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Anybody smoke rabbit? Wanna try some if we bag some, this bird season. Here in the So Cal. desert area, that's about as big as the wild game gets ...for the table anyhow. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks
In these parts I mostly come up with snowshoe hares. What kind of rabbit are you whacking in your neighborhood?
After dressing the carcass and resting it overnight under a moist cloth I like to marinade in either Italian dressing or my teryaki sauce published some time ago.
yea wabbit is lean stuff, i agree with TH that you need to introduce some fat to it while smoking otherwise it be dry. very interested to see how it comes out tho.
i'm smoking one right now, its store bought/farm raised..i just checked it not long ago....its been on the pit for bout 6hrs now...i'm about to foil it and add some apple juice and cooked for about two more hrs...should fall apart by then..mmm
Wild rabbit will be found to be much leaner than domestic rabbit. The wild rabbits I bring to the table are most usually snowshoe hares. Further south in milder climates the game fare is the cotton tail bunny.
The snowshoe is much larger than the cottontail and yet both have the same lean meat. Just one is larger than the other.
Most domestic rabbits produced in the States are either New Zealand Whites or Californians. The NZ White is all white and the Californian has some color in a few spots. Both are desireable for the white fur and the early comformation and short time to market.
The domestic rabbit I have found, usually frozen, does tend to be a bit more moist without help in that department. Most everything I have posted and will post will be on the wild rabbit. That is until we start a rabbitry here next spring. More on that some other time.
So, just as a bit more info, expect to go further for moist rabbit if you have wild rabbit. Domestic rabbit requires less effort for a moist finish.
Monty pretty well nailed it. I raised New Zealand Whites years ago. Don't have patience now, but do hunt the wascally wabbit! I'll try a few after elk and deer season just to see what it takes to keep the meat moist.
I recognize the NZW's and the California non typicals, but what is that big brown and white bunny behind the Californias?
I have rased chickens, turkeys, rabbits and a couple of children. Will soon be back into chickens and rabbits. A few sheep and pigs are in our future as well. NO more children!
the whites are pedigreed new zelands. correct. the others. are a mix between a black and white male lop and a black satin. the big brown and white is momma. she was a kit from the lop and satin and the lil black and whites are her kits.
the 2 black satins and the lop were my first starter rabbits about 2 years back. there still producing good but eventually i want to get flordia whites and pure bread cal's to breed with the N/Z's.
my N/Z buck i got for $20 and had just won best 6-8 month at the show in his breed.
just put about 15 in the freezor and have 14 or so more a few weeks away from butcher weight.
Aside from me having to put the slobber shield over my keyboard, one outta two ain't bad!
The NZ whites were obvious but I had a hard time with the others. Pics just do not do justice.
I am interested in your results with your planned matings. I am in the planning stages of a decent sized rabbitry and will be pursuing the hobby above and beyond.
Just took another look at the pics and I can see that the bunnies are smaller than Californias. Ears are a bit different, too! My bad!
Thanks for sharing all this with us and we'll keep this thing going!
"you are what you eat" they say. There ain't nothing for them rabbits to eat here in the desert to speak of. I was going to take my son for his first ever hunt to the Big Bear mountains. I have spotted these bunnys, scouting deer. thanks Richoso!
Be vewy vewy carefull of those mountain wabbits , they live in a tough neighborhood and can be pretty formidable . Well , just look what they do to wolves