that they will be fine to eat afterwards but what concerns me is that a shotgun shot will go through the animal in multiple places, piercing the internal organs and thus contaminating the meat?

I am right in thinking this or does it not matter once it's cooked?

 

[santaman2000]

Ummm. Shooting both with shotguns (and eating them) is common. In fact I've never heard of shooting pheasants with anything else.

I've never had pheasant, but I've shot and eaten quail, rabbits, squirrels, and deer with shotguns (and/or eaten the same that somebody else had shot with shotguns) for over 57 years with no ill effects.

To be honest, I can't think of any hunting method or weapon that doesn't pierce the internal organs. Well, maybe a slingshot.

 

[Billy1]

Ummm. Shooting both with shotguns (and eating them) is common. In fact I've never heard of shooting pheasants with anything else.

Yeah I realise that, but what about the internal organs contaminating the meat? Is it just a taste thing? In most books describing how to prepare meat they say to be very careful not to puncture the internal organs... what's the point if it has already been damaged in multiple places with shot?

 

[Billy1]

Ummm. Shooting both with shotguns (and eating them) is common. In fact I've never heard of shooting pheasants with anything else.

I've never had pheasant, but I've shot and eaten quail, rabbits, squirrels, and deer with shotguns (and/or eaten the same that somebody else had shot with shotguns) for over 57 years with no ill effects.

To be honest, I can't think of any hunting method or weapon that doesn't pierce the internal organs.

Ok fair enough, must be fine then lol

 

[santaman2000]

There are certain things that can "taint" the meat such as a punctured bladder spreading urine on meat, but that's extremely rare with small game.

 

[Billy1]

To be honest, I can't think of any hunting method or weapon that doesn't pierce the internal organs. Well, maybe a slingshot.

Single shot rifle?

 

[Billy1]

There are certain things that can "taint" the meat such as a punctured bladder spreading urine on meat, but that's extremely rare with small game.

Could you define taint please? Does it mean taste bad or unsafe to eat? Sorry I am pretty new to this.

 

[Samon]

If you believe a shot has landed in the gut then simply skin any rabbit amd debreast any bird asap. No need to hand around it can be done so fast its really not worth getting an iffy belly.

Search youtube for 'bursting' as a way degut bunnies and as for pheasant just cut the breasts and legs off. Pigeons have a way where you stand on the wings belly down and pull the feet? Litterally leave you with the breasts!

Obviously get yourself shooting straight before you blast anything alive though.

 

[Toddy]

Sorry, cross posted with Samon. +1 to what he said

There's a difference between the organs burst and splattered inside (from something like being hit by a car) and having a few pellets lodged in a beast that died and cooled quickly.

Birds and rabbits, remove the anus and guts and wash out if there's any concern. Rabbits watch the bladder and get it out asap.
Guts in birds like grouse stink and you don't want that hanging around inside them, regardless of what folks say used to be done. It's a stinking, bacteria rich, gloop and you really don't want it in your dinner.

Hearts, lungs, kidneys....just remove the pellets and they'll be fine to eat. You can usually palpate the organ and feel the pellets even if you can't quite see if they've been hit.

M

 

[santaman2000]

Single shot rifle?

It's still going to pierce an internal organ (brain, heart, or lungs) After all, that's what you're aiming for.

Could you define taint please? Does it mean taste bad or unsafe to eat? Sorry I am pretty new to this.

Taste.

 

[Silverback 1]

If you use the correct shot size and load, you shouldn't have any problem with major meat damage on feathered game or bunnies.

The meat will be 100% safe to eat.

 

[santaman2000]

.....Hearts, lungs, kidneys....just remove the pellets and they'll be fine to eat....

Yuck. That's fish bait.

 

[Silverback 1]

To be honest, I can't think of any hunting method or weapon that doesn't pierce the internal organs. Well, maybe a slingshot.

Or trapping/snaring, hawking, ferrets, sighthounds etc.

 

[Samon]

Yuck. That's fish bait.

Ah! My dear colonial chum, those are the finest bits of offal and the spoils of a dead beast!

 

[santaman2000]

If you use the correct shot size and load, you shouldn't have any problem with major meat damage on feathered game or bunnies.

The meat will be 100% safe to eat.

Plus 1. Don't use anything too big on small game. For rabbits (bunnies) and squirrels I use between #6 shot at the big end down to #8 shot at the small end. For quail that would be #7.5 at the big end of the range and #9 at the small end. For jackrabbits (hares) the shot size needs to be nearer the big end of the range. As I said, I've never shot pheasant so I've no idea, but I'm sure your stepdad knows.

 

[santaman2000]

Or trapping/snaring, hawking, ferrets, sighthounds etc.

Trapping/snaring isn't really hunting though is it? It's trapping


All the methods using another animal (hawks, ferrets, dogs, etc.) still depend on the fangs or talons piercing (or crushing) an organ.

 

[santaman2000]

Ah! My dear colonial chum, those are the finest bits of offal and the spoils of a dead beast!

Offal. Exactly. Sounds like awful.

But I must confess a fondness for beef, calf, or pork liver. And fried chitterlings.

 

[Countryman]

It's how close you are with a shotgun that affects the eating quality. Up close you pepper the thing. You will be spitting out shot all through dinner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[santaman2000]

It's how close you are with a shotgun that affects the eating quality. Up close you pepper the thing. You will be spitting out shot all through dinner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, this too.

 

[Silverback 1]

Trapping/snaring isn't really hunting though is it? It's trapping

Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping any living organism, or pursuing it with the intent of doing so.

All the methods using another animal (hawks, ferrets, dogs, etc.) still depend on the fangs or talons piercing (or crushing) an organ.

If it ends up in your freezer or on your dinner plate, what is the difference?

You are splitting hairs.

A well trained dog, hawk or ferret will take game/meat and not damage it