Mmmmmm, jackrabbit!

[Bill in Oregon]

http://honest-food.net/2010/02/11/hare-stew-hard-times/

[Tycer]

I absolutely love jackrabbit meat. Beats those pale-meated bunnies hands-down!

[Mescalero]

Wow thanks for that,
Our blacktails in N.M. are quite large.

[earlmck]

we got many meals out of a little more than one hare. The reason is because the meat is so flavorful

Yes, that's a polite way of saying it. If you like really gamy tough meat you'll love jack rabbit.

[wilko]

if there was only one thing i could hunt for the rest of my life.... that would be it

[Bill in Oregon]

Earl, it sounds like you are not all that "wild" about jacks. Do you get after the cottontails over your way?

[earlmck]

if there was only one thing i could hunt for the rest of my life.... that would be it

I'm with wilko on the hunting -- jacks are my all-time favorite target. They are way down on my list of edible, though I have certainly eaten them a time or two.

Earl, it sounds like you are not all that "wild" about jacks. Do you get after the cottontails over your way?

I do happily take a cottontail when opportunity arises, though I don't know of any place nearby with enough concentration of them to attract a hunting expedition. And the jack population has been depressed for years and seems to be getting even further depressed. I'm afraid they are becoming an endangered species in this part of Oregon.

And here I sit with a bunch of the finest jack rabbit shooting firearms I've ever possessed: 218 Bee, 25-20, 32-20, 357 -- on the '92 style action. Perfect rabbit weapons! And so few targets!

[jnyork]

My father and mother lived thru the toughest days of the Depression in rural Wyoming, spending at least one winter in a soddy, living by their wits and often hungry. I recall asking Mom once about the subject of eating jackrabbits, she told me she knew the Indians ate them but she and Dad were never quite THAT hungry.

[wilko]

My father and mother lived thru the toughest days of the Depression in rural Wyoming, spending at least one winter in a soddy, living by their wits and often hungry. I recall asking Mom once about the subject of eating jackrabbits, she told me she knew the Indians ate them but she and Dad were never quite THAT hungry.

all they needed was a good recipe... dark brown beer and prunes in the crock pot

[Bill in Oregon]

Earl, I am nearly in tears to think you own those rifles in those chamberings and are currently rabbit deprived!

That said, I just saw a report on Ifish from a guy from Harrisburg who took his son over to the Terrebonne area this past weekend and really got into them.
If you ever need someone to help kick the sagebrush for bunnies, give me a shout!
Bill

[Mescalero]

We had a bumper crop in N.M. this year, no license.

[FWiedner]

When I lived in southern AZ I used to hunt jacks all the time. I was in my .223 phase back then, I believe. It was great sport.

I used to bring them home and my young bride, being a dutiful soul, found a way to cook them. We used to soak them in salt-water or a light wine for a day or so to get rid of the gameiness, and then she'd stew the meat in a hasenpfeffer.

Given the nature of the meat, I thought that what she was able to craft was pretty darn good.

Maybe it's just a fond memory of days gone by, but I like jackrabbit.

[jnyork]

My father and mother lived thru the toughest days of the Depression in rural Wyoming, spending at least one winter in a soddy, living by their wits and often hungry. I recall asking Mom once about the subject of eating jackrabbits, she told me she knew the Indians ate them but she and Dad were never quite THAT hungry.

all they needed was a good recipe... dark brown beer and prunes in the crock pot

Both of which were unobtainable at the time, they cost money. To say nothing of the fact that crockpots had not been invented yet.

[765x53]

In this part of Missouri, jackrabbits come and go with the population explosions and declines.
I haven't seen one in several years now.
I've never eaten one but, one winter I picked up a fresh road kill and fed my hound for three days with it.

[J35]

if there was only one thing i could hunt for the rest of my life.... that would be it

Amen to that

I hunted them 2 or 3 evenings a week year round for most of my life.

It was really fun on off years when the cycle was down, the few Jacks you could find were super smart, and you actually had to hunt them just like big game. I have seen them break at over a hundred yards many a time.

The cold month's I ate them, during the warm month's the hounds and the chicken's ate them.



Have fun---J

[piller]

If I didn't know this was Hasenpfeffer, I'd swear it was carrot stew. One of the great lines from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

We used to hunt them with shotguns in the Winter months back in SouthWest Kansas. Soaking them in buttermilk for 24 hours and then stewing them was a way to make them edible.

[slimster]

Uhm, waiter, there's a hare in my soup!

[earlmck]

a guy from Harrisburg who took his son over to the Terrebonne area this past weekend and really got into them.
If you ever need someone to help kick the sagebrush for bunnies, give me a shout!
Bill

Holy smokes Bill -- Terrebonne is just 20 miles west of me. I've spent my time in the field mostly south and/or east of here: I'd better make a scouting expedition over to the west and see if there are some bunnies. And anytime you think you'd like to come along just give a shout and we can make it happen.

We used to soak them in salt-water or a light wine for a day or so to get rid of the gameiness, and then she'd stew the meat in a hasenpfeffer.

Soaking them in buttermilk for 24 hours and then stewing them was a way to make them edible.

I have to admit I never did anything but fry 'em up like you'd fry chicken. I can see jack rabbit deserves another try with a little more preparation time allowed.

OK Bill, if we can find jackrabbit I'm ready to give it another taste, using a more creative recipe.

[t.r.]

Years ago, I won $20. for my chili entry at the VFW in Rapid City, South Dakota. One guy asked me for my secret. I told him it was "Jack." He assumed I meant Jack Daniels but I meant Jack Rabbit. YUM!

TR

[FWiedner]

Chili was a recipe that was originally concocted to cover the taste of meat that was on the edge of going rancid.

While jackrabbit can be prepared to attenuate it's natural flavor, chili might be the perfect dish for 'fresh' jack.

I've got to try it.

[rangerider7]

I have killed hundreds of jackrabbits from the time I was 13 till now, I'm 67. My buddy years ago decided to cook a jack one night at our camp. I ate cottontail myself. He vomited all night and thought he was going to die. to this day all I have to say is "you want to try a little jackrabbit tonight" and it starts all over again. You may have a special way to cook it but you can have that greasy, stringy, mess all you want. You will not have to worry about me taking away any of your share or mine. You can have it all. RR7

[J35]

I have never met a greasy jackrabbit.

They have to be cooked in a liquid or sauce or they are to dry for me.

Have fun-- J

[BAGTIC]

I have eaten jacks but admit I prefer the younger ones. A lot seems to depend on what they have been eating, just like deer. When I lived in Oregon a friend gave me some jackrabbit salami and it was good.