# MY favorite way to cook.......



## cajunsmoker (Mar 5, 2007)

We are always getting someone that says something like, "I could have smoked a racoon and it would have tasted better than this did"  or something like that and then someone else says,  "Hey buddy, racoon is some pretty good stuff if you cook it like......."

So I thought
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 (yea I know better), why not start a thread where everyone can post their favorite way to cook their favorite critter (preferrably wild).

So who goes first?


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## gunslinger (Mar 6, 2007)

I like it. Does it have to be smoked? Because your post says "cook."
So if it's cook, I like to get a mess of squirrels and bunnies, slow cook them all day in the crock pot with my favorite BBQ sauce and a can of beer. Cook till melt-in-your-mouth tender.
I still don't know about ring-tails though.


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## deejaydebi (Mar 6, 2007)

I just like my squirrels and bunnies pan fried with a little salt, pepper and garlic. About the only thing I do fry anymore.


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## cajunsmoker (Mar 6, 2007)

I don't think it should have to be smoked.  Just whatever way you prefer to cook them.

My favorite way to cook cottontail rabbit is just like Debi, salt, pepper, flour and fry it like chicken.  Swamp rabbits are so tough though that I fry them first then make gravy and smother in the oven for about 1 - 1.5 hours to tender them up.

I've ate racoon a bunch of times.  Some good, some not so good.  Best I ever ate was a very young coon that was parboiled then baked with sweet potatos.  The parboiling took a lot of the strong musky taste out.


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## linecut (Mar 6, 2007)

no squirrel or bunnies here to eat.. but i do like to eat octopus and squid on the grill also like to eat them raw.. that and raw fish and its party time around here..


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## jmastera (Mar 6, 2007)

I'll have to say that I must have been sheltered my entire life because I have never once thought of cooking up a Squirel or Cotton Tail.  What do they taste like if anything?  

I have had Rattle Snack, can't remember how it was cooked but it was pretty tasty, same with Alligator.  Though they were both at a Fancy restaurant in Boulder, CO so I am not sure if that counts.


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## tonto1117 (Mar 6, 2007)

Same here... are fishey's critters???? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 My father and brothers allways took joy in sneaking all kind's of "critters" in my food when I was a kid, think that's why I still have an dislike for them ( A mental thing I guess 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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## teacup13 (Mar 6, 2007)

never eaten squirrels or raccoons

but the wildest things i have eaten are bear and frog legs..

frog legs are good if you dont overcook them

bear, we just fried up real well in lots of butter and plenty of spices


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## linecut (Mar 6, 2007)

i'm not sure now.. maybe you could call them wet critters.. but if it has to have hair on it then maybe its not a critter..maybe its a cold slimy thing..


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## cajunsmoker (Mar 6, 2007)

No, fish count too.  Heck if you eat it raw it ought to count double
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 .  Down here raw fish is called bait


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## smokincowboy (Mar 6, 2007)

I have a brother that him and a friend  has a wild game feast every year  here in Ohio we  get to try about anything that is from Ohio from turtle ot goose most is grilled and cooked in the house maybe I should learn to use this smoker and smoke some of it


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## ultramag (Mar 6, 2007)

Squirrels and rabbits I usually fry, but every once in awhile will bake rabbits in the oven w/ mushroom gravy or something similiar.

The best way I found to eat coon was to parboil it and then cook it in the oven . It will fall off the bone and then we add a little BBQ sauce and eat it like pulled brisket. Most people wouldn't know it's not pulled beef if you didn't tell them. The big thing with coons is to avoid the big old boars and you *must remove *the scent glands. That is the musky wild taste most people complain of.

This thread is making me concerned with my raising. I don't see anything unusual here at all so far. Frog legs? There are people alive that don't eat frog legs?


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## up in smoke (Mar 6, 2007)

Every year, over the summer we would shoot a mess of whistlepigs, mostly at farmer’s requests, take em home, dress out the back legs and freeze em’ (there isn’t much meat on the torso, just scent glands and such on the back and forearms), then in November we would take them all up to the Sportsmans Club, where ole Sam would do them up in big electric roasters with Vidalia onions, gravy and mashed taters for our Annual Legs & Gravy Dinner! A real Treat!  (tasted like pork sirloin roast)


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## cajunsmoker (Mar 7, 2007)

Been there frequently


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## deejaydebi (Mar 7, 2007)

That's what I always heard it called!








Speaking of Bunnies ...We used to raise rabbits when I was a kid. We had hundreds of the little buggers! 
Dad used to put a little thing in the paper to sell them

Burelle's Rabbitry
Live or Dressed
555-1212

Well this one time, I was about 7 or 8, a lady called pretty close to Easter and ordered two dresed rabbits.
Me and Daddy when out back and butchered two rabbits washed them and boxed them in Daddys fancy cardboard boxes.

A few hours later this old lady (she was probably 50ish) came by to pick up her order. 
Daddy chatted with the lady while I went to the fridge to get the lady her rabbits.
I came back and handed the lady her box of rabbits and she threw them up in the air, screamed bloody murder and ran to her car so fast I thought her tail was on fire. Daddy and I thought for a minute and figured the silly woman probably thought dressed meant dressed little suits or something and wanted them for Easter presents. We laughed so hard we couldn't stand up!


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## smoked (Mar 7, 2007)

hummmm possum.....deep fryed!!! (if you can't smoke it...then deep fry it damnit) but then again, can't tell if them buggers are dead or just playing


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## up in smoke (Mar 7, 2007)

I reckon if ya deep fry em youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll find out real quick-like, huh?


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## smoked (Mar 7, 2007)

giggle....I hope so.....but I need to break in that new masterbuilt turkey fryer you know.....


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## gunslinger (Mar 11, 2007)

When I lived in Iowa, my hunting party would save all the pheasant giblets and we'd all get together in the spring and fry em up. We'd have like 50 lbs of it. I wonder what gizzards and hearts would taste like smoked.


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## buzzy (Mar 12, 2007)

I would have to say there is very few local creatures that we haven't ate but my all time favorite is boneless dove breast (pheasant, grouse or turkey will work if cut into bite size pieces) soaked in apple cider for 3 days. Then wrapped in bacon with a piece of pepper,or onion or nothing. Put in smoker with cider put in water pan & smoke until done.


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## bigal (Mar 12, 2007)

I'm w/Buzzy, dove is awsome.  I also like pheasant smoked the same way.  I don't see how you guys can eat rabbit.  Had some hunters one year keep jack rabbits(didn't see many pheasants).  He would crock pot them, pull the meat off the bone and mix in with bbq sauce and use for sammies or as a dip.  

Surprised I haven't seen any ostrich, actually used to be "wild" here.  When the market went to crap some guys were letting them loose.  We used to raise them(for the meat & hide) and it was pretty good if cooked right.  If you over cooked it, it would be tough enough to patch tires with.

Gotta say cat is my favorite to cook; I don't eat them, I just hate cats. ;) (I don't know how to "work" those little army guys, but this is a joke.....................pretty much a joke anyway)


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## tonto1117 (Mar 12, 2007)

Can't say anything about dove or pheasant's....but my cat has a message for ya 








............lol


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## ultramag (Mar 12, 2007)

That ostrich business reminds me. Me and a buddy of mine smoked an emu once. It had been turned loose when the get rich quick craze ended around here as well. We were a little overgunned if there is such a thing. .338 Win Mag vs. emu, he lost.


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## bigal (Mar 12, 2007)

LOL!

Bring it on!


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## bigal (Mar 12, 2007)

Chad, we had one get out and she took off fast.  We knew that we had to kill her 'cause she would stress too much and end up dead anyway.  So I hung out the window of the pickup going 30mph thru a field so I could drop her.  I'd seen them cleaned enough that I took it upon myself to "get what we could out of her".  I tip my hat to butchers, although it was in a field, I had a hell of a time.

Getting off subject, so I better stop.........but ostriches are damn stupid.  Many stories, better told w/beer and a smoker filled w/meat.


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## monty (Mar 16, 2007)

Hey, BigAl, Jackrabbits are desperation food only. They're tough and not at all pleasantly flavorful. Now let's talk GOOD rabbit!

My property and the surrounding area is loaded with Snowshoe Hares. They are great eating any way you wanna do'em.

While I have several favorite recipes for rabbit I have never really smoked them before and plan a few experiments for this summer.

Elsewhere in the Wild Game forum I have posted my favorite rotisserie rabbit recipe. But please...no jackrabbits!

Cheers!


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## tonto1117 (Mar 16, 2007)

....lol


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## monty (Mar 16, 2007)

Now, Theresa! Stop that!


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## pigcicles (Mar 16, 2007)

... I don't care who ya are.. That's funny stuff. I shot my mom's pet rooster one time (that's all it took) with a 30-30.. Poof! You'll have to ask about that one at the gathering

Keep Smokin


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## tonto1117 (Mar 16, 2007)

Bechta the last thing those Wabbit's say is not " What's Up Doc".


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## tonto1117 (Mar 16, 2007)

LOL.... Count on it!!!!


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## deejaydebi (Mar 17, 2007)

Theresa -

Now most grown bunnies aren't that cute (especially after their beheaded).

Piggies ... now their cute!


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## linescum (Mar 17, 2007)

HAHAHAHA thats a good one


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