Eating rabbits-- Do you depend on it?

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

Does anybody know anyone who rabbit hunts through the winter because he "has to" in order to feed his/her family through the winter. I know several people who deer hunt because the meat gets them by.. How about rabbits. My grandma says rabbit hunting when she was a kid was crucial to feed nine kids and they had family prayer before the boys went on a hunt..

I spend way to much on rabbit hunting to justify it as legitimately say I depend on it or even need it but I do love the meat...

ANyone have any stories to share?

[BEAGLEBLUES]

we eat alot of rabbit, but we don't depend on it. My grandfather tells me that when he was a child, they depended on all small game. their dogs would tree squirrels, run rabbits, ground hogs, possums. they were all fiest, beagle, bird dog, and maybe big hound mixes. there was probably some shephard dog in there too. I have seen pictures of these farm dogs that they had and some had long hair, long ears, spotted, and everyshape and color imaginable. he said that dogs were tools for the farm and hunting. if they would not tree or chase rabbits they did not stay. He told me that he was 12 or thirteen before he ever ate any beef, and he was 17 or 18 before he ever saw a deer around here.

[nchunter102]

Today with the cost of dogs, dog food, shot gun shells, fuel, and many other factors..there's just no way hunting for food is cheaper then double cheese burgers from Mcdonald's..

On the other hand, I love rabbit. I eat the rabbits I kill the same day. Rabbit IMO is the best wild food.

[bigjohn]

Love eating rabbit,but not dependent on it.That said,I usually eat it at least a couple of times every week of the season.When I was a kid,wildlife was a big part of our diet.Much healthier food than beef or pork.

[Ron Conroe]

don't depend on it, but i do love to eat it. i do have a freind that will kill about 60 to 70 a year and will eat them all.

[beaglerof4]

I dont depend on it, but I know the Omish around here sure appreciate it when you give them some. I give a lot of rabbits away to people that actually want, and need them. It sure makes you feel good when you hand someone a fresh rabbit and they get all excited over it.

[pilotknob]

If I took the money I spent on dogs every year I could most likely buy a 800lb. beef and a hog and have them processed.I like eating rabbit,my wife likes them better than me so we eat them pretty often during season and at the end I like to have 15 or 20 in the freezer.

[chris1971]

Well i dont think i would say we have to have them but man when i take them suckers to my mothers and she cooks them in my grandmothers old world German Rabbit Hasenpfeffer with hot biscuts. Lets just say that it is what i would imagine they serve in Heaven!!

[warddog]

When I was a kid my family as well as my relatives ALL hunted rabbits, squirrel, turtles, fished and picked mushrooms both in the spring and fall to suppliment our dinner tables. We didn't rely on it as we never knew if we were going to harvest enough for a meal but we sure ate everything we got. We also NEVER had enough to give away as we used ALL that we got. I remember the first beef steak we had for supper one evening and it was tougher than shoe leather. My dad told my Mom that he would rather have an ole tough rabbit or squirrel and not to buy steak again. Back then getting the limit was of a greater importance too as it meant we would have more meat for the table. Today as has been the case for several years we hunt for sport and not for food although we still eat everything we take the numbers have dwindles. Limits of anything are NOT important and none of us are feeding families with 7 kids either. I also remember eating the commidity peanut butter and powdered milk when the hunting wasn't so good. Oh one other thing that I've seen change over the years is that as a kid we NEVER deer hunted as there just wasn't any deer to hunt here in southern Indiana. We thought it was a BIG deal when we started seeing them while sitting still squirrel hunting. One would have thought we saw BIG FOOT!

[gun runner]

Love eating rabbit do not depend on feeding my family with it.But i will put alot of wild game in the ice box and 3 or 4 deer and alot of fish and crab meat,rabbits,duck and i think it does help out threw the years.

[rabbit runer]

for me no i like rabbits but i like swampers better and deer meat is first in line

[gfedor]

Love eating it and cooking it for others. I dont depend on it, but enjoy eating once a week during the season. On another note, my buddies grandfather would tell us stories about using coon hounds during the day for rabbits and at night use them for coon.

[NoShowBeagles]

If it didnt cost so much and if it didnt lower population id raise a bunch of tame rabbits and kill lots more cottontails so i could eat it twice or three times a week!!!