Diseases in Rabbits/Squirrels?

I am an inexperienced small game hunter having only gone out a few times. I want to get more into hunting grouse, squirrel, and rabbit as well as ducks and pheasant. I have a friend who says he will only hunt rabbit and squirrel after the first frost because it will kill a disease he says the rabbits and squirrels can have that will make you sick if you eat the meat. can anyone explain more about this and tell me if its true? I would like to hunt those animals when the season opens in September but im not sure if they are safe to eat at that time because of what my friend is claiming. Thanks!

I have been hunting and eating squirrels since I could shoot a gun. The wife isn’t a big fan, so more for me! I have taken squirrels that have been a nuisance in the middle of the summer and have grilled them, no issues. As with all wild game, ensure you cook them thoroughly.

I maybe head out to the woods twice a year for squirrel, It’s not a huge hobby for me anymore. Between Deer, Duck, Pheasant and fishing, I have no time to deal with such a small piece of meat. They are pretty darn tasty, however! Baking them whole in a pan with cream of onion soup, potatoes and carrots are the best!

I must hit on one other point. I do not eat city squirrels whatsoever. It is up to you if that’s something you wanna do. Squirrels in the fall and winter taste much better than nuisance animals taken in spring and summer. They build up their fat and they almost give a slightly nutty taste to the meat, which is amazing IMO.

thanks for the input and the recipe! if I bag any this year ill give that a try

They only thing I can say negative is rabbits can get fleas really bad, and I mean bad.

I’ve eaten squirrels taken before the first frost since before I could walk. They won’t hurt you. With rabbits however, we never eat them until after the first frost. Not sure why, but this is the case. This has been handed down for generations. We also inspect the liver on rabbits we kill and if there are any spots on them, then we dont eat them.
P.S. Icenutz, squirrels get fleas really badly sometimes too, as do deer, coyotes, etc..

Rabbits can have tuleramia, a disease of the liver, and it is transmittable to humans. An infected rabbit will have yellowish blotches on the surface of the liver. Thorough cooking takes care of the disease however it handling infected rabbits that get people in trouble especially if handling the raw meat/innards with cuts or open sores on your hands. carry some rubber dishwasher gloves for use when cleaning the animals. No yellow blotches, no worry, but if you do come across one that’s infected you’ll be covered.

Infected animals seldom survive the first good freeze and that’s why you hear of people putting off eating or hunting rabbits until after the first freeze.

I was taught not to hunt rabbits until after the first hard frost as a kid. I think the reason actually is that the hard frost kills the mosquitos that transmit the disease to the rabbits. Any rabbit that gets the disease dies so after the mosquitos are gone for a while, any rabbit that had the disease will have died and no new rabbits are getting effected. So hunting the morning of the first hard frost will not protect the hunter since the rabbits that have it will not have died by then.

As mentioned, wear rubber gloves and thoroughly cook the meat and you should be fine.

Boone

Crazy stuff. I’ve shot and eaten rabbits before a frost and I’m still alive. Why wouldn’t the DNR or government put out warnings not too eat rabbits before a good frost or it could be bad for your health? They issue warnings for CWD, lead bullets, lead weights, under cooked meat…

You will be OK eating it unless the government says so.

The disease rabbits get is at random at best and not common. If rabbit was eaten on the scale of pork or chicken you would see advisories.

I have to agree with those that simply inspect their kills. A healthy animal is easily identified and thorough cleaning and cooking will keep you healthy as well. Small game meat is awesome with many recipes so feel free to mix it up a little. They blend awesomely in soups, gravies, stews, and if you do any kind of grilling or frying, try going only as far as a good scald and then finish up in a crockpot with veggies. Especially grilling! Put a little extra smoke to them for 3-4 minutes before putting them in the crockpot. Leave the crockpot on high for about 3.5 to 4 hours. You’ll get all the flavor of the grill with “fall-off-the-bone” tenderness! Feel free to use 1 cup of soup mix or broth if you like. It’s not required but some people prefer it.

Like others have said inspect all of the rabbit including the guts. If anything is blatantly out of place, toss it. Pretty sure the reason it is said to wait until after frost is the fleas. They usually have fleas pretty bad all summer.

Interesting, I have hunted ducks, grouse, rabbit and almost everything else offered in the Great State of Minnesota. My favorite is hunting rabbits in the mine dumps on the Iron Range. Once they turn bright white they stand out like a sore thumb against the rusted iron ore color. My question, other than baking a squirrel – how else would you prepare one?

Nick Cox wrote:

Interesting, I have hunted ducks, grouse, rabbit and almost everything else offered in the Great State of Minnesota. My favorite is hunting rabbits in the mine dumps on the Iron Range. Once they turn bright white they stand out like a sore thumb against the rusted iron ore color. My question, other than baking a squirrel – how else would you prepare one?

interesting, I have a hunting shack in the iron range and know there are quite a few mining operations all around up there. are these dumps open to the public?

Nick Cox wrote:

Interesting, I have hunted ducks, grouse, rabbit and almost everything else offered in the Great State of Minnesota. My favorite is hunting rabbits in the mine dumps on the Iron Range. Once they turn bright white they stand out like a sore thumb against the rusted iron ore color. My question, other than baking a squirrel – how else would you prepare one?

Those are hares, not rabbits although you could say I was “splitting hairs” on the subject………

I consider squirrels mini deer because the hide comes off about as hard. I havent had squirrel since I was a kid. My Mom would cook them for me and I remember them being similar to rabbit. Very good.
She would flour then fry in a little oil. She quarterd the squirrel first.
High heat at first to brown the meat on both sides then simmer covered until done and tender.
Every year I say I’m going to cook a rabbit (or hare!) or squirrel but never do.

Good thread!I hunted rabbits as a kid in Nebraska with my grandpa and would like to get back at it. Grandma’s rabbit stew was fantastic! It was also served on the ship when I was in the Navy.
I was at the cabin over the weekend and the dog flushed out three in no time. I think I’ll give it a shot this coming weekend.
Good comfort food!

You fry them just like chicken, Nick! They are delicious.