Eating beaver

So apparently eating beaver meat is unlawful in Minnesota? A legislator is trying to get it legalized. I'm sure glad it's not illegal here!

Thats crazy

What would be the purpose of such a law?

I’ve eaten lots of Minnesota beaver, I’ve since moved and assume there’s a statute of limitations.

I just had some beaver stew for the first time last night. Awesome! Made sure it’s really cooked cuz you gotta assume it’s got something. Was a nice shiny black kit I caught last weekend. When the wife saw the fur, she said it’s not going to auction, tanning it and she’s going to make gloves or something out of it. ML on the board.

It's legal here, only illegal if the beaver was taken due to it being a nuisance. Legally trapped beaver are legal to eats

I'd think it would be very clean and healthy

Zing!!!!

Supposedly that's the same hear. Depending on wich confused person of authority you ask.

Why!!
I bet a lot eat beavah in MN.

I'm fixing beaver stew today in honor of all the deprived Minnesotans. Buttermilk-cornbread chaser!

I would say eat it if you want to. Who is going to know?

I've eaten beaver twice. Once a guy made beaver tail soup and a beaver roast. Both times it had a slight castor taste to it. I like the smell of beaver castor, but don't like the taste of it.

The way I understand it is that its illegal to eat a beaver thats not taken during the open season, wanting it changed to being able to eat them year round even in the off season.

First time I cooked beaver it had some castor on it. I couldn't spit enough for the next three days. Didn't try it again for years.

Now it's my favorite wild meat. But one must be careful about cross-contamination from the castors. I change gloves, knives and make sure it's clean.

A car load of us went to Delta years ago for a ATA meeting. Someone there made spaghetti with beaver meat. Everyone in the car got indigestion really bad and we hit the local store and fixed the problem. I have not tried it since.

For sure! If I know I’m going to eat it I don’t even let the meat hit the table I’m skinning on. Wee little castor goes a loooong way.

I love beaver meat. One of my favorite wild game dinners. Never had it taste like castor. Just got to be careful with glands like any butchering job

I ear in quite often in a number of different ways. Only had one batch taste like castor, fortunately it was a small batch.

Funny thing is even fat and connective tissue isn't gamey with beaver. I still remove most of it out of habit with wild meats.

I've fixed beaver for quite a few different folks and nobody reported anything like that. My guess is in this particular event something else was at play other than it just being beaver meat. That being said, I would never trust somebody else's butchering job on beaver.

Someone got the caster into the meat. I am guessing that would taste yuckie.....jk

Don’t fear the beaver- EAT IT!

Beaver meat is mighty tasty if it's been handled well. I've fixed it in a stew at a number of trapping conventions, and the large pot gets emptied with folks looking for more. Even the kids love it. I've never seen where it caused any indigestion.

I usually throw everything I got in my beaver stew. This is what's on the stove right now: Backstraps and some leg meat from an XL beaver caught yesterday, browned with a little flour, salt and pepper. Then some Pacific beef broth, onions and garlic, potatoes, corn, green beans, tomatoes, turnip, bell pepper, carrots, celery, cabbage, and of course some canned diced tomatoes.

(I didn't have any pearled barley but I always like throwing in a cup of it in there too).

It will be accompanied with buttermilk cornbread.

I keep and eat all the beaver, [meat] that I get, last spring that was 67 beavers, that's a lot of meat, I make everything or have stuff made, the castor is the first thing I take off, and never use the same knife without cleaning it,

One of my favorite wild meats. You do have to be very careful to not get any castor contamination.

in Michigan a few years ago if it was a nuisance job you couldn't keep any part of the animal, it took me 5 years, but I finally got this changed for whatever reason the head of the dnr didn't want it change, you had to buried or burn or haul to landfill, couldn't keep fur or anything, Now they are a nuisance animal and you don't need a permit, just call in and they give you the ok

Good for you man! I keep threatening to do that but I get so backed up on my skinning that I have a hard time finding the time. Shame on me. You're an inspiration Dahlgren...gotta do that too.

That's how Manitoba is if you kill an animal under a kill permit out of season. After some long phone calls with the legal lady at conservation, she said the only way to keep it would be to extend the beaver season. She's painting beaver & polar bear with the same brush, doesn't want to create a black market for beaver in Manitoba. Told her that she should come out with me in June trapping ADC and see if she'll still think guys will do it for a couple bucks...LOL. Will have to go above Conservation to the provincial government level. They're the ones that have to sign it anyways.

Before I removed the little castors & oil, I cut the straps & back leg meat off using a knife from the kitchen. Turned out better than any deer stew we've made!

That's how I do it. If they're bigger beaver I'll take the front legs too.

I brought beaver hotpot into work and shared it with the office. Most everybody tried it and nobody had any complaints.

Put some beaver meat in the freezer as well. Actually my plan it to try every new animal I trap just for the novelty.

If you look at all the beaver a guy traps in a year, that’s a lot of meat! Problem is I need bait too.
One thing I hate is when bear hunters want them for free, “your just going to waste them” they say. If I dump some on my line because there’s no room in the freezer, that ain’t no waste for me! All the critters on the line get a free meal in early summer when they’re having their young.
Before the Manitobans reading this freak out again, you can sell beaver carcass as long as the buyer get a $10 possession permit. 1 beaver or 50….its $10…..