Thread: Eating Rabbit / Possum

Hi guys,
I'm new to this and want to find out what's the deal with eating rabbits (and to a lesser extent possums)? I assume possums are too risky to eat, is that true? Are rabbits generally safe to eat, or sometimes, or what? If so how can you tell whether an animal is OK to eat?
Keen to hear any advice you have on the topic.

Thanks
S

Check out the liver while gutting. If healthy looking (unblemished) then in my opinion you would be good to go with both animals.

Ate possum waaay back after boiling it then using meat in casserole. Strong taste as I recall. Bunny all good, but check liver and other organs for white blemishes. Vet mate advised me to also look for pencil diameter lesions in the meat, a bit like the eraser off the end of a pencil. If you find anything like this IN THE MEAT YOU WANT TO EAT, then discard animal. Have seen this disease (whatever it is, only once). A good bunny recipe is to joint animal, soak overnight in cold water with a a dash of white vinegar. That will bleach and tenderise meat. Roll meat in seasoned flour, chuck in a camp oven with some chopped bacon. Add contents of one or two two cans of beer. Cook/simmer until tender.We ate this regularly as 'Underground Chicken'. FYI vinegr will help tenderise tougher meat.

Rabbit, wrap in bacon and spit roast. Possum, feed to dog and eat bacon.

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By reputation, buck possies are the ones to avoid for eating. I avoid them all but if you think about it, possums only eat the best of the best so should be good protein.

One big thing missed out by people eating rabbit is to remove glands on either side of tail. Gets a lot of the "gamey" taste out. Once skinned rip the tail up and back over the rabbits back bone to remove it, then swipe the knife blade down each side of the inside leg you have just created.
For preference go for younger half grown rabbits. Much more tender.

Hey guys,
I've dug up a thing or two, if you're interested.

Stuff article:
-"Possum skinning expert Carl Cooper says you can tell if a possum has tuberculosis because the glands in their groin and underarm swell into large abscesses. "It's never been found in Northland in feral possums."

Josh James takes us through catching/killing/eating:
-Checks the lungs for TB

Another possum video for your reference.
-A Kiwi guy shows a bit of a possum hunt, then processing, and cooking a possum.

Stephen Coote describes in detail Skinning and Butchering a Pussom
How I Skin and Butcher a Possum - Ooooby

A guy walks us through shooting, processing, cooking a Possum Stew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyFbr7Mzq0w

@samusugiru

Once you have a rabbit the check out Scott Rea's Bunny Burger reciepes, it's bloody delicious

https://youtu.be/aESuqWNAoto

And for the possums, Paki Paki Possum Pie is ok

Cheers
Pete

Nice young possum is all good. Much lighter colour and a lot less stinky than an old buck.

With rabbit, I pretty much only eat the ones with white fat..if the fat is yellow it trends to indicate a tougher stronger tasting animal... White fat means young tender and mild, I always brine in a salt vinegar and sugar mix overnight then cook any way I feel like...

Don't rely on examining the meat or innards to rule out Tuberculosis or parasites.
Just cook ALL game well, and pay double attention to your processing if you make sausages.
"Rare" is only an option for factory-farmed meat.

Originally Posted by Cordite

Don't rely on examining the meat or innards to rule out Tuberculosis or parasites.
Just cook ALL game well, and pay double attention to your processing if you make sausages.
"Rare" is only an option for factory-farmed meat.

I must be full of parasites then.

What heathen eats well cooked venison, thar or chamois?

I treat rabbit like chicken and that is always cooked thru along with most game birds.

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Originally Posted by R93

I must be full of parasites then.

What heathen eats well cooked venison, thar or chamois?

I treat rabbit like chicken and that is always cooked thru along with most game birds.

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I wouldn't cook cham at all

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