Do you eat 'chucks?

[Bill in Oregon]

I was initially thinking about our big, fat rock chucks out West here, but they are in the same Marmota genus as the eastern woodchuck. Consulting my LL Bean game cookbook, I see a favorable discussion of woodchuck flesh, with recipes. But when I asked on an Oregon forum about rockchuck, all I get is "Eeeew, barf, plague" etc.
So how many here have eaten chuck, either wood or rock, and how would you rate it? Got a favorite way to fix it?

[madman4570]

Had it at my gramps.
Actually tasted ok.
Woodchuck.
If memory serves me right cooked on cook stove top in cast skillet with some lard.

[earlmck]

I have happily eaten 'chuck. The month after I got out of the service I went on a high-Cascades deer hunt. Deciding to "go modern" I was provisioned with freeze-dried food (a nice batch of "dinners for two" as I recall). Dang near starved to death on "dinners for two". Was looking for a chipmunk or a dicky-bird or anything resembling protein when a huge old 'chuck popped up and looked at me and I proceeded to eat him broiled, fried, and stewed for the remainder of the hunt. I considered him delicious, very similar to cottontail rabbit.

Some years later, after relating this story many times, some of us tried 'Chuck at a wild-game feed get-together. Consensus from that was that 'Chuck is a lot more similar to jack rabbit than to cottontail.

So I'd say 'chuck is plenty edible, but tastes better the hungrier you are.

[Bill in Oregon]

Earl, heh, nothing like the voice of sober experience.

I have indeed heard that as with most members of the rodent family, the younger the better.

[Modoc ED]

I've never eaten chuck but I have eaten jackrabbit. It's a bit more gamey and a bit tougher than a hare/bunny rabbit but is definitely doable.

[AJMD429]

Yep. Even fed some that I ground into burger-patties to my uncle, and he liked it so much he asked my mom what it was (this back when blended grinds with spices and such were all the rage, along with 'premium' grades of beef).

She just smiled and said 'ground chuck'...

[Buck Elliott]

I've eaten chuck on several different occasions.. their forage seems to influence their flavor, but I've never had chuck that I would consider "delicious..."

I don't eat mice or rats or centipedes either, though I have killed my share of each..

[Blaine]

Not bad.....

[Chuck 100 yd]

Not Chuck but my dad made sweet and sour Raccoon once that was great!

[ole pizen slinger]

I used to fix them for my kids when they were growing up. Eat them when they are young or have just come out of hibernation. In the east, if they eat kudzu it will flavor the meat undesirably. Take the chuck and par-boil it until the meat falls off the bone. Then put it in a pyrex dish and cover with barbque sauce and bake. Serve on buns. Makes a pretty good meal.
OPS

[madman4570]

Can I chime in and add ??

Possum "boiled"

Once in my life and never again.

[Hairtrigger]

I would suggest that you switch to a better varmint bullet. If there is enough left to eat you are not doing it correctly

[earlmck]

I would suggest that you switch to a better varmint bullet. If there is enough left to eat you are not doing it correctly

They do come unglued pretty easy, don't they? I've certainly done some shooting that left only a red/green splotch on the landscape. But for trying out recipes I'd recommend a nice polite head shot.

I have indeed heard that as with most members of the rodent family, the younger the better.

I'm not so sure about that. The 'chuck that we ate that seemed to equal jackrabbit was from young tender things. The 'chuck that I was remembering so fondly for many years was a real big 'un -- Boone and Crockett potential. And they eat only the nicest and tenderest for green stuff, and no kudzu around this area to worry about. I'm wondering if 'chuck doesn't deserve another try, using OPS's barbecue strategy or Chuck 100 yd's sweet 'n sour idea.

[BobM]

Earl, heh, nothing like the voice of sober experience.

I have indeed heard that as with most members of the rodent family, the younger the better.

That's what my grandpa said, but I've not tried it yet.

[Lastmohecken]

I think I would rather eat ground hog then possum, but I wouldn't eat Armadillo at all, as they are a know carrier of Leprosy. I have heard that anything from the cat family is the best eating of all.

[Marlin32]

LIke about anything, the young ones are ok, older ones not so much.
Not sure where you are or what your woodchucks diet is.
Around here, they eat well, people's gardens, alfalfa, etc, they can eat pretty well around here. Haven't eaten a "whistling pig" for long time.

[JerryB]

We lived in Tenn for several years and I shot a lot of groundhogs. I think my wife cooked everyone that I shot. The best were the ones that lived in the soy bean fields, young ones were fried like rabbit. The big ones were usually cooked in the oven, boned out then used for sandwich meat.

[7.62 Precision]

No, because they don't live here.

I have before, when I was in the Lower 48. They are pretty good.

[Paladin]

Ate a couple as a kid (killed 100s) in Ohio not that bad.

[hayabusa]

Have not had the chance to eat any chucks, but I am game to do so if I ever have the chance.
I have ate bbq possum and bbq Armadillo. Both were very tasty.

hayabusa

[86er]

When I was a kid we shot woodchucks at a place called Major Blossom Farms. The owner would skin the 'chucks and drop them in a big vat of boiling water for about 5 minutes. Then he put the whole carcass in a commercial grinder. Once the "chop meat" came out he put it in a dehydrator. What he was making was dog food. True story!

[cas]

I tell non hunting folks.... "woodchuck tastes like a dirty, earthy squirrel... which tastes like a stringy rabbit." Which usually horrifies them.


When I was a kid and we shot them a lot, we always just left them in the fields. When I got older I decided to try one and have eaten every one since then, though that only amounts to a couple. I probably only shoot one every ten years now as a target of opportunity , rather than hunting them. Plus when we hunting them were hitting them with things that turned them pretty much inside out.

[JB]

I know a few older folks that have asked me for groundhogs (woodchucks), but they normally only want small young ones. I've been told the meat on the older ones can be a bit tough. They're a clean grass eating animal, so I can't see a thing wrong with eating them.

[41 Redhawk]

I used to fix them for my kids when they were growing up. Eat them when they are young or have just come out of hibernation. In the east, if they eat kudzu it will flavor the meat undesirably. Take the chuck and par-boil it until the meat falls off the bone. Then put it in a pyrex dish and cover with barbque sauce and bake. Serve on buns. Makes a pretty good meal.

OPS, Where you live how would you find one that hadn't eaten Kudzu?

[stretch]

Yep. Even fed some that I ground into burger-patties to my uncle, and he liked it so much he asked my mom what it was (this back when blended grinds with spices and such were all the rage, along with 'premium' grades of beef).

She just smiled and said 'ground chuck'...

That there is funny.....

-Stretch

[tman]

The young ones, in a slow or pressure cooker{SLOW, being the optimun word} Use lots of mushrooms and beef gravy. The meat tends to be coarse and if cooked SLOW enough, will suck up the gravy. Better than starvin'

[wm]

Stew it.......served with rolls or over mashed potatoes.

Surprises me the number of hunters that turn up their nose at any game meat that isn't venison.

[BAGTIC]

I've never eaten chuck but I have eaten jackrabbit. It's a bit more gamey and a bit tougher than a hare/bunny rabbit but is definitely doable.

Jackrabbits are hares.

[BAGTIC]

I think I would rather eat ground hog then possum, but I wouldn't eat Armadillo at all, as they are a know carrier of Leprosy. I have heard that anything from the cat family is the best eating of all.

Armadillos can carry leprosy but few actually do. Remember that cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc. all carry serious diseases that affect humans but we continue to eat them. Should not be a problems as long as we don't eat them raw.

I actually ate armadillo once and it was not bad. I suspect the quality of different meats has as much to do with the cook as with the fare.

[hfcable]

Yep. Even fed some that I ground into burger-patties to my uncle, and he liked it so much he asked my mom what it was (this back when blended grinds with spices and such were all the rage, along with 'premium' grades of beef).

She just smiled and said 'ground chuck'...

dang! your mom is clever and fast witted..... great answer !