Posted By: Bigoledude
This old Cajun can cook but.... - 10/16/19 09:03 AM
I am about to buy a couple of dozen traps to get about 6 grandkids into trapping. They already love to eat what most consider the most ""acceptable" wild game such as ducks, rabbit, deer and geese. I'd like to get them (and myself) eating what we trap. I'm expecting many coons, squirrels, possums and muskrats. The old trappers down here in extreme SE Louisiana are getting pretty hard to find. Hurricanes Katrina and Issac have covered their homes and trapping land with 20-30 foot tidal surges and washed away most of the habitat they once trapped.
I have access to some of the few dry land locations out in the country nearby. The old folks call muskrats marsh rabbits. In fact many of them claim it is much better than rabbit. I've not encountered many who ate nutria regularly. I don't think we've ever had enough livestock cattle here in the Parish to account for all of the "supposed" sightings of a possum crawling out of a dead cow or horse. I think one guy may have actually witnessed it and the story has spread to the far corners of the lower 48. So, we plan on cooking up some different ways of preparing what we catch.
Since we wear short sleeves through most of the winter, I don't expect the critters to put on much of a desirable pelt. We will be wanting to put the best meat in our freezers. We can expect to get $6.00 per nutria tail and whatever other money we might squeeze from other varied sources like crafters.
Now the questions; i'd like to continue trapping into the warmer months if the meat stays nice. I know the rabbits get the nasty wolf fly larvae that burrows under their chin. I've never detected an off flavor from a rabbit with these nasty worms in them. Nutria carry a ring worm that can pose some serious health risks. Cooking to temps of 165 and over eliminates most of that danger. And, I'm sure there will be other issues pop up as we skin and clean these critters.
Is there a point when the meat becomes inedible due to continuous warm/hot weather? What animals would pose more of a risk of sickness or a foul taste because of the warm seasons?
I have access to some of the few dry land locations out in the country nearby. The old folks call muskrats marsh rabbits. In fact many of them claim it is much better than rabbit. I've not encountered many who ate nutria regularly. I don't think we've ever had enough livestock cattle here in the Parish to account for all of the "supposed" sightings of a possum crawling out of a dead cow or horse. I think one guy may have actually witnessed it and the story has spread to the far corners of the lower 48. So, we plan on cooking up some different ways of preparing what we catch.
Since we wear short sleeves through most of the winter, I don't expect the critters to put on much of a desirable pelt. We will be wanting to put the best meat in our freezers. We can expect to get $6.00 per nutria tail and whatever other money we might squeeze from other varied sources like crafters.
Now the questions; i'd like to continue trapping into the warmer months if the meat stays nice. I know the rabbits get the nasty wolf fly larvae that burrows under their chin. I've never detected an off flavor from a rabbit with these nasty worms in them. Nutria carry a ring worm that can pose some serious health risks. Cooking to temps of 165 and over eliminates most of that danger. And, I'm sure there will be other issues pop up as we skin and clean these critters.
Is there a point when the meat becomes inedible due to continuous warm/hot weather? What animals would pose more of a risk of sickness or a foul taste because of the warm seasons?